Ayla

Really, those teeth kill me.

And she adores her big sis.

More from this morning...

The girls played dolls.

And then cleaned...we encourage that around here.

And Ayla.
This is how she looks every single time I get her up from her nap...so happy to see mommy.

Foreshadowing

Last Christmas Jody gave Nalani this picture.

Kora had not come home yet, but it looks as though it was a glimpse into our future.

Today Quincy is at school and Jody had to bring Zeke to a doctor's appointment,
So we get Kora for the morning.

We've never had just Kora.
There have always been some boys in the mix.

So this morning it's a whole different feel.
The girls are on the porch, playing dolls and putting lip gloss on eachother.
So sweet. And as suspected, I think they will be great friends.

I knew it was coming...

Brigg has always loved being with us. "Us" meaning Paul, Lani Ayla and myself. He is perfectly happy with our little family hanging out together. But the winds they are a changin'! Everyday for the past week when I pick him up from a full day of school, he immediately asks if he can go to a friend's house or have a friend over. Are you serious? You'd rather be with a friend than snuggle with your mommy?!? C'mon my 7 year old baby boy! What's wrong with you??
Really. He's growing up. And he still loves us. But I'm going to miss this little boy stage.

(photo taken 1 year ago!)

I'm not even going to try.

Really. I cannot say the words anywhere near as eloquently as Jody, so you will have to go read her blog first. Watch this video put out by an extraordinary organization in South Florida called 4KIDS. They are a foster care ministry and Jody observed while at an orphan conference in Florida last May. It's hard to watch, but DO....



Now go to Jody's blog and read her post on this project. Her words echo my heart, but I just can't write the way she can! Now go...



Ok. You're back, right? So you know about the monthly project!
These kids are all around us. They need us. So if you are so inclined, feel free to help out. Now I need to say that I am not keeping track here. I am just so excited to be able to provide an avenue. I understand that your passions may not be my passions! I get that. But I know that I love to have something presented to me and be given the opportunity to help without feeling like I have to dig for a way. It's overwhelming. All the needs are overwhelming to me. So we take baby steps. $4000 for PlumpyNut, stocking a local foster care closet, caring for our ailing neighbor, offering a helping hand to a friend, adopting a child...it all matters. So here's another opportunity for you. No obligation whatsoever.
You can donate any size pajamas or backpacks, but I am solely responsible for getting size 0-3 month to size 2T. If you'd like to get these to me or my mom or Jody, great. We'll take care of it from there. Lets blow them away with our efforts for our local kids!!
Ripples.

Remember PlumpyNut?

I should hope so...it's only been about 1 week since I last spoke of it! Anyway, the "little" fundraiser was a great success! Are you ready??
$4,107
Yes, that is right.
That is huge.
Ginormous.
Amazing.
After some quick math on a huge calculator by Jody, she discovered that amount could save the lives of 91 children.
Really.
91 children who are literally teetering on the edge of death.
It takes 3-4 weeks of Plumpynut to bring a starving, malnourished child back to a healthy weight. $4,107 just gave the greatest gift to 91 mothers...91 children.
We can make a difference.
We did make a difference.
Thank you so much to all who donated!!!

Stocked and ready

Ok. The fridge is stocked up. Lots of money worth of food. I have 10 recipes...a few of which I am splitting. Tomorrow is the day. I'm going to cook, prepare and freeze. Hoping this will last me a month. That's the goal. I'll have to take pictures. My fridge is hilarious right now. So tomorrow it the main meals and Tuesday I am baking bread and noodles. I have a feeling a month is going to come again way too soon.

Sunday

The weekend is coming to an end. That's the one thing I hate about Sunday.
We are trying to get some productive things done today. Ayla just went down for her nap and I have approximately 2 hours to do about 200 things. Probably not going to happen. But definitely won't happen if I don't get off this computer...

The Celebration Dance

I bet you can almost FEEL the silence in my room right now...

After a fun day of college football,
we decided to finish off the day with a slumber party in our room

We do this once in a while and the kids love it.
Paul is usually the first to go down for the count. Well, second to Ayla.
(Notice my computer in the background, calling my name.)

Tonight, Lani was next...but only because Brigg was trying to get in just a few more minutes of football before I made him turn off the TV.

