Locks of Love - Part Deux

Remember this post?  How time does fly.

At that time, Abigail was adamant that she was not donating her hair. She actually cried about it one night.  That's an entirely different blog entry.  A few months later, after she and Maddie had combed the Locks of Love website and saw how they improve young girl's lives, she changed her mind.  

She began feverishly wishing her hair to grow....refusing even a trim over the past year.  "I need at least 10 inches Mom!"

Well, today was the day.  Here's a before shot of her eating a s'more at our campout this past weekend. (sorry 'bout catching you with your mouth full Abbs!)

And here she is a few minutes ago when we arrived home.

She was so proud to accomplish her goal.  And I am so proud of her!

Happy Birthday Abigail!

Happy 6th Birthday sweet girl!  We love you!!

Throwback Friday

Maddie and Abby in August of '05.  They were playing in this same spot in the kitchen this morning.  

Don't even get me started.

Question of the Day

What is God's last name?

-submitted by Abigail during breakfast this morning

(feel free to answer in the comment section....throw me a bone people)

Happy 5th Birthday Abigail Marie!

Popsicle anyone?

Lauren just asked if she could stand outside and eat a popsicle. FOTFL. (Sorry, I am falling on the floor laughing)
In the summertime (when the weather is lovely), I make popsicles and let the kids eat them outside....so all the drips and the mess land in the grass....you get it.

Today, however, it is super cold. Super. Cold. As in, you walk outside and your snot instantly freezes. That kind of misery, I mean, weather. I think its 7 degrees.

As I am explaining this to her, Abigail brings Gabriel in and announces that his hair is done. Now, he only has 18 hairs so I didn't realize it needed "done." Apparently so, as it is now FULL of gel and standing up straight.

Must go get camera.

Mothers Always Know

Yes, they do.
Oh, wait, I'm supposed to be explaining that as Madeline was learning her poem and scripture for her speech meet, Abigail learned the poem as well. She was very proud to recite it to the camera and even more excited to see it....as you'll hear at the end.



On a separate note:
Today's Quote was by Lauren: (as she is laying on the couch reading a book) "Mommy, when I grow up I want to go into this book."

Today's Highlight was by Madeline: She arrived home from school and was SO proud that she had gotten $100 bill from her teacher. She brings it in to show me and says, "Mom, is there anything you would like to spend it on?"
She was crushed when I told her it was not a real hundred dollar bill. What she doesn't know (yet) is that she could have asked me for anything at that moment and I would have given it to her.

Errrrr...Lunch and Learn?

An email from my SIL from her lunch date with the girls this week :)
---------------

OK,

So I have some blog material from my lunch with Abby
today. We were sitting on the kitchen bar stools
enjoying our peaceful lunch (Gabe was sleeping) when
this conversation takes place:

A: Aunt Jen, is Jesus a boy or a girl?
J: Definately a boy
A: Well, did you know he can make himself a girl?
J: Actually he can't...the Bible says he is a boy
A: Well, Aunt Jen, the Bible says that Jesus can do
anything!
J: Right...that is true...(I am actually stumped at
this moment)...since the Bible says that he is man,
and came to earth as man, he can't change that.
A: Oh...well....OK then!

And as fast as the conversation started, it ended!

Love it!

xoxoxo
Jen
------------------
Glad I'm not the only one that gets to experience all this!

Bins Are for Clothing!

Never leave bins unattended!
(I ran upstairs to get some clothes to store)


Try to find us Mom!

I could take a nap in here.

(and for anyone that is horrified....yes, I did explain that it is not safe to climb into bins and put the lids on)

And There You Have It...

I was throwing on some clothes (to hopefully jump on the treadmill for a few minutes) and today, "some clothes" included a sports bra. Abigail says, "Wow Mom, that thing is HUH YOOOOOOOU GE!!!!"
At this point I'm wondering why am I putting this thing on....its not like I have the assets and I certainly don't walk fast enough to need it???!!??

Fortunately, we were interrupted by Lauren who walked in with a baby doll under each arm. Anxious to change the subject, I said, "Oh, what cute babies you have. What are their names?"

