"Is it different?"

I'm asked this all the time and yes, it is different. Boys are different from girls. It starts immediately. Ty is content and happy, praise God because the idea of doing something because it will please me has not occurred to him. The very idea that I have feelings hasn't occurred to him either! The urge to get into the trash, dump cream of tarter and salt on the floor or smack his sister in the face is just too strong to ignore despite how happy mommy would be should he surrender to obedience. No matter how many times I redirect his activity, he finds his way right back into said "no-no" which left Greg asking one day, "do you think he's very smart?"! Yes, I think he's smart but I think he's just so darned determined that we are going to be hard pressed to convince him that some risks are not worth taking. Therefore, we've got baby gates, cabinet locks, closed doors and empty end tables. I had to eliminate the decorative table altogether because the urge to knock it over several times a day was just too much for him. In the check out lane at Meijer today, he broke the debit card machine! The only good thing was I had already used and it and could make a quick escape after embarrassed apologies! What goes on in that little head of his? I know we were able to reason with the girls. A simple "no-no" with redirection was enough for my mommy pleasing little girls until they were old enough to back talk. Is it premature to hope he won't back talk in exchange for this busy phase?

Organization?

Ty's latest fascination includes a lot of re organization. He has always had very different ideas of where things ought to be ....spices and seasonings on the floor, Tupperware lids in the laundry basket in my bedroom closet, dishes on the floor or in his room, etc....so, as his latest hobby has presented itself, I am left wondering, "is he normal?".  His current favorite game is pulling his trash can from his bedroom into the living room where he sorts his toys. Some stay in the bin, some go into his trash can and others are tossed to the floor. He is so serious about each decision as though he is really working out a system. I can't figure it out but it keeps him occupied. I just have to keep his trash can disinfected! Kate says he wants to grow up to be a trash man.

Speaking of organization, I am enjoying my new job. I am part of a team that sorts merchandise off the truck at 6am. We pull 1700-2200 pieces each morning and have them sorted onto skids for each department in about an hour. We then head to each department where another team has pulled full skids to the floor so that we can further sort each box into the proper areas. By 8am when the store opens, the floor is cleaned up and  we are ready to fill the racks. I am also responsible for making the clothing lines look appealing, scanning for back stock or reorders, customer service, cleaning out the shoe department (the first part of the job I've found that I don't appreciate much) and will be running the registers as soon as things slow down enough for me to be trained. There isn't any down time and we are all pulled multiple directions all the time. It's a lot like being a mom!

I called home during my break yesterday to have Kate tell me she doesn't want me to work because she misses me too much. Greg said Lauren was going to call me because she was upset with him for going to bed without waking her to take care of Ty. She didn't remember it was his day at home so that he was just waking up too. Roles and responsibilities have been assigned and she is taking hers very seriously after a shaky start last week. I called home on Friday to find chaos and in the end, everyone was grounded. By the time I got home I found a real spirit of cooperation among the kids. I suspect Daddy had a firm discussion with everyone about making this transition as easy as possible for one over-stretched momma! Speaking of stretching....school starts tomorrow!!! I am looking forward to the routine of school, but not the work load! Erin will catch the bus 6:40am again this year but she's thrilled the middle school kids have their own bus this year....it was too crowded and loud last year. I only work until 10am on Wednesdays so I will be here to start our day a little later than I'd like but we should be fine with some additional tweaking of the routine. Lauren will be an 8th grader, Makenna will be a 5th grader and our little Kate is starting Kindergarten! Adding her will make the hands-on portion of my day a little longer but she is anxious to start and spent most of her summer writing and drawing. She is eager to read and tell time.

I think that updates us! I am grateful for all that God has so graciously provided us. Here's another beautiful display of his awesomeness! This sunset was last Thursday.

Cuddle Time

Ty and Kate were curled up together with Ty's big fleece blanket this morning as a thunderstorm blew through. This was the view just seconds before that storm. I love stormy skies, but couldn't help thinking about the windows I cleaned last week!

Entering Erin's World

After a longer and more physically demanding first day of work than anticipated and spending a bit of time waiting on the pediatrician to find and correctly update Erin's shot records, I fed the kids a quick homemade pizza (I have to highly recommend Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day for the recipe and many other favorites) and took Erin and Ty to high school registration. I was able to pass on this glorious tradition last year since Ty was too sick to go along and needed his mommy at all times. I'm glad Ty is better but boy oh boy can the schools learn a thing or two about simplicity! We were there for a couple of hours and didn't accomplish all that needed to be done. This momma is finished regardless. If it really matters, I'll hear from them. BUT, seeing Erin in action was a bit enlightening! The photographer took a second shot because she wasn't happy with her first one. He let her set up a second and choose her favorite. Keep in mind, we didn't order any. This is just for the yearbook and her student ID! Next we waited forever and a day on her counselor who moseyed in and out of his office several times but never called anyone back. So, the third time another counselor asked if there was anyone waiting to see him, I suggested he could make a quick schedule change for Erin if that was allowed. He gladly took us and found himself being worked over by Erin. She mentioned that she is friends with his daughter and would like to have classes with her. She then requested a study hall in lieu of Child Development, which she conveniently needed first period instead of the scheduled P.E. class in that time slot. In the end, she was able to dump two teachers she didn't want, got to have classes with friends and drop gym first period. She did all of this with a smile and "innocent" chatter. We toured the beautiful building long enough for her to find her locker and classes. She's excited to start her sophomore year next Wednesday.

