Feeling Kinda Panicky

I have one day left to pack and clean and move out of this house that we've been in for three and a half years.  I'm also about to say good bye to my sweet little baby girl for two whole weeks.  It's a little crazy around here.  We just had a party with 7 little 6 -7 year olds amidst all the craziness of the packing, the babies, the company and the general mayhem.  My head feels like it is disconnected from my body.  I'm just gliding at this point.  Feeling pretty sad to leave this house and not really having the energy to actually let the feeling set in.  Gotta go pack some more.  

The Coconut Tree

Down the road, around the corner from our house -on the way to Mia's school- there is this house that keeps a plastic palm tree in their front yard all year long.  We drive past this particular house with this particular tree in the front yard almost every day.  We have seen it countless times.  Last week, on the way to school, Mia suddenly wondered about it from the back seat.  "What is the reason for that coconut tree?  Is it their God or something?"  Priceless.

Meet the robinsons.

When Jax came to my house I watched meet the robinsons!

I watched  some with him though.

in the middle of the story I snuggled  with jax.

I love him so so so so so so so so so much!!!!!!!!!

hill oh I love her so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I love them = this much so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!                                                                                                                                                                           

"Hold my hand or get my shoe in your face!"

The boys are getting along swimmingly!  (I just wanted to use that word for fun.)  They are having a blast together and Mia was too until she left for a sleepover with Naomi around lunch today.  They are cracking each other up and generally loving being together.  I think the biggest highlight tonight came from the way Jackson pronounces balloon.  You see, Lennon calls a balloon "bab", not unlike his many other monosyllabic  words that all start with b and have a slightly different inflection/pronunciation and mean a myriad of things.  Jackson's word for balloon sounds a little more like "boeboe" which of course is our word for your backside.  Lennon thought this concept was hysterical!  He ran around holding the balloon and laughing.  Each time I would ask him if it was a "boeboe"  he would laugh and say "no" in his tone of "what are you crazy?"  I think he gets that tone from his Daddy.  :)  

Most of the day was great.  The boys played for hours out in Amy's sand box and backyard with about 11 other kids.  We ate pancakes for breakfast, Mia saved the Mickey Mouse one for Jax.  Played in the kids kitchen, jumped on beds, read books, grocery shopped and took nice long naps.  Well, Lennon took a nice long nap.  Poor little Jackson didn't get to bed last night until about 10, woke up around 7 and only took about a 1.5 hour nap.  Hopefully he'll fare better the next 24 hours.

In the car this afternoon Jackson, the sweet little dude that he is, wanted to hold hands with Lennon while we ran errands.  Lennon is unfortunately not much of a hand holder.  He will hold hands with me while crossing the street etc, but only for very short periods of time and it's a struggle.  Jackson took this as a personal offense and decided that if Lennon would not hold his hand than Lennon would get to stare down Jack's shoe.  I couldn't even really believe how close Jackson could get his foot to Lennon's face.  Lennon expressed his displeasure for this with loud screams which was totally fun and also followed by an even louder screech from Jackson lamenting his rejection.   Each time we would reach back and put Jack's foot down he would try to hold Lennon's hand again and get the same reaction - a snotty sounding "NO! No No!!"  Because as we all know, Lennon never says any word just once. And so it went for a good deal of the drive, but in typical man style, as soon as we gave them both some food to chew on the quarrels stopped.  Ah food.  What wondrous powers you have.

It's Officially Official

I am done nursing Lennon.  It's been almost a week and he didn't really protest at all.  I was worried about how he would do because he takes a while to transition to new things sometimes, but he has done great.  I wasn't sure if I would be sad or not either, and I've done fine.  I find that just holding him and snuggling him while I sing him to sleep at naptime and bedtime are a lot more special to me than nursing him.  I guess it is a little sad that I won't ever have a little baby totally dependent on me again, but then again....I like the idea of a little independence.  Bon Voyage nursing days!

Mia's Report Card

"Mia is an enthusiastic student and is doing extremely well in all areas.  Her journal entries and stories are a pleasure to read.  I will miss her and all she brings to the class when you move."

She got all 5's and 6's which are the highest marks and one of Naomi's teachers told Suzanne once that they really don't like to give 6's so that fact that Mia got so many this time is pretty cool.  She is pretty awesome.

