Keeping It Simple

Summer's Coming

2011-06-01T19:20:00.003-05:00

It's almost summer vacation! That means that I will have time to update the blog again! WAHOO!!!!!

In the meantime, here's a couple of pictures to hold you over...

Can't believe he's 10 already!!!

Okay, this was NOT planned - but check out where the Littles' fingers both are (ugh)

"See" you soon as I post again!

Kris

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T06:03:00.004-05:00

Here's the entire crew!

Jared - AKA Darth Vader
(he's never even seen Star Wars, but he wanted to be this for some reason!)

Meghan (who at times doesn't even need a costume)

To Infinity and Beyond!!!

Mariah - definitely a Dora girl!

1st Day of School, Owies, and Daddy's Girl

2010-09-01T17:25:00.002-05:00

Today was the first day of school! One of the cool things with having 4 kids in less than 7 years is that you can take pictures like this:

And here are pictures of the "schoolers"... 4th grade, 1st grade, and preschool

Mariah is definitely a Daddy's girl...and even invites him to all of her tea parties! :)

WARNING...this last photo is a bit gruesome.

Poor Caleb was running and wasn't watching where he was going. He collided into a friend and ended up getting 6 stitches! Poor little guy! I'm happy to report that his wound has healed nicely and I think his hair will hide the scar. Yowza!!

First Haircut

2010-08-01T07:00:00.003-05:00

Mariah had her first haircut last week! As you can tell, she didn't like it very much...

She Loves Me! :)

2010-07-29T10:19:00.003-05:00

Ah yes, Mariah is singing away, serenading me the whole time. :)

Where's Nen-Nah Rae?

2010-07-29T08:03:00.002-05:00

Mariah likes her little friend down the street so much! She kept on opening the door, yelling out her friend's name. By the time I grabbed the video camera, she had stopped yelling, but it's still cute!

PS Don't forget to pause the music on the side before watching/listening. :)

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WOW, am I behind!

2010-07-25T19:41:00.003-05:00

Okay, it is time for an update! Here are a few pictures. I hope to have more time this week to get more pictures up, but hopefully this will tide you over. :)

Caleb and my dad, AKA Fishing Grandpa.

Meghan and my grandma. Meghan's middle name is my grandma's name. :)

The 3 men of this household!

Meghan and Caleb at the Milwaukee Zoo. Yes, the tie-dyes were on purpose...that way I can pick them out in crowded areas!

And finally, here is what happens when Mariah gets into Meghan's stampers. Unfortunately, she's a little bit too happy and proud of herself, can't you tell!???!?!?!

Caleb the Biker!

2010-06-01T07:07:00.004-05:00

Okay, so Caleb's not quite 4 and look what he's learned how to do!

How about an update?

2010-03-08T05:00:00.002-06:00

I am really, really behind on updates. Can you tell? Anyway, here are a couple of new(er) pictures to hopefully hold you over...

I meant to post these a month ago. A MONTH AGO!?!?! Yes, I am behind. Here is Caleb. I love his smile, if you look, he has the most awesome dimples under his eyes, right above his cheeks. A camera (especially from a cell phone!) doesn't do justice, because his dimples are adorable!!!!

We celebrated our family day together at Chuck E Cheese. Mariah thought she was a big girl because we let her drink lemonade with a straw.

Naturally, if you take a picture of one child, you end up having to take pictures of them all. So, here is Meghan, modeling(?) her pizza:

Not to be outdone, here's Jared:

And finally, Caleb. Thankfully he didn't show me what he was eating!

WWF Wrestling...Toddler Style

2010-01-25T05:26:00.003-06:00

First of all, please ignore that the kids are in their undergarments...I'm not even going to try to explain that one!

Mariah likes to "act tough" with the older kids:

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2010-01-12T19:27:00.002-06:00

It is definitely winter. Here are some recent pictures of how the kids are enjoying the snow and cold.

Poor Mariah, she sees the stroller and wants to go for a walk. Notice - she kicked off her boots in hopes that I'd have to push her around.

Jared and Meghan making snowangels.

Caleb loves it outside - although his expression says otherwise!

Ah yes, the joys of winter...

Christmas 2009

2010-01-01T19:16:00.007-06:00

Christmas morning with 4 children is either a complete madhouse or a blessing, depending on your perspective. Either way, the kids were very excited this year with all of the gifts that Santa brought them.

The Christmas Tree - before the kids discovered it

Meghan

Caleb

The four kids opening presents

Who could forget the stockings!

Finally, we thought you'd enjoy a bit of the madness on video:

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December at our house

2009-12-16T05:19:00.008-06:00

Last Saturday was Meghan's birthday. It is hard to believe that she is already six years old. As everyone seems to know, kids sure grow up fast!!!!!!

Meghan even got to see Santa on her birthday.

The kids with two of their cousins.

Ah yes, the ballerina birthday cake.

The big birthday girl. Happy Birthday, Meg!

Visiting Santa.

If you look closely, you can see Keith holding Mariah up. It was the only way she'd go by Santa!

The eldest three were okay with Santa. Caleb would go by him as long as Jared went, too.

Meghan was a bit shy, but still did great with Santa this year.

Jared wasn't a fan of sitting on Santa's lap this year...so he just stood in front of him.

These two are really turning into little buddies.

Oh, this is so disgusting! That's ketchup on Mariah's cereal. She insisted on having it. You will notice that the ketchup was in the small bowl, I couldn't put it directly on the cereal, but she had no problem doing that. Yuck! Yuck! Yuck!!!!

Mariah decided what to wear. What an outfit, huh?

Meghan got a really cute personalized apron for her birthday. Maybe one day, Caleb will let her wear it.

Christmas Pictures

2009-12-04T06:39:00.003-06:00

We took the kids to the Picture People last weekend to get their pictures taken. Here is one of our favorites!

Honestly, I may be biased, but aren't they just beautiful?!?!?!?

2009-11-13T05:08:00.003-06:00

I love seeing how these two have turned into such buds. Don't get me wrong - they still argue A LOT...but they also are inseparable.

Singing In the Rain...or not?

2009-11-09T05:29:00.003-06:00

It was 70 degrees out, not a cloud in the sky, and here are the two goofballs...parading around the neighborhood!

2009-11-04T20:03:00.005-06:00

Mariah likes to do anything that the "big kids" get to do. We let her color, and as you can tell, she enjoyed it completely!

And really, what's a family blog without a messy eating shot or two?

Clean Up, Everybody Clean Up!

2009-11-03T04:47:00.003-06:00

Mariah has quite the fascination with keeping things clean. Hopefully this will continue when she is older so that she can keep up with the housework! If you listen carefully, you can her here say "go go go" as she is cleaning off the table. And when she is finished, she asks for more! :)

Halloween Fun!

2009-11-02T08:38:00.002-06:00

Halloween was a lot of fun at our house this year. Here are a couple of pictures from the big event!

Modeling our Halloween T-shirts!

Mariah, the Queen Bee

Mariah has been sick with the croup and double ear infection, so she couldn't go trick-or-treating this year. By the time I got back from taking her to Urgent Care, it was time to go trick-or-treating, so if you look at some of the pictures below, you'll see that she's just wearing her winter jacket. Thankfully she's not old enough to know the difference, Daddy dressed her up after we left and she was happy as can bee!

The Big Three Trick-or-Treaters!

2009-10-13T05:20:00.003-05:00

I am making an honest effort to update more often. Here are some of the latest pictures from the last couple of weeks. Enjoy!!!

Let's take a moment to thank all of the firefighters out there!

They came to daycare and school to talk to the kids about fire safety. Too bad they didn't know that awesome fire hats, mixed with swimming goggles, causes this:

Meghan loves art, can you tell?

