outdoors (with Granddaddy)

Late this afternoon we headed over to the badminton courts in our complex for some outside fun.  We have this really cool pop up soccer net and a gym-coach-esque net bag full of balls.  Dad worked on teaching the big three the essentials of a bounce pass. 

But the biggest ball-lover of the family is definitely the littlest guy.  Luke L-O-V-E-S to play ball. 

A ball is always his first choice toy.  And his second choice.  And his final choice :) 

At least he's consistent, right?

Hopefully all the outside fun helped get everyone nice and sleepy - tonight the big three are "camping out" with Granddaddy on the living room floor.  Dad (on an air mattress) and the bigs in their sleeping bags.  Should be good times - as long as morning doesn't come too early!  ha!

their faces

Everyone thinks their children are beautiful.

And they're right. 

Children are beautiful.

 

 

Oh these precious faces.  Melt my heart.  Beautiful. 

(I know, missing Julianna.... I'll work on it!)

with his Granddaddy

Luke is happy to be with his Granddaddy. 

 
And I'm happy Luke is with his Granddaddy.

And Granddaddy is happy to be with Luke.

My Dad would say, "this is why I came"

And I say, "this is why I'm glad you're here!'

to know they are brothers

Dad brought eight boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios, some hand-me-downs for Isaac (thanks Will and Julie!) and a new camera for me (I mean us..... although really me, since Matt doesn't spend his days with people nearly as photogenic as my companions!)

After lots of helpful input we purchased a Panasonic Lumix (micro four thirds system) - I had never heard of a micro four thirds camera before a couple of camera-savvy friends tipped me off.  If you're looking for something with almost every feature of a DSLR but prefer a smaller body, it might be a great option. 

Anyways, it's been out of the box for 12 hours.  And so far I've decided that a) I love it and b) I have a lot to learn. 

I attached the (kit) lens, inserted the battery, flicked the power button and took these.

Nothing special, but it's definitely an upgrade from a phone camera (which I've been using as my ONLY camera since Christmas!) 

And besides, I love their heads tucked together (catching ants, of course!).... these two boys aren't readily identifiable as brothers in looks alone, but here posture speaks louder than hair color, huh? 

And their big sister.  Who catches a lot of ants herself, and even has a (not pictured) "research station" where she examines her finds ...

Now that Dad is here I actually have capacity to think about reading the owners manual, figuring out ISO and fstops and the like.... and then when he leaves I'll probably put it back in auto mode for the next ten years.  Or not.  We'll see. 

Actually, I do have a list of a few projects I'd like to spend some time on over the next two weeks with Dad in town.  Normal days leave me little time for much more than the basics - but now Dad is here to take boys on walks and listen to little girls read and keep Luke out of trouble  ;)  Who knows what I'll get around to doing?!?!? 

surprise!

Granddaddy is here! 

Very last minute, about two weeks ago, Dad forked over some frequent flier miles and booked a seat.  Woohoo!!!!!

welcome poster (made by Lydia)

a fault line

We live near an active fault line.  And it's acting up..... quaking earth, that kind of thing.  But we are just fine, and praying for all those who live much closer to the damage and are still reeling from more catastrophic hurts.  [Though I will say that listening to dishes tinkling and doors rattling in door jams while thinking "what is that? a train? why is the house shaking? ack, earthquake, I'm sure that was an earthquake".... well, it's unsettling.]

Just this evening we again felt one of the larger aftershocks.  The pulls that hang from our ceiling fans start to swing back and forth a bit, that's how I know I'm not making it up, the earth really is rumbling.

The reality is that thousands, millions of people who have never heard the Gospel live near active fault lines.  So events like this... they don't make me want to move away.  They renew my commitment to stay.  Who, who is going to tell them of a God, a Hope, a Security who is rock solid - especially when the very rocks of the earth are crumbling? 

cutting hair

Monday evening I cut the girls hair.  Clearly, the best hair cutting spot for us is outdoors in the courtyard, and it's where we do all our kid hair cuts.  One of my favorite neighbors walked by and stopped to let her grandson play while the girls got their trims.  She (half jokingly) said "you can do anything" and I answered, "maybe it's just that I'm brave enough to try".  [Sure, you could argue "dumb enough" to try, I'll agree to that.]

