Letter to Agency Director

It is passed time for our monthly update to our agency, so I made myself sit down at the computer tonight. Thought to might appreciate a little Levi news, too.


Dear J__,

Levi James will be six weeks old on Friday. He is taking four ounces of formula at a feeding with three and a half to four hours between feedings. At night, we generally have two bottles, but every few nights he will only wake once (yay!). He can hold his head steady when picking it up off of our shoulders and for brief moments on his belly. He is going to be another laid-back, happy infant—we seem to be blessed with that kind. This is an especially admirable quality considering the other children just about go into hysterics if he cries for more than two seconds, “MAMA….Levi is crying! He is crying, Mama!!” (Do they think I can’t hear?) If he were a fussy baby, I would have to have them all sedated. He is enraptured with his paci and dozens of them litter the house and car. We haven’t had a binkie baby since K, so we must re-train ourselves to NEVER leave home without it.
Both his regular pediatrician and specialist say that he is perfect, and we couldn’t agree more. He is probably knocking on nine pounds now—that is my mom-to-seven/daycare director’s estimate—but we will get an official weight at his two month appointment........ We are so relieved and thankful.
We all love him like crazy.

Love,

Weekend Doings

Well, really mid-week through weekend doings. We decided to cut out of here late Wednesday night and stopped in Lufkin (which is about half-way to Houston) and spent the night, then Thursday morning we headed on in and stopped by Cara's agency. We like to take her in whenever we are in town for appointments--which are about every three months. We love that she will grow up knowing the ladies that helped her join our family. After her appointment at Children's, we went to Hermann park and played for a couple hours.

Then, we got a suite at a downtown hotel. Did you know it is cheaper to rent a suite than two regular rooms? We didn't. But we will definitely be doing that from now on. Our suite had two bedrooms, a kitchen and a sleeper sofa. Very nice. Friday was zoo day. We had a close encounter with a orangutan. The habitat appeared to be empty, but K spotted him (her?) asleep next to the glass, and while we were looking down on him, he woke up and sat close to the glass for about ten minutes or so just studying us as we studied him. The thing was huge!!! I guess I've never seen one that close up before, because its size really surprised me.

Saturday morning was Marina's birthday party. We did an Americ*n Girls tea party, and boy, did it bring little girls out of the woodwork! All my nieces were here from both sides of the family plus a half dozen of Rina's classmates. We may do more doll themed parties in the future! We had a table for the dolls and miniature tea sets. The girls came in party dresses and we had "fancy" snacks and tea, which they drank out of real china. The girls decorated straw hats for their dolls with ribbon and rosettes and folded paper fans and took them home as party favors. Fun, fun party.

Did orientation for a new worker Saturday afternoon. Daddy and the master grilled out Saturday night and then we let the kids (my six + my sister's five) stay up late watching T*ngled. Somehow we missed seeing this in the theatres. Liked it.

Because none of the gentlemen of the family were invited to participate in Saturday's estrogen bonanza, we also had a bar-b-que lunch after church this morning. I decided at the last minute to have at the church; I didn't want anyone to see my house. So, of course--because, really, when you don't want family seeing the condition of your home, things have gotten WAY out of hand--after Sunday naps, I had a "Lord, I'm not gonna live like this no more" moment and scoured the kitchen. Evening church and choir practice then an offer from a friend in the church to take us all out for pizza. Get home and the master sees the kitchen for the first time since my cleaning rampage, and says, "Woah, what happened in this kitchen?!" and Randy (four years old) says with all seriousness, "I don't know....I think Grandma must have come over." How sad is that?

He Brought Home the Bacon

Not only did he bring it home, but he fried it up right after church. Home-grown, not-exactly-certified organic bacon. We put the first hog up ourselves as chops, ribs, loin, and tons of ground pork, and Daddy got a good bit for sausage, but I was sorely dissipointed that for all his pig-farming ways, the master did not have the knowledge or the means to prepare ham and bacon. So, we sent some of our last little piggie (over 400 pounds) to a smokehouse for curing. Real bacon is nothing like what we buy in the grocery store. It is meat--hardly any fat at all--rather tasty. Kids are saying, "Dad, I don't like it, I love it!"

