What time is it?

Me: Bobcat, what time is it?

Bobcat: Ummm... 400?

Me (irritated): 400 is not a time. Really now, it hasn't been that long since we taught you to read a clock. Maybe we need to do some more practice instead of taking off the whole summer...

MommaLlama (from the other room): If he's looking at the oven, it's pre-heating.

Me: Oh. Sorry, son. That does say 400, but it's the temperature. Go look at a different clock.

Bobcat: Ummm... seventy-one five?

Me: (silence... blank stare... calmly now...) Try again.

Bobcat: 7:15?

Me: Thank you.

===
The boy will be getting a watch - ANALOG, not digital! - for his birthday this year.

In all fairness

Just so you can see that I'm fair and balanced (and it isn't ALL BEAN, ALL THE TIME) here is picture proof. Last Monday I took my three, plus my niece (age 7) and my other nephew (15 months) to the zoo.

This was the first trip for my nephew, and I'm not sure he was all that impressed. Actually he acted so much like Snookie the first several times we took our three nearly 5 years ago. He was content in the stroller with his water... which we all needed since it was hot as... well you know!

This was also the first time I've taken 5 kids out on my own for any reason. All in all it was a successful trip. We saw things they wanted to see, we got to ride the train for free (perk of being members - on Mondays in June), and then after a few hours we headed back to my parents house (where my niece and nephews live) stopping first at McD's for some much needed lunchtime refueling!

I can't help myself!

Okay, here's another... can you tell that although we (me) only dropped him off yesterday after a nearly two week stint with us... and picking him up again on Thursday... we miss him like crazy around here!

This is a shot of him facing backwards in his bassinet laughing at the little animals hanging from the bonnet. He is finally tracking with his eyes, and lots of smiling and cooing. Oh, and sticking his tongue in and out and rolling it. It is really funny all the new faces he is making.

Bean at 11 weeks

Look at those long legs! (He takes after me.)

We've had company this past week, and I have been at work more than I haven't been at work. Hence, very light posting.

Okay, your turn, Olive!

Giver of Life

I just read a great post over at Blessed Among Men. It's always interesting (and at times annoying) what people will say when they see our family. Much like Suzanne, I have received the comment of trying for a girl, or are you done yet. And much like her comments on her own wedding registry, this life is not what I had picked out eight and half years ago.


Like many women I know, I dreamed of a largish family... I dreamed of being pregnant... I dreamed of their first day of school (walking them preferably)...


I didn't plan on adoption, I didn't plan on infertility being so final, I didn't plan on all boys, I didn't plan on my children being so very close in age, and I definitely didn't plan on homeschooling!


Thank goodness God knew better than me! Thank goodness that God's plan won out over my feeble attempt to plan things. Thank GOD that HIS gifts are far better than anything I could pick!

Worth a thousand words

Pictures...

One of my favorite things about my home these days (well the last nearly 5 years) are all the photos hanging on our walls. Before the boys, our walls really only held art pieces and a few pictures of Daddio and I... while they were all lovely, it didn't seem real HOMEY. Then along came the boys, and within a few months our walls were filled with images of OUR FAMILY. I love our walls now, every where I look I'm reminded of an event, a moment, or how tiny they were (or how big they are). A few years ago I started putting together collage frames for each year the boys have been home. It usually has 7 or 8 spots for photo's, and I do my best (with Daddio's help) picking out some wonderful memories from that year... images that are not staged, just us enjoying our life. Last night was no different. I finally found a frame that I really liked to add to our collection, and was inspired to get 2008 up on the wall.

That inspiration led to a few hours of searching through all the pictures, all the trips, all the moments of 2008... and trying to narrow it down to 8 images that really captured that year. By 8:30pm we had completed the task, ordered the pictures (I love online ordering and it being ready for pick up in an hour or less), and soon headed out to pick up the pictures (I'm into instant gratification... no waiting till the next day). Once home from the little trip, I put together the frames... and was quite pleased with the final product!

Now, so many pictures were considered... and so many didn't make the cut (for one reason or another... BOYS, for crying out loud, keep your eyes OPEN!). Below is a picture that didn't make the cut (for a number or reasons), but was an entertaining image that I had long forgotten. So for your viewing pleasure...

Snookie and Daisy:

Notice how they have the same look on their face... almost saying "Why is the [other] in my chair?"

Ummm, not sure what direction

to go with this question, dear Snookie.

For as long as I can remember, Snookie will draw or build something, then look at me and ask "What does this look like?"

Now to the rookie, one might take a guess or might respond with another question, "I don't know son, what is it/does it look like?"

The thing is -- he doesn't know, he made it but usually has no idea what it is.

Today is no different. This morning he brought me a Magnetix creation and asked what I thought it was... I had no idea... neither did he. Then just now he held up his paper which he had drawn a blue marker image and asked what I thought it looked like. This one I actually took a guess thinking that this is something he set out to draw (since he told me about the same thing he drew on another page)... my answer, "a bird"... his response, "oh, I thought it looked more like a bat!"

One is never really sure what is rolling around in that Snookie brain!