Kids say the darndest things...

During lunch today, Makenna said she doesn't know what she wants to do when she grows up but she's narrowed it down to two choices. It appears that she's either going to work at UPS or be an actress. Hmm?


I picked up an early reader "Dick and Jane" book for Kate at the library because it would help her learn to read. She looked through it at bedtime last night and informed me that the book didn't work because she still doesn't know how to read. Apparently this process will take a little longer than she anticipates.

Erin wants a lot of kids when she's grown, but no three year olds. She has failed to see the flaw in her plan. Teaching three year old gymnastics has made quite an impression! Her pre-k classes are her favorites. She has one four year old who makes her laugh every week. This week, Gigi had to know where Erin gets her toe nails painted because Gigi goes to "the Chinese place because Mommy has a coupon"! (Erin paints her own toes!)

Erin and I wrapped up our year with the pre-K class at church this weekend. I loved this group of kids when I taught them in the two year old room. I started back in the classroom in January after both Greg and Ty were ready for me to step out for a few hours without them! It has been a lot of fun to see the transformation in this group. They are all headed to kindergarten next weekend and we'll start over with a new group of 4 year olds. Our senior pastor stopped in and lead our class in prayer before we took them to large group. None of our kids knew him but we explained that George teaches Mommy and Daddy about Jesus while they are with us. Just seconds later, Jacob (one of my more spirited students) yelled out, "so you're George, I hear you tell funny jokes"! George mentioned email to Jacob should he hear of any good ones. 

Child Labor Laws?

Kate was whining, "I'm bored" so I handed her a squirt bottle and cloth. She typically loves helping and after a two foot section of base board was clean, she was no longer bored. Ty couldn't resist the bottle. Since it is Shaklee and I don't have to worry about chemicals, I let him explore along side me as I began the tedious process of cleaning baseboards, blinds and windows. Good grief that is a lot of work! I would like to thank Pam and Kenny for their spotless baseboards. As a result of our visit last week, I now see all dirt in my house that I was successfully ignoring until visiting their perfect home! Love you guys!

Forward roll?

Ty loves trying forward rolls. He stands in this position until one of his sisters gives him a boost over!

Ty's new ride

Grandma Carol and Grandpa Dale gave Ty this really great wagon for his birthday. Just after assembly, Ty made a hole in the drywall in our dining room by pushing the wagon through it....nice. So, the wagon is outside and ready for lots of adventures and we have one more drywall repair to tackle this fall! He's pushing Kate in the wagon and pulling it to back it up....so strong and determined!

Celebrating Makenna

Look who's 10 years old! We had a birthday celebration in Ohio last weekend but had to mark today in a special way. She chose chocolate chip cookies and the movie Ramona and Beezus. The movie was adorable and Makenna loved seeing her favorite pop star, Selena Gomez on the big screen. We listened to Selena's music on her new iPod during the drive. Makenna used all her birthday money and some extra cash from Grandma Pattie to get the one and only thing she asked for this year. Happy birthday to a very sweet girl. We love you!

"Big Blue" Tractor

The girls have fond memories of Grandpa Dale's farm and especially riding/driving his tractors. "Big Blue" is their favorite so I thought we'd create a photo opportunity while we were in town with Lizzie and get some shots. In Jessica's words, "no tears, so it was successful"!

Ohio Trip

"Anything you can do, I can do better"

After watching the other kids jump in, swim to the ladder and jump in again, Ty had to try it too. He did this over and over. I am convinced he would have just jumped in without someone there to catch him! Not much gets by this baby. The kids played a game of chase around the circle Mom's house layout naturally provides and Ty jumped right in. He was lapped repeatedly but kept playing, clearly proud to be a part of something with the big kids.

It's a JOB!

Greg and I made the decision that it is time for me to pick up a part time job to help meet our growing expenses. School fees of $500 (insane I know!) for ONE kid in public school and the needs of our home school helped seal the deal....it's always something.  I applied at Target and Meijer since those are the places I tend to shop so I can multitask (get what I need while I am there with a discount)....anyway, I interviewed with Target yesterday and they offered me a job that is going to work out better for me than I dreamed possible in retail. They need a person who is willing to come in at 5:45am and work a 6 hour shift Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays pulling clothes off the truck and putting them on the sales floor. It seems they need a detail oriented perfectionist (hmm)! That schedule will not take away from my family time or prevent me from meeting their needs. It is perfect. God given. I am grateful. They asked the best question in the first of two interviews. "Describe a time you had to multi-task, who was involved and what was the out come?". I simply replied, "I have five kids". The interviewer responded, "enough said"! I laughed and elaborated that sitting in that chair talking with her was the first time I could remember in a long time that I wasn't multi-tasking and feel free to take a very long time!