In the Kitchen

Spent most of today in the grocery store and kitchen. I tried my hand, once again, at cooking-for-a-month. We have to do something. With the master and I both not getting home until six-ish after working twelve to fourteen hour days, we've been eating out two or three times a week. It is killing our budget (Dave would be ashamed of us) and after a certain point, it isn't even pleasurable. I've started to crave my own cooking.
I didn't quite make a month's worth of meals, though. I've yet to see that whole, "cook for a day, eat for a month," gimmick work out, but I do have meals for a week, plus ingredients on hand and plan to see us through March and into April. We'll have Rachel Raye's Pasta Pesto tomorrow, pinto beans and rice for Monday, Tuesday pork chops and Catalina, Wednesday dinner is at church, Thursday pelmini, and Friday hamburgers.
I'm also hoping to teach K and Abby some simple meals that they can be responsible for coming home from school and preparing for the family, but that too, requires an initial time investment, that I'm not exactly sure when I can work in, especially now that baseball season is upon us. Abby knows how to make homemade pizza and last week, I taught her how to make meatballs, and she is eager to try her hand at more, but whenever I bring up my brilliant plan to K, he keeps saying "I don't know how to cook." With a tone rather reminiscent of my father when he would say, "I don't know how to program the VCR." Suggestions on how I can inspire him to culinary greatness--or at least willingness?

What A Week

Thank God it's Friday. A common enough phrase, but how deeply, sincerely I mean it tonight. It's actually been a rough two weeks. Should have blogged all through it...now it is too long of a story to retell. You couldn't hang with me for the duration of the narrative, I'm sure. And since ya'll are my friends, I wouldn't ask you to.
How is it that the longer I go without posting, the less I have to write about?
So here is to a better week--a much better week ahead of me--one in which I will blog every day, and you will only read pleasant, funny, or inspiring anecdotes from my life.

New Year's Resolutions

As chronicled by Abby five minutes ago my notes in red:

Mom--to go to bed earlier
Dad--pay off a bunch of bills
K-- not available for comment
Abby--be able to do the splits
Ian--Do a back hand-spring "I'm already talented in many ways, and soon I will be able to do back hand-springs." Well, nothing wrong with that child's self-esteem. May have to work on humility...
Marina--Be able to do cartwheels
Randy--Ride my bike without training wheels, and do tricks on my skateboard.
Cara--to get on the potty by myself. Ahem, I think the big sisters regularly sent to do this chore may have prompted her "resolution."

And since I'd like to get going on my resolution....Goodnight!

Thursday Night Nothing

I'm making a new year's resolution to blog more, so I better get a running start. Christmas was great. My dad said it was a good thing we are all so poor. Otherwise, we wouldn't have had room in the house for the gifts. It's true. It took well over three hours to open presents on Christmas morning. Even when we feel we are stretched to the absolute end, we still have so much.
The master, Abby, and Cara are on their way back from Houston. Master had his prosthetic greased and oiled and Cara had her three month check-up. She's doing great! She is 25% in height and 50% in weight. That's her round little belly. I could just eat it up! Abby went along as bathroom escort and official keep-Daddy-from-dozing-off side-kick.
Since the master was on his way south long before dawn, I had to open the daycare at 5:30. Then, I spent the better part of the day entering tax information for my daycare parents. I hate paperwork. Hence, I have a terrible headache.
Randy is tracking ants (Will we never be rid of them??!!)
Ian read me a bedtime story.
Marina is tucked in tight.
K is taking a shower.
Goodnight all!

Holiday Picture Potpourri

We began the season with Thanksgiving in Illinois. Remember two years ago, when I posted that Grandma Z would not be with us much longer? Well, I've never been happier to report that I was wrong. We had a great time, love our extended family there, and wish Texas and Illinois were closer.

As soon as we returned, we visited the tree farm and took the lovely pictures you see in my header. After finding the most beautiful tree there to be our very own, we visited the master's uncle, where Aunt Myrna treated the kids to their first Christmas goodies of the season, and snapped many photos.

We almost forgot about the Christmas parade that Abby's dance school marched in. Luckily, one of our dads at the daycare made a comment about going to the Christmas parade in town, or we would have missed it.

Cara at the Christmas parade. I love this picture.

And speaking of Cara, lookie what we can do now. BRAIDS!! So adorable. It makes it hard to decide whether to trim it again into the precious "Dora" cut, or let it grow so we can do more styles. This picture was taken right before we went to Grandma's birthday party. Her shirt has Christmas cookies and gumdrops and reads, "Sweet as Grandma's lovin'"

We revived an old family tradition and made the Nachitoches Christmas Lights Festival for the first time in five or six years. Mom, Dad, sisters, and 12 children on a riverbank for ten hours and we still enjoyed our day. Pretty amazing. And, as is obvious from K's expression, the fireworks were AWESOME!

That brings us up to the first weekend in December. What a crazy time of year!

Evening at My House--Take two

Abby wants you to note that she got her long hair cut yesterday. And that she wishes you "peace." Must be a fourth grade thing.

Marina is just back from her Thursday evening visit with Mr. Mark (counselor). Not really sure how much headway we've made--they play cards and CandyLand--but we only have a five dollar copay and she loves the undivided attention. Because of the visits, she misses her afternoon nap--hence the circles under her eyes.

