Eloise at 4

Has anyone seen the Zootopia preview with the sloths that laugh uncomfortably slow? That's how I feel about the speed of which I have been posting. Haaaa........haaaaa.......haaaaa (as slow as humanly possible). Since Eloise turns five in less than a week I must summarize her fourth year in a non-sloth fashion.  It might make more sense to write about Eloise at the end of being four to capture what being four was actually like.

The year prior, Eloise was often heard saying "it's hard to be three." That's when we realized the importance of upping the ante on our speaking in "code." There was never a more true statement though & I think of it fondly now as she is growing & changing everyday. It was definitely easier to be four & I know that five is the magic number. We cannot believe that it's been FIVE years since she was welcomed into our arms. She brings much delight to our souls...

Eloise is by far the most caring person in our home & we have much to learn from her concern for others. She shares anything & everything with the most joyful heart even if it is her entire cookie or most prized possession.  She has larger than life facial expressions when she is telling you something & it is hard not to giggle when you are the listener. You might think she gets ready for her day by standing in complete darkness & reaching into her drawer to grab clothing including socks that don't match & that you might not wear with tennis shoes. She brushes her hair parting it perfectly imperfect then dons her camouflage Bass Pro hat & she's ready to go. She could not be any more adorable with her dimples & sweet smile.

Eloise & I differ greatly in the area of creativity. I love to "create" but I really REALLY like directions. The old saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure" holds true for this girl. She could be given a box of junk & turn it into a tower with a zipline & a house for her animals. Half way through the year I was making every attempt to involve her in even 20 minutes of our school time. She had no interest & once I gave it some thought & was reminded by others that encouraging her to create is absolutely one of the most important parts of her development at this age & really any age. So, when Char & I would sit down to do our afternoon lessons I would "assign" Lolo to make something with whatever I handed her. She never ceases to impress me.

That last picture is with her family of snakes that included grandparents all the way down to some newborn babes. They even hissed as they introduced themselves.

My parents bought her a Goldie Blox set which is a STEM (science, technology, engineering & math) toy that is specifically for little ladies. There are instructions to make specific designs such as a catapult or a spinning playground toy. She has made use of those but is usually making her own design. AWESOME toy especially for Eloise.

Once we hit the halfway mark through the year she became interested & was participating in the handwriting portion of our day. She learned how to write her name & in all seriousness has probably written it a thousand times. This picture was in the early days of practice. She can write it almost the same way I can now. She is a lefty & can also write it backward perfectly. So interesting but that's our girl!

She finds the best places to work....

I love when the drawing takes off & turns from scribbles to family portraits....

Robby helped with some ears for a few of us. My favorite parts are cyclopes Eloise, Charlotte with legs coming out of her head & Arlo in my belly.

Eloise finds great value in a good night's sleep. Sadly there are only a few of those in the Nest right now. Sometimes she's stretched out in my bed as the sun comes up.

We are never sure where we might find her. Sometimes she's in Charlotte's bed, on the floor with a pallet, halfway under the bed....who knows? That's been the case forever though. This was the child that was found sleeping in a baby bathtub she dragged into her room when she was about two. She appreciates a snuggly bed bubby..

She also likes to have Bella nearby or sets up stuffed animals around her before she goes to sleep. We almost had a heart attack when we walked past her room this night....

Some things we don't want to forget about this cutie...

• always wanting to help in the kitchen & if I tell her it would be most helpful if she could set the table, she tells me that she does not want to help anymore. She also hates to touch dirty silverware.
• claims to make the best mashed potatoes adding butter, sour cream, salt & milk without any measuring. She makes sure to watch each persons face as they eat & ask if they think she is the best potato maker.
• often reminds me that she is a great problem solver & she is
• when we play the rhyming game she changes the first letter to "H" EVERY time usually making nonsense words & it's hilarious
• favorite food is salmon & she could eat a whole pound in one sitting...we have to cut her off
• she will try ANY food you put in front of her & likes about 95 % of it
• wants to be a fire chief when she grows up
• extremely interested in bugs & has put her bug-sucker & observation container to good use
• will wander around in the backyard or at the park looking for little creatures, digging for treasures or collecting 100 roly-polys
• loves dancing in the kitchen to a good rockin' song & plays the best air guitar I've ever seen
• when I was pregnant with Arlo or when I am carrying him around she goes out of her way to make sure I don't have to lean over or tries her very hardest to lift me off the ground. She insists on carrying a ridiculous amount of grocery sacks from the car to the kitchen & surprises me every time since she is VERY strong...

