Audrey, the wild card

Audrey is a riot. She is obviously very smart, she is also strong willed(which I am certain came from Bing), she loves to read, dance and color. She also loves shoes, so that is cool.

She has begun crossing her arms with a stern look and turning away when asked to perform some task, very naughty, very naughty indeed. She will learn quickly that that don't fly. Like her brothers, she is very sensitive to reprimands and discipline. I find this to be a good deal. The more sensitive, the more they hate it and respond in the positive with changed behavior. I will not write a book on this because I am no authority on the matter, these are just observations of MY children. I will say, we offer our kids GOBS of positive feedback, kudos for behavior that is beautiful, wonderful, and uplifting. We reinforce the good behavior mightily and I think that helps them to choose good over the naughty.


Playing with Auntie Reese's pretty while observing the "getting ready ritual"


Attitude? What attitude?

Grammie and all her baby-babies during the family visit my sisters talked a bit about here, and here.


Coloring has yet to be limited to just.the.paper. despite reprimands and showing what is right and what isn't, she likes to color herself. As long as it ends in childhood and she doesn't become some mohawked, tatooted Miley Cirus we'll be good.


Looking kinda "Miley" here. Keep your shirt on girl!!

Sometimes she goes missing. When this happens I first check the boy's room as she is usually reading. Sometimes she is downstairs playing with toys but usually reading.
I am not amused mom.

Jetty-boo Birthday Boy

Jetty's birthday was lumped in with Mad's simply because we were in Montana with the cousins and so we celebrated them together, with all of their favorite people…save the grandparents.
So, we made a point to make his day special back here at the homestead

He will have to choose between Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and Iron Man for Halloween, so far the nun chucks have been a real hit so I can guess which way he is leaning.


If you know Jetty, you know that cookies are his favorite thing of all time. I had arranged, in a pile, packaged cookies of all sorts and he was well pleased, as evidenced by the little grin on his face. *Disclaimer:we are still working through the cookies, there was not free rein just because of his birthday.


Here he was caught in the act of sharing…ONE mini cookie! Haha!

Preschool Rocks!!

Mad's school had a field trip out to Walter's Fruit Ranch in Green Bluff Acres, WA. Naturally, we brought the whole family for some apple pickin', pumpkin plucking, tractor riding fun. They educated the kids on pollination, bees, tree grafting, cider pressing and then some. I actually learned quite a bit myself, like: it takes 50 leaves to produce an apple. I had never even thought about the leaves affecting the fruit!




Maddox and Audrey both picked honey crisp apples while Jetty opted for a tart variety…seems fitting.

Mad and class learning about the composition of apples and seeds

Audrey and Jetty on two separate occasions went to Ms. Betsy and either sauntered along side to hold her hand or asked her to hold them. So funny, they take to friendly, happy people. I pray now, that Bing and I can teach discernment and whom to trust.

Jet went in for the hand-hold

Audrey schmoozing Ms. Betsy

The class. "Lo" is in Ms. Betsy's lap and is "one of Mad's girlfriends"



What I deal with these days. Silly faces have overtaken my house along with constant talk of farts and boogers and naughty things they have picked up from "The Sandlot". I should have known better.

Jetty dialogues with us daily on his bathroom habits, claiming that he peed in the toilet yesterday so it is time for him to go to school. He is not familiar with 100% compliance. He also makes daily requests for baseball, golf, swimming rolling ball and play games. He is very matter of fact about these requests and is much like Maddox who will ask for the world with every belief that you will give it to him. Maddox is shaping up to be a great negotiator, as he doesn't settle for a "no" rather pressing for a commitment of a later date.
I grow more and more gaga for my kids with each passing day. The more we pray for them and work at shaping them into young people of character and integrity, with a strong moral foundation, who encourage and lift up those around them, the more my heart gives way to their sweet spirits. We are abundantly blessed and my heart is bursting with gratitude.