Hide outs

From a VERY long time ago, but still super cute, we present the "Cabin Building" pictures.

We had been reading The Little House Series prior to these pictures, and spent many months after them building various forms of housing then breaking it all down and moving again.  Which is of course a good summary of The Little House Series as well.

Also in Frontier style, please note that the animals in the cabin are not cute little pets, but fierce, wild animals stealthily hunted down and awaiting a good gutting by Ma. 

Luci and Daniel didn't hunt any animals.  

Daniel, to this day, prefers to hunt Indians and bad guys and eat them instead.  

I think we will re-read the series next year.  

Hopefully before we meet any real Indians.

Boys' Play time

A Tent inside another Tent.

Every boy should have one.

New to "No Longer Three"

Happy Birthday to you
Fireman Doodle Dan!

Sadly, I forgot to grab the camera for this celebration, so all we have is the documentation of the newest addition to the fire attire.  A fleece jacket (best worn over a wool sweater, with sweat pants, on a day in the 60s).

Fire-Man School

"Mommy, is dere any writing in Fire-Man School?"

"Yes, Doodle, I think so."

 After a thoughtful pause, "um, no.  No, Mommy, dere is not any writing, no, not really..." 
"No... They get, well someone gets a REALLY BIG match.  And they put fire on it!  Then they put the fire on something else.  Then they put water on the fire.
...and yeah, that is really all they do."

 

And that is how you raise a little fire man.

Cuddle Bugs

Luci has been studying hard in the classroom...

Or maybe "reading" is just another excuse to cuddle with her big brother.


In fact, Luci is so fond of it that cuddling has become an official activity in our house. I was refused a hug the other day, without hesitation, because, and I quote, "no, my cud Pia now!" And when I reminded Isabelle of her horses accidentally left to pasture on my living room floor, I was put in my place with an exasperated response, "I can't now mom, Luci needs me to cuddle with her." But not all the results of cuddle time are heart ache and rejection for Mommy. The other children have learned well the manipulation of childhood infatuation. Now, before I can summon the composure to once again interrupt my work to address the frantic screams of "No Luci, NO, not the..." my children suffer a severe bi-polar attack and in a remarkable display of vocal tenacity, they begin to express delight and amazement at how they just realized the sibling in the other room desperately wants to cuddle, immediately. Within moments the unsuspecting bystander is being lead down the hallway with Luci and her blanket in the lead.

Once I, by way of the voice in the other bedroom, found myself subject to a violent need for physical connection with my fourth child, the only drawback being that, as pictured above, the official act of cuddling requires you sit sideways in the chair. As my initial attempt at "cuddling with Luci" was exactly what you would expect of a mother sharing a chair with her child,... sideways... I have not suffered any subsequent attacks.

But Luci, thankfully, continues to need it with her siblings daily.

Fevers...

The doctors missed their opportunity to view the newest bangs on the block,
because the fever has passed...

from one kiddo to the next.

Zoo

I recently had a Friday off of work and decided to take the older three kids to the Dallas Zoo. Luci and Little Momma got to stay home and take much needed naps. We had a great time with each other and enjoyed a beautiful day at the Zoo!

The favorite thing of the day, especially for Peter and myself, would be the following video.

We just happened to be in the reptile building during feeding time and saw three rattlesnakes and a Gaboon Viper enjoy a rat meal!

Watching the Rain

It can tame even the most wild at heart.

Fun in the Flowers

I(Jeremiah) am not a great writer, nor do I describe events well enough to make people laugh as they read them, like my wife. I can though, however, upload pictures after receiving threatening emails from family members! So here you go, enjoy!

Why Heaven?

After a long day at work, this was the conversation I had with Daniel recently as I returned home.

Daniel: "Daddy, Why do we have to go to heaven?"

Me: "Well Daniel, we will get to see Jesus when we get to heaven."

Daniel: After a moment of thought, "But we already see Jesus at Mass all de time!"

Fishing

This has been cause for great concern in our house recently.

Not the child, the thing stuck between her two adorable lips. In fairness, this thing has caused her no trouble at all. Her lips are quite found of the feeling of soft plastic squishing between them. In fact they are quiet in love with it. It is this love which has created such passionate displays of affection that has cast a shadow over the heart of her littlest big brother.

He has recently suffered the loss of his own squishy soft plastic night time companions. And although prepared for the separation by months of counseling, motivational talks, and bribery in the forms of food, big boy toys and special comfort toys, it seems nothing can satisfy his little heart like squishy plastic between his lips.

This was his chosen solution.

(I am happy to say that after a few nights with Fishy, it too made a departure, and we have only caught those little lips stealing a squish or two from his sister a couple times.)

Happy Halloween

(wait, it's November already!)





This year on "All Halo's Eve," we were visited by a dragon,

St. Isabelle, princess of France,






St. George, disguised as a court jester, and

the Queen of Everything

who was battling mild dehydration during the entire photo shoot.





Yes, St. George, I told your secret.





During the evening, St. Isabelle, after years of cultivating her desires, finally enjoyed her long coveted horse ride, and, for 28 seconds she experienced the joy of a completely satisfied five year old girl.




In close pursuit was the fierce dragon, also experiencing a great deal of joy in his equestrian stole, although not possessing so coveted a previous desire.






St. George scoffed at all the nonsense, and used his perfectly good legs to walk the ten meters to the other side of the fenced enclosure.
His perfectly good legs, admittedly functional, were regrettably, not well covered as his chosen disguise was actually purchased for last year's jestering.





The evening culminated with the introduction of prehistoric into the Medieval, making the evening a particularly interesting historical treat, not excluding the baby bumble bee hovering above.


Unfortunately,
no one expected the giant hay bale spider to descend upon the posed menagerie so suddenly.

Happy Birthday Daniel!

Just three years ago our Doodle Dan came home from the birth center and has been charming us ever since.
(His brother and sister could hardly wait to meet him the next morning.)





Enjoying his first bites of table food.

Happy to finally be standing, at fourteen months.

Our little 18 month old boy, whose eyes could win him just about anything he wanted.

He practiced his charming skills in the hospital after loosing four pounds during a sixteen day battle with a stomach bug.
(Our stomachs still churn anytime he says, "my tummy hurts!")

Wow, Look at that two year old HAIR!

Wait... you're right, don't look.

Just smile...




And know we are blessed to have you!


Happy Birthday Doodle Dan!

Earplugs Anyone?

Last weekend Jenny Lynn and Luci made a visit to Uncle Matty in Maryland, so I had to make due from Thursday at 2:30 pm, all the way until Sunday night. Luckily, a strategically placed call to some grandparents helped me get through the weekend with a little more ease.


On Sunday afternoon we made a trek out to the Alliance Air Show in Fort Worth. It was well worth the drive and Ganpa's money as the kids had fun, Ganpa and I had a blast, and Ganma worked on crowd control and toy airplane hunting.

The stroller seemed to be a sought after seat after the first hour.

Daniel enjoying some of the louder fighter jets!

Peter with his earplugs in.

The group inside a C-5 Cargo jet. It can hold 6 school buses.

The main attraction of the day. The Navy Blue Angels!

The most expensive attraction of the day!