Here is Caleb and McKenna, our neighbor. I don't think she's ready to have Caleb as a boyfriend, huh?

I love her expression..."yeah, I'll smile, but hurry up and take the picture!

Okay, this is a little disgusting. It's bologna on their faces!

(Keith's idea!!!)

And apparently, Keith has a hidden talent for adding "bling" to Mariah!

Happy Birthday!

2009-10-08T07:02:00.002-05:00

Today is our neighbor's 2nd birthday. We are so fortunate to live in a subdivision with lots of young children...and many of our kids go to the same daycare as well. Mariah and Caleb's friend turns 2 today, so I videotaped a little "ditty" for her to enjoy.

(Mariah says nen-nah for McKenna)

Enjoy (and never mind my signing...)

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Retail Therapy

2009-10-07T05:40:00.005-05:00

Anyone who is the parent of a 3 year old boy would appreciate this shirt. It was one of those shirts that screamed "CALEB" as soon as I saw it.

How fitting that he was running around with Mariah's winter hat on when I took the picture! :)

Unauthorized Use of a Scissors

2009-09-09T06:45:00.002-05:00

Here's what happens when Meghan decides to give her brother a haircut. And yes - today is picture day at daycare. Sigh. Quite honestly, it is the funniest thing we've seen in a long time! :)

Is this hilarious or what?

Quick Pic

2009-09-01T05:27:00.003-05:00

I am obviously way behind in blogging. I hope this will hold you over until I can post a decent update. :)

Mariah

2009-08-10T05:06:00.007-05:00

Mariah's new fascination is arranging things. She spends a lot of time taking apart my cupboards and then lining the tupperware up on the floor. She must take after her father (thankfully), because I am NOT organized!

Rearranging the pantry. Notice how the cans are lined up:

(Like how she trashed the rest of it?)

As you can tell, she hasn't figured out what a can opener is!

Extra fiber...just eat the box!

Oh oh, she figured out how to open it!

What a cutie, huh?

Even when she resembles Cindy Lou Hoo!

Visiting Family Up North

2009-08-09T07:00:00.001-05:00

We just got back from spending 5 days visiting my family in northern Wisconsin. Keith, unfortunately, couldn't get off of work so it was me and the kids for the week. Thank heavens I had willing relatives to help me with the crew!!!!

Meghan lost tooth #2 on the last night

Good thing the Tooth Fairy found us, anyway!

The biggest attraction was the reclining seat. It can hold 3 stubborn kids who won't give up their seat when it needs to...

And as long as the recliner is around, the couch is apparently useless!

I managed to get a couple of pictures when the kids were getting along. Aren't they great in their matching shirts?

I LOVE this picture!

And yes, a more typical pose...

Mariah and my dad, AKA Fishing Grandpa

Mariah, my dad, and my grandma. (Great Grandma to the kids)

Happy Birthday, Caleb!

2009-08-07T13:50:00.018-05:00

It was Caleb's birthday last week. Here are some pictures from his party!

The All-Important Birthday Cake:

I love this picture, you can just see him looking at his dad and saying, NOW???

Yeah, Mom, I'll smile, but let me open these presents!!!

(That really isn't dirt on his face. Of course I made sure his face was clean before pictures!)

MONEY!!!

After the party was complete, we found Caleb - asleep - petting the cat in the closet!

As always, this kid continues to crack me up!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-29T07:08:00.000-05:00

We have our hands full with this one...

2009-07-23T09:05:00.012-05:00

Mariah has been infatuated with climbing lately. Chairs, tables, couches, stairs, you name it! In hopes of keeping her safe, we've had to child-proof a little more, including putting the chairs out of reach after every meal.

See? I'm not kidding:

We have a kid-sized chair and table upstairs, so I thought Mariah would like it for playing. Yeah, what was I thinking????

CHEESE! Look at me, Mom!

See her stick out her tongue at me? She's up to something...

Look Mom, I can stand on this table, too!

And even ballet moves!

But how can I be mad at a face like this. Come on, seriously, isn't she adorable???

And a little TOO comfortable in front of the camera:

Lost Tooth!

2009-07-21T19:15:00.001-05:00

Big event in our house, Meghan lost her first tooth!!! I was very surprised when it got loose, as she was a very late teether when she was a baby. She is excited cuz she thinks she's a "big girl" now!

I was a little too close with the camera:

A beautiful toothless grin:

Caleb now has us pull on his teeth, to see if they are loose. He just cracks me up. In this picture, he had to show us his teeth as well. :)

Wordless Wednesday (The Evil Laugh of Mariah)

2009-07-15T06:12:00.000-05:00

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Time for an Update!

2009-07-14T11:38:00.013-05:00

I figured it is more than time for an update on the kids. Enjoy!!!

Jared has been reading a lot this summer. His goal is to finish all of the Harry Potter books by the end of the summer. Not too bad for an 8 year old, I think!

The copycats...

Meghan at t-ball. Such a silly girl!

I *almost* caught her pouting...

Yeah, Mariah is a bit of a rebel. Look how she's sitting on the steering wheel. It's a miracle the thing hasn't tipped backwards yet!

Just a few more freaky ear pictures:

(Don't forget to turn the music off on the side before watching!)

Before you watch this, I feel like I have some explaining to do! Mariah had a terrible heat rash and as a result, has been running around topless because she seems happier this way. When watching the video, you can faintly hear music from the Fisher Price house...that is what they are dancing to:

Finally, Caleb skipped his nap one day, and here was the result.

(I know, what kind of mother would videotape such a thing!)

Cell phone pictures

2009-07-08T10:59:00.003-05:00

Meg was in a 4th of July parade for pre-school. Isn't she cute?

And Caleb is just plain COOL, isn't he?

Finally, check out Jared's ear. He did this and I still can't believe it. He can actually do it to both ears. Gee, what a hidden talent, huh?

She is Growing Up Fast!

2009-06-29T16:37:00.006-05:00

Here is our not-so-much-of-a-baby Mariah. Before you watch, I do have to explain a couple of things...

When Mariah says "no" it is hilarious...it sounds like a snotty teenager. Whenever I bring out the camera or videocamera, she immediately starts saying "cheese." So as I'm trying to catch her saying "NO" she is going "cheese". :)

Enjoy!!!!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Mom is Such a Dork Photographs

2009-06-22T08:42:00.006-05:00

Yes, we have too many toys, yet this is what the middle two like to play with:

And YES I'm a dork...I got the girls and boys matching shirts. Come on, admit that you've done this, too!

Note to self...when trying to take a picture of the 4 kids, make sure you have Daddy making faces behind, otherwise someone is always looking away. Here are my vain attempts:

Birthday Party Pictures

2009-06-17T12:41:00.004-05:00

With 4 kids, we seem to have a lot of birthday parties around here, don't we? Especially since Jared and Meghan are old enough to want "friend" birthday parties as well as "family" birthday parties. Here are some pictures from Jared's 8th Family Birthday Party.

Here is the big birthday boy!

Caleb and his beautiful smile

The girls decided that it was more fun to play up in Meghan's room, so they disappeared up there for awhile. Any parent will know that if kids are being quiet, they are up to something. Here is what we discovered when we went up to see what was going on:

The girls then decided that Uncle Kevin needed to play with them as well. Doesn't he look like a beautiful princess???

Notice the shoes!

This kind of looks like a chef's hat to me...

Yes, I agree, it's time for this sick joke to stop...

So Cute!

2009-06-12T06:47:00.002-05:00

Forgive the quality, this was shot on my cellphone...

Cell Phone Pictures

2009-06-05T07:02:00.008-05:00

I finally had a chance to do something with the photos that were sitting on my cell phone. I hope you enjoy them!

Mariah was more interested in crackers than soccer, can you tell?

AAWWWW...brotherly love...

(I LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture!)

