America's Favorite Pastime

 Sometime during March Madness, Isaac caught the sports bug.  I think he's infected for life.  Now that basketball season is over, he has temporarily transferred his affections to baseball.  We are big Texas Rangers fans around here (I went to high school with Josh Hamilton and his wife, and we love his testimony for Christ as well).  Isaac corners anyone who will listen to him and regales them with sports stats.

Most evenings will find Vance and Isaac playing a game of baseball in the backyard.  Lately the girls have been getting into it also (with a little help from Daddy).

 His form is getting pretty good.

 Even Evie is enjoying a little time at bat.

 Vance demonstrating his switch-hitting ability.

 Safe at third base, barely!

Evie running to first.  Vance has a tough job...he plays against the kids, but has to hit with the girls, run Evie around the bases, field the ball, and tag the kids out.  No wonder the little people usually win!

At the Car Wash

 We had a lovely and relaxing Memorial Day weekend.  It must be a sign of old age that I look forward to having a chance to get some house projects done on the weekend!  The kids and I had a lot of fun washing the cars together.  They got soaked, as any self-respecting child should when using a hose.

Tutus: they aren't just for dance anymore!

 Isaac is working pretty hard--check out the tongue action there.

The sign currently taped to Isaac's room.  It is living proof that I have a sweet elementary school boy, not an angsty teenager.  I hope it lasts.

May visit to NC

We took Isaac out of school for a long-overdue trip up to NC.  We usually drive overnight, and it works great for us, but this time I was coming down with some virus that made it feel like a never-ending slog through the rural southeast.  We made it, though, and I collapsed at my in-law's door, handed off the kids, and crawled into bed.  Thank God for grandparents, right?

Vance was pretty tired too, but we recovered.  We had a lot of celebrating to do in Oak Ridge, since it was Mom's birthday and Mother's Day that weekend!  Ellen, David, & co.  drove over for a day, which was great.  The older the kids get, the better they play together. I didn't grow up knowing my cousins well, so it's especially heartwarming for me to see my kids get to have those relationships.

 We had a lot of fun trying to spoil Claudia on her big day, although it's hard to get my mother-in-law to stop working :). We made her meals, Isaac and Vance took her out on a date for lunch, we visited family, and Claire and I had a little tea party with Mom. It was all a lot of fun.

 We stayed with Ellen and David while we were in Raleigh, and even though we were in and out a lot, it was still really nice to get to spend a little more time with the Bragdons. Our family eats about twice as much as theirs does, so Ellen went to a lot of effort to keep up with our eating habits (thanks, dear!).  I didn't get the best picture of Ben, but he is growing up so fast.  Eve has been saying "Baby Ben" ever since our visit.  We were all smitten by his cuteness, and he even warmed up to me to let me hold him!

 You know it was a fun trip when Isaac wore himself out enough to nap on Vance one afternoon!

 The biggest reason for our visit was to see Dad and Deonni's new baby, little Austin.  He was born in early March, so he was already cooing and smiling and interacting with us by the time we got to meet him.  He is such a sweet baby, and his social smiles and gurgles won us over right away.  Granny, you were right: he is very alert!  Deonni is already recovered and back to her energetic self.  I'm sure Austin's going to be so changed by the next time we see him...but it was great to get to meet him while he's still tiny.

Eve was giving everyone her patented stinkeye while we were in NC, but when I tried to capture it on camera, she gave me this.  Typical :).

Easter (backtrack to April)

 I have obviously failed miserably when it comes to keeping this blog updated over the last few months.  Sorry about that!  My good camera has died a (probably long-overdue) death, and I'm shooting with my little camera.  It's uninspiring and frustrating, so it's been hard to take many pictures.  I'm not going to try and recapture all of our winter and spring, but here are a few photos from Easter. 

 The kids really enjoyed an Easter egg hunt with friends!

 It took Eve all of 3 eggs to figure out that there was something worth having inside: chocolate!  Her daddy was foolish enough to let her have a candy early on, which destroyed her emotional equilibrium for at least 15 minutes.  Sound familiar?

The best we could do at a family photo.

Isaac is 6!

This has been a milestone year for my boy. In the past year he has learned lots of new skills....reading, throwing a football, riding without training wheels, drawing recognizable figures in his art projects, and writing. He has started school and learned a significant degree of independence in Kindergarten. It's amazing to watch him develop skills that he will be using for the rest of his life.

But there are many things that have not changed. I'm so glad that he's still my affectionate boy who gives me lots and lots of cuddles and kisses. I'm so glad he still likes to hold my hand. I'm glad to see him reading the Word with enjoyment and memorizing Scripture with enthusiasm. He's still my passionate, active, perfectionistic, confident leader. He's just growing up.

This year Isaac asked for a Cars cake, which he got. He had eggs and donuts for breakfast, had cupcakes with his class (which excited him to no end), and finished the day out with Granny & Merle's arrival and a dinner of mac n cheese, hot dogs, and broccoli. What a birthday!

