We are still here!

Sorry.  It has been over a month since I have posted. Horrible, I know.  It just sits on the bottom of my to-do list and never seems to get done.  But I have decided that tonight is the night! This is the busy week I have had, but I tend to do better the busier I am.  Anyway, we have been doing some pretty fun stuff around here in the last month.  This last weekend we celebrated my dad's 60th birthday with an adult only, friend party (nice!) on Saturday night.  I went over early to help prepare (which you didn't have to try too hard, my alternative was take care of 3 boys) and spend some quality time with my mom.  Then we got together as a family on Sunday to celebrate.  We were lucky enough to have Shawn and Carrie offer to take our 3 rowdy boys all evening.  They had a fun night full of pizza, mario brothers, Cars 2, and quality time with their cousins. I am sure the evening was quite loud, since our 3 alone are enough to make you crazy! Thanks for taking them for us guys!

60th birthday party

Happy Birthday Dad!

party goers

We have been busy getting ready for Valentines day which is always fun.  Carter got to make out his own this year, which he was really excited about.  We had a snow day which led to a field trip for Camden being canceled, but the kids had a fun day playing with the neighbors in the snow.

snow day

they loved the snow paint

 Carter had two birthday parties at Lost N Fun which he thought was great, especially since I didn't stay.  Camden had spirit week at school which involved  a crazy hair day, sports day and pajama day.  Let me just say the pajama day at school is the best day for my kids.  I think they think it is better than Christmas.  Carter had a movie night at school on Friday where they watched Brave. Before the movie started they had one of the sculptors from Pixar skype with the kids.  He showed pictures of a lot of the sculpting he did such as Angus (Merida's horse from Brave), Woody, Buzz, Mater, Lighting McQueen, and Fin McMisle.  He talked about how the sculpting is the very first step in making the movie and how it all evolves from there.  I was way more interested than all the kids, but it was really cool.  The kids got to ask questions and it was a pretty cool intro to the movie.  We had to sit on the gym floor on a blanket for several hours which wasn't that awesome for me, but Carter had a good time with his friends and having some one on one time with me.

getting ready for the movie to start

sitting by his friend Harrison

Carson, Emma, Sammy and Carter

We had Carter's conferences last week and they went really well.  She was really impressed with how much Carter has improved and just taken off in the last few months.  She said he is a good listener and seems to love learning.  She said he excels at math and really loves the story problems. All the kindergarten teachers say how quiet he is, but I have assured them all that this is not how it is at home.  He has been taking some risks with the school lunch and trying some new things.  He has also been very good about only taking chocolate milk on Thursday or Friday depending on the last day he takes hot lunch.  Carter has been saying some pretty funny and profound things for a 5 year old, but I forget to write them down, thinking I will remember when I start to blog.  Wrong.  I did enjoy hearing his interpretation of Martin Luther King Jr.  He started the story by saying "he's dead", but then when on to tell me of all the good things he did, like "he wanted black people and white people to both ride the same bus".  He told me one day when he came home from school that he can write his numbers up to 125 but his goal is a zillion, billion.  He followed that by saying he would write them to infinity, but infinity is not a number. :)  He also got a new (used) pair of shoes the other day and when he came home from school he told me that those are the only shoes he wants to wear because they make him run really fast.  A few days later I told him to put on his black shoes and he got really upset because he is convinced he is not as fast in those shoes.

he busted his lip at the park

falling asleep randomly during quiet time on the weekend

100 fruit loops for the 100th day of school

Camden Parker is trucking right along.  We finally had his four year appointment (after we got some good insurance) and everything check out well for him.  He is 33lbs which puts him in the 22nd percentile!  He made it into the 20's percentile wise!  Go Camden!  He is 40 1/2 inches which puts him in the 46th percentile. He had good vision and hearing and learned a lot about super heros from Dr. Davis.  He took an imaginext guy with him to his appointment and when Dr. Davis asked him who he had he said "Mr. Freezer".  It made me laugh.  We have started to make Camden be a little bit more independent by attempting to put on all of his shoes (he only likes the really easy ones).  We also want him to start buckling his own seat belt which he is *working* on. He loved his spirit week at school and talked about it non-stop.  He has his rescheduled field trip to CiCi's pizza tomorrow which he is also excited about. I am a little sad because I can't go, but I am doing something fun as well which is taking a photoshop class.  I missed this fieldtrip with Carter too, but I have a third child so hopefully I can make that one.