It's true, I don't know much of anything about cutting hair.  I got lucky with the girls.  Julianna's has just enough curl at the ends that any unevenness is obscured.  Plus she wants hers long and longer - an occasional trim is all that's necessary.   

Lydia's, well..... can you mess it up?  This time I got a little braver and added in some layers.  The second side got a bit shorter so I had to go back and shorten the first side (anyone heard this hair cut story before?) but I'm happy to report the end result was an irresistible mop of curls.  

The only picture I have is this one - catching ants and looking at them with our 80 cent magnifying glasses.  We fed ants.  We drowned ants.  We squished ants.  A good afternoon for us, arguably not so good for the ants. 

Back to the hair.  I'll get a better picture of Lydia.  And I do need some tips for Isaac.  John Paul is an easy buzz cut, but I'd like a little more skill and ability to do something different with Isaac.  Might just have to get out there and "get brave". 

Problem is Isaac's hair cut tolerance is not something you'd brag about, so I'll need to be quick about it. Might just buzz it after all.

We're out of town (road trip) this weekend - Matt working, kids and I just 'along for the ride'.  So excited about the folks we're going to see :)  

a seven year secret

At 8 months old Julianna was already a big fan of her panda bear, Jing Jing.

One day that summer the three of us walked past a shop window (in an airport of all places) and there, staring back at us, was another Jing Jing.  Matt thought it'd be wise to pick up a second bear, seeing as how baby daughter was a panda fan and we could see a blossoming friendship.

Matt named the second panda "stunt double", and over the years the two have switched places so often that we've lost track of which was the original.  I'm telling ya, a stunt double comes in handy when we're talking about the "will not fall asleep without this panda" type of bear.

Well, once it was clear Lydia was a bunny lover (hers is named Carolina) we opted to purchase a bunny stunt double.

By the time Isaac arrived we were fully committed to the stunt double concept, and bought him two tigers before he was even born.

And Isaac is, by far, the most committed animal lover of the three.  John Paul arrived a bit late to foster this sort of attachment.  And Luke, oh sweet Luke, we'd love for him to have some sort of comfort system or self-soothing mechanism, but that doesn't seem to be his first choice.

Well in the almost seven years since the first stunt double entered the apartment, the secret's been kept.  None of the kids knew there was a second option.  I switched them seamlessly - often gathering one up in the puke covered blankets and tossing into the washer, then grabbing the stunt double and handing him to the newly-cleaned up kiddo before sending them back to bed.  We arrived home from trips and tossed the well-traveled animals into the wash and pulled out fresh ones.  On really long trips (think months-long deals) we travel with the doubles in the bottom of the duffel bag.  Who wants to realize that somebody's favorite friend got left in the seat back pocket on the last flight? 

A week or so ago Bei Bei (Isaac's tiger) was missing and after a half-hearted search I succumbed to weary-momma-syndrome, went straight for the double, tucked Isaac into bed and declared victory.

And then I totally forgot that another Bei Bei was still roaming the house.

He showed up today.  And Isaac was thrilled.  "I have TWO Bei Beis!!!!!!"  It was like a birthday, only better.  He loved every bit - I told him how there were actually two from the very beginning, and I'd been switching them over and over again.  Isaac could NOT stop grinning.

And he broke the news to the girls.  "Two Bei Beis?????"  Shocked faces.  And the inevitable: "Is there another Jing Jing too?"

They all came tumbling out.

Julianna showed me that hers were truly different - and she's right, one is a bit bigger and has a black tail (the panda she claims is the best, and the original, has a white tail).  After a half hour she put the 'other' Jing Jing on my bed and asked that I keep him in case something happens to the 'real' one.  She's definitely growing past her attachment, and the panda is no longer a must have at sleep overs, or even in her own bed. 

Lydia's two bunnies are slightly different shades of pink - honestly at this point they both look mostly pinkish-white.  The bright pink bunny in the early picture above surprised me.  (Were they really that pink?  It takes a lot of love, a lot of night cuddles, to wear the color off the skin of a bunny rabbit.)  For tonight she's got both of them in bed with her.

Right before bedtime Isaac pointed out how badly one of his tigers needed a washing, and gathered the cleaner (whiter) one in his arms before hitting the pillow.

