Mama Stinkypants' Youngest Daughter

The other night Stella was very frustrated because things weren't going her way at bedtime.  She was in her closet begrudgingly putting her pj's on when I heard her mutter, "Mama Stinkypants".  I almost peed my pants which then I would have lived up to my new moniker.  This girl is so tenderhearted and sweet with a tiny mean streak which keeps things interesting. :)

Two years ago about this time we had Stella's speech evaluated.  At almost 2.5 years old she was still stuck in the "naming" phase and rarely used any phrase's at all.  For a few months a therapist came to our house twice a month to teach us how to teach her.  It was very successful and in the last 6-9 months her speech has exploded so currently she's using complex sentences.  Now whether we can understand those sentences is a whole different ball game. 

She started a sentence the other day saying "act-u-wee".  Yes, actually.  She cracks me up.  Stella has lots to say now and loves to talk, but 5 out of 10 times it turns into something like charades.  If only it were that easy I could at least get a hint as to how many words I am trying to guess and what it rhymes or whatever.  If I don't catch what she's trying to say on the 3rd go round, I usually try to distract and move on.  It's so sad, but so true. 

Stella does a lot of crying some days.  She sounds like a mix between an alley cat caught in a fight and a mountain lion.  She gives you the impression that she's been stabbed in the heart and when it's accompanied by the back arch which foretells that she'll be throwing herself on the floor any second, it's a hoot to watch.  I think I should sign her up for the drama club, stat.

When I took Sister Sue for her 4 year well check, the doctor  had Stella repeat a list of words and then she reported that Stella mispronounced every word.  She suggested we have her evaluated at the very least through our local school district.  Tuesday was that day.

 The short of it is that there are lots of sounds Stella doesn't say... /s, z, sh, ch, j, r, l, th/ and /r, l, s/ clusters (blends).  Recently she said, "Mom, this Gatorade is a treat."  It took me 4 tries to get it right.  I feel like I've won Bingo when the light bulb finally goes off in my head.  What the speech therapist said is that even though she can't pronounce all the sounds listed above, it's not a severe delay so therefore Stella isn't eligible for services through them.  Apparently those sounds aren't expected to be mastered until Kindergarten or after.  Lucky us.  Anyone up for a game of Charades?

The speech therapist was so sweet though to give me some advice, some suggestions and a few resources to get us started doing therapy at home.  We are going to work on the "s" sound at the end of words first trying to get Stella to pronounce the "S" by keeping her teeth closed.  The therapist also gave me her phone number and email so that I could call her in a month or two after we practiced this new skill and is willing to meet with us again to help us further.  I think this is an ideal situation because any real progress she's going to make needs to be reinforced through out the day and not just in a therapy session once or twice a week.  Did I mention this way is free and we won't spend any time in the car getting to and from therapy?  I'm liking the sound of this more and more.

In addition to talking our ear off, Stella has matured a lot in the last few months.  I am happy to report that she doesn't have to be locked in her room anymore for safety at bedtime and she's able to keep her clothes in her room with out throwing them all over or changing 5 times in one day.  She's currently eating a ton which tells me she's going to be growing even bigger.  She wants to be bigger so she can ride some new rides this year at Kings Island.

Stella loves to do her school work and is very proud of the fact that she can skip count her two's.  Just don't ask her to sing her ABC's because she can only do that with 80% accuracy.  I laughed the other day when I thought about how we've been so focused on Brooke's issues and completing 3rd grade math that somehow the ABC song fell through the cracks.  I think I should be fired.  :)  It's funny because I think of Stella being much younger than she is, but when I was in the shower the other day I was thinking that both Brooke and Luke started learning how to read when they were four.  I can't even imagine how I could teach her right now since she's not capable of producing all the sounds necessary for reading.  I'm shelving that worry for later and will focus on first things first. 

Stella's "love language" is quality time.  Part of that may have something to do with that middle child status, but none the less, she is just precious when we spend time one on one.  A lot of days she says, "Mom, wet's tawk 'bout Kings Iswand". Translation...Mom, let's talk about Kings Island.  I nod and smile, but in my head I'm thinking I'd rather not.  All roads and conversations in some way or another begin or end with Kings Island.  Mark's mom used to say that back in the day every dinner conversation in their family involved bowel movements.  But then again, she has 3 sons so I suppose that's par for the course.  I think Kings Island is sounding better and better. 

Stella is notorious for using copious amount of toilet paper.  We've had at least 20 conversations about using just a few squares at a time, but somehow in the heat of the moment, she can't recall that information and inevitably the toilet clogs once per week.