Mariah helping me unpack groceries.

(If you look closely you can see she is sitting on a box of crackers)

Meghan has this strange habit of opening her mouth when I take her picture...

With Papa (again, open mouth...)

I can't tell if Mariah's playing peek, is embarrassed, or what!

Bikes, Kid Entertainment, and More...

2009-06-04T04:58:00.009-05:00

I always say it's busy around here, but I really mean it! :) T-ball and coach-pitch practice (Keith is head coach for both), soccer, birthday parties, end-of-the-year activities...PHEW! However, we love (nearly) every second of it and it IS fun to be so involved in our kids' lives.

Keith discovered some new entertainment last night after supper. (As Keith was doing this, he said, "it took me 4 kids to figure out this game?!?!):

As soon as the camera came out, Caleb of course needed to get into the action. (AND, it might be hard to catch, but as soon as Caleb started doing it, Mariah is making noise in the background! It's hard to tell who is the biggest ham for the camera sometimes):

While on the subject of Caleb, here is a picture of him on his bike (or as he calls it, his "tricycle." I took the pic with my cell phone, never mind that he's not smiling...he really does love his bike, I'm not making this up! :)

WARNING! BRAGGING ALERT! (yeah, like the first part of this post wasn't laced with bragging, right?!!??!?!)

Meghan learned how to ride her bike without the training wheels last weekend. She is SO proud of herself...now she considers herself a "big girl." It is fun to see her ride around the block, smiling the whole way. Hopefully I will get a picture of this soon.

Jared has really made us proud (again). He brought home his report card for the end of the year, and it includes straight A's for the 4th quarter. This is a huge accomplishment because this includes A's in Art and Music, which are two classes that he was not doing as well in at the beginning of the year. We are really fortunate that Jared has a lot of academic ability and works very hard in school. (Don't misinterpret me, though...the effort is more important than the grade. I don't want to come across as one of "those moms" where grades are the only thing. Effort and respect are the most important things we look for.)

I will be done working in another 1 1/2 weeks, and then the blog should start picking up more speed. I am looking forward to summer, as crazy as it will be. :)

HAVE A GREAT DAY! Thanks for stopping by our blog!

Late May Update

2009-05-27T14:11:00.006-05:00

Just a couple of random pictures again. I promise that once June starts, I will have more time to do "real, meaningful" posts again!

So really, how many kids can fit on a toddler-sized flip sofa, anyway?!?!?!

We have 4 bedrooms, but apparently only need two...one for us and one for Mariah. The rest prefer the couch!

Jared had his 8th Birthday Party!

I think his friends are as goofy as he is...

Notice how Caleb is right in the middle...

Meghan dressed up for Memorial Day

Meghan sings once again. She caught me videotaping this time so I didn't catch much singing. But...notice how she's in front of the mirror! (Caleb could not figure out what on earth she was doing!)

First Communion and more...

2009-05-20T05:07:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, Jared celebrated his First Communion. (And the next week, he reminded us it was his second communion...ha!)

(He's at that ackward "don't like to smile stage)

With Mom and Dad...

What is a celebration without the Cake Picture?!?!

Uncle Kevin hanging out with some of the cousins. I honestly don't know who had more fun at the Dora table, the girls or Kevin!

Caleb, Meghan, and 2 of their cousins

The Happy Pose...

...and the goofball pose!

Poor Mariah hasn't quite figured out yet that it's supposed to be done snowing for a couple of months. (I say supposed because I have seen snow in May AND June before...)

Finally, I'll walk the empty stroller instead...

Caleb practicing basketball

He's already figured out how to turn on the water outside (yikes!) and tries to "water" the plants for us.

And yes, another Meghan personality shot...

Video Update for May

2009-05-19T06:07:00.004-05:00

There has been so much going on, but not a lot of time to share it. Thankfully the school year is almost over and there will be more time to share what has been happening. Here are a couple of videos from the last few weeks. It seems that the dinnertable is the most entertaining for the youngest two members of our family. Caleb has an interesting way of pronouncing "banana"...so that is what is on the first video. The second half is just his explaining his bike. He has two bike helmets, one is called Diego (self explanatory) and the other he calls "boom crash" because it has trucks on it. Enjoy!

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Mariah has this game she plays with Keith. They both bang on the highchair simultaneously. She obviously loves it!

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Soccer

2009-05-14T21:23:00.004-05:00

Our camera has been misbehaving lately...but here's a pic I took with my cellphone at soccer tonight. Hopefully this weekend I can take the camera out of timeout! :)

Our Future American Idol Star

2009-05-01T04:01:00.005-05:00

Meghan LOVES to sing. She also loves to watch herself sing. What better place to find mirrors AND hear yourself sing than the bathroom??? She will spend an hour in there if we let her, just singing away. I was able to catch one of yesterday's performances on tape. Enjoy!
(Oh, make sure to pause the music on the side)

Playing with the New Toy

2009-04-29T06:55:00.007-05:00

Keith and I finally got new cell phones. We'd been sharing one Tracfone so that we could save a bit of money. Well, now that soccer season has started, with tee-ball and coach-pitch right around the corner, we both agreed that it was time to bite the bullet and get "real" cell phones. Keith surprised me (pleasantly) by agreeing to texting and unlimited Internet phones as well.

These pics were all taken with the cell phone. I'm actually amazed at the quality!

Caleb and his tractor at Nona and Papa's

It's actually like a pedal-bike, and he loves it!

Meghan, the blogger in training

(Okay, I'm kidding, she's playing Dora on the computer)

Mariah and her cute pigtails

Mariah and her "big girl" bike at Nona and Papa's

Jared wasn't quite sure what I was doing with the phone...

(I get this "what are you doing" look a lot!)

2009-04-21T05:47:00.003-05:00

We had a beautiful Saturday weather-wise. 70 degrees and I made sure the kids were outside all day! Here are a couple of random shots.

Mariah liked the bubbles

Meghan and her friends decided to accessorize

This is great...Mariah's bed-head

I still have to get some video of Caleb riding his bike. He now rides a "big boy" bike with training wheels...and does it so well. He is SO coordinated, it's amazing. Jared and Meghan didn't figure out how to pedal tricycles until they were close to 3...and Caleb is riding a bike and knows how to use the brakes as well. Amazing!

Time for an Update!

2009-04-15T06:05:00.011-05:00

There's been so much going on lately, and it's hard to time find to update the blog. However, here are some pictures from the last few weeks.

Jared's 1st Basketball Tournament

Mariah looking cute (as always!)

Meghan's bathtime antics...

It's a shame she has no personality...

No, this isn't torture. Caleb wanted to be wrapped up after his bath...

He also wanted to be bundled up to watch TV. Under the blanket are all the pillows and cushions we could find.

And while on the subject of pillows and cushions, Meghan and Caleb decided to make a "bed" in the dining room:

This is the "what are you doing, Mom" look:

Poor Mariah...Keith decided to mess with her hair, too...

and she didn't like it a bit!

Mariah blowing a kiss. She obviously is much happier when Mommy does her hair!

2009-03-30T05:55:00.005-05:00

It has been a hard week in our household. Last Tuesday, one of Jared's friends drowned in a tragic accident. His friend was 8 years old...and he and Jared were in Cub Scouts together, along with daycare and in the same 2nd grade class. If you are the praying type, please pray for Hunter's family as they continue to struggle with their loss.

On a less serious note, here are some recent pictures for you to enjoy....

Meghan wants to be a ballerina when she grows up:

(it might help if we enrolled her in some dance classes, huh?!?!)

Jared modeling some of his Pokemon figures:

(Why??? I don't know)

Who needs toys when you have cherry kool-aid?!?!

Isn't this sweet?

Caleb still loves the camera!