"This is my girl, Bella Donna and my boy is Poison Ivy", she replied.

Of course. And why wouldn't your son be named, "Poison Ivy"??

PJ's at St. John's

Abigail arrives home from preschool yesterday just as casual as can be.....in her pajama shirt.
(is this a good place to mention that this is not what she left for school in?)

Here is that conversation:
Me: Hi honey. How was dressing up as the angel today? Wait...wow, ummm, is that your pajama shirt?
A: Yep.
Me: I'm confused.
A: (silence)
Me: How are you in your pajama shirt?
A: I wore it to school.
Me: But, you wore your pink shirt with the thingys on it. (still lost)
A: Yep. And I wore my pajamas underneath my shirt.
Me: Ok. Any reason why?
A: Yep. I wanted to wear my pajamas to school.
Me: Do your teachers know these were your pajamas (please God no, please?)
A: Yep. I told them.
Me: And what did they say? (dreading answer, dreading answer)
A: They laughed. (smiling from ear to ear)

Of course they did. So now I'm the Mom that serves her kids ice cream for breakfast (after something healthy people and only once in a while!) and sends her kids to school in their PJ's (I didn't know, I really didn't know!)

Little Elves

What would I do without my 3 little elves?

32 Days and Counting Down

Today is already a great day. Madeline and Abigail put candles in their toast this morning and sang "32 Days until Christmas" to the tune of "Happy Birthday." Hilarious.

I wish I could have captured the moment on camera but my (almost 34 yo) husband took it with him today to document his flag football tournament. Yes, that's right, he's playing football. Actually, his 1st place trophy from a few weeks ago sits very near Madeline's first soccer trophy. Strange?

So, while the kiddos and I travel several states away (ok, I'm exaggerating) to our annual Wassail, Ron will be re-living the high school days. I hope I don't sound annoyed -- I'm really not. He loves it. I've always said if he had two lives, he'd hang out with us in one and be an NFL player in the other!

This day has only improved by the fact that Madeline came into the office and asked how old God is. I better run....this one could take a while.

Something Beautiful

I never want to forget Madeline and Abigail belting out the lyrics to the Newsboys song, "Something Beautiful"

It's a voice that whispers my name
It's a kiss without any shame
Something beautiful
Like a song that stirs in my head
Singing love will take us where...
Something's beautiful

It's the child on her wedding day
It's the daddy that gives her away
Something beautiful
When we laugh so hard we cry
It's the love between you and I
Something beautiful

.....especially as they are singing, "It's the Daddy that gives her away" with big smiles to Ron. I will never NOT cry when I see that.

Oh, and Gabriel said "mama" today. So, it wasn't actually TO me....more like AT me. So?
Something beautiful.

Dressed.....Not so much.

This morning I got all the kids bathed, dressed, fed and Madeline out the door for school. No small feat by 7:45 am - I might add.

I just went into the kitchen to start cleaning up the hurricane, I mean mess, when I saw that Gabriel is now completely undressed.

?????

Me: Abigail, could you tell me why Gabriel is undressed?
Abby: He was really HOT! (its currently 64 degrees in our house....the tip of my nose is cold....we are not turning the heat on yet)
Me: What? How do you know he was hot?
Abby: He told me, "I'm hot."

Well, Okey Dokey then.

Pumpkin Farm, Bob Evans and Triplets

Yesterday, we are on our way to a nearby pumpkin farm when I see a husband and wife (take that Schwarzenegger - you may not allow teachers to use this terminology in school but you can't keep me from blogging it!) walking in the park.

Me: OMGoodness, look at that couple....pushing a triplet stroller AND they have a single!
Ron: Get out, what are they, crazy?
Me: I know. Triplets AND another kid.

From the backseat:
Abby: Uh, Mom? YOU GUYS have 4 kids!
Me: Oh yeah. Duh.

Leave it to Abby to point out the obvious to me.

