Big Changes are a Commin"

With only 6 weeks left we are getting everything ready for the new baby. Midge and Leo are now sharing a room (it was Midge's idea - they both said whoever got to share a room with Evie the person left out would be jealous!) Little Miss is now in Midge's own room (the biggest room out of the 3 kids rooms). She has adjusted just fine and anyone who goes into her room gets a quick push to turn around and a little voice saying, "get out a' my room". Today she wanted me to give her a horsey ride. I told her I couldn't because I had a baby in my tummy. She gave me a curious look and said, "you not a baby, you a mommy." I tried to explain again a baby was in my tummy, but she just looked at me and said, "No I'm a baby". This should be interesting.

We have been working to get the baby room ready. Here a few images below.

My work threw a baby shower and I had to include a picture of these adorable little firefighter boots.

Martin Luther King Day

One thing that bugs me is when kids have a day off from school and they can't tell you the reason behind why they were off from school. I feel that our children are getting old enough that they should be able to understand the importance of Martin Luther King and some of the things he stood for. I wanted to find a meaningful way for them to help others. When the kids woke up we told them about Martin Luther King and that he talked about equality and helping others. The kids have also been hearing about Haiti and we wanted to try and do something for the people in Haiti. We told the kids that by doing some chores around the house they could earn money and we would send it to the people of Haiti. At first Midge wanted to know why we didn't just send the money, but we told her we wanted them to put a little effort in to it.

I wasn't sure how the kids would respond, but they got really excited. When I was upstairs I could hear them talking. Soon Midge had everyone organized. I thought they would only do one job on the list, but they insisted on doing everything on the list. They worked so hard.
Even Little Miss got in on the action.

After we were finished we were sitting around having lunch with the radio on. A reporter came on the radio and he described how a little girl came up to him in Haiti and told him she hadn't eaten in 5 days. The kids looked down at their plates and then at me. Midge said it made her want to send all of her money to help them. I told them to always value what they have and appreciate living in the United States. We are truly a blessed country.

This picture has a story

"This picture has a story" I've been tagged. Here were my instructions:

1. Open your first picture folder

2. Upload the 10th picture in the folder

3. Tell us the story behind the picture

4. Tag 5 friends to do the same.

The Story: This was a Midge's 6th birthday. Leo was 3. We celebrated her birthday at Roaring Rapids Pizza. Leo was still young enough that we could put him on the rides and not put in any money and he still thought he was working the machines. Ah those were the days! Now he can burn through a roll of quarters in 10 minutes.

I tag: Shauna B., Jennifer, J.J., Maggie, Stacey

A Conversation with a 5 Year Old

Leo "We haven't eaten in days. I'm so hungry."

Mom "What do you call the ribs, garlic bread, and fruit salad you just ate 2 hours ago?"

Leo "That was just lunch!"

Mom (laughter)

Leo "So are you going to make me some food or not?"

Ah kids. When they're hungry 2 hours = several days. When you ask them to clean their room "in a minute" = "in a couple of days".

The Tooth that Cost the Tooth Fairy Double

As you may recall the tooth fairy has been making a lot of visits to our house lately. During this last visit the fairy had a hard time obtaining the actual tooth. The fairy was able to leave her payment, but the tooth was rather well hidden directly beneath Leo's head. Rather than risk being detected the fairy slipped away. For the previous two teeth pick-ups Leo has forgotten to check under his pillow until reminded by his thoughtful parents. The fairy thought once Leo was awake he might forget to check once again, and when he was out of the room the fairy could sneak in and snatch the tooth.

Wouldn't you know that when Leo's mom came to check wake him up in the morning the most amusing thing was waiting for him. Leo was wide awake and had a curious thing to show her, "Look at this mom the tooth fairy left me a $1 and my tooth. Why do you think the tooth fairy did that?" Being the smart mother that she is, and being well aware of how difficult it can be to carry all of those teeth the obvious answer was that the fairy had simply dropped it. Mom assured son that the fairy would probably be back that night to collect it. Whereupon Leo stated, "Great then I can get another $1"! That fairy had better start working out a better system or business is going to start going down hill.

The tooth fairy

The tooth fairy has been making a lot of visits to our house lately. In the past couple of weeks Leo has lost 3 teeth.

Tonight he was munching on an apple and lost his tooth. He was so excited.

Baby Faces

On Friday we were able to take Midge and Leo for the first time to an ultra sound. We didn't think Little Miss could handle sitting still. The kids loved hearing the baby's heartbeat and couldn't believe how fast it was. Our doctor has purchased a 3D ultrasound machine and was able to get some images of our new baby boy. It was fun to compare pictures of the kids and already see a strong resemblance.

Midge 2 days old.

Leo 1 day old.
Little Miss 5 days old.

Baby boy #4

31 weeks in utero.

The doctor warned us that the 3D pictures do make the nose look bigger and flatter than in reality, but for the most part he will look like this. She also already saw that he has hair, something that all of our kids have been born with. Technology is amazing.