9 months and so much fun

Ty turned 9 months last week. His personality just beams. He was able to sit quietly through a wedding on Saturday but chose a funeral on Monday to practice spitting, raspberries, using his loud voice and bodily function noises. You just never know what's coming next. He is cruising while holding onto furniture and people. Climbing is still his favorite skill to practice and the one that has rooms and stairs barricaded with baby gates which is not exactly the look I was going for. He tumbled down the stairs a few weeks ago. Erin was at the top with him and I was at the bottom. Neither of us caught him until after the horrifying thud we heard after his head hit the ceramic tile at the bottom of his fall. Erin and I cried longer and harder than he did! He had no bumps, bruises or even a red mark to show for his little adventure. As soon I had the nerve to set him back down, he made a bee line for the stairs again! He and I are having some minor conflicts over the organization of our home as well. Ty considers games and books under the high chair in the kitchen a better place than stacked on the bookcase where they've been since before his new found mobility. Contents of cupboards look much better spread all over the kitchen floor than stacked away neatly, according to Ty. He is generally smiling and knows the word "cute". He responds to it even if it isn't directed at him.....He has boycotted anything pureed. If it is on my plate or has real texture, he loves it. Yogurt is the only soft food he's eating! He appears to be a real carnivore, as he says "mmmmm" after each and every bite of meat!

Speaking of cute and a difference of opinion in decorating, Greg put his foot through the ceiling in our living room last week when his foot slipped off the rafters in the attic. I asked him to check the attic for wasps after one found its way into the upstairs bedroom and scared Kate into my bed for the night. No wasps were found but a mess was made! There was insulation all over the living room and a large gaping hole to show for my request. Good times.....Greg used a few screws to put the pieces back until we can get a repair man here. It's been fun to see reactions. No one wants to ask! I am just grateful Greg wasn't hurt!

Since the camera was out.....

I grabbed a few shots of the little ones when we got home.....

Spring Chicks and Good Friends

We enjoyed visiting Candy's farm today and seeing the new chicks. Ty was not gentle with the chicks so we had to keep them at a safe distance! Kate was rather distraught by the dirt on her new flip flops and is very clearly a "city girl" at heart! The baby goats were frisky today and playing in the trails so we didn't get any photo opportunities but they were fun to watch. As always, visiting with Candy's family was a treat.....

Our poor starving baby!

Just minutes after dinner tonight, Ty went in search of a snack!

Miss Billee

Our sweet friend from church, Miss Billee was diagnosed with progressed cancer last week. As of today, she is under hospice care and not expected to live beyond three weeks. I was able to visit her this afternoon with Kirbie and Ty. Her family knew who Ty was because she prayed for him when he was sick. She visited me several times in the hospital and even came with Kirbie and sat with us during his first transfusion. Her son lovingly told Ty to watch out because those that Miss Billee prays for have no idea what the Lord has in store for them! She was peacefully resting and seemingly unaware of how much we are all hurting. I cannot imagine our early childhood department without her. No one can. She's been the pillar of that department for over 20 years. She was the first friend I made at Northside. I am so sad for me but trying to focus on the happy ending for her. Tonight at bedtime, Kate said she would pray for Miss Billee to get better and I explained to her that Miss Billee isn't getting better but going to heaven. She then prayed, "Jesus, please make sure Miss Billee loves heaven becuase I love her".


UPDATE: Miss Billee passed away just before 10pm, Thursday, April 15, 2010. Heaven gained a precious soul and I know she is in the arms of the Lord she served well for almost 68 years. We will miss you more than you know Miss Billee.

I am not cut out to be the mother of twins!

As much fun as I had playing with Ty and Avry, I was torn too many times about whose needs to meet in one particular moment. Avry missed his mommy and Ty was unsure of the little appendage I grew suddenly that was his size and occupying his mommy's hip. Makenna was a HUGE help. I don't know what I would have done without her. It took 4 days but on the last day of our little adventure, both babies napped at the same time! Kate and I got some reading and snuggle time during that nap. Ty watched Avry very closely as he is up and walking everywhere. Ty just took two steps to his Daddy....I knew it was only a matter of time before he tried it now that he's seen it is possible!