Sweet talkin' over the past year...

• "segrets" for secrets
• "booty trap" for booby trap
• "botatoes" for potatoes & tomatoes
• "snickie doodies" for snickerdoodles
• "clippord" for Clifford
• "kitty cat nap" for cat nap
• "mometer" for thermometer
• "cavva-cake" for patty-cake
• when Owen & Anson are acting like maniacs she has said "I'm sorry I wild them up" instead of riled them up
• at the doctor one visit I had told her that they might ask her some questions. She was staring at the picture of a human skeleton, looked at me & whispered "am I going to have to tell her all those bones?"
• one morning she said "I didn't sleep last night. Well, I may have slept for a little bit then I stared at Charlotte all night while she slept"....creepy!
• when she talks to Arlo in the morning she says in her baby voice "did you have a milk party all night long with your milk mama last night?" She also stares at me while I'm feeding Arlo contemplating how that all works. Her latest thought was "so you drink milk & it goes to your breast right?" Soooo close ; )

• forever she would say "the last day" for anything in the future
• she went through a stage where she would randomly put her hands up in the air & proclaim things like "I love God more than my family!" or "Jesus is God!"
• anything we would say as a compliment to her such as "you are so strong" or "you are funny" she would say "but God is the strongest or funniest" or insert your own adjective.
• a preface to the story- there is a movie we like about a horse called Spirit. We had a conversation one afternoon that went like this. Eloise- My teeth are pretty but God's teeth are the most beautifulist right mommy?" Me- Well God doesn't have teeth because he is a spirit & doesn't have a body like us. Eloise- So you're saying God's a horse? We need to watch that movie again.
• I have overheard her on more than one occasion teaching the boys how to pray & reminding them that it is just talking to God

We know that the Lord is causing her heart & mind to consider his greatness. It comes across in simple phrases like "Jesus is God" or in conversations from the backseat about what sin is & that Jesus came to save sinners. We continue to pray that he would change her heart in his time & allow us to shepherd her well.

All that to say, she's sweet & spicy wrapped up into one utterly loveable almost five year old.

Arlo at 6-7 months

This sweet little buckaroo is hitting the seven month mark this week & we can't believe the amount of joy he brings to our family each & every day. His smiles, belly laughs & interaction with his brothers & sisters keep us well entertained & thankful that he's ours.

It was about time to let him borrow a big bubby's shirt from back in the day for a little photo shoot. He proved to be just as cute as they were....

STATS

17 pounds

26 inches

size 3 diapers & mostly 9 month clothing

Our kiddos end up with all sorts of nicknames & many times with no reason. Some names that are often heard: Bubble Monster, Arley, Darlo, Oogi Googi, Lovey Boy & Schnukums.  It really doesn't matter what you call him as long as you say it with a sweet voice....he always responds with a smile. He is extremely easy going, certainly the most out of the bunch. That is an important quality for the caboose of the family! Often if he's bored he just gets ahold of those delicious tootsies & is content once again...

I don't blame him, I can't help but kiss those feet all day long! We also can't stop kissing his drool covered little chin & neck.

Some things this little buckaroo is up to:

• he has an insatiable appetite for books & unless he has a toy he is chewing on when the book starts, he pulls it up to his mouth with a death grip & would chew it to shreds if we don't take it away
• he laughs the most when Robby kisses him under his chin with much gusto. It turns into a scream laugh pretty quickly & gets us all laughing
• he is excellent at sitting up & if he does fall he is able to catch himself &do some move where he snakes onto his belly
• he acts like he is permanently in a jumperoo when you hold him
• if you lay him on his back he immediately rolls to his tummy
• he can combine rolling with pushing himself forward from a knee tucked tummy position & make it a good distance across the room. I first realized this when I left him on his playmat & within minutes he had rolled under the bed!
• he looooooves being in the Ergo & makes my heart melt when he leans back & grins at me. He doesn't mind riding piggy back while I'm in the kitchen.
• he tries to play peek a boo when he is snuggled on my chest burying his face then popping up slowly after I say "where's Arlo?"
• he stares at Bella a lot & is good from a distance but when he is in the highchair & she comes near him he loses it
• he's definitely a tummy sleeper & thumb sucker

He is not always a happy guy...

but when he gets that thumb, all is right with the world..