Searching for the Pot of Gold

2009-03-24T06:49:00.007-05:00

Meghan's daycare had a "find the leprechaun" contest last week. Each day, the teacher hid a leprechaun, and the person who found it received a pot of gold. Meghan was fortunate enough to find the leprechaun one day. When she brought it home, Mariah (naturally) was very interested in all of the shiny coins. But, can you say CHOKING HAZARD?!?! We had Meghan put them in a drawer, out of Mariah's reach - or so we thought.

Here goes Mariah!

SUCCESS!

McDonalds Should Love This

2009-03-18T04:32:00.002-05:00

It's a new kind of torture! Keith has taught the kids the commercial for McDonald's that has that fish hanging on the wall, saying, "Give me back that Filet-o-Fish". If you've seen the commercial, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Note - Meghan isn't feeling well, so she's kinda hard to hear.

Oh, and make sure to PAUSE the music on the sidebar, so you can hear this.

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This, That, and Bathtime

2009-03-11T05:55:00.008-05:00

We recently took Mariah in for her 1-year pictures. I only scanned a couple of them, but I must say, I was very impressed with how they turned out. Isn't she cute?!?!?

Here is what I discovered on the couch when I woke up this morning...

Last night was bathnight. We find it's much easier to put the three youngest in the bath together...scrub them down, and then let Meghan and Caleb play while we get Mariah dried off and dressed. Keith took some great shots, didn't he?

CHEESE!

Meghan has started this annoying habit of making silly faces everytime we take her picture. Ugh...

Mariah likes to "drink" out of the rinsing cup.

(I promise, she doesn't actually drink the bathwater!)

Monday morning update

2009-03-09T06:57:00.005-05:00

Things are definitely back to - um......uh......dare I say....NORMAL - in our house, or at least, back to the way they usually are. Knock on wood, but everyone is currently healthy for the first time in memory!

We have some more pictures of the latest pasttime in our house...couch-jumping. The kids line a bunch of toys on the couch, then jump until they all fly off. I don't quite understand it, but the kids think it's great!

This was coincidental, but look how they are all lined by age:

Mariah is feeling better and roaming about on her "bike." She doesn't quite have the knack of forwards vs. backwards yet!

The kids did some reading over the weekend. Caleb "reads" his favorite book (A Mother for Choco) all the time...he says "Mommy mommy mommy" on each page. It's cute!

I thought this was cool - look how their heads are at the exact same angle:

Okay, so Mariah is probably chewing more than reading, but it's a start!

Meghan still loves the camera:

"Okay, enough of the pictures!"

Newsvideo for you to watch

2009-03-06T20:41:00.001-06:00

I um - borrowed this link from a person on Facebook, who lives in Sayaxche, where Caleb was born. Pretty amazing stuff:

http://www.wthr.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=3512757&h1=Croc+attack+survivor&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=145667&LaunchPageAdTag=News&activePane=info&rnd=48931867

Kris

PS Mariah is starting to get better. HOORAY!!!!!

Influenza B and 2 Lessons Learned

2009-03-03T18:18:00.004-06:00

We have had a couple of rough days here, and it appears we have more to look forward to. Mariah has been very sick since Saturday. I took her to the doctor today (I called the Ask-a-Nurse twice as well...they said to wait it out...grrr) and it turns out that Mariah has influenza b. What does this mean? It means she is miserable! She can't stay awake more than an hour at a time...then she needs another nap. During the time she is awake, she is lying on the floor most of time. It is gut-wrenching, to say the least.

As our post title mentions, we have learned two things...please take note because we think they're important:

1. GET THE FLU SHOT! This got missed this year, and now Mariah is paying the price. The rest of us are now taking anti-viral medicine in hope that we don't catch it, as well.

2. CHECK THE EXPIRATION DATE ON YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS! Would you believe that some of the medicine we received from the pharmacy today was expired? And you know, I think this is the first time I've ever even thought to check the expiration date...

Even when she's sick, Mariah has a fan club:

What a goof!

Cub Scout Banquet

2009-02-28T13:02:00.003-06:00

Last week we went to Jared's Cub Scout banquet. Here are a couple of pictures:

Jared during his speaking part for the skit. He did a fantastic job!

Jared getting his awards. We are so proud of him!

More Birthday Photos

2009-02-25T19:35:00.004-06:00

Just a couple of pictures from Mariah's birthday party:

Mariah, her cousin (who is SO cute), Nona, Great-Grandma, and Aunt Keri:

Yes, she is STANDING on the seat. And enjoying every second of it, too!

The kids and some of their cousins:

Look, they can (sometimes) get along...as long as Spongebob is on!

Biased parent alert...isn't she cute?!?!?!

The Birthday Smash Cake

2009-02-24T06:41:00.003-06:00

Well, we were set. Mariah had on her 1st Birthday bib, her highchair was decorated, the bath was ready, and she was stripped down to her onesie. Video camera in hand. Here is the much anticipated video...

If you're thinking to yourself, hey, she didn't touch it, then YEP, that's correct. The little stinker!

Our Indoor Playland

2009-02-19T03:50:00.005-06:00

Before I even show you our playland pictures, I have to show you another Caleb "owie" pic. He bumped his lip, and of course, needed a bandaid to heal it immediately. (Also, Keith had fun with his hairgel beforehand, too):

Okay, here are the playland pictures. The kids were jumping on the couch and using the cushions as slides. (Never mind that our couch is really ugly and old. It's great for the kids, because it's not like we have to worry about them wrecking it or anything!):

Caleb and Meghan contemplating another slide:

Jared the Dude!

Mariah wants to get into the action, too.

Yep, she's now jumping on the couch (ugh)!

Yeah, I just taught my sister something new. Mommy is pretending to be a bit unhappy about it, but she'll get over it!

Hey, I'm just cool!

Mariah's birthday party is tomorrow...I'm sure we'll have more pictures for you to enjoy after that. (ESPECIALLY the Smash Cake! )

Mariah is One Today!

2009-02-19T03:15:00.004-06:00

What a happy day!

We can't believe it's been a year already since Mariah has been born. A mere 13 days after Caleb came home, and 2 weeks early, we were blessed with Mariah's presence. Happy Happy Happy Birthday to our beautiful little girl!

Brothers

2009-02-13T05:32:00.005-06:00

I often marvel at how lucky we really are. Here is just another example of it:

Jared had woken up early, so I had him go back to sleep on the couch (with ESPN News on...of course!). When I got out of the shower, Caleb had joined him. It's just beautiful, isn't it?

So Beautiful! (Bribery Photos)

2009-02-10T06:46:00.003-06:00

Over the weekend, Meghan decided to dress up in her princess dresses. This time, she had a new playmate...

Strike a pose, Caleb!

I have to mention...it took awhile to get the 2nd picture, because Caleb was upset that his SHOES had fallen off...

Can't wait until he's a teenager! Should I show these pictures to his Prom date, or at graduation, or his 16th or 18th birthday? Oh...the possibilities! :)

One Year Home! Happy Family Day To Us!

2009-02-06T06:55:00.003-06:00

It is so hard to believe, but it has been a full year since Caleb came home. Keith flew back from Guatemala with Caleb on February 6, 2008. We are keeping our celebration today very simple. We are going out to eat and just enjoying the evening together as a family of 6.

Since life got so crazy, so fast a year ago, I thought I would mark today's anniversary by posting some pictures of Keith's pickup trip. A HUGE, HEARTFELT thank you to my mother-in-law, Mary...who took all the pictures and was a huge help for the entire pickup trip. I wasn't able to fly for pickup, but Keith definitely had the best traveling partner ever.

Enjoy these pics. It's amazing to see how small Caleb was. He is such a big boy now!!!

Hanging out at the hotel. Caleb liked to mimic everything Keith did.