Physicals

Kate had her 5 year physical today. She was a trooper, although not impressed with her vaccines. Can't blame a girl for a few tears on that one. She had her eyes, ears and vitals checked. No issues there. Her height and weight confirmed she's a peanut! 42 1/4 inches tall (40%) and weighs 37 1/4 lbs. (30%). Dr. Rezaei says she looks great. She was able to tell her where she lives, her phone number, draw some shapes and her full name. The only issue I took to the appointment was her speech. She uses "t" sounds for "k" sounds. I am just going to keep correcting that when I hear it, as Dr. Rezaei is sure it is something she'll out grow on her own.

Ty went from a cupcake yesterday to a blood test today. Let's just say he isn't as happy with Dr. Rezaei as I am! His hemoglobin was a VERY strong 12 today! Reassuring to see it in print. He is still a big guy and maintaining his 90% in height at 30 3/4 inches and his 50% in weight at 22lbs 9 1/2 ounces. His milestones are "advanced" since he's walking, climbing and jabbering with the use of some real words. We discussed his need to be in the "no-no's" constantly. I was once again told that "he's a boy" and just keep correcting. He appears to have a milk intolerance so we are moving from whole milk to soy. Kate has almost completely outgrown her intolerance to milk, so hopefully Ty will also. When Kate was 12 months, we had to put her on soy formula but given Ty's healthy size, Silk milk will suffice. The budget is happy to hear that news!

He fell asleep mid bite......

Now that is a sleepy baby!

Erin

Erin's entering her sophomore year in less than a month....time flies. Indiana law changed so she is a full year + from getting her driver's license which suits us just fine. The only perk we see to allowing her behind the wheel is the ability to let her drive herself to work and youth group.....she's almost always at one of those locations! She is still silly, playful, smart, talented and a lot of fun to be around. She has a great time working with the kids at the gym. Kelly, her boss is impressed and had Erin take on four of her own 3-5 year old classes and assist in two others for the summer session. She's been asked to take on more this fall but is keeping it light since she'll not likely have a study hall first semester to keep up with her studies. Brad, the boyfriend has been around for about 7 months now...only 4 of those have they been "dating". He seems like a good kid. They are both pretty level headed and have high expectations for themselves. He has two older sisters who've somewhat prepared him to be around our family! Greg's enjoyed the football and hunting discussions....

Happy 1st Birthday Baby Ty!

Already?

Baby Ty, I cannot believe you are already a year old. Where did the year go? I know we were busy driving  to and from the hospital for months, praying over your health and losing sleep over feeding you properly. How on earth did we get through some of those moments without losing our minds? Funny, months after you were perfectly healed and no longer seeing the hematologist,  we worried we should have your hemoglobin checked when you were sick for a few days. You’ve rocked us buddy. And all the while, you smiled and were extra sweet. How can somebody so helpless and precious suddenly think he can feed himself and walk? You’ve grown so fast! We were dealing with a sickly underweight baby for months and then suddenly you were six months old wearing twelve month clothing! It seemed as though you changed over night. Some nights, you did. Being the fifth baby we were able to bring home, you would think everything would just flow but God changed the rules when he chose to send us you! You are the busiest Baughman baby although I think your cousin Lizzie is a good rival to the official title! As I review your first year in my mind, I see so many smiling snapshots, hear lots of jabbering, smell your freshly washed hair, and can feel you snuggle into my chest. There is no better feeling. I love watching your chubby little legs walking through the house with your special burp cloth in one hand. You love the ones with tags the most. I suppose I treasure the baby days that much more since I can look at your sisters and see just how quickly those moments disappear. As we celebrate your first year, I see how determined you are to grow up. You find bodily functions hilarious. Climbing is something you are convinced you need to do. I love it when you take me into the kitchen and point to the coffee pot repeating “Dad” over and over as if to ask if we can get him up yet. Playtime with Daddy is most certainly a high light in your day. It just shows me how quickly you will be too big to let me hold you and love on you. I adore you little man. I am enjoying watching you grow.  Happy birthday buddy. I love you.

16 years and counting......

Today, Greg and I are celebrating sixteen years of chaos marital bliss. Time flies. In some ways it simply doesn't seem possible and in other respects, we feel as though we've lived twice that many years together. A lot of life has happened and we are incredibly blessed. Happy Anniversary Honey. I love you! Sad truth...in the last four years, we've had exactly three photos taken together and one of them includes Ty! Might be time for a real photo session?

Latest attraction

Ty's latest fascination is the trash can....all trash cans. We've found all kinds of interesting things in them. This is how I found his little monkey toy last night. Inside was one paci and a burp cloth. Since those are treasured items, I assume he has no idea that things that go in the receptacles are intended to disappear. I really don't want to think about all we've likely lost thus far but we are all on notice to pay attention to the trash when we throw something away.

Who doesn't love a pasta sauce covered baby?