Eating & Sleeping: I'm not sure what my problem is but we are in & out of our nighttime routine & it's driving me crazy & making me so tired! I figured by numero cinco I would have it down pat but clearly that's not the case, haha! Daytime he's predictable nursing around 7:30, 11, 1 & 4. He usually naps from 9-11 & 1:30-3:30 & falls asleep quickly when put down wide awake. He is a super speedy eater & can be done in a about 5 minutes. He doesn't mind a bottle but doesn't get one often since we are attached at the hip or he's attached to something else ; ) He nurses around 6:45 & goes down for the night. Sometimes he sleeps for 12 hours, more often he wakes between 3:30 & 5 for another feeding then sleeps till morning & on really exciting nights he wakes up every three hours & screams for fun. He also coordinates with his brothers to never let us have a night off. On the nights Arlo sleeps 10 hrs +, some other brother wets the bed or can't manage to stay under covers for more than an hour. Last week I woke up one morning feeling more refreshed than I had in weeks. I was raving about it when I realized the monitor was off! Who knows what happened but he was still alive...hungry but alive when I saw him when the sun came up. I felt sorry for him but I'm considering "forgetting" again & see if we can get out of this exhausting lack of routine!

A bit more on eating- I have been reading up on baby led weaning where instead of pureeing all the food they are self feeding soft pieces of food they can smush up & swallow on their own. I thought it would be worth a try. We tried bananas, they made him cry but they do the same thing to me. We tried avocado which he enjoyed more than the bananas until it all came back up 10 minutes later. One lunch time all the kids were at the table & Arlo was sitting next to the boys (first mistake). I gave him a slice of pear that he was sucking on. He spit some out so I put it away & cleaned him up. Ten minutes later he was drooling like a rabid dog & I thought he might have a piece of pear stuck in there. I scooped him up, flipped him over & gave him some pretty hard pats on the back. I almost died when he shot out a chunk of hotdog!!! I lost it & yelled "who put hotdog on Arlo's tray?" This question was directed at the three year olds who at the same time & with straight faces said "ELOISE!" Eloise was horrified & happy to know I didn't believe them. Owen confessed to the crime.

He is the fifth child, maybe hotdogs are a good first food ; ) We've got to watch out for that little Owee. I heard him singing to Arlo "patty cake patty cake baker's man, I'll bake you in a cake as fast as I can" haha!

We are hoping to move the boys into the "bunkhouse" (as O&A call it) once we are settled in our new house but after the hotdog incident, Owen's threat to bake Arlo in a cake & valid concern about acrobatics on a top bunk this may be postponed.....to never.

Just to compare buckaroos one, two & three. Arlo, Owen, then Anson.

All that's left to say is we just love him...

in my own little corner....

In the Rodgers & Hammerstein Broadway production of Cinderella there is a song that I love called "In my own little corner."  I'm not sure what I watched as a child since I never saw the Broadway show but it was something on TV or VHS that had Cinderella as happy as could be spinning, dancing & singing around a chair in her own little corner which was separated from her "real life." The phrase "in my own little corner in my own little chair I can be whatever I want to be" has always stuck with me & last summer after receiving some birthday money I decided to make my own little corner....with my own little chair.

A friend of mine called one morning & said she was driving down the street in her neighborhood on bulk trash day (as she often does) looking for "treasures." Her first find was an old ugly chair which she grabbed in case I wanted it. Shen knew we needed a couple more for our dining table since we never have enough for guests when we host dinner.  I was excited & shared that I really wanted one to have "my own little chair" for my "own little corner." Within the next two weeks she called to say she came across another beat down treasure, a desk that could use some TLC. She offered home delivery & even hauled it into my house since I was with child.

Both pieces sat around for a month or so until my in-laws kidnapped the Fab Four. I dragged the chair & desk to the entry way, threw down some tarps & got to work.

I wish I had a "before" picture of the chair....it was ugly but had great potential. When I flipped it over to unscrew the seat cushion I saw that it was made by Ethan Allen. Pretty good for a side of the road pick up!

List of repairs/upgrades:

• chalk paint- Robin's egg blue on the desk & a creamy white on the chair-it was my first go round & I was surprised with it's simplicity
• new fabric to cover ugly seat cushion
• the side of the desk had a lightweight board that was falling off so I ripped it all the way off to find an oval shaped hole that was about 4 inches in height. I was not in the mood to wait until Robby was home to figure out the proper repair. I ended up using duct tape on the inside to attach the oval piece that fell out. Good thing I didn't really care too much about "looks" ; )
• new drawer pulls
• slight sanding on some uneven surfaces prior to painting

Other additions to complete the corner:

• I used the blue & white to paint eight frames my mom bought at an estate sale while we still lived in Orlando. I wasn't sure why I never painted the wretched gold frames until the idea for my corner came about. They were perfect.
• some chalkboard paint
• a cork board covered in same fabric as the seat cushion with a clip attached
• a cute birdie with a hook
• all the meaningful designs & photos within the frames

I couldn't be happier with the final product & the thoughts it has brought about in my mind...looong post in which the title & thoughts are all tied together in the end. For now, here's the completed corner-

"Rooted & Established in Love" Humble, Texas + Dearborn, Michigan. I do love how identifiable the state shapes are. I know there is more to Michigan but I decided to stick with the "mitten" as the girls call it.