That award-winning smile

Caleb was understandably very scared and unhappy at first. But you would never know it from this picture!

Isn't this beautiful?

On the plane home

Warning - pictures of a very large woman!

Homecoming at the airport

Caleb's first carseat experience. As you can tell, he didn't like it!

Looking forward, we are so incredibly blessed to have such a beautiful family. We are looking forward to many, many more Family Day anniversaries!

A Day at Home

2009-02-05T15:22:00.008-06:00

It is always so much fun to bring out the camera. Well, fun for me, but sometimes torture for the kids. Here is Caleb, pretty much summing up what he thinks of getting his picture taken by Mommy all the time.

Strategy #1: Pout

Note, this isn't a very good pout this time!

Strategy #2: Ignore

Strategy #3: The Forced CHEESE

Mariah has been very sick with an ear infection. So the poor girl has had to spend the day with her camera-happy mommy. Although she doesn't talk yet, her expressions tell the story!

Why do you have that camera again?

Oh, act cute? Here are some kisses...

Okay, M0mmy, this is getting old!

Don't you get it? Enough!

FINE, I'll go Hollywood on you...

Hi/Lo Thursday

2009-02-05T10:26:00.004-06:00

This post is part of "Hi/Lo Thursday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check our their blog to read everyone else's "Hi/Lo" posts.

I thought I'd jump in for this one...

Our HI for this week is February 6th - tomorrow. It is our first FAMILY DAY!!! February 6, 2008 is when Keith brought Caleb home to the US. Some of you readers will remember that I was 9 months pregnant at the time and couldn't travel. I will post more tomorrow...or Saturday, as time allows. (Maybe I'll even post pictures...but I'll warn you, I was HUGE!!!! 9 months pregnant + a very stressful adoption (and weight gain) = NOT PRETTY)

Our LO for this week is sickness. Caleb (thankfully) is recovering nicely from ear infection number 5 (or 6, I lose track). Mariah, however, is still absolutely miserable. The antibiotics aren't helping...I anticipate going back to the doctor tomorrow. Meghan and Caleb also have colds, but so far they are *only* colds and we're hoping they don't get any worse. As any parent knows, it is so hard when your kids are ill, and you can't make it better.

Calvin and Hobbes

2009-02-04T12:31:00.002-06:00

Just to let you know, I added a "gadget" near the bottom. It's a daily dose of the comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes." It didn't fit well on the sidebar, so it's at the bottom, after the posts. I have always loved this cartoon and this is a good way to get a laugh in. :)

Kris

Bandaids are multi-functional!

2009-02-02T06:56:00.006-06:00

We go through a lot of bandaids in our house. The kids truly believe that everytime you get bumped, you immediately need a bandaid. I have tried (in vain!) to convince them that you really should have blood to be bandaid-eligible, but alas, the bandaids win out. Even Caleb has figured out how to get bandaids when I'm not looking. It's a losing battle...

At any rate, Caleb must have bit his lip or something, because he insisted that he had an owie on his mouth and needed a bandaid. Keith took care of the honors, and I must say, he did a great job! It only lasted a few minutes before Caleb was mumbling, "all better, owie all gone!"

Mariah REALLY LOVES the Dishwasher

2009-01-27T06:49:00.004-06:00

My apologies for so many videos lately...I know that some of you have slow(er) computers and it might be hard to download. But this is just another one of those hilarious videos that you have to watch!

Mariah is fascinated with the dishwasher. She is completely content to (try to) take out all of the dishes - clean or dirty. We now have to load/unload the dishwasher only when she isn't looking.

Before watching this - I promise, it was CLEAN...I had just finished emptying the diswasher out.

Oh My Goodness - We Have TWO NEW Babies!!!

2009-01-25T15:55:00.002-06:00

Can you spell JEALOUSY!?!?! Here's what I have to put up with when Meghan and Caleb decide to play with Mariah's toys...

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Look Who's Walking...

2009-01-23T04:19:00.003-06:00

I shot this video last night...but Mariah really figured this out late last week. I didn't get a GREAT shot of her walking, but at least you can get the idea. She's a big girl now!

Welcome to the (NO) Nuthouse

2009-01-19T20:27:00.006-06:00

(This post isn't meant to offend anyone...especially the use of the term 'nuthouse')

This sign is hanging outside our door. We bought it a couple of years ago, when we had 2 children, and thought that our lives were already busy. (HA! Little did we know...)

Anyway, yesterday Mariah had an allergic reaction to the cereal that she ate at daycare, Honey Nut Cheerios. What a scary phone call to get! Mariah apparently started swelling up and turned "fire red" with a rash all over her body. Thankfully she could still breathe, or they would have (obviously) called 911. Keith works only a few blocks from daycare, so he rushed over there...and it was already starting to improve. PHEW!

ANYWAY...we believe the culprit is almonds. Mariah has never had anything with nuts in it before yesterday, and she has just experienced her LAST taste of nuts. No PB & J, no almond flavoring...in other words, time to be extremely vigilant on label-reading.

AW, NUTS!

Kris :)

2009-01-18T20:34:00.003-06:00

Just some more family humor...

It's been very cold here recently. Caleb LOVES to wear earmuffs of all things!

Mariah got a hold of Keith's wallet recently. As you can tell, she had a very good idea of what to do with it. You go, girl!

Yes, we're changing the blog

2009-01-17T06:09:00.003-06:00

Now that Caleb has been home almost a year, we've decided it's time to change around the blog a bit, to make it more focused on ALL of the children. We'll try to ease you into the changes...keeping the blog name the same, just changing everything else about it. We hope you enjoy the changes...but remember the main focus is still the same - the everyday happenings of our ordinary family.

Trying To Catch Up...

2009-01-15T08:24:00.010-06:00

FINALLY!!! I have a spare moment to get caught up on Christmas pictures and recent happenings. You know...only 3 weeks late!

Before I start with anything, I have to show you this picture I took of Mariah last night. It is SO difficult to capture her smile on camera...because our camera is not fast AND I'm not a very good photographer. So I'm pretty proud of myself with this one! I'm bragging, I know, but she's beautiful, isn't she? (Just like the other kids)

Okay, on to Christmas pictures. Here are our 6 stockings hung up on Christmas Eve. It took us a long time and many routes to get to this...four beautiful children.

Much to the dismay of my husband, I was really pathetic when it came to baking Christmas cookies this year. There just wasn't time! So instead of his favorite - frosted sugar cookies - I was able to make M&M cookies and those store-bought cookies you only have to put in the oven! ANYWAY, it seemed to work for Santa. Here are his cookies (on the plate we only use for Santa) along with a glass of milk and, of course, sugar for the reindeer.

Christmas morning, before the kids were awake. Santa even managed to organize the gifts into piles for the kids this year. I wish I was that organized...

Here is Jared opening his presents...

And Meghan, with another one of her infamous cheesy grins...

Caleb was interesting to watch. The entire "opening presents" thing was new to him, he wasn't quite sure what to do at first. This changed soon enough...now he thinks that any wrapped present is for him!

And finally, Mariah. No, I didn't dress her up to open presents Christmas morning. Between the camera and video camera, I didn't get any still pictures of her with her presents. But I do have this shot from the family Christmas on Keith's side the day after Christmas. It pretty much sums it up, she was most interested in trying to eat the wrapping paper...

I was successful in catching Mariah with the video camera. Can you tell she's the youngest...she's not afraid of anything and is definitely not a wimp. Watch her try to beat her way into her gift!!!

Christmas vacation at home with the 4 kids is always CRAZY. Here's what happens when I allow Meghan to dress herself:

(PLEASE! Ignore what is under Caleb's nose)

Here is Caleb enjoying the outdoors. We are lucky, he is not affected by the cold or the snow AT ALL. The week he came home from Guatemala, it was -20 (without wind chill) and he was begging to go outside. He likes the cold a lot more than I do!