Silly, silly girl here. Said, "Take my picture, Mommy!" Then, "Cheese!" and finally, "Let me see." So, when did she learn to talk?

Randy found this sweatshirt yesterday and has been completely undeterred from its use despite temperatures in the mid 90's.
K was disappointed in today's student council elections. He had thought he was a shoe-in but lost by sixteen points. "Mom. There are only 19 kids in my class." Apparently, his opponent brought candy. In the middle school classroom, candy talks. But his spirits were cheered by fashioning an enormous pipe from foil. (Should I be concerned????)

Ian showing off his new "pet" newt. He discovered it in his room this afternoon. We will be releasing him in the wild soon (as in after dinner).

I realize I did this a few weeks ago, but it is the best way I know for jumping back into my blog after being gone a while. Plus, I figure when I am bent and grey, these are the post I will cherish the most.

First Day of School

Children went back to school today. It was a big relief for general daycare operations and my own children were eager to get in the swing of things. Don't ask me why they are leaning in this photo. I was already at the daycare when the official "back-to-school" pictures were shot. No new children starting school this year. Randy would be old enough to attend the district's half-day pre-k, but since I assure the parents that my center will have their children "kindergarten ready," I figure sending my own child off would not be good advertisement for my business.

Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall...

It's been a rough day for my vanity. Tonight, as we were sitting at the ball field, the master asked, "Do you know Cara is spitting ice in your lap?" To which I replied,"Yes." He continued, "Well, aren't you going to stop her? She's making it look like you wet yourself."
"So far today I've been asked, 'Mrs. Jessica, why do you have a mustache?' 'Mrs. Jessica, what is that growing over your eyes?' and just a few minutes ago, that little girl...," pausing to gesture, "wanted to know if I had a baby in my tummy. When I told her 'no' she stared at my stomach and asked, 'Are you sure?' So to answer your question, No. I don't see as how a little--or even a large--pee spot is going to make matters any worse."

Hello, Blog. It's Me...Jessica

I haven't posted in so long, blogger has disappeared from my drop down box. Who would have thought it could happen to me?
But this week, I have had a little breather. Our third full time employee started work on Monday and it has helped the load immensely. Of course, that will all be shot to heck as soon as we open our fourth classroom. The master and my father-in-law began work on the remodel today. The question that is posed to us most frequently these days is this: How is the daycare going?
In case you too are wondering, I'll share. I think you can tell by the infrequency of my posts that it is certainly keeping us busy. We have 36 children enrolled and growing constantly now. We had a dry spell for February and March, but are now averaging three new kids a week. I think in short order, we should come very near our licensed capacity of 58. Few centers, even those with long waiting lists, operate at 100% capacity. As I mentioned, we have three full time employees, plus I teach a class and the master does our after-schoolers.
We had a rather costly plumbing issue at the beginning of February. Something that was bound to happen with pairing a busy daycare with an antiquated septic system, but now that our bathrooms have been tied into our anaerobic system, we don't foresee any huge ($$$$) problems. We may need to put in new air conditioning units in the gym. Right now, the one operating system cools fine, but I'm preparing myself for that not being the case in June and July. After that point, (and this is counting chickens) we should begin making money. Quite a bit of money.
Emotionally, I suppose it is going better than expected. I knew I would love the kids, and I do. When I am away from the center, I am very glad for the break, but I'm still able to tell the children honestly that, "I missed you!" when I return. My licensing lady is someone that I don't feel is out to ruin me--or worse--so that is a huge relief. She came for her second of three visits last month and stayed for three hours, because she couldn't find anything wrong. YAY!! My biggest doubts were of how we, as a family, would adjust. The house is 10 times messier, and June Cleaver has left our home and may never return, but otherwise we're o.k. Sometimes it really bothers me, and I'll stay up to midnight organizing the pantry or folding 8 loads of laundry, but most of the time, I'm too tired to care.
But I miss all of you. Hopefully, with more hands on deck, I will be able to post more.

Sureal

I went to bed in Texas and woke up in Alaska. I know for some of my friends a measly 6 inches of snow is hardly noticeable, but around these parts, it's a blizzard. This winter will go down in local history as the year of the "big snow." School was shut down, but my daycare was open, by golly. We tried to squeeze all of those fun educational ideas for snow play in to this day, as for most of my kiddos, it may well prove the one and only of childhood. We built a snowman, painted the snow with colored water, and held a colossal snow ball fight. Here are the few pics I captured of just the S_____ kids:

Here is the S*nnyside snowman. Don't worry, the yellow on his belly is snow paint.

These last two were taken yesterday, before the heavy snow fell. Notice Abby's devilish expression as she pummels her father with a snowball. Probably just as well we live in such a temperate climate.