We visited several friends and family members throughout the week. My parents over indulged the kids with treats, of course. Dad's fish was requested and enjoyed. Mom was able to take a day off and took Lauren shopping which was a big blessing for me because shopping with teenagers is not one of my favorite past times. Honestly, shopping at all anymore is not something I enjoy. They got to spend one evening with the Baughmans while I relaxed and had dinner with two of my favorite people, Jill and Cherie. I cannot tell you how refreshed I felt after that meal! When I returned to pick up the kids, they were wound up. I was really surprised by their energy levels and need to fuss at one another. It wasn't until the next day I heard about the candy pizza with ice cream and suddenly understood! Grandma will get to keep them for the entire night next time if she wants to over do the treats! We had lunch with Pam and Kenny one day. They allowed the big girls to stay with them and see our old neighborhood. Seeing how much their friends have changed in 4 years was a surprise. Everyone said Makenna has changed the most since we moved away. Kate was just a baby when we left so the sight of her was a real shock. On our last day, we headed to Jill's to have lunch and see Aaron and their new puppy, Peyton. She is a sweetie! The girls were in love at first sight. We also squeezed in a short lunch with the Hummel family.....boy have they all grown up in the last few years! Their new addition is as sweet as they come! As usual, there were so many others we would have liked to have seen, but time is always an issue.

Fun Friday

Kate was counting down the "sleepovers" until she was able to have a play date with Shelby. They picked her up this morning for a bike ride to the park, picnic, egg coloring and McDonald's playland. We honestly cannot remember ever taking Kate to a McDonalds and she was impressed with the toy and the slide there. When I asked her if she liked the food she said, "I think so" with the funniest look on her face.

Just as she was getting home this evening, seven of the other kids' friends were arriving to hang out with us. Only one is staying the night and the perfect weather had everyone outside most of the time.

Teething is Tough!

Ty is chewing on EVERYTHING! He is trying really hard to cut new teeth. All three of the lower drawer pulls were tested this afternoon as he worked his way into a standing position to check out the next one.

We call him Captain Messmaker

Ty is a busy guy these days....always into something. He smiles and giggles as he's removed from all the "no-no's". At least he is pleasant as he exhausts us. The rocking chair used in the photo was my Aunt Brenda's, handed down to me as a baby. I've had it for all the kids but Kate is claiming it for her own. Ty will be using the primary colored plastic one we purchased for Lauren's first birthday. At one time I thought I'd provide a chair for each of them. Five chairs are a few too many to store so we continue sharing the two originals.

Family Craft Project

We all painted plaster eggs together today. It was a fun project and a riot to see Greg's OCD side. He was so specific with his plans that he used a razor and masking tape to create his design! If there was an award for using the most paint, Kate would win. Lauren used all of her favorite team colors on hers. Makenna's famous peace signs were incorporated into her design. It was a pleasant project while Ty napped. As the kids have gotten older we've found it more challenging to find mutual interests for family time. Games are getting more difficult too. There are too many ages represented in our family. It's a challenge I am determined to over come so any ideas you may have for us, please share! On a funny note, we played Life today and Greg pointed out the "Share the Wealth" card and called it the "Obama card"! Makenna encouraged Kate to be a doctor so she could make a lot of money and I laughed. Her puzzled expression only got the "this game was created before Obama care" explanation. Life....it has a way of changing dramatically at times.

Lordy Lordy, Greg is 40!!!

After a rough couple of days dealing with ceramic tile, Greg opted for a quiet birthday celebration. He and I took Ty to lunch and then ran a few errands before taking a leisurely walk to further enjoy this gorgeous day. The girls had a great day to play outside and relax as well. We've ended up taking a Spring Break with the local school even though I hadn't intended to. We'll be making up for that next week but the break has been wonderful.

Happy 15th Erin!

It is so hard to believe we celebrated such a large number today! 15? How is that possible already? Erin had some friends over on Friday to play with her rather silly birthday gifts. She requested a hula hoop, skip it, sidewalk chalk, big bouncy ball and headbands and got them all. Today, she asked me to take her to Cheesecake Factory for lettuce wraps and cheesecake. We had a great day walking the mall afteward. She spent quite a bit of her birthday money shopping the clearance racks. Tonight we were all invited to the girls' bible study for cupcakes and ice cream. All in all, she had a great day. In all honesty, we enjoy being her parents. She is such a lovely young lady both inside and out.

Happy 3rd Birthday Mason!

The kids and I enjoyed a beautiful day at Theresa's on Saturday to celebrate Mason's third birthday. He seemed to enjoy his "rock and roll guitar" themed day as well. Ty came home with more hand me downs. We hope his growth slows down so he can use them!

He made it!

Ty's been trying to climb the stairs for a few days....he made it all the way up with close supervision tonight. He was clearly quite proud of himself. Yesterday he let his belly lead the way and he made one clumsy step from me to the couch.