I interviewed Isaac this year as well, and here are his (somewhat random, I think) answers:

1. Favorite color - Green

2. Favorite food - macaroni and cheese

3. Favorite dessert - jello

4. Favorite vegetable - cucumbers

5. Favorite fruit - strawberries

6. Favorite friend- Lucas

7. Favorite play activity - playing Star Wars

8. Favorite part of the day - playing with Lucas

9. What do you want to be when you grow up? An athlete, especially a football player

10. What was your favorite part about being 5? Going on visits to see Papa Dan and Noni, Nana and Papa, and going on vacation.

10. What do you like most about turning 6? Working in free centers in Kindergarten

11. What is your favorite Bible story? the Parable of the Sower and the Seeds

12. What things are scary to you? Dragons and giant bugs

13. Who makes you laugh? Papa Dan

14. What is your favorite song? Tutti Frutti

15. What is your favorite book? Curious George goes to the Aquarium

16.What is something that is a challenge for you this year? Fly Swatter math because sometimes I get it, but sometimes I lose.

17. What is something that you're really good at? Science

18. Who do you want to marry when you grow up? I don't know

19. Where do you want to live when you grow up? Oak Ridge, NC, with Nana and Papa

20. What is the most important thing in life to you? Nana and Papa

21. What is something you really love about God? Jesus healing people.

22. Other important things you'd like to add? Saving my money is important, and playing with my toys is important.

Claire is 4!

Claire has been in a state of majestic exhiliration all day. She is the birthday girl, and boy howdy does she know it.

When I look back over the last year, I am amazed at how much Claire has grown. In the past year, she has gained so much self control. She is still quite a drama queen at times, but she knows how to control herself more and more. I am so proud of the way she is learning to deal with her emotions in a productive way. She is learning to focus more on other people, and prioritize other people. She has been such a great big sister over this past year. Mostly, I'm amazed at how much her understanding of God has grown. Last year, her prayers were adorable gobbledegook. Now she understands so much about God's nature and his work, and I think she is really growing in her love for the Lord. I am so glad to see it all, and am praying for anther wonderful year.

Claire had her favorite sticky bun breakfast, and her favorite mac-n-cheese dinner. She requested a castle cake, and I ambitiously decided to make fondant from scratch and assemble a 3-D palace, even though I'd never touched fondant in my life before. Ambitious? Yes. Misguided? Absolutely. The cake was a wreck. But at least there was enough beauty for a 4-year old's eyes.

This year, I decided to interview Claire. It's so much fun to discover what's going on in her little brain!

Claire at 4:
1. Favorite color - pink & purple
2. Favorite food - macaroni and cheese, cake, colors pasta, and bacon.
3. Favorite dessert - cake and brownies and ice cream, lollipops
4. Favorite friend - Anna Christine
5. Favorite play activity - playing princess (dress-up), dolls
6. Favorite fruit - watermelon
7. Favorite vegetable - salad

8. What do you want to be when you grow up?
I want to be a mama and do lots of things like working in the kitchen and driving places.
9. What are you most excited about for this upcoming year?
Turning 5.
10. What is your favorite Bible story?
Nicodemus and also baby Jesus being born.
11. What kinds of things are scary to you?
Monsters and the darkness when you go outside.
12. Who makes you laugh?
Papa Dan
13. What is something that you're really good at?
Painting, playing playdough, drawing pictures, taking care of babies...
14. What is something that's difficult for you to do?
Things that make me very destructive, then I need Daddy's help.
15. Who do you want to marry when you grow up?
Daddy. Maybe Isaac.
16.Where do you want to live when you grow up?
In North Carolina.
15.What is something that you love about God?
I'm so happy he was born in a manger. He loves me and I love him!

Eve's Birthday, part 2

Birthday the Second took place when we got back from Hawaii, at Dad and Deonni's house. This go round was pretty different. Everyone wanted to be more involved, including the older kids. Eve was much more excited about the singing, and I don't even need to tell you how she liked the cake. The pictures speak for themselves :). Maybe it's because of the chocolate.

Eve's 12 month stats are: 21 lbs (70%), 29" (70%), and 93% head. We're the brainy type :). Here's to many more happy, healthy birthdays, sweetie!

Happy Birthday, Eve!

Vance had a work conference in Hawaii at the end of September that left me with a conundrum: to go to a tropical paradise with my man, or to stay with my kids at home and be there for my baby's birthday? If you guessed that I would stay home, you probably overestimate my maternal devotion :).

We had a wonderful, wonderful time in Hawaii (more on that later), but I had to deal with my mommy guilt in some way. I also had to find a way to deal with a birthday in the midst of Vance's fatigue and all our travels. The solution? Two birthdays! Round One was at the Whitaker's house.

