Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from my little goblins!!!



Sweet girl!

"Boo!"...

"Oh! I scare myself!"...

Guess what's in our future!!??

Sadie has been doing some new stuff this week. The lady from church who's kept her every day for the last 2 weeks has been giving her Cheerios (which she loves!!). She does really well with them. They can't be Honey Nut, though...they don't dissolve fast enough. Jackie also told me today that she thinks Sadie will be crawling this weekend. We hardly ever put her on the floor since we have cement floors and no rugs so I figured she'd skip crawling. Nope. Jackie has had her on the floor every day. I laid some quilts out tonight. Have a look for yourself...


In position...


Step two...

Step three...

And we're off...

This last picture is a little deceiving though. She falls right after making this "first step" but I bet it won't be long before she's all over the place!!

I don't think you get it...now get out!

Funny story...

During these days of orientation I've been spending my lunch breaks up in the Post-Partum Lactation Room to pump. When I walked in today there was a guy around my age sitting in one of the recliners charting. I quickly noticed his badge said he was a Clinical Instructor from MCC (the junior college) and the room was filled with purses and bags (nursing students' stuff). He looked up and said "Oh do you need the room?" This is how the conversation went...

Me: "Yes, I do."

Him: "Oh you're teaching a class?"

Me: "No, I'm pumping"

Him: "You're teaching some one?"

At this point I realize he's confused because I'm wearing navy scrubs and that's what the nurses wear.

Me: "No, I need to pump myself"

Him: "You're doing it for some one else?"

WHAT!? Now I realize he's dense...I better just spell it out for him

Me: "No. I'm going to pump my own breasts to get my own milk to give to my own baby at home!"

He's still sitting there. So I take off my jacket and start putting my pump together. I say,
"I don't care if you stay, but it might make you uncomfortable"

Him: "Oh, you're going to be covered?"

Me: "Nope, I'm going to stand at the window with my stuff hanging out for all the parking lot to see!"

He quickly gathers his stuff and rushes out.

Him: "How long does this take?"

Me: "About 10 minutes"

A few minutes later a group of students walk in (3 girls) to get their stuff. I don't mind. Then I hear him come to the door and say, "Students, you need to get out so that lady can pump her breast!"

Ha! I just started laughing. The girls just stand there starring at me. I don't think they knew what I was doing (I was covered, I decided not to stand at the window). I told them they didn't have to leave, it didn't bother me. They left anyway.

A minute later I hear some commotion at the door. 2 more girls walk in. One drops her clipboard and says "Oh, sorry, I hope I didn't wake the baby." Then the other student says, "I don't think the baby is sleeping if its eating!" (I'm going to assume they don't do well on their assessment testing)

Wow!

I say, "Its not a baby, its a pump!"

Student #2 says, "Oh, our instructor said you were in here breastfeeding.

This is the future of our nurses.

As I was leaving I saw the guy at the nurse's station. He wouldn't make eye contact. Gave me a laugh though!!

Its been a hard couple of weeks

I'm almost done with orientation for my new job. Have you ever heard of 2 full weeks of orientation!!?? These are the faces I've been leaving every day...
Look closely at Elijah's left eye. Another mosquito bite on his eye lid. I predict that Quasi Modo will be making another appearance by morning.


As for this sweet thing...

I think she has taken me being gone the hardest. She has clung to me like white on rice for the past 9 days whenever I'm home. If I walk out of the room she cries. I think she's afraid I'm leaving again. To help us have more "quality time" together she has decided to wake up more during the night for togetherness time.