Just a typical pose for Meghan. I believe she WILL be famous someday...either a singer, an artist, or CEO of a major corporation. She certainly has personality!

Caleb didn't want his picture taken for some reason. First, he tried ignoring me:

And then, I got "THE LOOK." I can't help it, but I love "THE LOOK"!!! It cracks me up everytime, and I'm thrilled (again) to have it on camera.

I hesitated to show this picture...it is just so wrong. But it does show what a week of Christmas vacation will do to you! Meghan got a Hannah Montana dance set from Santa. Caleb is NOT a good blonde (although he liked the hair)!

Mariah obviously thought this was the worst idea ever. She is probably right...

Have a great week, everyone!

Prayers for Abby

2009-01-14T16:59:00.002-06:00

If you've followed our blog for awhile, you've noticed I added a button on the right, "Praying for Abby." Abby is a beautiful little 4 year girl who has leukemia. Her prognosis is not good. She begins the most brutal part of her chemotherapy today, a period of chemo that could last up to 90 days. Abby almost didn't survive the first round of chemo, and this round is supposed to be even worse. So please, if you have a chance, please pray for Abby today. Obviously, I cannot begin to imagine what the Riggs family is going through, but I am confident that all of our prayers will help.

If you would like to learn more about Abby, click on the "Praying for Abby" link on the right of our blog.

Christmas Morning Funnies

2009-01-13T05:31:00.004-06:00

UPDATE: FOR SOME REASON, THIS ISN'T LOADING. I HAVE CONTACTED ONETRUEMEDIA.COM TO FIND OUT WHAT THE DEAL IS! :)

I'm sorry it took so long to get this posted, our computer was acting up for a couple of weeks. I promise that more will follow...

Here is a video of Meghan and Jared, and their discoveries during Christmas morning. You may have to turn the sound up a bit to fully get what Meghan was saying. TOO funny!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com
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Disclaimer - Meghan can count to 30 and above, really she can!

My Christmas Gift...

2009-01-07T07:05:00.001-06:00

I have to apologize, our camera isn't the greatest so the quality is poor. Here is a picture of my Christmas present from Keith. It's a cool necklace with all of the kids' names engraved, along with their birthstones. I LOVE it!

Nice Glasses, Caleb!

2009-01-03T09:49:00.003-06:00

Just Checking In!

2009-01-02T07:29:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year!!!

I am having one heckuva time with the onetruemedia.com site. I have hilarious video from Christmas for you to see. If you know of a different (FREE) website for downloading video, please let me know!!!!

Pictures and more to follow. It's been a busy week, at home with the 4 kids. So far I've managed to keep the Christmas tree standing, though! :)

Kris

Let's Hear It For The Boys!

2008-12-25T15:45:00.005-06:00

As promised, here are some pictures and video of the MEN of this household!

This first one is hilarious. For the record - Keith was watching them when this started up. I assure you that it is an empty roll from wrapping paper - and that no one got hurt!

We have had a ton of snow so far this winter. Keith and the boys went out yesterday to do some shoveling. Here is a really good picture of when they were shoveling the deck:

Finally, here is another short video. This one is of when they boys and Jared were shoveling, and Mariah was watching. You can see just how much "help" Caleb is, huh?!?! (At the end, I was trying to get Caleb to wave at me...so please don't think I was ignoring him as he said "mom" over and over again!)

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2008-12-23T13:06:00.005-06:00

I have some catching up to do!!! I hope to have the time during Christmas vacation to post daily...I will need to to get caught up with all the cool pictures I have on the computer!

Anyway...this post is to get me caught up on the two most beautiful female members of our clan, Meghan and Mariah. Don't worry - they guys will be next. Since it was Meghan's birthday recently, I have lots of "girl" photos to start with.

Here is a nice picture of Meghan and her birthday cake. We have a family tradition that when you turn 5, you get to have two birthdays - one for family, and one with friends. It's a big deal for the kids. This is from the "family" birthday:

And here is Meghan with her group of friends, at her "friend" birthday. We are very fortunate that all of our kids have very, very nice friends. (And yes, Keith and I managed to survive ALL of these girls!!!)

Here is a picture of Meghan, all ready for her Christmas program for preschool. I certainly didn't tell her to pose like this. For those of you who know Meghan, I'm sure you can pick out the little smirk (and possibly even see the devil's horns sticking out of her head) as she TRIES to look angelic:

So often, I'm the one behind the camera. Here is a fairly decent picture of Meghan and me. Meghan's personality always shows on the camera, doesn't it?

.

And here is a picture of me with both of the girls. How lucky am I to have two beauties as daughters?

Meghan isn't always a morning person - to put it nicely. She can be quite the cranky lady when she wakes up. One morning at breakfast, she was crabbing so much that I took all of the cereal boxes and made a wall around her, mainly in hopes that the cereal boxes would miraculously turn into a sound-proof wall more than anything. Wouldn't you know it, the little princess loved it. I now have to make her "palace" everytime we eat breakfast:

.

Here's a cute picture of Mariah. She is trying so hard to walk on her own...but for now still has to use furniture to get around. Note that she lost a shoe:

Yet another classic Meghan pose. This was taken at daycare. Again, she has the best expressions sometimes!!! Between her faces and Caleb's, there is a lot of laughing by Keith and I!

Here is a picture of Mariah in her cute little swimsuit:

I hope you enjoyed the pictures!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-12-19T02:38:00.003-06:00

Funny Ending to a Long Day

2008-12-16T09:29:00.002-06:00

I will get pictures posted of Meghan's birthday as time allows...

Monday was a very, very long day. I was awoken to Meghan throwing up Sunday night. It was nasty - all over the bed, all over herself. There is nothing fun about giving a child a bath at 10:30 p.m. Then, as soon as I had her clean and settled in the living room with the infamous puke bucket, Jared woke up and also got sick. Sunday night involved a lot of laundry and trips to the bathroom. UGH...

Monday wasn't much better, although thankfully the nausea subsided. But I was home with a very cranky 7 and 5 year old. I also felt awful (but thankfully never got sick) and the three of us never really ate anything until supper. Since I felt like crap we had cereal. (I thought it would be easier than hot dogs, which Jared wanted). Anyway, Meghan has recently developed a fascination for High School Musical, so of course she had to eat her High School Musical cereal. Caleb ate his usual Apple Jacks, and then started saying "I cool. I cool." We all started laughing, he was asking for the High School Musical cereal! :)

Yes Caleb, we agree, you ARE COOL!!!

A Great Christmas Poem

2008-12-14T04:20:00.002-06:00

I "borrowed" this from Kerri's blog. I thought it was so cute!!!

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the casa,
not a creature was stirring - ¡Caramba! ¿Qué pasa?
Los niños were tucked away in their camas,
some in long underwear, some in pijamas,
while hanging the stockings with mucho cuidado,
in hopes that old Santa would feel obligado,
to bring all children, both buenos and malos,
a nice batch of dulces and other regalos.
Outside in the yard there arose un gran grito,
and I jumped to my feet like a frightened cabrito.
I ran to the window and looked out afuera,
and who in the world do you think that he era?
Saint Nick in a sleigh and a big red sombrero,
came dashing along like a loco bombero.
And pulling his sleigh instead of venados,
were eight little burros approaching volando.
I watched as they came and this quaint little hombre,
was shouting and whistling and calling by nombre:
''Ay Pancho, ay Pepe, ay Cuco, ay Beto, ay Chato, ay Chopo, Maruco, y Nieto!''
Then standing erect with his hands on his pecho,
he flew to the top of our very own techo,
with his round little belly like a bowl of jalea,
he struggled to squeeze down our old chimenea.
Then huffing and puffing at last in our sala,
with soot smeared all over his suit de gala,
he filled all the stockings with lively regalos,
none for the niños that had been very malos.
Then chuckling aloud, seeming very contento,
he turned like a flash and was gone como el viento,
and I heard him exclaim, y ¡esto es verdad!
Merry Christmas to all, ¡y Feliz Navidad!