And finally Brigg...

So my computer is glowing.
The windows are open.
The rain is falling.
The fan is blowing.
Peaceful.
So easy to enjoy after a fun-filled day together.

Lots-o-Ayla

Just try and tell me you don't want to squeeze her...

Representing

College football game day.
We love it.
Especially when our team WINS!

And yes, we have an excess of Ayla photos.
Sorry.
But she was just so cute!

And I think she is going to love college game day, too.

Wait til you see the video of her celebration dance!
Go Hawks!!

Thanks!!

Great ideas fellow bloggers! AND, I am so happy I added my contact info on my sidebar because I also received a very informative email with some other suggestions. I promptly went to Amazon and purchased a cookbook entitled "Fast Fix Family Food". Which looks like it will not only have some high calorie, healthy snacks for Brigg, but also some quick, easy meals for the whole family! Thanks Kim!
And truly Steffany, I considered plumpynut. I have a feeling Brigg would not be into that. We'll try this for now. But thanks for the idea!
Just for the record, Brigg turned 7 in July and he weighs right around 45 pounds. He's getting so grown up that I sometimes forget that I need to remind him to eat. (Trust me, a reminder is never necessary for this woman!). So I do realize that this falls completely on my shoulders. I am going to try and be better about it. With three kids, I have days where I am just trying to get through and make sure I have them all at the right place at the right time. Eating is not always at the top of my priority list. I know it needs to be with Brigg. So today I went and picked up some things at the store specifically for him and hopefully it helps.

oh, and Ayla. We found ourselves at the doctor's office today in a bit of a panic. She is highly sensitive...to everything. She'll just randomly have an allergic reaction. Today was one of those times. I had just picked up Lani from preschool at 3:00 and Lani said, "Mom, Ayla's eyes are red and she is itching them." I looked at her and they were totally puffed up and red and splotchy all around them. I called the doctor and they wanted me to bring her in. I don't know what it was from. It went away on its own within an hour or so. But the doctor did give me instructions on what to do if it happens again. Really...how am I supposed to keep this all straight?!?

I need ideas...

Brigg is skinny.
I'm talking skin and bones skinny.
He sat in my lap this morning and it was like holding a bag of bones.
So today I am trying to find high calorie, yet healthy food ideas.
Any suggestions would be welcomed.
He is pretty picky and has a hard time with meat, unless it is ground.
I feel like he has plenty of energy and he does eat 3 meals a day and at least one snack. I just think I need to come up with more calorie rich snacks. I just want them to be healthy as well.
Ideas please.

Wednesday

I think Brigg's on the mend. And I'm pretty sure we're both ready to get him back to school tomorrow. He's getting pretty bored around here. The meds seem to be working and the Dr. said he could head back tomorrow.
Other than that, not much going on around here. Cleaning, cleaning, trying to avoid spreading the germs...

Busy weekend

Oh those girls...

Cute at this age,
but it scares me to think about
what these girls will be up to in 10 years...

And we have strep...

Brigg was diagnosed with strep this morning.
Day 2 of being out of school this week.
And he can't go back until Thursday.
He just had it in April!!
Not fun...

Made it thru the weekend

Hadn't even turned my computer on since my last post until last night.
It was a crazy weekend.
The garage sale was a success! Woo-hoo. Went above and beyond my goal and I think there were some very happy people out there who picked up some very cute clothes and fun CD's! :) It was fun.
I loved that part.
Mingling with people.
Asking a little bit about their lives and what they were going to do with all my "stuff".
It had been a long 2 weeks preparing though. I got up at 6:00 and actually showered and got ready for the day. I put on jeans, a t-shirt and my TOMS. I even put on a little make-up.
Jody showed up around 7:30ish to set up the PlumpyNut lemonade stand and she said to me "Wow. You're dressed up." (I'm not kidding...jeans and a t-shirt)
I said, "What? No I'm not!"
She said, "Cassie, I have seen you this week. Trust me, you are dressed up."
Ok, so maybe I was. I barely got dressed all week.
And my house.
Oh my poor poor house. Was it ever neglected.
All I did all week was laundry. I just didn't want to get behind on laundry. And I didn't. But every other part of my house suffered. I hoped nobody showed up and wanted to use my bathroom because I really was going to have to say, "Nope. It's out of order."
And I left it all right after the garage sale to go to CF and visit Lisa. All of Paul's family was there and it was a nice evening. We grilled out and sat around the firepit and made s'mores. The kids squealed and had fun. And we got back home on Sunday and spent some time with Chris, Brenda and Bode.
Brigg got sick with sore throat and fever.
I put everyone to bed early and started trying to get things back together. I have made a small dent. Much to do today, which could be a little difficult with a sick child at home.
Overall, a great weekend.
And the lemonade stand. Over $450 made! That is amazing. Thank you to all those who stopped over and made a donation. What a huge success that was!! And thank you to Jody for setting it all up and finding time to escape from her 6 kids to man it for a while. Well worth it!
Clean-up efforts begin now...

