Sister Sue Hatches an Evil Plan

This is Stella in time out at rest time. She looks like she is suffering greatly. I'll have you know that I didn't put her in time out because I thought it would be wonderfully effective in shaping future behavior. No, I put her in time out on our front steps so I could sneak up the back staircase with my camera and photograph the trouble she found today without her thinking that by taking pictures I was condoning her behavior. True story.

This is why she was in time out at rest time.

This is what she was doing when she wasn't resting at rest time. All those white things spread out over the floor are wipes covering globs of diaper cream on the carpet.

If you were wondering why I'd leave diaper cream with in reach of Satan's Mistress, I didn't. She scaled her dresser (much like she did her night stand that's not longer beside her bed) and got the wipes, diaper cream, and almost anything else that she wasn't allowed to have.

It all started in her darkened room at nap time almost a year ago when she danced in her crib when she was supposed to be napping. It progressed to her not napping at all and climbing out of her crib. She then graduated to a big girl bed with her locks turned around so she couldn't get into trouble while she wasn't napping. Today, in spite of those efforts and just shy of kenneling her like a bad dog, she still manages to keep her mother from getting a rest during rest time. Parenting Stella is like trying to tame a wild stallion. Only if someone gave me a wild stallion, I'd give it back. Unfortunately, kids don't come with a money back guarantee. She makes me tired.

More Pictures Than Time

I've taken lots of photos recently because we've been going and doing lots, but I haven't had the time to post them. Such is the plight of the mother of four crazy kids.

Friday was Mark's last day off in this long stretch of his off days so we decided to take our people to the zoo. The weather here has been fairly mild, so away we went.

To our surprise when we were unloading in the parking lot we ran into some friends from our old home school co-op, the Millers. We checked out a few exhibits with them before parting ways. It was so cute to watch Brooke and Clara hold hands while walking through the zoo.

Nash who has missed most of the excitement this summer because he was at home with a babysitter, actually got to come out with us. He was a good little boy as long as he wasn't too hot.

Seriously, this boy is a ham.

Snoozing in the stroller, something the other kids would NEVER do. Yet another reason we'll keep him. :)

I asked Stella if I could take her picture on this bridge and she enthusiastically said "yes" and then sat down. I was cracking up because a few weeks ago I took her picture at the park on a bridge and I asked her to sit down for me. I suppose she figured that's what you do when you get your photo taken on a bridge. :)

Brooke and I were really excited because we saw a stork up close. We just finished reading a book called The Wheel on the School about a fictional village in Holland that was trying to get storks to nest on their roofs of their homes again.

This little Bonobo (also known as a pygmy chimpanzee) tried to jump on Luke. Thankfully, there was a glass barrier. Luke insists it's because he was wearing a monkey shirt.

Even monkey mamas love to snuggle with their babes.

Cooling off at a cooling station. Usually we take a break from the zoo for the summer because of the heat, but we didn't sweat too much and I'm so glad we went and saw some friends to boot. :) I'm already looking forward to visiting in the fall when you don't sweat quite so much.

A Million and One

Mark's mom stopped over on Thursday afternoon to visit because she hasn't seen the kids in a while due to busy/conflicting schedules. She noticed how in a few weeks time that the kids have already changed. While she was eating Nash up and saying how cute he is, she asked me if I've taken a million pictures of him. I told her that I've taken a million and one. :) Here are 7 of those million and one.

If only I could bottle up this cuteness!

I want him to stay the same, but only not getting up at 5:45 AM. Love that baby!

Can You Hear Mark Weeping?

In an effort to soak up the last tiny bit of summer this week, we went to Kings Island, the KI water park and the zoo today. I'm surprised you didn't hear Mark crying as we walked out of the park for our final weekday excursion. From now on, the park will only be open on weekends. Sniff, sniff. Here are a few (and I really mean only a few this time!) pictures from our outing.

Sister Sue wouldn't normally be riding on Mark's shoulders, but somebody forgot the stroller. I wonder, Honey, who that could be? :)

In an effort to keep the kids from badgering us to death to play games and buy junk, we told them that at the end of the summer they could play a game and get a lollipop. We're cheap and if we played/bought something every week since the beginning of the summer, we'd be about $300 in the hole. No thanks.

Above you are seeing Luke learn the news that he beat Mark at the squirting game. It was precious. All 3 kids came home with a cheap teddy bear and they were thrilled.

I was so proud of my timid children for trying several new rides. The Kite Eating Tree (pictured above) pulls you up and then drops in slow little jerks. Brooke and Luke ended up loving it and Mark, well, he was just being himself. :)

As much as I like to tease Mark about his Kings Island obsession, it really was a very fun summer for the kids to be able to go so often. I am also thankful that Mark likes to go so I didn't have to. Now, it's back to the regularly scheduled program...almost.