Since I love all things nest related, there are two birdies on the desk one of which is not in view in the photo below but was given to me by my mom. It could not coordinate more perfectly with our bedroom. The bird below is Polish in descent & arrived via package straight from Poznan, Poland from my Jenny girl. I LOVE it for it's beauty but more so for the reminder of a dear family far away participating in something eternally beautiful.  The brown vase was a gift from my brother Scott & did not have a "home" until my corner received it's finishing touches. Along with a couple pictures I really like is a frame with chalkboard paint & "teach my song to rise to you" lovingly cut out by my cousin Kelly with her Silhouette Cameo.

These lyrics come from a Matt Maher song called "Lord, I need you." There are so many great truths in this song that are centered around our great need for God & how Jesus is our righteousness.  My favorite part says

Teach my song to rise to you

when temptation comes my way

and when I cannot stand I'll fall on you

Jesus, you're my hope and stay

I SO desire my song; my call for help to rise to the Lord when I am tempted to be selfish with my time, respond in frustration to the needs of my children or become completely overwhelmed with my responsibilities.

Anson frequently yells "Mommy I need you!" with the most adorable inflections. Robby smiles & sings to me " I need you oh I need you, every hour I need you!" What a tangible example of what our simple & immediate call to God should be like. I'm thankful for sweet Anson's reminder in my life right now even though I have to take a deep breath before walking to his room ; )

A favorite print  that says "dwell" with a birdie (surprise, surprise) was given to me by my sweet friend Amanda before we moved back to Texas.  It's within my favorite of the frames.

I wanted to include a "V" & found a burlap one that I covered with stick on pearls & attached to a piece of fabric I bought when I was pregnant with Charlotte. The small oval was in need of some chalkboard paint & a number "7" to represent our growing family.

Below is one of my favorite pictures of all time that was taken when the twins came home from the NICU & is next to a Willow Tree mama holding a baby. It was a gift from a special friend, it reminds me of the fullness of a mama's arms with one baby & brings about laughter when I picture what it would look like if those arms were full of five "babies."

The last frame is filled with something very dear. On April 13, 2003 I opened this piece of paper with the lyrics of a David Gray song. I answered "yes" which was my first stepping stone to becoming a Valentine...

While it has been fun to have my pretty little corner in our bedroom, I seem to not be able to spend much time in my own little chair or any time really as of lately.  I see it when I wake up in the morning, when I come to relocate Bella so she doesn't bark during nap time or from the chair I nurse Arlo in which is across the room. When I am in that spot I can hardly see it over the mound of unfolded wrinkled laundry that often finds it's home there until I move it onto the chair I nursed the baby in so I can go to sleep. It's a bad habit. That was not my plan for this lovely corner but I am realizing even more that it's really not about my plan anyway.

I picked up a new book called Teaching from Rest- a Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakable Peace by Sarah Mackenzie. It has been extremely encouraging, convicting & has provoked much thought about how to move forward resting in the Lord while teaching these little ones.

She quotes Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis...

"The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's "own" or "real" life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one's real life - the life that God is sending one day by day; what one calls one's "real life" is a phantom of one's own imagination."

Reading that stopped me in my tracks. How often do I feel that my plan is interrupted & that my day is derailed by handling 1,000 other minor crises. It IS my "real life" which in the context of "unpleasant things" is full of opportunity to embrace what God has given me whether it be children, a husband or my responsibilities in our little Nest.

It seems that the quote disproves my initial thought about the line  "I can be whatever I want to be." ....while I sit in my pretty little corner in front of the desk I have forbidden anyone to lay a hand on.  Regarding the phrase "being whatever I want to be" or using the label "my real life" I must acknowledge that where I am in life is exactly where I have always wanted to be. I could not WAIT to be a mother & though I had an extremely small understanding of the challenges I would face, I love it.  

Through the "real life" days filled with much neediness, He is sufficient to provide more abundantly than I can imagine. He is making me into HE wants me to be & my hope is that my desire each & every day would be aligned with his. So, rather than the day dreaming about the "what if I.." that could accompany me staring at my own little corner from my own little chair, I should place these five in front of my corner & celebrate what God is doing in my heart through them....