Melancholy Morning

7:55 AM Thursday morning.  I stood at the end of our hallway with a view of both kids bedrooms.  I couldn't stop the tears from flowing down my face.  Looking into Lennon's room, which used to be Mia's room.  The room our little 3 1/2 year old sweetheart walked into when she first saw this house almost three and a half years ago.  The room that we have rocked Lennon to sleep in for the last two years.  The bed I have laid in with Lennon to nurse him so often.  In Mia's room I remember when it was a playroom.  I can hear all the giggling from Mia, Ella and Diva that was so often heard here during our first year here before all the kids started school.  The laughter and tears that always came along with the never ending playdate/sleepovers we had with Naomi.  The plays the girls put on for us, the concerts.  I know we are just moving to the next town, but my mind drifts to the day we will be leaving the area for good.  I instantly walk away.  I can't think of that now.  I have to get Mia out the door to school.  In the car I remember the first time Lennon tried avocado in our kitchen.  The many times Mia sat with him at his high chair and was so proud of him as she got to feed him herself.  There have been so many firsts in this house.  Mia has grown from a little preschooler wearing diapers to bed at night to having her ears pierced and talking about which boy she might marry when she gets older.  I've never lived in one place this long as an adult.  There are many reason to be excited about this upcoming move, but I will be very sad to leave this house.  We have had mountains of fond memories here.  We have laughed and cried and brought a new baby home to a little girl who seemed to age three years overnight.  I'll miss this house.    

A Tiny Entrepreneur

Mia has decided she wants to go into the snack food business.  She has already found a recipe online and tweaked it to her likings and plans to craft the perfect cracker and sell it in stores.  She has invited Mateus and Biance to join her and Lennon in the venture.  It seemed only natural to her since we are going to be such close neighbors soon.  I will update more as there is more progress, but would not, of course, give away any of her company secrets.  I will tell you that one of the main events that gave her this idea was the disappearance of Annie's BBQ Cheddar Bunnies.   Mia however, has more than one flavor cracker in mind....

....To Be Continued

Top 7 Reasons I Will Never Again Buy a Fresh Coconut

1. After using a flathead screwdriver, three different knives and a hammer it wasn't even that tasty.

2.  The first one I bought for Mia had a giant ball o' mold in the middle.

3. The second one was the most difficult food item I have ever fought with.

4. After getting the darned thing open I  spent more than ten minutes fighting the coconut flesh away from that pesky hard outer shell painfully breaking a nail in the process.

5. One of my good knives didn't survive the ordeal.  

6.  I'm not sure if this one was a little moldy or if coconuts are just weird annoying beings.

7.  Buying prepackaged shredded coconut from Whole Foods is much easier.

Cliff's Notes Update

Sickness.  

Sickness.  

Mommy sickness.  

Kids sickness.  

Shelby's chronic illnesses which we are only thankful for when he doesn't get sick with the same crap that everyone else is sick with.  Thank you overactive immune system.

Camera disappears.

Gaga's visit.  Super fun.  Lots of baking and coloring, but no bike riding due to the uncooperative weather.

Mia vomits.

Gaga gets the stomach bug too.

Gaga has to fly home.  Kids cry.

Lennon gets sick again.  Doctor visit confirms nothing.  Send stool sample to be tested.

No response yet.

Granmommy and Grandaddy come to town.

Lennon's in a fashion show for Happy Green Bee and does better than expected despite a huge time delay.  We get a new free organically grown cotton shorts outfit for him.

Fun carnival both kids have been waiting as patiently as they could for.  

Cotton Candy.  Lots of rides.  No camera.  Vickie's battery was plugged in at our house.  Our camera is still MIA.

Granmommy gets sick.

I wonder what is wrong with my house?  More cleaning?  Less chemicals?  What can I do?

Spend the day wondering why I can't quite measure up to what I think I should be.

Nice evening.  Good dinner.  Kids go to bed easily.

Watch House.  Grandaddy gets back from ridiculously long road trip.   They hit the road for the hotel up the hwy, we'll see them in the morning.

Watch Heroes.  I love it.  Why can't it be on every night?

Much needed shower.  Pack lunches.  Email.  Blah blah blah.

Crash into bed.  

Pray for tomorrow to bring peace.  :)