The secret is out. 

loving Luke

Luke is one tough cookie. 

He's built like a truck.  

He's survived (almost) 13 months in a house of recklessly loving big siblings.  

He rarely cries in pain - it takes a good solid clunk on the head or a significant fall to elicit tears.  

And he loves to laugh!  Especially at his brothers antics!  (that's his squinty eyes open mouth laughing face in the photo below)

Found these photos on Matt's phone and thought they were a sweet glimpse of the life Luke leads :)  It's a whole lotta love for the family baby - and so fun to see him getting to an age where he can really develop a friendship with John Paul.  My littlest two are 14ish months apart and are already becoming great buds.... or maybe partners in crime?  Though John Paul is quick to holler "uh-oh" if finds Luke creating trouble (emptying the book shelf, sneaking into the off-limits kitchen, etc). 

I posted them in chronological order... not totally sure how this scene played out, but clearly the sought after book (photos 1 and 2) didn't hold their attention for long (photo 3) before they were back on the floor playing again :) 

safety first?

Ever heard of OSHA?  The occupational safety and health administration?  The folks who regulate everything so tightly that even really ridiculous people can't hurt themselves? 

[Nothing against OSHA, folks! There are definitely some perks to living in an OSHA-regulated world.  I've spent 95% of my motherhood in a country that doesn't prioritize handicap (read: stroller friendly) accessibility.  I've driven straight through construction sites - men dangling overhead with welder sparks flying and the ominous beep-beep-beep of a front end loader headed backwards... all this with my (unbuckled) children hanging out the windows of a cheap-o sedan, trying to get a better look at all the big equipment.  There's nothing wrong with safety!]

All that to say: There is no OSHA here.  Nada.  They don't even pretend to make it safe.  The motto is pretty much: watch out for yourself, be careful, and if someone gets hurt, it's your fault. 

Now, it's not ideal. 

But there are some perks.

Tonight we parked right next to a concrete mixer pouring concrete into this huge boom.  And I mean RIGHT NEXT TO it.... see our (gray) van taillights down there at the bottom of the hill? 

I was a bit nervous unloading kids and stuff, getting Luke into the ergo carrier and trying to keep everyone at least three steps away from the big equipment, but once we got up the hill I decided it was worth a photo op.  {We were on our way to meet Matt but it was one of those moments when I regretted telling him "no need to meet me at the car, I'll find you once I get there"}

As we were walking away Isaac said "when I get bigger I might buy one of those concrete crane things". 

I'm so glad that's what he wants to buy.  And his comment makes me wonder what he thinks about my shopping habits. 

some things never change

My kids have played "going on a trip" for ages and ages.  We can't figure out where they get this travel bug from but.... (ha ha ha!)

A few days ago they used an arm chair to create their vehicle.  That's Isaac driving, John Paul riding shot gun and the girls in back.  All the luggage is on the roof.  

And when it was time for the girls to drive things got a little willy-nilly in back.

It wasn't long before the grins turned to giggles and the giggles got rowdy and the roof of the vehicle collapsed.  Luckily the girls handled it well and chose to announce "we're there" just as the roof fell in.

Isaac fans, please note Bei Bei is peeking out the car window.  He's four and that tiger is still a constant sidekick.  Not sure how we'll ever break the habit, or even if we want to! 

And a little "some things never change" photo evidence.

Lyds and Julianna, going on a trip, August 2009, Lydia just turned two, Julianna 3 and a half.  They were really into train trips during this particular season.  We still play with most of those toys almost 4 years later - the silk scarves (purple and pink, gifts from my college roommate, are almost always involved in the pretend - they've had at least 10,000 different purposes) and Julianna's panda Jing Jing and a baby blanket crocheted by my mom (on Lydia's lap) that we still use all the time.  The flat bed train car is actually the baby cradle turned upside down (and again, it's still in use today).  The baby rattle (hanging off their luggage) finally broke about half way through Luke's infancy.  Some things never seem to change.....

these days

Friday we marked ten years of marriage.  That's a lot of years :)   

I started the day with an early morning trip to the (in-town) grocery store with Lydia. 

She wore an elephant mask.  Which is pretty awesome if you ask me. 