Opportunities to love & serve unselfishly abound...

Arlo at 4 & 5 months

Well, since the littlest buckaroo is just a couple weeks away from turning 6 months old, it's about time to recount his 4th & 5th month. First of all, my best buddies from childhood had little self control while shopping for a fall & winter wardrobe. He has won the award for best dressed at the Nest nearly every day & this vest is our favorite....

He is busting out of his jeans at 16 pounds this week. At his 4 month visit he weighed 14 & a half pounds which was near the 25th percentile & I'm not sure how many inches long & but near the 70th percentile. Arlo offers many a joyful moment in our home with smiles, "talking" & attempts at rolling over. Eloise & Charlotte are completely convinced he says all kinds of words & I would agree that he often makes sounds that mimic what they are saying.  

As far as the 16 pound distribution over his little body, there happens to be a perfectly kissable double chin...

Some things Arlo is up to:

• loves laying on his belly & stretching his head up like a little periscope leaning so far to the side he rolls over (occasionally). The rest of the time people roll him over so there is really no need to do it on his own. I am guessing it might be similar when it's time to crawl & walk since he has four transporters. He can spin himself around in a circle by pulling with his arms.
• works hard to sit up & can stay steady for about 30 seconds when straight up & down but much longer when hunched over propping himself up with his hands.
• bouncing so crazily in his exersaucer Robby jokes that we will have to replace the shocks. He also jumps & wiggles around so much in the one that hangs from over the door that he crashes into the door frame. This contraption is only aloud when the big brothers are asleep....for obvious reasons.
• can grab his toys, our forks, cups & hair so quickly & with much coordination. He is also moving his mouth toward anything anyone is eating.
• snuggles in laps of the Valentine ladies to be read to whenever someone offers.
• pushing himself so far up in the bouncer sending him over the top & grazing the tile floor with his head.....had to retire that one.
• LOVES baths when he gets to have them. He has some eczema & dry scalp going on & the doctor asked how often we bathe him since frequent bathing can make it worse. I said not too often. On the way home I started counting how long it had been & it was NINE days! You know how people have 2 & a half bath homes? We say Arlo has had 2 & a half baths meaning 2 full & one lower half after a blow out. Baths are kind of like triage around here...the dirtiest take priority.
• after his infrequent baths we notice he has some fuzzy blond hair...that's new for our crew!
• smiles non stop when sung to & his favorite tunes are- Twinkle Twinkle & our own version of "Oh my darlin' Clementine" in which we make up verses but always end with "Oh my Arlo Valentine"
• his tongue is often poking out of his mouth. My dad asked him if he thought that when he grew some teeth they would keep his tongue in. Ha! It didn't work for Eloise!

Eating & sleeping have continued to be pretty consistent day to day minus the fact that it took a couple weeks to recover from more frequent nursing in the nighttime hours when we spent a week in the Liveable Forest. We were roomies & it was like he could smell a midnight snack. At the current time he is usually waking around 7:30 to nurse, makes it till around 8:45 or 9 before snoozing again. I have been feeding him if he's up longer & that helps him stretch his nap a little longer. He wakes up again around 10:45, awake till 1 & back to bed when Owen & Anson take there nap. The next two hours are sooooo quiet with just me & the girls. We get most of our school work done during this block of time. He is up again around 3:30 & stays awake till bedtime which falls somewhere near 6:45.

He is capable of sleeping 12 hours but lately has been sleeping 10, nursing at 5ish then back to bed. When we have had a long night of our newly potty trained boys needing a trip to bathroom or are incapable of keeping their covers on, I feed Arlo in bed & we fall asleep together till morning. I love those mornings.

He is most often a happy boy but he does have a serious side & a has a nose that looks JUST like Eloise.

He notices many sounds & can't take his eyes off things like cars passing in the street or siblings running.  At this moment he was watching cars. If he was looking the other way he would have seen Owen & Anson peeping out of & banging on their window while they were supposed to be taking a nap.


a little recap of the past six weeks via Instagram including all the help any baby could ever want from four loving siblings, his first trip to the Dallas Zoo, an afternoon of reading a book that has lots of little holes to touch, his blonde hair & first bath sitting up.....

I had strep throat last week. The rest of the bunch spent time at Grammy's house while Arlo & I snuggled. I will forever treasure the feeling of his hand in mine.

We love life with sweet Arlo & although we are sad to see babyhood pass by so quickly but look forward to all that six months & more will bring.