I haven't blogged in a while and I haven't taken any pics of anybody since Dewberry (except these 2 I snapped just now so I wouldn't get flogged) because I am either gone to "work" or getting ready to return to work the next day. Every evening I have to pack 3 bags: mine, Elijah's and Sadie's. I make 3 lunches: mine, Elijah's and Sadie's. I set out milk to thaw for Sadie, I pack snacks for Elijah. I wash and pack my pump. I check the weather and set out clothes for Elijah and Sadie including diapers and shoes (I don't even bother with bows...I know Beau won't use them!) I help Beau bathe (the kids...he can bathe himself) then I get to shower, feed Sadie while Beau puts down Elijah. Beau and I have a few minutes to chill then I go to bed. That's been our evening routine (unless Beau's gone which really throws things for a loop).

I'm ready to get back to "normal" or to at least start our new normal. I haven't even started on Halloween costumes, but I don't think they'll be too hard.

Whew! I'm worn out!! Ha!!

Better go get to work!

It never gets old

I love finding Elijah in these funny positions. I just love that kids will just play and play until they just collapse. When does that stop?

I'm exhausted from my week of orientation. I have a few days to rest then do it all over again. The kids are great...enjoying the cool weather. Just wanted to hopefully make you smile.

More later

Dewberry Farm

Aimee and I had planned for weeks, if not months, to get our "Alvin Family" together. We really wanted to take the kids to Dewberry Farm so we could all see each other. Our plans didn't go quite as we wanted. Sam Champion did the weather for Good Morning America on Friday morning from Dewberry Farm. Who would have thought!! It apparently drew everyone's attention to the farm. It was PACKED!!! Here are some pics from the day.

The boys were so excited to see each other. They held hands all day...


The long walk to the long line. We waited in linefor an hour just to get in...
After getting in we waited in line to use the bathrooms then waited another hour in line to eat lunch. The food was really good though.


After we ate we finally got down to business...having some fun! I bet Bibby and Elijah went down this slide 20 times!!!



Grant and Elijah digging in the dirt. We laughed at the boys so much. At one point Grant walked over to a kid and just snatched away the dump truck. Then we looked over at Elijah and he was just standing next to a kid waiting his turn. Bully and a Pushover? Nope...just two funny kids!




This was just a big plastic tube on a slight hill. Some kids would be in it and others would push it. Elijah pushing...



Elijah being rolled around...
Cheap entertainment!!

Me and my girl...

Feeding the goats...

"Look Mama...baby chickens!!"

This was my attempt to get Elijah to take a picture. He was a little excited about the animals so this is the best I could get...

Petting a rabbit...



My girls...



Bibby, Elijah and a weird pig statue...



My girl was getting tired...



The long walk to the pumpkin patch...



the hunt for pumpkins...

If you click on this picture you may notice all our freckles. We really got sunburned!

Cooling off with a snow cone...

Funny story: I was standing in line to get my boys a snow cone. Small = $2 Large =$3. There was a dad with 2 little girls in front of me. His youngest daughter said she wanted a large snow cone. He said (very sarcastically) "Sure Honey, what's another dollar!" He turned to me and said "I'm trying to see if I can break $100". That was pretty much the story of the day. We spent so much money and didn't really get to do everything we wanted because of the crowds and lines. Oh well. I would have paid twice that much to spend the day with our "family" (well, maybe not twice as much!)



"Are we having fun yet?"...

"Yes we are!!"...

One last swing...




When we walked back to the car Elijah got more birthday presents...

This was supposed to be a picture of the girls, but Elijah just really wanted in...

By the time we left the parking lot...

Aimee uploaded some short videos for me of the boys so excited at seeing each other. To see them just scroll down to the next blog.

In other news: I started my new job yesterday. Well, not really. I started orientation yesterday. Its 2 weeks long from 8-4:30! Yuck. We have some wonderful people at church who are helping us with the kids. I totally have mush-brain. I am not used to getting up, getting ready, leaving my babies and having to focus on learning something for 8 hours!!

Sadie got another tooth today! She's having a tough week.

Dewberry Videos

The boys were so excited to see each other!! Too cute...

This is how they were all day! We hardly saw their faces. They were just loving running around with each other...

