Samantha Dancing

The title says it all..

Christmas 2009

Wow - i didn't even realize it's been since JULY since i've posted anything. We have been on vacation, School has started, Thanksgiving come and gone. Madelne's 7th birthday, Jordan's 9th birthday and Sarah and Samantha's 3rd birthday. Too much to catch anyone up.....oh... madeline lost 2 teeth in a matter of 24 hours. Sarah thinks she is a princess... seriously, every day she reminds me that she is a pretty princess and wears her pretty princess nightgown. i have to bribe her to get it off so that i can wash it. We have tried and tried to find one like it, with no luck. Samantha could care less about being a princess, she just wants to talk and talk and talk and tell everyone what to do. Jordan, well, Jordan thinks she's a teenager...well, acts like one anyway.
Here are a few pictures of, well, the past 6 months! Enjoy!

Vacation

We haven't been on a family vacation since 2006, when i was pregnant with Sarah and Samantha. We thought this would be a good summer to go and we chose the Outer Banks. We rented a house, just a sand dune away from the beach and with a much required private pool. No, we aren't filthy rich, like my oldest daughter seems to think, however, when you have two 2 1/2 year old children, who nap for at least 2 to 2 1/2 hours each day, the private pool was essential in giving us something to do while they napped. When you spend 9 full days with your family, you learn some things about them that you don't seem to see in the hustle and bustle of life. My 8 year old is a great organizer and was very helpful in setting the tables, cleaning up after dinner, helping with Sarah and Samantha AND she even took showers WITHOUT me telling her repeatedly it was time for one! My 6 year old truly is the middle child. Trying so hard to be like her big sister, but then turning around a second later and on the floor playing with her 2 1/2 year old sisters. She goes from being so grown up, to being her age of 6. Her hardest time was night - for the 1st few nights, she wanted to go home because she wanted her own bed. Then there are Sarah and Samantha. Sarah, the girl who just wants to be independent..i can't even count the number of times that she said, "i do it myself!" She loved the ocean and just could sit in the sand and let the water come up on her legs for as long as i would let her sit there. Samantha, my youngest by a whole minute, was definitely more reserved about the ocean... "hold me, momma" "hold me, daddy". She wanted to be in the water, but didn't quite like how it kept coming and going - "it scares me" She was content to just play in the sand. What a great vacation...can't wait for next year!

July 4th and some random pictures

Old Friends

I feel so lucky. So lucky to have re-connected with so many friends from my high school days, my church camp days and just the friends that have come and gone through the past years. I feel so lucky to have such a great family. I am blessed. Blessed beyond words. I do believe in fate, I do believe in karma and I do believe in God.

So much to say, not enough words.

I can't believe that life goes by so fast. I can't believe that i have a daughter who is 8 1/2. Just seems like yesterday she was just born - i wonder if you always remember the day each of your children were born as if it just happened that day. My Madeline is going to 1st grade! Are you KIDDING me? The twins just turned 2 1/2 last weekend, June 13th. Didn't we just bring them home from the hospital, Sarah 7 days later than Samantha? They are talking, potty trained, becoming very independent. How sad, but how exciting to see them all grow up and learn the ways of the world. And finally my husband... together for 11 years, married for 7, next month. What a great family and how lucky we all are. Yes, we have our rough patches, but at the end of the day, we know what is important and we hold on to that and get through the days. I wouldn't change any of it - the good or the bad. It shapes us into who we are and makes us stronger.
Today, an old friend and her family are coming over for a picnic! My kids(and me) are so excited! Let's pray that the rain holds out so we can swim and have a great time!

Cancer Sucks!

Some of you know this, more don't, as i cry each time i think about it, let alone speak of it. Please read the blog - You will have to go back to much older posts to get the magnitude of what this family has been through, and the absolute strength that it takes for them to not only have to endure the pain of losing a child, but to blog about their ordeal with what started out as close friends to what has become a nation of people who just want to help.

Please keep this family in your prayers.

www.half12.blogspot.com

Happy Mother's Day to all my Mother Friends!

Here is a great poem that i get each year that i just love. I hope each of you have a wonderful Mother's day. Some like to spend it with "spa" type day, other's like to just sit around and let everyone wait them hand and foot(yeah!) I love to spend my Mother's day, relaxing with all of my kids and enjoying the little things i so much take for granted. Who cares about dishes in the sink that day? Dirty laundry? This is the day, as a mother, that i like to my children feel EXTRA special, but giving them ALL of my attention!

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body..
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom...
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom.

The 1st Pig Tails

Here they are! The first pig tails!

Rainbows

On the way home from picking up the girls from Daycare, we came across a rainbow. It was so bright and looked like we could just reach out the car window and grab it. Madeline just FREAKED out. She was SO excited. I really can't remember the last time i saw her so genuinely excited about something. Sarah and Samantha were in awe. Sarah had her brows crossed just studying it. Samantha kept screaming "bow, bow" and Jordan was busy texting dad about what a big bright rainbow was in the sky.
Boy - what a great ride home!