I let her live because more frequently than clogging the toilet she tells me, "You my best friend, mama".  Well, expect theirs no "r" in friend when she says it which is so much cuter.  I would love for this cutie to get some of these sounds mastered so life will be a little less frustrating for all of us.  Gotta go, I hear the cat/mountain lion beckoning.  :)

Big, Expensive Trouble

 Two Fridays ago on the way home from Brooke's riding lesson, Stella was demanding her own riding lessons.  We have an ongoing family joke whenever I don't please the children (which is often) I tell them to fire me.  I'd love a vacation from my daily jobs of parenting, schooling, and house chores.  :)  So when Stella was telling me that she wanted riding lessons, I told her she needed to wait until she's older.  Stella's reply was, "Mom, you fired!".  She was furious, disagreeable and well, it was 4 PM so she was tired too. 

Yesterday it was 20 something degrees and as Mark and I were discussing who was going to Brooke's riding lesson and other such arrangements. He thought it would be best for Brooke and I to go alone since it was so cold.  Stella was irate and irrational at the thought of not going because she wants her own riding lesson.  I told Mark we should just let her go and if she freezes then maybe next time she'll stay home.  She was not deterred because at the end of Brooke's lesson, she got her very first "lesson".

Brooke's riding instructor, Kevin, is the kindest most patient teacher I could have ever dreamed up.  Week after week, he spends not the one hour he's contracted for, but almost two hours sharing his love of horses and just hanging out with us.  He is so generous with his time and for us non horse owning horse lovers, it's a little slice of heaven.

Brooke was exceptionally sweet to Stella sharing her horse time and making room for Stella to groom Eli.  Brooke was very proud to lead Stella two full laps around the indoor arena and Stella was not one bit scared at all which is most frightening to me and our bank account.  Now Stella expects that every week she's going to have a "widing wesson" too.  Don't worry, we have the speech eval coming up this week.  Seriously.  More on that later. :)

Brooke has advanced to trotting independently which is very exciting since it requires her to pay more attention and work harder.

It was frrreeezing!

Back to the barn.  I have to say over the last 3 months that Brooke's confidence has grown so much.  At first she was very timid and nervous and now she handles Eli like she's been doing it for a long, long time which is pretty good considering how big he is compared to her.  He's a good old man.  While Stella and I were watching Brooke's lesson, Stella said that Eli looks tired.  Old, tired, it's all perfect for a beginner.  :)

We were taking Eli back to the pasture after Brooke's lesson and Kevin was so sweet to clip another lead rope onto Eli's halter so that Stella could have some fun too.  He even stopped to tie it up so that it was Stella sized.  He is heaven sent!

I think we're working up to a whole family of horse crazy girls which can only spell financial setback for our future.  

Now That the Dust Has Settled

It's been quite the week.  We were so blessed to get new carpet this past week, but it was a lot of mess and chaos.  Mark did all the dirty work of moving furniture and ripping out the old carpet which was a huge undertaking.  2,600 square feet of fun.  Right honey? This carpet will last until the kids go away to college because I don't want to ever do that again. 

Things were everywhere and for this Type A, control/neat freak, I almost hyperventilated at least once per day looking out over the vast mess wondering how in the world it would all go back to normal.  We had a light week of school and I felt extra compassion for our friends who are in the final stages of finishing their custom built home.  God have mercy on them!

The carpet guys came on Wednesday and then back on Friday to finish the job.  On those two days Mark took the kids to his parents house for a couple of hours so they wouldn't be under foot.  Kids and home improvement projects go together like oil and water.

  In between, we went to the museum to make up for the previous week when Stella threw up and we couldn't go.  It was great to be out of our mess and to not have to keep Nashy Boy from destroying the house further, but when we got home there was a lot of work to be done in order to be ready for the rest of the house to be carpeted.  Here are some pictures from the week...

 Luke's room

 Luke's room is the former "game room" turned bedroom so it was very handy that there is faux wood floor which could hold most of Luke's stuff.  Stella has slept with Luke for the past two weeks because her room was the first to lose the carpet.  They did really, really well together which is a testament to how much Stella is maturing.

 My bedroom was the official disaster zone.

 Brooke and I actually slept in here one night with all this crap.  It felt like a luxurious refugee camp.

Yes, it was this bad.

 Thankfully, our first floor has mostly hard wood floors so we could pack and stack all the stuff from the office, dining room and the school room here.

 You can imagine what a relief it was to leave all that stuff behind and go and have some fun.  We went to the Booneshoft museum in Dayton which was so much fun.  Above, Brooke helped Nash on this little rocking horse and using baby sign language, was asking him if he's all finished.

