Some Things Worth Mentioning:

• I got Meg and Spencer to help me clean the shower.

• Bennett turned 2 months old. {He’s days away from turning three months old, but whose counting…}

• We built some snowmen.  Bryce and I were on opposite teams to dress the kids the fastest.
• I won.  {Always worth mentioning…}

Spencer

Meg

Adeline

Elizabeth

• We decorated for Christmas.
• And fought about whose turn it was to put the star on the tree.

• My sister came to visit for five days before Thanksgiving and took like 1,000 pictures of our family.
• 15 of them turned out.

Bennett

Adeline

Elizabeth

Meg

 

• I finished the clothes for the girl’s Christmas presents.
• I was unrealistic about how fun that was going to be.
• They’re each getting a: robe, cape, shirt, and pants.

• My sister is talented enough to get a decent picture of me.

Katie

The Lies From The Voices Inside My Head:

• Move to Medford, they said.  It never snows there, they said.
• Get a Dutch Bros. hot chocolate, they said.  You won’t be addicted, they said.
• Make American Girl Doll outfits for Christmas, they said.  You can do it, they said.  Sleeves are just a word, they said; not a problem, they said.
• Make play dough for Meg and Spencer, they said.  It will only take a couple of minutes and they’ll play with it for hours, they said.  Not the opposite, they said.
• Get more chickens, they said.  You’ll find space, they said.
• Hide your Nutter Butters in the basement, they said.  They’ll be safe there, they said.
• Go ahead and start that book, they said.  You have self-discipline, they said.
• Have another baby, they said.  He’ll be as easy as the last one, they said.
• Buy those gray leggings, they said.  Bryce will like them, they said.
• Teach Elizabeth piano, they said.  She won’t feel compelled to play an entire song every.time.she.walks.by, they said.
• Let Spencer hold the roll of gift wrap at Wal-Mart, they said.  He would never use it as a sword, they said.
• Allow Elizabeth to make a marshmallow string garland, they said.  That won’t turn into a sticky, white mess, they said.
• Turn on the windshield wipers, they said.  There’s no way they would break if they were frozen to the windshield, they said.

Any lies from the voices inside your head?

Katie

I Really Wanted To Play….

that thing that was going around Facebook.

You know where you say random things about yourself?

It was super fun to read what everyone else had to say about themselves.

{And I love talking about myself…}

But the one person’s status I commented on, never gave me a number.

It’s a good thing I’m not a quitter….

So here’s some random things about me:

1. I never eat the last corner of my toast or sandwich.
2. When I was 13, I ‘bought’ a horse by shoveling horse poop for a guy down the street that bred horses.  Her name is Sable.  She still lives at my parent’s house.
3. I loathe my nose.  For real.  It’s pointy and round at the same time, the nostrils are enormous, and it’s weirdly large.
4. I blow dry my feet in the morning when it’s cold outside.
5. I jay walk.  All of the time.
6. When I was in college, I was a shameless dater.  I once had three dates in one day.  Another time I walked by this cute boy who had just received some change back from a purchase and told him that was the perfect amount of money to take a girl out for ice cream.
7. However, I also ended up dating this boy who was the son of a polygamist.
8. I was super shy, up until the 4th grade.
9. In kindergarten I was riding my bike home from school and turned to wave at one of my friends and slammed into a mailbox.
10. In high school, I rear-ended another car at a stoplight in my parent’s car that I was driving home from work because my sister had rolled our kid’s car and while my parent’s car was in the shop I borrowed a neighbor’s car for a date because the boy I was dating didn’t have a car because he and his sister had gotten T-boned by another car and while on the date I got hit by a truck damaging my neighbor’s car.  All in the same week.
11. I firmly believe that McDonald’s has the best French fries.
12. When I was a sophomore in high school I had both braces and glasses.  {Cruel, right?}  I had this really cranky, intimidating English teacher {Hi, Ms. Moore!} for my last period of the day. She let me throw a party the day I got my braces off.
13. The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite books of all time.

Hope you’re having a good week,

Katie

It Occurred to Me Today….

that I haven’t left the house for like, four days.

Sad.

This is the consequence of unprotected {sex}, people.

You have been warned.

Anyway….

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My friend, in no uncertain terms, dubbed my baby ‘large’.

I may be tired, but I know an insult when I hear one.

So I told her, her baby’s so fat he puts the bum in Bumbo.

I’ve been potty training Spencer.  And he has done pretty well, if I do say so myself.

Tonight he told me had to go potty, even though he had a diaper on for bedtime.

{I may have strained my shoulder patting myself on the back.}

He and Meg are still playing together nicely.  Sometimes they come up with fun games, like racing around the house pushing each other in the wagon.

Did I say fun?

I totally meant loud, obnoxious, dangerous, and life-threatening.

Adeline loves Bennett.

In this picture she’s singing to him.

I got one Christmas present made.

A turtle shell for Spencer.

Either my kids are not as smart as I think they are or it looks nothing like a turtle shell,

because when I tried it on Meg and Spencer, they were completely oblivious to what it actually was.

Like, not even the slightest idea.

At least Spencer will be surprised??

And a quick note about Elizabeth, she’s in a community choir and she auditioned for and got a solo part for a performance!