75 and sunny

Are you kidding me? My DREAM weather! I LOVE it!!
I'm dressed, coffee in hand, load of laundry started, piles of things ready to take out to the garage and a little bounce in my step (ha! ok, maybe not a bounce, but it sounded good.)
Lani doesn't have preschool on Fridays, so I get to skip the pick-up and drop-off portions of my day with her. I should be able to get in some good work time finishing up the garage sale. And if I don't have to deal with the rain, all the better!
And it's Friday. It's going to be a good day.

Seems like we're just full of news these days...

Paul got a new job.
Starting September 29th, he will be an Energy Services Specialist at MP&W.
This is an unexpected and wonderful opportunity for him. He will be working specifically to educate customers on how to be more energy efficient. He will also start working on a program to implement in the schools, educating kids on ways to be more "green". It's a perfect fit. He will be great.
He will also be doing energy audits, which really goes hand in hand with his new home inspection business. And best of all, he will be working 7:30-4:30 Monday-Friday IN TOWN...with an hour lunch break. I can say with complete honesty that this man has never worked a job that only required 40 hrs/week since graduating college. So this is going to be a whole new world for him.
He is excited for this new role. He will greatly miss his current co-workers. It is rare to work at a job where you mesh so well with your co-workers and boss. He had found that at Builders and that will be the worst part about leaving.
So here we go again. Another fork in the road. Anxious to see where it takes us!!

Getting there

Most things are in the garage are marked.
Still need to pull out the couch from the basement.
I need more tables, too!! Lots of kids clothes to lay out.
Seems like there could be a better way, but it's too late now.
I've been pricing things and it's hilarious. If you come to my garage sale and see a lava lamp for $15, just make me a lower offer. I'm dilirious at this point. (I'm kidding, I didn't price them that high. $1...just $1. But I'd take $1 for both...just don't tell anyone!)
Saturday from 8-2.
The ad is in the paper today.
Signs are purchased and ready to be set out early Saturday morning.
Everyone tells me people will be showing up much earlier than that.
And the lemonade stand. All profits go to Plumpynut. Even if you have no desire to buy my junk, stop by for a glass of lemonade for a cause.
Ok...back at it.

Love him.

That's all.
Just love him.

Her last first day of Preschool, ever.

It was the first day of Lani's 2nd and last year of preschool.
Yay!

I think she was kind of confused.
When I picked her up, she said, "So I get to go to Kindergarten tomorrow?"

Um...no. You get to go to Kindergarten next YEAR.
"How long is next year?"

365 days, honey.
"Oh. That's a long way."
Yes. Thank goodness.

Solution

she's taking on the porch.
she loves it.
i'll let her.

Tuesday (but it feels like Monday)

A big week around here.
FlyLady tells me this week's zone is the front porch and dining room. She says sweeping the front porch should just take a few minutes. I don't think she knows I have a 2,000 sq. ft. front porch (not really, but it is pretty large). That should keep me busy for the day.
Lani has preschool at 12:45 today. She's so excited.
-Sweeping.
-Laundry.
-Groceries.
-Garage Sale organizing.
-A reminder that life is short and we need to cherish each moment. Aging can be very sad.
Ready, Set, Go.