--author unknown

HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY MEGHAN!!!

2008-12-12T11:42:00.004-06:00

Our beautiful and spirited Meghan is 5 years old today!!!! Here is a very short trip down memory lane (I'm pressed for time!!!!)

At the hospital. Nona is holding Meghan as Jared gives his new baby sister a kiss.

Here is Meghan and me right after she was born.

I love this picture. It was taken right before Meghan's baptism. She is about 1 month old in this picture.

Here is Meghan at roughtly 9 months. And no, we didn't let her play with medicine (note the bottle). We made it into a rattle by putting macaroni noodles in it. But look at those eyes!

Here is a great picture of Meghan, the Dora girl. She still has this hat and I plan on keeping it forever!

And another one of my favorites. Meghan dressed herself up like a princess one day. Lord, look at all that jewelry!!! She'd better marry a millionare if she wants jewels like that when she is older...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MEGHAN!!! We love you so very, very much!!!!!!

ELF II

2008-12-11T17:58:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

I love doing this!!!

2008-12-11T07:43:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Fab-U-lous Blog Award

2008-12-10T08:55:00.011-06:00

Fab-U-lous Blog Award!

Hannah was so very nice to give me the "fabulous blog award." Now, I know my blog is not fabulous in the least...it's just a place for me to record the everyday happenings of our very busy family. Hannah must have let the excitement of the holidays go to her head or something!!! Hannah, thank you for thinking of me, though! So humbling!!! Hannah is a special friend to me. She and I both adopted our children from the same town in Guatemala. We went through some very difficult times - very stressful times where it really seemed like our children would not be allowed to come home. If you check out our posts from October/November/December 2007 you can see what I mean. Hannah, another adoptive mom in the same situation, and I really leaned on each other, and are all very thankful to have our children home this year.

Here are the rules to receiving this award:

You have to pass it on to 5 other fabulous bloggers in a post.
You have to list 5 of your fabulous addictions in the post.
You must copy and paste the rules and the instructions below in the post.

Instructions: On your post of receiving this award, make sure you include the person that gave you the award and link it back to them.

All right - here we go! My Five Biggest Addictions:

DIET PEPSI!!! Absolutely, positively, my biggest addiction. I would not be able to survive without it. Okay, I did survive when I was pregnant, but cracked one open in the hospital everytime, as soon as labor was over. I can't stand the taste of coffee, so Diet Pepsi is my substitute.
This is really a close second: I live for bargain hunting. I am a coupon queen. My co-workers are amazed (and so is my husband - well, I think he would be amazed, but he's always too busy ripping on me) at the deals I can find. It is a very rare day that I purchase something for full price online...and buy nearly anything in the grocery store either on sale, with a coupon, or both. My resolution for 2009 is to keep track of my savings - and them maybe my husband will stop picking on me!!!!!
My husband will be laughing when he reads this one: laundry. With 6 of us, there is always a ton of laundry. We have not yet graduated to one of those huge front-loading washers, so I have to do tons of laundry with our regular washing machine. I cannot stand seeing overfilled baskets of dirty laundry, it drives me nuts. Plus, I like my kids to look nice, and I spend a lot of time making sure their clothes are clean and unstained. As I write this, I have a load to be folded, a load in the dryer, and more ready to be washed. Laundry is a great addiction, because with a larger-sized family, there is ALWAYS something that needs to be washed. (Note - ironing is NOT part of my addiction, I can't stand ironing)
Chocolate: and darn it, I'd have a model's body if it wasn't for chocolate!
Helping others: strange addiction, yes, but it's what I like to do most. I'm a school counselor, so I even get PAID to do what I love. I would love to win the lottery, start up a huge scholarship fund for kids who need it, and then work for a non-profit (with Guatemala ties) for the rest of my life. I'm debating going on a service trip in 2009 (if I can get off of work, that is). I like donating to different causes, donating food, etc. I'm VP of the PTO at my kids' school. But what hurts the most is that I wish I could do more...I feel like I'm not helping nearly as much as I should be helping. Once I'm retired, I'm going to be one of those people who donates time all the time!!! So, if you read this post, please consider donating something for me (time, food, clothes, toys, money, etc.). (And no, I'm not the least bit trying to brag. I should be doing so much more than I am.)

OKAY - SHOUT OUT TO FIVE OTHER BLOGS!!!!!

Ana: Ana brought her son home the same day that Caleb came home. She even delivered Gerber Puffs to the hotel room for Caleb, since it was the only thing he would eat at the time. I never got to meet her, I was "kinda" 9 months pregnant when it was finally time for our Embassy appointment and wasn't allowed to fly to Guatemala for pick-up. Anyway, she has a great attitude and insight on everything and I value her every word.
Kerri: I met Kerri in Guatemala. We were on a visit trip, she was there for her pick-up. Since adopting her first daughter, she adopted another daughter from Ethiopia. She is a single mom and I am amazed (and a bit jealous) at all she is able to accomplish! I'm dying, and there are two of us. She has got to be one of the most organized people I know!
Sue: I met Sue through the guatadopt.com boards. Thank heavens for Guatadopt, huh???? She and her husband recently returned home with her son from Guatemala. So now she has 2 young children to keep her busy. Sue is one of the nicest people ever. Hi Sue!!!!
Kim: Okay, another adoptive parent from Guatemala. Sorry...I need to broaden my horizons I guess! Kim used the same agency as we did. Her daughter has only been home a month, and I'm so excited for her to have her first Christmas together as a family. (Heck, I'm excited for us, too!!!!)
Dara: Dara doesn't have a blog, more of a website. She's been feeding HER addiction of Facebook lately, so I'm not sure if she'll read this or not! Dara lives in the town where Caleb was born, in Guatemala. She has given me hundreds and hundreds of pictures and stories of the area. What a goldmine for when Caleb is older. I am eternally grateful to her and the information.

Okay, thank you for checking out my un-fabulous blog. Have a great day, everyone!

Kris

Please keep this family in your thoughts...

2008-12-08T09:14:00.004-06:00

For those readers who aren't internation adoptive parents, you may just not "get it" completely. Those of us in Guatemalan-Adoption-Land are a very close-knit community. When someone suffers a loss on the guatadopt.com forum, we all grieve. This, however, is just beyond terrible.

Please keep Carla and her family in your thoughts and prayers. They were in the process of adopting their beautiful daughter, Josi, from Guatemala. They were nearly done - there was a good chance that Josi would be home for Christmas this year. Tragically, Josi and her foster family was murdered by an intruder. I truly cannot imagine, and I can't stop thinking about how Carla nad her family family must be trying to deal with this right now.

Again, please remember this family as they deal with this inconcievable event.

http://azhderianfamily.blogspot.com/

Kris

Edited to add:
Please go check out Mary Ann's blog to see how you can help Josi's family. http://theshrumfamilyadventures.blogspot.com/

Our Visit with Santa

2008-12-08T05:10:00.005-06:00

Last weekend, we went to visit Santa Clause. I was a little apprehensive - the entire "Santa thing" is new to Caleb, and he gets very upset around people or situations that he doesn't know. Plus the mere idea of bringing 4 kids into the local flower shop (read - lots of breakable, nice stuff) was a bit unnerving as well. However, the kids did great!!!!

Jared went first. I should mention that ALL my kids (and Keith and I) are huge believers in Santa!