Who knew? {Not anyone that’s ever heard me sing before, that’s for sure.}

Have a good weekend,

Katie

P.S. Feel free to leave ‘your baby’s so fat’ lines in the comments.  I may have a giveaway for the best one.  {If you’re not offended by the concept, that is.}

I Have Learned

• that even if I live in a state wherethesundon’tshine {no, but seriously, we won’t see the sun here for months in the winter} daylight savings still effects people.
• that it was d-u-m-b to try to start potty training Spencer the week of daylight savings.
• Meg and Spencer are the dream team to have at home.  Some mornings, it’s like I don’t even have to parent.  You know why?  Because they’re playing.  They’re not fighting, asking for treats, wanting to do a craft, begging to go to the store, or wondering when we’re going to have friends over.
• that just because your husband orders something from Dr. Adorable, that doesn’t mean it’s a gift for you.  It’s probably just liquid seaweed for the fruit trees.
• some days are easier than other days.
• eight year olds can throw tantrums.  Throwing pillows, sobbing on the couch, stomping around, slamming doors kind of tantrums.
• that I don’t get paid enough to field those kind of tantrums.
• that Adeline just adds an ‘e’ to the end of a word if she doesn’t think it looks right without one or just because.
• that Meg will take payment in chicken feathers for helping Adeline clean out her chicken coop. 
• apparently I’m over zealous in my reward system for Meg and will now be resorting to chicken feathers.
• Spencer can whack Bennett on the head with a toy broom, while I’m in the same room, just feet away.
• I feel like the world’s worst mother when those type of shenanigans are taking place.
• I am apt to eat two pieces of candy every time I walk by the Halloween bowl.
• that this house is pretty tiny when everyone’s home in the evening.
• that this house is pretty big when I have to clean it.

 

{Spencer with his tractor watching Dad on his.}

 

{Bennett had on a Halloween outfit with a little Frankenstein on the bum.}

{What the kitchen looks like while I’m making dinner.}

Katie

My Mother….

emails me.

Correction.

She communicates with me via email.

The difference?

She’ll post what she wants to say in the subject line,

and there will be no content in the actual email.

Today, I received this one:

“You need to blog all the new happenings going on at your house that I have missed out on.”

I humor her because….well, if you’ve never met her, she’s awesome.

So here’s what we’ve been up to:

My friend came to visit last week, for an entire week.

It was ‘good for the soul’ and was better than getting a full eight hours of sleep at night.

We reupholstered this chair while she was here.

I had picked it up at an estate sale for $5.

Before:

 

After

This little guy has smiled a couple of times.

Nothing compares.

 

He turned one month. (Thanks Chelsea!)

The kids discovered some really fun toys:

It’s called the ‘outside’ and the ‘riding lawn mower’.

Here they all are waiting for rides.

While Bryce was on paternity leave/furlough, he worked on a couple of things.

He made some headway on this wall where the brick was stolen.

We put up fence posts so we can fence the garden and put in more garden boxes.

Those pallets have like 700 retaining wall brick.

So if you aren’t busy…..

He rototilled so we can put in more raspberries and blueberries.

One of my hives jumped ship.  Their box is completely empty. 

I haven’t had time to look at their box to discern why, but the other hive is doing pretty well.

I wouldn’t be surprised if perhaps they joined forces for the upcoming winter.

I finished Bennett’s bed.

 

I made some hot air balloons for his mobile.

And I spend a lot of time with these two.

I also have canned more tomato sauce,

taken a couple of naps,

made a lot of meals,

bought another brood of chicks {I refuse to mention what that brings that total to, but it’s a lot.  I’m sure chicken hoarding is a real diagnosis.}

made plans for homemade Christmas gifts,

watched my neighbor build a shed,

checked the mail,

and winterized the children’s wardrobe.

I don’t want to beg, but feel free to leave a comment,

Katie

Reasons I’m Not Posting…

I’m napping.

I’m thinking about napping.

I’m putting Bennett down for a nap.

I’m putting Meg and Spencer down for a nap.

I’m debating about eating or sleeping.

I’m feeding Bennett.

I’m keeping Meg and Spencer from crushing Bennett while he is eating.

I'm sleeping while I’m feeding Bennett.

I’m feeding Meg and Spencer.

I’m at the grocery store buying food which people will eventually be eating.

I’m changing diapers.

I’m tossing dirty diapers in the trash can

from across the room

in the middle of the night.

I make most of them.

Very clean bank shots.

I raise my hands in triumph.

I realize no one cares.

{And unfortunately this is not a marketable talent.}

I’m talking to my mom.

{She calls a lot more frequently after I had an emotional breakdown when she left to go home….completely normal.  Whatev.}

And I’m trying to get decent pictures of our growing family….

Katie

A Series of Letters, Part ?:

Dear Bennett:

You are a big baby, my friend.

But don’t let your weight define you,

it’s just a number.

You’re so much more than that.

Also, can I just say, I love you but I’m so glad that first week is over?

Oh.my.goodness.

Dear Self:

No matter how cute the subject matter….

you’re still a terrible photographer.

 

Dear Elementary School:

I’m counting it as a blessing {as we all should} that crazy hair day coincided with bringing home a new baby.

Thank you.

{Elizabeth playing the piano to calm a fussy Bennett.}

 

Meg:

You’re super fun, but mostly crazy.

Dear Fairies:

You missed out on a really nice fairy house.

Your loss.

 

Dear Mom:

Thank you for coming to visit.

Please don’t ever leave.

Dear Andrew, my brother:

Thank you for coming to visit.

Please don’t ever leave.

Dear Bryce:

I’m still not entirely convinced that “you had no idea the neighbor was planning to bring meatloaf over” for dinner.

Pu.lease.

I’m sleep deprived, not dumb.

Dear Spencer:

Next time you have meatloaf, which will be never while you live at my house,

do not stuff four bites in your mouth and then spit it out.

It’s more than this girl can handle.

Dear Spandex:

So glad you’re in jeans…..

Seriously, best idea ever.

Sincerely,

Post-partum bodies