Amused

I'm not sure that should be the title of this entry, but I am amused.....isn't always something? I suppose it will be that way until the end of time on earth as we know it, but boy oh boy, what does God want me to learn now? I suppose the ongoing need to learn patience will continue since I am apparently a slow learner! Our fridge started acting up a few weeks ago. It would get warm and then cool back down again. We did this 4 times in three weeks when I ever so sweetly arm wrestled my husband into calling someone! We have been blessed to have an honest repair man who has had to make so many trips to my house the neighbors are likely talking! (Yes it is THAT kind of neighborhood!) Anyway, poor Jeff has to say, "I've got some bad news" every time he's here! Of course you do Jeff! That is the way we do things around here! Remember the Emperor's Golden touch? Everything he touched turned to gold. Well, I've decided we've got the "Baughman Broken Touch".....you get the picture! I am grateful for all the things we can break....really I am. I recently read The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns and was so convicted of my self centeredness. Just living in a nation where we can freely complain about our government and load up our grocery carts in our old but reliable mini vans and keep fresh food in our sometimes functioning refrigerators has us among the richest in the world. Thank you Lord for the gentle reminder and for Jeff who is probably perplexed that I keep laughing when he says he has bad news!

8 Months Old Today

Ty's 8 month milestone included his first tooth! I discovered it when he was teething on my chin today. He seems pleased that everyone else is so excited.

He's stuck in a fish bowl!

Just kidding! Ty was introduced to bubbles today. It was a gorgeous 70 degree day so we are spending the afternoon outside. I was hit with a nasty stomach bug yesterday afternoon and am glad to just be achy and worn out today....this weather makes everything better!

Integrity

Integrity is defined as 1. Moral uprightness; honesty. 2. Wholeness; soundness

I was told to watch the local news last night for coverage of the school board meeting. I won't typically watch local news because I don't think most of the coverage is newsworthy. That said, I did watch the first few minutes last night to catch this particular story. I was so sad. I wish I had gone to the meeting so I could have spoken up. This is the third time I have watched local politics at work and left shaking my head. This community is self proclaimed to be "good Christians" and yet, every time they are faced with a conflict or feel they are being slighted in some way, they publicly crucify those who are trying to lead. We are so blessed to live in one of the best school districts in the state. Our kids have the best resources available to them. The government changed the way our schools are funded which is changing the budget in a HUGE way. The leadership who has thus far, provided an amazing education to our kids is now facing an enormous challenge. Rather than coming along side them and asking how we as a community can support them, local parents were screaming, condemning and accusing this team of horrendous and outrageous lies. I continue to be amazed by the local people who live for the show of being Christian yet will stop at nothing to gain what they want. I suppose that since I moved here from Ohio where school funding issues are always in the news, I just cannot see how people can treat others like this, especially since they are not responsible for the situation. Locals just don't know how blessed they are.....I removed my children from public school in early elementary school in Ohio because of all the funding cuts that prevented them from helping my daughter who has learning delays and because it was a very liberal school system with ideals that were contradictory to our Christian values. Erin's freshman year has shown us that this school system is truly looking out for the best interest of their students. That isn't to say that we haven't had discussions at home to work through minor conflicts, but overall, this experience has been positive. I wish I had been there to say this publicly, but I wasn't. Facebook and my blog will have to serve as that voice for now.

Speaking of integrity, I have been blessed by true friendship. Kristin, Cherie and Jill have been friends of mine since High School or in Jill's case, since 1994 when I met my High School sweetheart's girlfriend and deemed her "Perfect" for him! At no point have we questioned each others concern for each other. We have never had to think about their motivations. We know we are loved and cared about. Enough said. If we feel there is something out of place in someone's life, we address it in love. We are honest with each other and there aren't any worries about who's saying what when the other isn't there.....The funny thing is that we all have different religious beliefs and philosophies about life in general. I love each of these ladies like my sister, who is also rather wonderful. Thank you Lord for showing me that I am so blessed to be supported and loved by some awesome ladies.

Simple Pleasures!

It was a gorgeous weekend! Sunshine and 60's...we saw our first signs of spring on a walk this afternoon. A neighbor has crocus plants blooming. Kate asked for watermelon and corn on the cob....it just felt that wonderful. Of course we have to wait on the cookout with our favorite summer foods but it was nice to have them requested in anticipation of it arriving. Lauren had five friends visit all afternoon (three of them were boys...YIKES!) Makenna also had a friend over for the afternoon. So it was really great to have them outside!We had two little guests yesterday and will have them again tomorrow. Sarah is 4 and Miley is 18 months. Their little brother Matthew has been hospitalized again for growth issues. That poor family needs lifted in prayer! Anyway, we've enjoyed having the girls. They just fit in around here where we always seem to have extra places set at our table. I love having a house full of kids. I was teased at church and called Michelle Duggar. I wish I were as laid back as that special mom of 19! After such a long and cold winter, being outside breathing fresh air and planning the spring yard work felt refreshing.

Photo updates since the computer crashed