 Mark confessed that if there weren't any kids in the water area that he could really have some fun.  I think they call those childless men at a children's museum registered sex offenders.  :)

 This is by far one of the best children's museums I've ever been too.  They have a mini zoo inside which on a day that it's 20 degrees, you just can beat that.  The otters were very entertaining.

 In the make believe area there is this cool mock courtroom complete with a jail cell in the corner.  Brooke was sitting in the judges seat, but I think with her natural tendency to argue over every little thing, she'd be better off as a lawyer.  Fair and just isn't really her strong suit.

 Before we left the city we stopped and got some lunch at Skyline. Hold the crackers please!  We haven't eaten out in so long so it was an extra special treat. The kids (minus Luke) ate hot dogs and chili cheese fries.  Then we eat bowls of chili with cheese and I a salad.  The lunch of champions.  :)

In the car we listened to book 6 of Harry Potter.  I got bored because I've missed most of this particular book so I started playing with my camera.

 Hi, me!

 Nashy Boy fell asleep with a full belly for about 30 minutes and then I threw him in bed when we got home just so he was out of the way. He fell back asleep for 40 more minutes.  Score, for the parents!

We made a trip to the library too, but what's 30 some books when the rest of the house is trashed?  Brooke helped Nash to a snack and he was happy to sit and keep her company while she read.

 I am so glad this project is behind us and I love our comfortable, clean carpet.  Even more, I love that our house is almost back to normal.  Whatever that is!  :)

The In Between Days

Back in early November I got a tip from my friend (Hi, Lori!) that a local wedding photographer was looking for photographers to train to be apart of his team.  And I can't fail to mention that he would PAY to train and impart his knowledge of wedding photography for FREE.

 In a moment of insanity, I applied online and before I knew it, had an interview scheduled.  I liked his style and after meeting him figured he was nice and had something valuable to teach me.  At some point in the middle of our conversation we got talking about our kids and he confessed to taking very few photos of his son besides important occasions like birthdays and such.  He said he didn't want to put forth the energy to get out his "big" camera, but at the same time knew he wouldn't be satisfied with a photo from his phone.  I thanked him for his time and ended with the request for time before I made a commitment to his company.  I wasn't sure I really wanted to spend my precious time away from my family even though some days my thoughts are largely centered on my escape plan.  :)

As the week rolled on I wrestled with this decision and every time I felt like I'd made peace with said decision, I'd change my mind.  Knowing that nothing good would come out of rushing into a decision, I waited some more.  The conclusion I came to two weeks later was that while Mr. Wedding Photographer didn't think much of getting his big camera out for everyday use, it's the everyday stuff that is so important to me.  I love photographing my kids and other families.  Families are important.  I'm not saying that photographing brides and grooms isn't special, after all that's how families begin (ideally at least!), but that my heart is with those that I spend most of my time with.  I hated to think that I'd be so busy learning something new, however exciting and profitable, only to stop picking up my big camera to photograph what I love the most.  In the coarse of a life, it's the in between days that are important.

Needless to say, I've made peace with my decision to take pictures of the daily, mundane, but precious things and promised Mr. Wedding Photographer that I'd get back to him when I had more time to devote to training.  I didn't have the heart to say that may very well be a decade or more from now.  :)

Here's some pictures of my favorite people in my favorite place...home.  From top to bottom: new hooks from IKEA hung in the pantry for my aprons, Nash sorting through the remains of our office now located in the dining room until the new carpet arrives next week, Brooke whipping up some face and body paint from a book she found on the bookshelf, Luke and Nash making their way downstairs after Nash's nap, cooking in the kitchen with my pots and pans and the play kitchen food, a sleepy Nashy Boy after his nap, and the deer joyously discovered in our neighbor's front yard one morning at breakfast time.

Years later our kids won't care if I've shot weddings when they were 8, 6,4, and almost 2.  No, they'll enjoy seeing the fun we had and the family I love.  Those in between day pictures will become the prize photos as we remember what seems in the present like silly little details.

 Warning!!! It's messy, goopy, and I would not recommend trying this at home.  :)  It was bath city immediately following the photos.

 

 

A Blue Moon

I slept like a baby last night.  Up at 11, 3, and then 7.  Whomever coined that phrase pretty much missed the mark.  I did not feel one bit refreshed when I woke just before 7 AM as Stella threw up on me in my bed.