Action Steps

We hear about so many tragedies in our world. We read about them, we see them on the news and we feel bad. I don't know about anyone else, but often times I feel like I'm left with a sense of helplessness. What am I supposed to DO? YES, I see that people are dying of starvation in the world, but what can I DO to help? Where do I send my donations? Who can I trust? Will my money get there?
Well a few months ago I heard about Plumpynut (read about it HERE. it's amazing). Of course, shortly after I first heard about it, I started hearing more. Mom and Dad mentioned seeing something on the news about it. It seems to be a miracle food. It is a ready-to-eat vitamin mixture with a shelf life of 2 YEARS. And within days of eating it, children who were on the brink of death, are showing miraculous improvements. So just as I felt when I heard about the international breastmilk project, I feel excited! FINALLY, an action step. Something I can do that I know will make a difference.
We have a group at our church that is made up of adoptive and foster parents. They have a passion for the orphan. They are working together to build a sort of orphan ministry. Read more about it on Jody's blog and on Tesi's blog. Big things are going to happen. Just wait and see. Each month they will be taking on something new. I know and love these girls. If you are so inclined, go to their blogs and contribute...any amount. And if you live in town, stop over Saturday between 8-2 and buy an extremely expensive cup of lemonade...all profits will go directly to buying plumpynut. Exciting stuff!

$77.
$77 buys enough plumpynut packets to feed 50 children for a day.
Suddenly it's not just pictures and news. So here's my chance. I will be donating to UNICEF for plumpynut packets. I love action steps. I love having an outlet to make a difference. People are dying...because of lack of food. That is so ridiculous. Food. We can provide it. Right from our living rooms.

Tate

Jennie, Sean and Tate came for a quite visit yesterday.
And I got a glimpse into my near future. (Ayla is just 1 year behind)
Oh my.

It has gotten out of control...

My garage sale, that is.
It's bad. I am in full-out DE-CLUTTERING mode. And really, I think our garage is going to be too small.
About a week ago Paul said, "I want no part of this."
Um sorry honey. We have more "stuff" than I thought possible. I have realized that our house is much bigger than originally thought. Things that I have not seen in years are popping up in deep dark corners. It's almost embarrassing.
So we're selling it. All of it. Then we may just have to move to a smaller house. It's looking pretty bare.

Explanation...

So I have, at the very least, four people who comment on my blog under the "Anonymous" title and then sign their name. That is why I allow anonymous comments. There is something that goes along with having an open blog and allowing comments. It adds fun to your posts. Friends can go back and forth and interact on the blog. I love it. And late at night, I often times "blog surf"...that is, I click on comments from blogs of people I know and it takes me to other blogs and sometimes you just keep clicking and you come across someone or something that opens your eyes to a whole new world. It really is quite amazing. And I feel like I have met people through the blog world that have been an inspiration or encouragement to me, so I like to think that maybe I can return the favor to some unknown person. I never get way too personal on my blog, so I feel fairly comfortable with my posts and my comments.
Here's where the problem lies. Some people don't have the same views as me. They have a different perspective and well, they are not afraid to share it. But for the most part, they do it anonymously. They don't sign their name. And sometimes they even say it in a way that is on the mean side. I know it's part of blogging and opening yourself up to the www. But, really, it can ruin your day. And sometimes it can ruin several days just thinking about it. I have had a few of those comments. And I have read them on other people's blogs. It just kind of gives you a pit in your stomach. As much as you don't want it to bother you, it does.
So I have disabled my anonymous comment option. And I feel the need to apologize to those that use that option to comment regularly. Now, I believe you have to have a google account to comment. But I am also adding my email address to the sidebar, so you can email if you'd like instead.
My blog is my personal record of our day to day lives. It's my journal...with pictures. At the end of the year, I put it in book format so someday my kids will get a kick out of reading the silly things we did. So we don't forget. It's a place to find encouragement for other moms out there. I am NOT perfect. I never claim to be. I never claim to make all the right choices or have all the answers. I hope people read my blog and see that I mess up and keep trying to be better.
For the most part, I don't think I'm too controversial. I don't want my blog to be a place where people can spout off something mean anonymously. If anyone has concerns with how I am raising my kids or with what I say on this blog, they can email me privately and I'm open to hearing about it that way.
I had tossed around the idea of completely disabling comments, but we'll try this first. It's fun to "meet" people thru my blog and to banter back and forth with friends. Especially for this stay at home mom who has minimal adult interaction throughout my day.
So I just thought I'd explain. And apologize for the inconvenience to those who comment regularly under anonymous.