It was a big long trip but having my girl with me made it so much fun.  It's hard to be grumpy about shopping at a frustrating mega-store when you're with Lydia.  She's a trooper, and she loves a strawberry shake at check out :)

That evening Matt and I enjoyed a great date night.  We're currently a "two babysitter family" and are so blessed to have a host of folks willing to watch the kids.  I'm just not ready to leave all five with one sitter.... it's quite a bit on me when Matt is away, and they are MY kids!  I feel much better with two sitters, especially with Luke (still so young) and John Paul (some tricky communication needs). 

So we left with one friend on the living room floor, surrounded by laughing children, and another in the kitchen, finishing up dinner prep.  As usual for any date night, I'm just glad to be leaving the chaos behind :)  Once we're out of the house and far enough away that I can't hear any residual noise, the date is already a huge success in my book! 

We're eager to enjoy a longer get-away and big celebration of ten years, but are choosing to wait until next spring when we'll be closer to fun vacation spots and grandparents who can watch the kids for days (not just hours!) at a time!

real life (in my kitchen)

I texted these photos to a friend today and then realized they were perfect for the blog too.  I want to remember these days.  And this crowded kitchen.

The caption I sent with the texted photos read "counter space is an issue"

My oven is not working (it's an issue we've had previously, the repair guy already ordered a new part but it might be a week, or more) so I borrowed a friend's little mini-oven as a stand in.  It takes up a too-big chunk of space. 

Then there are last night's dinner dishes (still unwashed).   The dish rack (with both dishes and tomatoes, all clean).  The overflow has ended up on the floor - Luke's high chair tray (post lunch), a bowl of still steaming chic peas (straight from the pressure cooker), two oven mitts perched on the stool (where else?) and a bag of apples needing to be washed. 

A closer look towards the stove top - just cooked bread (3 loaves every Wednesday), the stand mixer bowl (dirty, of course), the blue-lidded tupperware is ready for the sliced bread.  Unfortunately, slicing bread isn't an option right this minute (even though the cutting board is, mercifully, clean - there's just no room for it on the counter!)

The tomatoes in the dish rack are for tonight's supper (BLTs).  The pressure cooker did last night's refried beans (my first attempt and they were delicious) and today's chic peas (still on floor, planning to make hummus for dinner and freeze the remainder for future batches).  The stand mixer (minus dirty bowl) and the flour (perched on top - remnants of the bread making).

And, one last little secret (in the interest of full disclosure) -

I have a bucket of dirty dishes under the sink.  It's my version of loading a dish washer.  Dishes out of sight, waiting to be washed.  You can't tell from the pic but it's a nice deep basin ;) Last night we hosted six (plus our seven) so there are plenty of dirty plates and bowls, and the deepest recesses are full of silverware.  

But wait, there's good news.  My house helper arrived within the hour.  She's got nerves of steel and doesn't even flinch.  Kitchen has been better than this, but it's also been worse.  She spent probably half of her 4 hour shift right in this kitchen - even got the bread sliced just in time for dinner :)  

when the neighbors come to party

48 guests came to our neighborhood Easter party.  32 adults and 16 children, plus our crew of 7 made for a grand total of 55 people!  Our oldest guest lives on the 6th floor directly above us, he must be at least 70.  The youngest was a 5 month old baby.  Most of the children were aged 3 to 7.)

I prepared 17 cups of egg dye and we finished every single hard-boiled egg (I lost exact count but it was around 100 eggs!)

 
Top to bottom, start to finish, it simply could not have been one bit better.

Seriously.  Matt and I sat [exhausted!] on the sofa that evening, rehashing the events of the afternoon and we couldn't think of one single thing we'd want any different.  God's hand was evident in every detail. 

We dyed eggs, ate snacks, hunted Easter eggs, listened to the Easter story using the Resurrection Eggs... all outdoors (thank goodness for our courtyard because there's just no way to make 1000 square feet of home an adequate hosting spot for 50ish, at least not for several hours of party).  Then we squeezed the crowd indoors where the children enjoyed every square inch of toy space and the adults heard a crystal clear presentation of exactly why we celebrate Easter.  It was glorious! 

Gift, just gift, to host this party.  We loved it.