poor kid still loves his naps

pajama day at school

crazy hair day at school

tired again

enjoying a nice afternoon outside

at his four year check

my little 4 year old

Callan is continuing to be our amazing little helper.  He is emptying our dryer, putting clothes in the washer, throwing away any wrapper or trash he sees around (including his own diaper) and has now started to make his own bed.  He has trouble with the pillows (they are too heavy) but by golly he gives it his best shot.  He is very diligent about doing these tasks right and follows through.  It is quite amazing, and something we completely encourage.  The other day he asked for the duster and I obliged. I am also sad to report that the days of Callan saying he is my "baby" are over.  He now answers the questions are you mommy's big boy or baby he says "big boy".  But I do love the pride that comes along with him being a big boy.  He is still going on the potty the same amount, a few times a day, but I know I should probably start trying a little more with him.  In other big news for him he is cutting all four of his 2 year old molars!  He didn't eat for two days when they started coming in and refused any motrin. And by refused I mean he would gag and throw up any time I offered it.  He really likes to use the phrase "at my home".  Like "I want a snack at my home" or "I want to play at my home".  I am not sure why he says this but it is a favorite. He is also starting to recite a decent amount of words at our dinner prayer.  His little brain is such a sponge. I know am going to be writing his 3year post before I know it, and I can't believe it!

napping

snow fun

my little owl

Here are a few of the boys together.  Check back later this week for some Valentine post!

apparently it was yellow day at our house

they asked me to take this

we were all sleeping in carters bed

playing with home made light sabers

Carter got to sleep in Callan's bed one night, and Callan LOVED it!

making capes out of blankets

Camden Parker and too much birthday!

Have you ever read the Berenstain Bears and too much birthday?  That is Camden today, but he really did have a wonderful day.  It started with donuts for breakfast.

apparently the morning is the worst for "eye shutting" camden, this was the best we could get

Then he got to open a few small gifts from us. One awesome perk of being the middle child (or the child that has a January birthday) is that you get presents on your actual birthday and your half birthday (at the family party)

he was super excited about his penguins DVD.  i bought it from carter's old preschool teacher for $3

he is excited to play perfection!

Then I took the younger two over to grandma Niebuhrs so she could take them to story time and took Camden back to her house for his special birthday lunch.  She made him mac and cheese and peas!  They finished the lunch with a cupcake, with brown frosting, according to Camden.  

Callan was very sad that he didn't get to eat at grandmas, and walked around with a pouty face saying "I want my birf-day" (I told him when it is his birthday he gets to have a special lunch with grandma)  When Camden came home he took it easy but was exhausted from all the birthday fun that he fell asleep in the car when we went to pick up Carter.  He fell asleep hard! When we got home he had fun playing with his brothers waiting to go out to dinner at Runza.

the best picture without his eyes closed

they love each other

Then we went to dinner at Runza, which he picked for the play area, not the food.  But the added bonus was that it was temperature Tuesday so we got our Runzas for 7 cents!  The Scribner grandparents joined us for dinner.

picture with grandma

and grandpa

We ended the night by playing in the germ infested petri dish of a play area and prayed to God our kids don't end up with the flu.  Then went back to our house and had cupcakes and Camden got to open a gift from grandma and grandpa.  He was bouncing off the walls before bed, but I think he could not have asked for a better day.

his second cupcake of the day!

Thank you to everyone who made the day special for him!  He loved all of it!

Happy #4

Dear Camden,

Today is your fourth birthday. Four! I remember your birth like it was yesterday. Pure to form, you came into this world in a way only Camden Parker would.  Your birth was insight into who you have become today.  You didn't care about due dates, or in-utero positions, you put me into labor when your butt was too sore from being stuck in my pelvis. You didn't want to turn around and come out head first, but instead make us all work hard to get to you (via C-section). At exactly 37 weeks you came into this world screaming and your legs stuck up by your head.  You have become my amazingly unique middle child.  You are so sweet, with a smile that melts me.  You do things in your own time, at your own pace, and no one can rush you.  You take your time and notice all the details in the world around you.  You think before you answer, and you are very inquisitive. You listen to everything, and forget nothing.  You love to learn and be challenged, and find joy in even the smallest accomplishments.  The sheer joy you outwardly show for small things like cupcakes or a trip to grandmas could make anyone love life.  I am so glad you are a part of our family and that God blessed us with such an amazing little boy.  The boy who gets to be a younger brother and an older brother, and is great at both roles.  You remind me so much of your dad, and I can't wait to see  what you will offer this world.  Know that your dad and I love you with our whole hearts and cannot imagine our family without our little Cam Parker. aka "picker parker", "baby" "tamen" "cam" "cam the ham" "camden namden"  Happy Birthday little man, may your fourth year be better than your third.