Tree Farm and Follies

We have the best tree farm in America thirty minutes drive from home. Oh, how we missed it when we lived on the coast. After a year, we found a decent one an hour away. The folks were nice there, but they just couldn't hold a candle--or Christmas light--to the one we visit up here. At this farm, there is a Santa (with a real beard and an authentic twinkle in his eye), goats, hot cider, and even a few Christmas trees ;0)

K is lamenting our "outdated family tree" as he put it. Funny, but those cutsie group ornaments are hard to find with eight (or say nine and ten) members. Because we have all the room we could want and 9 1/2 foot ceilings, we got an eight foot tree--our biggest tree ever. And it is beautiful! Still with six kiddos, throwing ornaments on in wild abandon, it didn't take long to decorate. Just as we were sitting down with hot cocoa to admire our handiwork, Randy's seat (a turned over ornament box) popped out from under him, making his cocoa into a fountain and soaking him through and through. Poor thing! He hardly knew what happened to him and he looked so funny with cocoa dripping from his face and hair--he even had a marshmallow clinging to his nose! We all busted out laughing. Kind of spoiled the quiet H*llmark holiday moment, but that's the way it goes at our house.

My Hockey Stars?

They have the look, if not the skills.

You Decide

1

2

3

Which one for our Christmas Card?

We had an appointment yesterday evening at the local Wallyworld for Christmas pictures. It is the same studio I used this summer for individual photo shoots (I refuse to buy school pictures--it's a racket), and was quite pleased with the portraits especially considering the price. Since I bring along six children worth of business, they have been very solicitous, calling every few weeks to see if they can schedule another appointment. Last week, I relented. They were offering free 10x13 with booking. So, I ran around town all day yesterday, taking in two Goodwills, and J.C. Penn#y just to make sure we could pull off eight coordinating outfits. Then convinced and/or wrangled all six to don said attire amid several protests of "But Mo-om, it isn't even Sundaaaaaaaay." AND made it to the studio at 5:15 on the dot.

We were there, but the photographer was not. We waited 45 minutes, but they never showed. The kids were getting cranky and hungry, and there was no way, I was going to go through the holiday photograph ordeal twice in one season, so we called a church member with an awesome camera and begged her to have mercy. We were getting pictures made one way or another. She took these in her living room. I don't think they turned out half bad. Be sure to vote on the above for the card picture, but I'm including some rejects for fun.

Marina: "Me? Smile? Seriously?"

Randy: "Will it never end??!!"

Cara: "I feel certain they are plotting against me."

K sporting his dazed and confused look

When the Moon Hits Your Eye...

Like a big pizza pie, that's amore. Abby and Marina cooked dinner tonight. Homemade pizza ....mmmmmmm.

Everyday Celebrations

I began the seasonal clothes sort today. This evening, the children discovered winter pajamas in their drawers. You'd have thought it was Christmas morning! They were that excited over the "new" clothes. Mind you, none of them were, in fact, new. Abby is wearing a nightshirt I found at GoodW*ll. Ian is styling the moose jamies I made him last winter with fabric I picked up from the discount table at Hancock's. Rina's Barbie nightgown and Randy's puppy dogs night clothes are hand-me-downs from older siblings. Yet--in their minds, at least--"Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed as one of these."

Lord, grant that they will always find such pleasure in the simple things of life.

I Wonder...

I wonder what the poor folk are doing?

Standing around, watching the popcorn pop?

First Day of School

Blissful, blissful day. The kids are back in school! And don't they look handsome and beautiful? And very, very grown-up?

This was Rina's first day of all-day school. She did well and came home chatting happily about all of her new friends. According to her, she is now best buddies with her entire class ;0)

Unlike last year, Ian came home with a good mark on his behaviour chart for the first day! We threatened him within an inch of his life if he didn't. In my life as a mom, I've had some embarrasing moments, but nothing beats my child coming home from his first day of kindergarten with a bad behaviour report! I taught kindergarten and every kid--absolutely everyone--gets a good mark on the first day. It's the law. Oh, but not my son....anyhow, better and brighter things for first grade.

Abby likes both of her teachers but isn't too sure about the gym teacher. "She yells all the time. Even when she is talking to other teachers!"

K said he had a good first day, but switching classes every hour is going to take some getting used to.

The home crew had an amazingly productive day without the older four. I breezed through the "children's summer chores" list in about an hour. Tackling in 60 minutes all the tasks it took four kids most of the morning to complete. With me riding them the whole time, and half the time having to go behind them and polish the job. Surprise. Surprise. Randy plays as happily on his own as he does with the group--which is a blessing. Cara seemed a little puzzled by the sudden reduction in adoring servants content to follow her around and see to her every comfort, but ultimately this may encourage her to get off her well padded Luvs hiney and do things for herself. Which is a good thing!