Shameless

I am on a kick right now to spruce up the place a bit and I am so excited that our school room will also be spruced up tomorrow when Mark hangs up my IKEA frames with 12 by 12 photos of the kids. Right honey, tomorrow? :)

Of course the photos I printed a couple of months ago are well, so last month. I have a problem where I am constantly on a quest to capture a favorite photo. I suppose that's why I started a business. :)

I have new pictures from a couple of weeks ago of Brooke and Luke and today it was Stella's turn. I feel sneaky when I get that excited tone to my voice to convince the kids that this will be loads of fun. Throw in Brooke's new princess wand and I had Stella hook, line, and sinker...or stinker in her case. :)

I love, love, love these photos and it is partly due to a little hairspray. Yes, you heard me. Stella's hair was looking like a disaster so last minute I grabbed my hairspray and she was a new girl. I think I might start using it on a regular basis. :)

Tomorrow it will be Nash's turn. I won't have to do anything to get him on board besides wait until he wakes up from a nice nap and he'll be beaming for me. It's like stealing candy from a baby. :)

A Happy Day

The day has arrived, the day the playroom loses its ugly boxes. My dad came over today to begin the tedious project of repainting our playroom. I am so pumped to see the paint treatment disappearing and imagine a day that I can give someone a tour of our house and not have to explain that we did not do that to the walls. I can't wait for a fresh, less putrid looking space.

I'll post an "after" photo so you can appreciate all my dad's hard work too. :) I can't wait!

The Last Blissful Days of Summer

We've got a week and a day until we're headed back to school. It's been a busy summer with so much going on that my anal self should be craving a schedule, but I've been enjoying the chaos and therefore not so excited for school to start. Luckily, school does not involve a school bus and can be done in our pajamas.

Here are a few (or a million) more pictures from our time spent at the lake this past week. :)

Hello, Carly! Love that girl. We enjoyed her company so much after not seeing her for a long time due to her working girl status. Mark kept saying that he forgot how much fun she was. :) So true! She starts her senior year of high school soon and I can't wait to take her senior pictures.

So darn cute and so much trouble that Sister is.

Hello, Me in Mark's sunglasses. This man knows how to drive a boat, pull a skier, and dock a boat. Everyone can do those things, but just not as well as my husband. I may be a little biased, but I am always impressed watching him flawless dock the boat time and time again. It must be a pilot thing. :)

Where is the mother that lets her 2 year old stand up while the boat is in motion? I think she should be fired and sent on a lengthy vacation by herself. Oops! Was I dreaming out loud again?

I know, right? The cutest picture I have of Nash to date. You might be seeing it again and again because I'm not sure I could ever get tired of seeing that bald head and big smile. He really is that precious and as easy going as he looks.

You go girl!

Photography is just as personal as a painting on a wall in a museum. One person's trash is another's treasure. I love this picture even though I've got 10 others that are more in focus than this. I love how the action is captured in the blur. It's imperfect, but my cup of tea may not be yours. I like it anyway.

Okay, this is not my idea of fun. It looks fun from the comfort of the boat, but you wouldn't catch me in a million and one years in that tube doing what Mark did to James and his friend, Jessie.

This screams Ibuprofen to me, but to them...it was a blast. They kept begging for more those silly teenagers.

No nap for the wicked means that Sister Sue can hardly keep her eyes open. She been doing this funny thing where she turns on her lights at bedtime and then falls asleep. Maybe she needs two night lights like her big brother, Luke. That's a true story and he still says it's too dark in his room!

We played hard this week and plan on continuing this coming week before we usher in school (fussing and whining of course!) the following week. This week Mark plans on taking the kids to Kings Island twice, we are having our play room painted (yippee!), and our school room is getting lights (real, recessed lights to replace our solitary lamp that is currently illuminating the space). I'm so, so tired from going nonstop, but feeling so blessed to be spending this time together as a family...craziness and all.

50 Smores Later

It's been an unusually busy summer this year. Mark's had a difficult work schedule and then he helped move our friends. Throw in another kid and summer is as good as over. We decided to take a few days this week to head to the lake before school gets rolling. Insert kicking and screaming.

Sister Sue has been a good girl. With a Granna, Janice, and Mark and I here, she hasn't gone through nearly as many pairs of underwear as usual. I suppose she's not only mommy trained, but grandma trained too.

Yesterday my parents celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversary and today is my mom's birthday. It's nice to spend time with my parents while the kids are sleeping. Usually the time we spend together is full of fighting and mediating kid squabbles.

James tried his hand at fishing. He caught a decent sized catfish with some lunchmeat turkey. Maybe he could teach the professionals a thing or two. :)

James took this photo because I was driving the boat. I am pretty talented but taking pictures and piloting the boat is a little much even for me. :) Luke finally decided that he wanted to go tubing and then Brooke got up the courage too. You'd think after several years of weekends at the lake they would be all about water sports, but no, they are chickens.

My niece Carly was able to get away from the old folks at the retirement community where she works and spend these days with us. The kids kept calling her Stephanie because last month we spent several days with my older neice, Stephanie.

Anytime the boat got going faster than a crawl, they wanted to slow down. Mark and I are learning that as long as they are having fun, the details are irrelevent.

After the little kids had their turn, James got to have a turn too. The boat wasn't crawling, it was hauling. Mark kept it tame since the kids were on the boat, but still I had to be dropped off at the dock because my stomach cannot handle all the twists and turns it takes to throw James off the tube. :)

I did stay on long enough to snap a few photos.

We are having such a good time. Yes, there is still laundry to be done, but my mom has taken over the cooking and there is good company. Throw in perfect weather and some smores and I'd normally say I don't want to go home, but by this afternoon there will be a new camera waiting at home for me. Kids, pack up the car! It's time to head home. :)