Elijah's Birthday Week of Fun

I've not ever really been a person who celebrates birthdays for a whole week, but it has just so happened that Elijah has celebrated his birthday almost every day this week. Saturday it started off with the party at Mom and Dad's house which you already saw the pictures from that so I'll skip that. What I forgot to tell you was that Sadie cried the entire way home which is so unlike her. After we got home I bathed Elijah and Beau bathed Sadie. Then Beau noticed Sadie got her first tooth!! Guess that explains all that crying. Its the bottom left one and I think the right one is going to come in soon. So they both had a big day!

Elijah had to sleep with one of his gifts. It has rarely left his side since the party...

Monday morning Elijah and I made a big cookie to take to his school on Tuesday.

Funny story about the cookie...The recipe called for butter and shortening. I didn't think I had any Crisco because I never use it. I looked in the pantry and I did have some. I added it to the recipe, finished the dough, put it on the pan and in the oven. Then I did what any good cook does...licked the bowl. YUCK!! It tasted like bad Crisco! I went to the Crisco. It looked fine, smelled like Crisco...hmmm...turned over the container Expired in 2007!!! Are you kidding me!!! Solid fat can expire! Who knew!? The whole time it was cooking Beau kept asking "What's that smell?" After the cookie cooled I tasted it...the Crisco taste was overwhelming. Beau thought I should just ice it and the kids wouldn't care. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I threw it away and made a new one. It was much better...actually tasted like a chocolate chip cookie! (Denise...no comment please -hurricane Ike cookies! Ha! I really can bake...I promise!)

The finished product. Tasted good (esp compared to the first one), but I think I'll keep my day job...

We took it to his school Tuesday and we all ate lunch with him...

This is the best I can get from him when I ask him to smile...

Monday was another boy's birthday so his mom sent cupcakes. So we let their class have the cupcakes and gave Elijah's cookie to all the other kids and teachers at the school.

I don't know why he closes his eyes when I ask him to smile.

He's not growling...he's saying cheese.

We had a great time sitting with his class eating lunch. 3 year olds have some interesting conversations!

Then on Tuesday afternoon we decided we would go to the fair to try and see two of Beau's youth group girls. One was going to be showing a pig and the other was dancing with the drill team.

Waiting at the gate to get in...again with the squinting...

A little better...

I think Elijah splashed in every puddle there was!

A self portrait...

No wait...that actually was a pig.




Elijah and Sadie...

Not really...ha ha...aren't I funny!!



Made me hungry for Thanksgiving...

Beau decided to be the baby carrier this time...

Waiting at the pig show is easier with a sucker...

After being there for 4 hours we didn't get to see either one of the girls!! The pig show was going really long and the dance team got cancelled due to the rain. I think Elijah still had fun though.

Then on Wednesday (his actual birthday) he came to the breakfast table.

I made him this...(mini pancakes and bananas)

Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday Elijah. Happy birthday to you!

Another funny story...I was trying to rush because although I had this idea of having a birthday pan"cake" for Elijah we still had to hurry to get it all in before preschool. I put the candles in the pancakes and put them down in front of Elijah while we sang. Then I went to take a pic of him blowing out his candles and my camera said "card full". GRRR I quickly erased some, re-lit the candles and tried again. This time my flash was off for some reason! I erased those, didn't worry with lighting them again. I just said "Elijah can you pretend to blow them out again." Ha!! Then we went to pull the candles out so he could eat the pancakes. I had put them into hot pancakes and they had melted inside the pancakes!! Ha!! Some Martha I am!!! Oh well...we got a laugh out of it.

When Beau got home from work I took Elijah to pick out a birthday gift from Toys R Us (I had a coupon). After an hour he finally decided on...you guessed it...animals!!

He even had to wear the crown to church!

Then...Saturday we're driving down to Brookshire to Dewberry Farms to see our Scogin/Spencer family to have yet another mini party and spend the day together!! I hope he doesn't expect this next year!!!