As we sang Happy Birthday, Eve looked a little shell-shocked. You could tell she wasn't sure she wanted quite so much attention. She was mesmerized by the birthday candle, but didn't quite know what to do with the cake. She gingerly touched the icing, but eventually tried the "all in" approach in an effort to keep her fingers cleaner. It only lasted a few minutes, though, and then she wanted to be done. She really surprised me! I thought she was going to really go for it.

I can't believe my littlest one is a year old. She's gained 3 new teeth in the last week, and has started to stand uncertainly on her own, but isn't quite ready for that first step. She is a talkative one, and I think we have another comedienne in the family...she loves to do silly things to make us laugh! I haven't been able to stop kissing her sweet cheeks since we've been back, and I'm glad she still lets me cuddle her so much. Slow down, baby girl!

Updates

Isaac:
At the end of August, Isaac started Kindergarten! As you can see, he was beyond excited to go. Four weeks later, he still is. This "where should Isaac go to school?" question has been a long and very involved decision for us. We both have strong homeschooling roots, although I also went to public and a private school growing up. There are a lot of things that I love about homeschooling, but I have always been of the persuasion that any decision about my children's education should involve a lot of prayer and a willingness to follow whatever course seemed the best for them and the family as a whole.

Obviously education is another one of those hot topics, particularly within evangelical Christian circles. I am not going to expound on my philosophy of education here, except to say that this is an area of Christian freedom that requires great discernment. Regardless of the education we choose for our children, we as parents are responsible to educate and train our children in the Lord. That means a lot of time and involvement, whether at the kitchen table or in our children's classrooms. It also means a lot of observation on our part, to see how are children are processing their education, and how it's impacting their hearts. I don't know what we'll end up doing with our kids long-term, but we are open to pursuing whatever direction the Lord leads us.

I have been encouraged by the increasing diversity I've seen on this front. I know some families who are homeschooling that I would never have pictured doing so...and families who are sending their children to public and private schools that I would have pegged as "the homeschool type". Vive la difference!

It has definitely been a change of pace around here, but we're adjusting. We were able to "choice" into one of the top elementary schools in the county. Our friend teaches there, and we were able to request a Christian teacher. So far we've been very happy, and so has Isaac.

Claire:
One of the reasons we put Isaac in public school this year was so that I could have more focused time to concentrate on Claire. She is the middle child now, you know :). With Isaac being the loud, gregarious, leader-type, we felt that she needed increased one-on-one time. I think it has been so helpful for her. She is really blooming lately. She really wants to have my attention the whole time Isaac is away, so we have been playing a lot of games, doing "school", and talking lots and lots. She is growing up so fast, and is more and more of a help to me. I realized recently that I haven't heard her call green beans "bean beans" or her bathing suit "baby soup" in probably a year and a half. But she's becoming more willing to talk to strangers now that Isaac isn't here to cover for her. I have been really enjoying my Claire time!

Eve:
It didn't take long after she started crawling for Eve to become a cruiser. She's pulling up on anything and everything, and I expect to see her walking soon after her birthday. She is showing signs of becoming something of a fastidious eater, although I think maybe the other kids did the same. She thinks Isaac is the funniest person alive, and to watch her pump out the belly laughs while Isaac performs his very-5-year-old humor is good for the soul. She is sleeping better these days, and seems to have adjusted to our new school schedule without much of a hitch. I don't know what I'd do without my sweet baby for snuggles!

Us:
Well, we're still here. The last two weeks have been pretty hard, and I feel like I'm running on empty. It is truly the kindness of God that Vance has to go to Hawaii for work and that we made the decision months ago for me to come. Initially I felt like it was too expensive for me to go, but I am SO glad we opted to buy me a plane ticket anyway. Frankly, I'm exhausted, and heartsick from so many months of hoping and praying and yearning for this man I love to be healthy again. I know this trip isn't going to fix anything, but it comes as a sweet mercy when I feel the need for a reprieve. I can't wait to feel that sand between my toes!

Signs of the Times

Isaac has spent the last day or so labeling everything in the house. I fully expect to wake up tomorrow morning with a "MAMA" sign taped on my forehead. When he is labeling the trees in the yard by their Latin genus and species, we'll know he's approaching an obsession. He's his daddy's boy...a scientist who wants to find a category for everything.

I refuse to intervene and correct his spelling (unless, of course, he asks me). It'll be over before I know it, and I'll be asking him about the "I before E" rules. I will mourn on the day he starts to put spaces in between his words, and it looks like that day is just around the corner.

Neat Freak

My kids have always been messy eaters. The hose-down-the room-after-every-meal kind. I have lots of documentation from Isaac & Claire's respective high chair days. Eve, not so much. She's just not the type to put alfredo sauce in her hair or yogurt in her thigh rolls. Tonight we had our traditional Sunday smoothies, and this is about as messy as she gets, so I figured I should take at least a few pictures. Proof that she can be (a little) messy.

I haven't made much popcorn since Vance has gone on his new diet--actually, no popcorn in the last 2 months--so Eve had never had any (don't worry, we crumble it up). You would have thought we'd handed her the moon.