At least it was for a good cause?

The cub scout theme this month was space so the boys made rockets of all kind. Foam rockets, film canister/alka seltzer rockets, and, yes, mentos in a coke bottle. They got explode things. They had fun.

Our pack also held a silent cake auction this month. The cake had to be homemade, the scout had to help, and it could match the theme or not. Jake and I chose a smore's cake. Chocolate cake, chocolate and marshmellow center, and more chocolate cake frosted and decorated to look like a smore. Both Elle and Jake really wanted our cake. So we get to the meeting and Elle texts me, "Bring the cake home. I have money, I'll pay you back". After all is said and done, I won not only my cake but someone else's as well. I only bid on it to keep things moving and I wound up winning! So, I bought ingredients, suffered with Jake in my tiny kitchen helping, then paid to bring my own cake home? And someone else's? Huh? Anyone want some cake? I have plenty.

The smore's cake

Do you know where your toddler is?

I can't decide if I find this story really sad or really funny. Maybe both. It definately makes me feel a little better about the fact that my toddler was only out of my sight long enough to give two beanie babies a 'bath' in my toilet and not in my neighbors.

http://www.wyff4.com/news/19274808/detail.html

Is the time saved worth it?

I feel sick to my stomach reading this. Not that I would ever order that sandwhich, but I am now glad that we do not have Carl's Jr. here. 2600 calories??? BK kids meals are out for us too. So sad (not really).

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/30464/the-worst-drive-thru-foods-in-america-and-what-to-eat-instead/

Who needs an alarm clock...

... when you can be woken up by the sound of men on your roof using a leaf blower?

Many of you know I don't sleep well when Ben is gone. To keep myself going, I usually nap when baby does, otherwise I'll be a zombie by dinnertime. Today baby and I are sound asleep, when I hear thumping, loud thumping. At first I thought it was baby, then I hear the leaf blower, more thumping, and I see leaves falling from my roof faster than the wind. I go to the front and sure enough there is a ladder leading to my roof and a man holding it.

Um, excuse me, what the heck are you doing?

We had a work order to clean the gutters.

Huh?

Yeah and extend the drainage tubes away from the house. Didn't you call it in?

No. Are you sure you have the right house?

Yup, it's your address. Someone should have called you to let you know.

Nope no calls.

We tried to knock.

Yeah, it's naptime. Baby is napping, I was napping, why are you working on my house?

So apparently, our neighbors are having severe problems with flooding in their basement and our house is above theirs so they are cleaning our gutters real well and forcing our runoff towards the street away from the houses. Not a bad thing but a little notice would have been preferable. Classic privatized housing. And I love that they are doing all this on the windiest day we've had this month. More crap is blowing off the trees as they are clearing the roof. But since they were here I mentioned that a huge piece of branch had come off my tree in the back. One had seen it from my roof already and said he would be back with a chainsaw. Awesome. He moved it to the curb and even picked up all the larger pieces of branches from around my house. Silver lining I guess.

Note to self...

Bekah's toy flip phone that says "hello" and "goodbye", has ringtones, plays music, and dials is NOT a good 'quiet' toy for church. Sorry.

Can someone tell me where the time has gone?

It feels like all of a sudden Rebekah is so big. She took her first steps about three weeks ago, a week later she started taking a few more at a time then, last week, she just took off. She walks really well and frequently walks around with toys, books, her wubby. She has added sis and Jacob to her vocabulary (and Pepsi, or so I am told). She signs for eat, milk, please, play, finished, all done/gone, wash, bye, and thank you. She has such a personality, loves to blow kisses, loves books suddenly, and will no longer leave her crib without her wubby and binky. She seems more physically capable than I remember her siblings being at this age but, with the way this girl moved in utero, that doesn't surprise me. Everyday with her is a new adventure. We went on a playdate with a friend this week and she simply filled me with joy and wonder.

Playing in the 'baby' area. Fun noise.

She needed some help into the chair. Once she got there she grabbed the book she brought to the table and did this. Wonder who she belongs to?

"Bekah look at the turtle"

Trouble

For the record, she figured out the whole slide thing quickly. At home we taught her 'feet first' to get off the couch and she caught onto that quick. She has no trouble getting down. I was fussing with the camera by the time I realized that she was coming down and she had already figured it out. Smart girl.