Rainy Monday

Most people bitch about the rain. Really? Yes, it makes every driver out there all of a sudden forget how to drive, but you know, it is April and if we all want to see those pretty flowers and green grass that we will bitch about having to cut all summer long, then suck it up. :)
I am celebrating tonight. Celebrating the fact that Samantha has not gotten out of bed ONE single time. It truly is amazing. She usually will come to the gate at her door AT LEAST 10 times each night. "Momma, sarah's sleeping" "Momma, my finger hurts." "Momma, woosh, woosh" "Momma, rock me like a baby" Tonight - NOTHING. ahhhh....

Samantha is Miss Gabby

Samantha really has started talking ALOT lately. blab, blab, blab, blab. It's so cute, however, she ALWAYS wants to talk. Anyway, she has pink eye right now and Greg put drops in her eyes. She walked around for 10 minutes after the drops... My eyes broken, My eyes broken. Sarah has an ear infection, so Samantha made sure to tell us that Sarah's ear was broken also.

Are they really potty trained??

Sarah and Samantha have gone 3 days without any accidents. I am actually pretty impressed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but they are now telling me when they have to go, instead of me asking them every 30 minutes.... YEAH!

Oh, and here are a few Easter pictures of all of them!

Jordan is so grown up

So, those of you that know us, personally, know that for an 8 year old, Jordan is tall and you also know that she gets that from her dad. I was hugging her in the bathroom the other day and looked in the mirror and can't believe that she comes up to my chin. Looking at her and me in the reflection of the mirror made me realize that she isn't a little girl anymore and is growing up, faster than i can keep up with her. I remember the day she was born like yesterday.. it seems as if time has stood still, but sure enough, 8 years and 3 more kids have gone by. I find myself thinking about my childhood every time i look at her and how one day, she will hopefully think good thoughts about her childhood when she is looking at her kids.

Grandparents Visit

Today, i got kicked out of my house, with the kids, so my husband could work on crown molding and painting in our main living area. I took the opportunity to head to my mother in laws and then to my parents(they live about 90 minutes from us and about 20 minutes from each other). Sarah and Samantha went back to the Blue room for naptime. Granny and I thought it best to take the mattress off the bed and onto the floor, tucked them in and left - i went to check on them some 10 minutes later to see that they had emptied alot of Granny's jewelry from her jewelry tower! they were in their glory!
Here are just a few pictures of the day....

Madeline's obession with the middle finger

So, this seems to have stemmed from some kids on her bus, because even though i have a bit of a potty mouth, I don't flip the bird. Anyway, Madeline says to me last night "Mom, my friend told me that you will go to the Devil if you put up your middle finger, is she right?" I used this as my opportunity to snuff this middle finger crap and told her yes. Boy, i was NOT expecting what happened next. Down to the ground she goes, freaking out. I say, "madeline, have you been putting up your middle finger?" "yes, only once. I don't want to go to the Devil, I'm scared!" (boy did i feel bad). "well, Maddy, just don't do it anymore and you'll be fine" "But what if i forget...waaaahhhhh" So, i retract the whole conversation to tell her that the Devil isn't going to get her, i was just teasing and to stop freaking out. Of course, this whole episode spanned across about 15 minutes, with Jordan in the background asking "if the devil lives in the ground, why hasn't anybody found him when they are digging holes to build houses? " ARGH - i finally say "we aren't talking about the devil anymore!"

Bed Time

I really should be happy that Sarah and Samantha know they have to go potty....and really, i am, just not after i have tucked them in for the 10th time. A big part of me thought maybe they were playing me and was tempted to not take them, but what if they aren't? So, i take them out of bed, over the gate at their door and yes, they both peed and are now sleeping peacefully - finally....Now it's time for some much needed ice cream!

Peace and Quiet OVER

One moment, my house was very quiet, Just Samantha and me. Then one by one, the balance of them come through the door from a day of school. Jordan(my 8 year old) is telling me in one ear about a girl at daycare telling her that she shakes her butt to much when she is doing her cheer dance. In my other ear, Madeline(my 6 year old) is telling me about a house for sale right next to Jenna(her friend) and can we buy it? And lastly, Sarah(my 2 year old) is just standing in front of me saying "momma, hi. momman, hi. momma, hi" Meanwhile, in the background, Samantha(my other 2 year old) is still jumping up and down. "sissee home, sissee home!" Which isn't specific to any one of them... she calls all of them sissee!
Onward to a new day and off to work i go today.

Just another day in Paradise

Puke paradise that is. I've come to learn that with 4 kids, sickness is inevitable, and really, i should be thankful that it doesn't happen nearly as often as one would think. I have to thank the fact that my kids have been daycare kids since 12 weeks and their little immune systems are nice and built up. Occasionally though, we get hit with the current virus going around. This time, it's that nasty stomach thing. The other thing that seems to happen is that when one 2 year old gets it, the other will follow suit within 12 to 24 hours. We get a trial run and by the time the other gets it, we are pros!
Well, today - i get to stay home from work and spend some quality cuddle time with Samantha, while all the other's got shipped to school or daycare. What a shame that it sometimes takes a child being sick to realize how little one on one time you get to spend with them and although she isn't feeling well, i love that i get her all to myself today - undivided attention!