Meghan was next. This was the first year that she had no problem climbing up on Santa's lap with her requests. It was difficult to capture the complete joy on her face...but here are a few pictures:

Mariah was next. At 9 months, she doesn't have the complete "stranger anxiety" yet, so she didn't cry. She just kept on looking at Santa like, "who is this guy, anyway???"

And then it was Caleb's turn. By this time he was a bit upset and did NOT want to sit on Santa's lap. I've mentioned this to some people before, but besides the fact that this is Caleb's first Christmas with us, the entire concept of Santa Clause is new to him...his foster family in Guatemala was Jehovah's Witness. ANYWAY...Santa was very understanding...he moved over so that Keith and Caleb could sit next to Santa.

Doesn't Caleb just look THRILLED!?!?!?!

This picture is even better. See the look on Caleb's face? I love this look. I get it a lot when I won't let Caleb do something (like color the wall with markers, or eat candy at supper). I'm so glad I caught it on camera, although I feel bad that Santa had to get "the look."

Now this last picture was really cool. Keith and Caleb were about to get up when Santa tickled Caleb. He started laughing!!!! So now he knows that Santa is pretty cool, after all.

Kris

Check out the new glasses!!!

2008-12-07T10:04:00.002-06:00

Jared now has glasses. No big surprise, as Keith and I have horrible vision. So far, he LOVES them. It was neat for him to re-discover everything, now that he can see clearly again. Enjoy!

Some new pictures...

2008-11-25T12:49:00.003-06:00

It seems like Jared has been ignored in some of the last few posts. So here is a recent picture of him and Keith (yes, Keith's awake in this one!!!)

ATTENTION Mom's (and Dad's) with girls...

If you daughter is the least bit of a "bling bling drama queen" like Meghan, you gotta RUN to Walgreen's. They have these awesome sequined Santa hats for $1.99.

This is SO Meghan...

This last picture is one that I am going to look back at for many, many years. From an infant, Meghan has been my "Dora girl." She LOVES Dora. She has nearly every possible Dora doll, toy, sheets, toothbrush, dish, Halloween costume, etc. that a person could ever imagine. Here is a picture of Meghan (in a princess dress, no less!) hugging one of her many Dora dolls. I'm really going to miss it when she outgrows this stage, and I know that the time is coming up sooner than I'd like.

Kris

Some pictures and how not to babysit...

2008-11-23T09:39:00.004-06:00

We took the kids to Chuck E Cheese's recently, here are a couple of pictures. (Shame on me, I don't have any pictures of Jared, he was too busy playing basketball with Keith and I was keeping tabs on Caleb and Meghan)

Meghan's Pre-School class sang in church recently. So of course the diva had

to dress up. Isn't she cute?!?!?!

As you can imagine, weekends around here are hectic - it's the best time to get the house cleaned and laundry caught up. Keith assured me that he would keep tabs of the kids so I could get things done. Yeah, right!

Here is Mariah - she looks so innocent, doesn't she?

Here's Mariah busy in the kitchen - where she isn't supposed to be, mainly because it hasn't been childproofed for her yet:

Uh, Keith, are you watching Mariah?

Keith???

And here is the "babysitter."

Help Me Design Our Christmas Card! PLEASE!

2008-11-18T11:31:00.004-06:00

Okay, my creative juices are definitely NOT flowing this year. I need to come up with an idea for this year's Christmas card. I thought of a couple of ideas - some sarcastic, some possible - but nothing that really "grabs" me.

Idea #1: The usual, standard (boring, no offense to anyone) picture of the 4 kids in front of a Christmas tree. I like something more creative.

Idea #2: (Keith really likes this one - but we have a feeling that Social Services would get called) Putting duck tape on all of the kids mouths with "Peace on Earth" written over their heads.

Idea #3: A picture of the kids putting coal in Daddy and Mommy's stockings. I bet the expressions on their faces would be priceless. I like the idea - but charcoal is messy and I don't want to deal with that kind of a mess (or have to buy new stockings for Keith and I)

Idea #4: Have the kids in the bathtub with tons of bubbles, with bubble beards and Santa hats on. LOVE this idea, but Mariah is too small. This is definitely an idea for next year, though...

SO, I am REALLY struggling with some good ideas. Keep in mind that our kids are 7, 4 (almost 5), 2, and 9 months. The kids don't have to be in the same picture (I am okay with having 3 or 4 pictures on the card). Suggestions???????

Here are our cards from the past 2 years... thank you in advance for your ideas!!!!!

2006

2007

It's Another Two For One Day!

2008-11-05T14:47:00.002-06:00

It seems that when I actually have time to update the blog, I have to include video AND photos. So please be sure to check out the pictures below from Halloween.

The video is just a typical day at our house. Caleb is finishing his lunch, while Meghan and Jared are - um - providing dinner entertainment for him. I'm holding the baby (you can hear her in the background sometimes) while I'm shooting the video. Have I mentioned lately how much I LOVE my Flip Ultra camera?

I also have to explain the last part of the video. Caleb's daycare teacher had a witch on her door, and it scared Caleb. It took him a week to finally go up and touch it, and nearly every evening he would tell me "scared witch." I was trying to get him to say that on tape. No such luck, but it was still cute.

Enjoy...and please mail me some tylenol!!!!!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Trick or Treat!

2008-11-05T13:12:00.002-06:00

We were very fortunate, it was a very warm evening for October 31st. Jared and Meghan loved every second of trick or treating. Caleb wasn't so sure about it...the witches and ghosts and scary music pretty much scared him to death. Here are a couple of pictures of my pirate, Dora, and bumblebee. Mariah was going to be a lion but we didn't have the patience to try to get her in her costume. Enjoy!

Recent pictures at home

2008-10-31T10:58:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to share some pictures of recent events around here. Nothing earth-shattering...but still fun. Be sure to check out the video on the blog post below...I posted twice today (a record) so I didn't want you to miss any of it. HOPEFULLY Halloween fun will follow soon!

One of my best friends from college came to visit recently. Her eldest son is 4, her twins are just under 2. That meant that we had 7 kids combined, with 6 of the 7 4 and under. Her husband didn't make the trip, and Keith went to the Packer game to escape (ha ha). Here's what our living room looked like before long. YIKES!

Here is Meghan enjoying one of the last nice days of the year. We had snow flurries earlier this week, so I know that winter is on it's way.

And here's Caleb. He didn't want his picture taken, he wanted to go down the slide again!

Here is Jared and Grandpa (and that silly Nintendo DS)

Here's Mariah chewing on a good book. I hope she'll be a good reader someday!

And finally, Mariah, AKA Big Blue Eyes.

I wanted to save the last picture for last. Get a load of how Caleb sleeps. It's the same pose as what we have on the very top of the blog. He sits like this all the time - asleep or awake. He's done it for months and months and months. Funny, huh?

Friday Video

2008-10-31T08:47:00.002-05:00

Just a couple for you to enjoy back to back.

The first is Meghan singing a Halloween song for all of you. The second is Mariah, who just turned 8 months old, learning how to crawl. She is now crawling like a pro. WHAT happened to my baby?

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Serious Flooding In Guatemala

2008-10-28T11:13:00.005-05:00

Many of you who follow our blog know that Caleb was born in a small town in northern Guatemala. The area has been hit with terrible flooding, the worst flooding in decades. Here is an article that describes it in a bit more detail:

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/10/27/state-of-calamity-declared-in-northern-guatemala-bloggers-reporting/

Through our birth certificate fiasco a year ago, I was fortunate enough to come into contact with a family who lives in the town where Caleb was born. Dara (hi Dara!!!) has been so kind as to e-mail me TONS of pictures, which we keep and cherish, and will share with Caleb as he gets older. She sent me some pictures of the flooding as well:

Please keep everyone affected by the flooding in your thoughts and prayers. If you run across an organization who is working to help this affected area, please let me know.

Kris