All School Skate

Back in the 80's I have some pretty fond memories of the skating rink.  You can imagine my excitement when Carter came home and told me about the "all school skate" for his school.  My first thought was, they still have those?, and then I wondered if it was at the same building I went to when I was young.  I talked with Chad about how we were going to work this out since it was on a Thursday night, and our younger two may not be thrilled about skating.  So we decided that I would just go with Carter and he would stay home with the other two.  We went with our neighbors, Tonya and Emma to check it out.  It was in the same building I remembered as a child and to be honest, almost nothing had changed.  It was dingy, old, stinky, and run down, but it was really fun!  We rented the same skates I wore in 1989, and got ready to get our skate on.  I wasn't sure what to expect from both myself and Carter, but skating is like riding a bike, you never really forget how.  Carter had a rough go at first.  I warned him he would fall a lot but he still seemed shocked every time he fell.  Most of the evening he spent holding on to the wall or on to my hand but by the end he was doing really well on his own, without holding on.  I really wish our janky rink would have had these devices for kids to learn how to skate with.(click on the word "these" to see a picture of what I mean) Leave it to Texas to always have the best! :) Despite all the falls Carter had fun and got to see a few classmates too.  He told me at the end of the night we needed to go back soon so he wouldn't lose what he learned.

ready to put on his skates

using the wall for security

Emma and Carter stop to pose for a picture

off on his own

thank god for the rail

ready to head home

Welcoming the new year

With a new year starting, we thought we would start it off by cleaning, organizing and getting a fresh start.  After Christmas we organized the kids toys and put up most of them, leaving only a few bins readily available. This way the kids have to ask to get something down, and then they have to pick that up before moving on to the next thing.  We used to just wait till the end of the day or before nap time to pick up and it was such a chore.  All the kids complained because it looked like a tornado had hit the house and it was very overwhelming.  Even though it was a pain to pick up and find spots for everything, I have to say it has been really nice.  I feel like the house looks more like a house and not Romper Room.  I also feel like it has helped Camden have a better attitude toward picking up.  I think it was because there was *so* much to clean up, he dreaded it. Now it just takes him a minute or two to pick up and we have a lot less fuss from him.  Callan has also helped a little more than usual, and Carter is not having to do the majority of it.  It is a win-win all around.  We also cleaned and organized the store room, my craft area, the bathroom closets, laundry room, and hall closet.  It felt good to start the new year in a more organized fashion.  We soaked up all the time we could while Chad was home and we all enjoyed it.  We also had a lot of time to play and just be together as a family.  Right after the new year started the kids went with the Scribner grandparents for a day of fun.  They went to the children's museum with their cousins and then back to grandparents house for ginger bread cookie decorating, and dinner.  This gave Chad and I time to finish up some organizing projects and even sneaked in a quick dinner alone. *I just learned while writing this that even though the word sneaked does not sound right in the sentence, it is correct, and snuck is not a word. I guess I am still learning every day* There was a tiny mishap (I say tiny, because it wasn't me who had to deal with it.  Thanks grandma and grandpa) when the kids were out.  Carter was eating lunch and claimed to have something stuck in his throat.  He proceeded to throw up but then said he felt fine.  He sat with grandpa for a little while and then went and played and ended up throwing up again.  After each time he said he felt fine and acting fine, and just kept complaining something was in his throat.  After the third time, they took him back to their house to rest, but that was the end.  He felt better, ate a good dinner and had no other issues.  No one else got sick, so we have no idea what that was all about.  We are very grateful that grandma and grandpa kept the kids because for one, we got to finish up stuff we needed to do, and two, Carter had a great time making the ginger bread cookies and being at their house.  Here are some pictures of their fun day.

The kids also got a visit from great grandma Jewel.  Since we missed the Hardt family celebration Karen, Al, and Jewel came over to give the kids their gifts.  I wasn't there, but it sounded like a good time was had by all.

Before Chad went back to work I wanted to get one of my big projects done which was finishing my canvas wall.  Although it is not 100% done, it is up and functional.  I will put the finishing touches on it soon. (the blank canvases will have pictures, quotes and birth stats on them.)

Now for a little update on the kiddos.  