The poor little thing woke up several times in the night and while sitting on the potty at 3 AM said her stomach hurt.  I never could figure out if it was because she had to go and couldn't or if she felt sick to her stomach. I brought her to sleep with me so I could keep an eye on her if she needed something more.  All became abundantly clear when I was holding her vomit in my hand and simultaneously trying to flip the down comforter off so puke didn't get on that too.  I was successful in that department so I got to wash 7 loads of laundry today instead of 8.  :)

Besides being bummed that my Stella was sick, I was also bummed that our plans didn't come to fruition.  Mark has a Dayton overnight last night and this morning we were supposed to pick him up at his hotel and take him to the Booneshoft Museum nearby.  It's common knowledge that pilots shouldn't make plans for overnights because there is a pretty good chance that they could end up in an entirely different city then scheduled.  This time however, I couldn't have predicted that vomiting would change today's plans.  In eight years of parenting, we've been blessed to have had limited experience with stomach bugs which I'm so thankful for because I have a very weak stomach.  That explains why I gagged this morning when I was trying to clean Stella up.  I shudder at the thought.

As days like this tend to go, it wasn't nearly as difficult a day to navigate as I thought.  I tend to think on days that I'm sleep deprived or that have had a very rough start, that the day will be difficult and painful.  Interestingly enough, the opposite seems to be true.  I realized today that on days like this one in particular, I'm resigned to the fact that I'm not going to plow through my "to do" list like I planned because someone might die at the hand of my impatience on account of sleep deprivation.  I pray every morning (how else do you think everyone is alive after spending 24 hours a day with 4 crazy kids?) but I am more likely to resign myself to lower expectations which leads to more peace and relaxation.  I must be more open to the idea that I will need an extra dose of grace and therefore I let God take the reins.  Amazingly enough, this day turned out to be all together pleasant...minus the vomiting in my bed and the 8 loads of laundry.  :)

On my "good" days I wake up with an overly aggressive idea of what can realistically be accomplish and make everyone miserable in the name of progress.  I'll probably need to reread this tomorrow morning and every school day thereafter so I can keep fresh the lesson learned today. 

Sure the kids watched a couple hours of TV, but we read together and Stella, Nash and I took nice naps. (And Stella hasn't napped since last spring!) The older two played outside and I didn't even check on them once and they were still in one piece.  Gasp!  Dinner was in the crock pot and I read some of my book.  At bedtime I did not yell, even when met with tantrums and resistance.  I would say this terrible, horrible, no good very bad day turned out pretty well. And Stella hasn't thrown up since.  :)

January Nesting

It seems that all year long we are busy.  Kings Island, the lake and vacation in the summer.  School and football games in the fall.  After that, the holidays roll in and before I know it the year is over!  I like the slower pace of January and February because that's when I get Mark on board with the home improvement projects.  I love our nest and I love when we are able to change things up and reorganize.   Stella's room was first on the list.  

 I have to say that Mark is actually the one that started this whole thing.  It began last month when I asked him to vacuum the carpet.  He noticed the awful shape the carpet is in and decided that it was time for new.  Okay, sign me up!  We are waiting for the call to schedule the installation and in the mean time, I figured it would be a great time to paint a few rooms, Stella's being the first. 

 

Mark let Stella help with the primer and in the interest of making sure her clothes didn't get ruined, he had her strip down to her skivvies.  That's how Mark does it...do the right thing with the least amount of effort.  :)  Stella is currently sleeping in Luke's room because there is no carpet in her room and the entire contents of her room is in ours until the new carpet shows up.

A few days before the painting and demo began I bought Stella some shelves at Target.  She loves them and is able to keep her room clean pretty much by herself.  Best investment ever.  Oh, and Stella also got her clothes back.  I don't know if you remember a year or so ago Stella would occasionally empty the contents of her drawers out and I made the executive decision to put her clothes in my room so I could control them.  It worked out fabulously, but now it seems she's ready to take back the reins.  She's been doing really well with them for the last week. 

Our office is getting a face lift thanks to the if we're going to get new carpet we might as well paint attitude.  I love the color which Mark says looks very similar to his poop.  I've never had a brownish room and I'm really liking it.  Paired with some new curtains from Target and some different storage and it might just be one of my favorite rooms. Mark and I were laughing that Lowes might call and say the carpet is on back order and we'll be stuck with the plywood sub floor for a month.  We opted for Mark to take it out himself so we can treat any mold and or stains before the new carpet comes. 

 

 

The weather has been really mild here the last couple of days so the kids have been enjoying some extra time outside. I love the peace and quite inside when they're out.  :)

Our Nashy Boy has become quite the helper.  After months of beating him off with a stick every time we opened the dishwasher, I decided to take a different approach.  He loves handing the dishes to whomever is putting them in the cabinets.  He hasn't dropped one yet.  :)

Car wash!  It was in the 60's today and I decided our car needed a bath.  Now if only I would have had them clean out the inside, now that would have been something to get excited about!  Stay tuned for the results of our improvement project. :)