We had a great time at Jacquemin Farms. (please do not google this as I'm quite sure it will not come up under this spelling) The girls did the hay maze, played in the corn and then we all took a hayride and ate homemade donuts (I may have eaten 2 - shhhhh, the girls don't know). We picked out a family pumpkin from the field and Madeline cut it from vine. Just when I am convinced it's the perfect family moment, Abigail tripped over a root and landed on a pumpkin where her hand made contact with the prickly part of the stem. Yikes!

At some point during all this, Ron leans over and tells me that he forgot to tell me an old high school friend had called several hours earlier and her son was playing in a football game at St. Brigid - right across the street, literally. I haven't seen her in forever and her son in two forevers so I was very disappointed/angry -- Love you babe, love you!

I did manage to get a hold of her before she left Dublin and was able to see her and her kiddos for a bit. Her 3 year old daughter shared her Bible verse of the week with me:

"In the beginning, God created Bob Evans and the Earth. Genesis 1:1"

Freakin' hilarious.

Crap, Gabriel just hoisted himself up on a box of scrap paper in the office, leaned over it, and barfed. I wish I were kidding.
Gotta run.

Stunt Man

A friend emailed this to me today....from a bbque over the weekend. My little stunt man!
(I can't figure out how to rotate picture.....grrrrr..)

A couple funny things the girls said today that I don't want to forget:

Lauren: After failing to get Gabriel to do something she wanted him to do -
"I don't care for Gabe!" (and runs out of living room)

Abigail teared up at the lunch table. I asked her what was wrong and she says, "I don't want to do locks for love. I want my hair long forever. I'm NOT cutting it. Ever."
Background:
Madeline decided about 6 months ago that she wanted to donate her hair to Locks for Love and has been growing it out and measuring it.....every day (another entry).
I guess Abigail thought this was to be a sister tradition and decided to boycott. Too funny.
(She is currently belting out - and I do mean loudly - Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way....It is October, right?)

Two Wheelin' & More

Abigail literally got on a bike without training wheels this afternoon and rode it down the street. No joke. Like she'd been riding a bike all her life. As if she coined the phrase, "it's just like riding a bike."
It was the wildest thing to see. I had to bolt into the house to grab the video cam or I would have never believed it later.

At any rate, she is full-on riding a bike. Rode it for the next two hours non-stop. Had to be drugged and dragged into the house for dinner (exaggeration) and then begged for more. Crazy.

It's been a wild ride around here this week. Now if ONLY I could talk Lauren into navigating her midnight, 2 and 5 am potty trips on her own.....that's an entirely seperate blog entry.

Oh, and I almost got into an altercation with the neighbor lady today. She enjoys crusing down the court and into her driveway at speeds in excess of 45 mph. I am not amused. Gave my best attempt at maintaining a Christian-like attitude while explaining the negatives to vehicular homicide. I'll give myself a B-.

Computer Magic

Ok, so yesterday I decided to officially start a blog. See, I have these 4 journals in my kitchen drawer that I supposedly fish out every week or so and write down cute little stories about each of my kids. Only I don't. When I had one child, absolutely! When I had two, sometimes. When I got to 3, occasionally. When I reached 4....I haven't even recorded his "birth story" and he's nearly 6 months old. (Dear God, I pray he never reads Madeline's)

Anyway, this is my solution. I'll blog some cute stories, post a couple pictures and I'm still super-mom-of-the-year. Ok, well, at least I will have accomplished my goal.

So, yesterday's blog would have been titled "Computer Magic" and so I am starting there. Here is my conversation with Abigail, my 4 year old.

M: (typing away on my computer, returning emails)
A: (has just discovered old keyboard in the corner of the office and begins clacking away) Mom, Did "Party" just come up on the computer screen?
M: I'm sorry, what honey?
A: Did Party just show up on the screen?
M: Uh, no sweetheart.
A: Here, let me try again. (more clacking, this time very intense)
A: How about now Mom?
M: Uh, no.
A: Ugh! (very exasperated - runs out of office)

At this point I am FOTFL. Perhaps I am the only one that is amused at these children but it was shortly after this that I decided I simply can't forget all these stories. I guess sending Madeline off to 1st grade last week was my wake-up call. It goes way too quickly.