Carter was excited to get back into the old routine and get back to school. I was happy that he was excited to go back.  I know he loves being home with all of us, but I think he missed the school routine and his friends.  The first day back he came home to tell him his goals for the next year were to learn to skate, and to learn to read better.  I really enjoy, for the most part, watching Carter turn into a school aged kid.  The things he says cracks me up, and you know he is learning/hearing them at school.  There are a lot of nuh-uh and yuh-huh's used despite our correction. (it is usually accompanied by an attitude) He also likes to say *easy*. If we ask him something like how do you spell "can", he responds with "easy, c-a-n."  He also enjoys it when he can tell us a meaning of a bigger word. At lunch today there was a perfect example but now I can't think of it.  I need to be better about writing this stuff down. We got a new book for Christmas called "King Hugo's huge Ego" which the kids love. Carter always asks what ego means, and now that we have read the book many times, he likes to tell us what an ego is.  A funny thing he said to me recently when he found me in the kitchen he said matter-of-factly "Mom, do you have to shoot zombies with a lazer to make them die?" I of course was busy and concentrating on dinner and said "I have no idea Carter!"  He then turned around and said "I am going to go ask dad, he knows more about zombies than you."  

our assembly line of help with dishes.  these two know how to unload pretty well

showing off their superstructs they got for christmas

Camden was also happy to be back into routine.  He still asks where daddy is most days but he was thrilled to be back in school.  He is looking forward to his birthday celebration at school on Monday and has chosen Runza as his birthday dinner.  As I said earlier in the post, Camden has done well with our new toy system and is picking up with less fuss.  He has taken on his role as big brother to Callan, and used it to his advantage.  Unlike Carter, Camden thinks it is fun to tell Callan to do something he know he shouldn't do and then be able to blame Callan when they caught.  Carter always came and told me if Camden was doing something wrong so this has been a change.  Camden really likes playing with Callan because he can tell him what to do and they play by his rules.  I like seeing their relationship grow, but the trouble they get into is more than I like.  Camden has taken an interest in reading sight word books with Carter and is doing a good job pointing out some words.  He loves reading the cereal boxes in the morning and asking us things like "what does k-e-l-l-o-g-s spell?"  He is consistently writing his name on his preschool papers and I love seeing how it keeps getting better.  I think we are going to have to move him to 4T pants, not because of the waist but because of the length.  I am just afraid even if we cinch them up to the max they still won't fit around his tiny waist.  The one story I have to tell about Camden is, one day this last week he asked me to cut a string off of his sock.  I told him I would but he needed to wait a minute. Apparently that minute was too long so he took out the scissors in the kitchen drawer and tried to cut if off himself.  Instead he cut a hole in his sock. :(  His pair of new socks were now unwearable. 

playing with his luigi hat on

mom, i am freezing!

Little baby Callan.  I laugh now when I call him "the baby" because we got so used to it.  He must have too because when I say things like "you are such a big boy now", or "what a big boy, you went pee in the potty". He started to respond with "no, I baby."  So now Chad and I have a joke with him where we say "are you mommy's big boy?" he says "no, I mommy's baby".  I know we should not say things like that, but I can't help but laugh, and it makes me feel like I don't have to let go of my baby so soon.  Our little Callan has had the toughest time getting back into our normal routine.  He does not understand why Chad is not home all the time now, and often searches the house for him saying "where daddy at?"  He wasn't fond of tagging along in the car pool or going back to the YMCA.  He wanted to stay home and play.  But by the end of the week I think he was doing better.  He is not very fond of the new toy arrangement and has been finding lots of non-toy items to play with. He also found a bottle of bleach spray, found the drawer with knives and knocked over (i mean completely over) his changing table/dresser.  It has been a bit rough for him lately but I am hoping we are on the right track now.  He is still talking a ton but we still have a hard time understanding all he is saying.  At lunch today he wanted dessert so he said something like "I eat all san-ich, cah-wat, gapes, I get ssert?"  All while motioning with his hands that he was going to eat all of this sandwich, carrots, and grapes to get dessert.  He tries so hard, and has so much to say.  I just feel bad that we don't understand it all.  But when we do, man is he thrilled.  He lets you know when you got it right by smiling from ear to ear while flapping his arms in excitement.  He loves to sing and dance and do all the things his brothers tell him to do.  I can't wait till I can understand all that is in that head of his.  

I caught him reading up on the top bunk one day

proud to be helping with the dishes

getting a ride from daddy

he really loves potato heads

Chad started his new job at Kenexa last Monday and has really enjoyed it so far.  We just pray that it is a good fit for him and our family and that he will enjoy what he is doing.  Thanks again for all the prayers.