After two assists getting back up, she figured out that she can stick her feet in the grooves to help climb up, thus being able to slide down again.

Do you see this? I had nothing to do with it. I turned around and next thing I know, she is halfway up the steps without any help. Learn to climb, check.

She looks like such a toddler already! Where did the time go?

Wordless Wedsnesday

I found this on my table the other morning after the kids had gone to school

Not sure what Jake is trying to tell me. Maybe I should put the Christmas decoration away.

P.S. Thanks Aimee for the idea!

Mom thoughts

Bekah loves to be near people. Although she is learning to play independently, she still crawls around after everyone so she can keep you in her sight. She especially loves to come into the kitchen and 'cook' with me. Her cooking involves chewing on my spatulas and throwing a bowl, chasing after it, and throwing it again. It is fun to watch. For the last two days, Bekah has been crawling around the house babbling, "ba ba ba ba ba", loudly. We talk back to her and it gets louder. I like this. I can't always see where she has crawled to, but I can hear her. She has also been trying to stand. She goes from crawling to 'standing' on all fours.
This morning she pulled herself up to standing against the couch. Nothing will ever be the same.

Jacob loves to ride his bike. We weren't out of the truck for two minutes after church yesterday before he had removed his 'church' shirt, keeping his undershirt on, and the legs of his zip-off bottom pants and was on his bike and gone. He is all boy that one. Every day he is trying new things just to prove he can. First it was riding with no hands, ("Look mom, no hands", literally). Yesterday he pulls up and informs us that he can ride his bike without the seat, he really can, wanna see? Yes, he removed the seat from the bike and rode standing up. Ben just shook his head and made sure Jake brought the seat home. I commented that that wasn't the best idea he's ever had and lets keep the seat on. Oh, Jacob.

My Elle. This girl is so bright - and very driven and self motivated. She comes home and announces that she has ALL this homework and these new projects and sets to work right away. She even gets annoyed when she has to stop to run errands, go to scouts or practices, or eat dinner. The funny thing is, right about the time I am thinking that this is a ridiculous amount of work for one night, I remember that this is Elle I am dealing with and ask when all these projects are actually due. Oh yeah, next week, at the end of the week, next time they have art in 8 days! I am trying to remember to be thankful that she does not procrastinate like me (sorry Mom), but sometimes she drives me crazy with it. Usually when she is arguing to stay up late to finish the work. None of my children do well if they do not go to bed on time. And me not being a morning person either, this does not make for a good morning.

These three are hilarious and precious and the lights of my life.

Even when there are baby toys all over my house.

Even when little boys are constantly barrelling in and out of my house.

Even when art projects and homework cover my entire dining room table for days on end.

My heart is full.

More Beks from the end of August

Almost. Still rocking or going back.
Sleeping during the sermon. The best part is that it's in Daddy's arms.

August 27-tooth #2
A girl and her Daddy,

Getting raspberries
Kisses for Daddy
"I got my Daddy!"

My heart has been so full since Ben came home. Especially once I saw that there was no stranger anxiety from Bekah. She has been loving having her Daddy home. Almost as much as the big kids. They were thrilled to have the fun parent back (I say that lovingly, I'm okay being the mean one). The only downside is that when baby is cranky and he has her, if she sees me, she cries. It's slightly funny and Ben is trying not to take it personally, but I know it makes him a little sad. It's getting better, or maybe worse, now that she can crawl after me.

Yet more

Getting a ride from big sis

All dressed up

Hi mommy
Little drummer girl

Or maybe a conductor

Trying to pull up on the toy
"Mom, she's got my hair!"
"A, B, C, D..."

And more...

I'm not sure which ones are actually mine and which are Stacey's. Stace, do you know?
"Ha, I got mommy's cup!"


A girl and her toes

"Let me see your teeth sister"

More randomness

They warm my heart

Superman!

And my favorite..
Bekah says, "It's mine, you can't have it"

The boys

As if this girl didn't get enough attention, when the boys slept over they spent half their time doing this...

( He was trying to encourage her to crawl)

They would come barreling through my living room while fighting their 'war' between the basement and the yard, and stop to coo at the baby. ALL night and day. Amy, I think you need one of these, he was just precious with her.