Fashionista

The kids set out their own clothes for school and put them on after their showers in the morning.

We have TWO rules in this house regarding the wardrobe pick:

It needs to be NEAT (not wrinkly/ripped/etc)

It needs to be CLEAN

This means Aleeya has FREE reign to wear whatever she wants. Brooks and I have gotten the biggest kick out of what she picks out and thinks is the "most beautiful thing". 

There is one problem is that on Monday/Friday Aleeya has to wear her gym shoes for P.E. Whenever she puts those white tennis shoes on (that look so big for her toothpick legs but fit her fine) it makes me laugh even more at her outfit. 

Granted, she DOES wear totally matchy things with cute boots or sparkly things and dresses super cute/normal (as in jeans and a cute top)..............and then there are "other" days when she is JUST as proud of her outfit but well.......let me give you a sample:

1)Doesn't the green pants go so well with the pink plaid shirt? 

2)And you gotta love the snowman leggings (or not! Brooks says they look like pj pants), neon green tennis with pink afgan shirt. 

3)Towards the first of the year she would do a WHOLE outfit blue, or all green. This particular day she went all pink.......and felt prettier then ever. Who cares if the shades are different.......SHE DOESN'T!

4) Strips and floral tu-tu ALWAYS go together, right? Since it's a P.E. day too, this outfit will be PERFECT to play dodgeball in!

5) All decked out for her Christmas singing with lights around her neck

6) EEK! The snowman leggings emerge again, but THIS time with a green/pink top

7) Christmas trees + floral skirt and gray leggings. I don't know what to say

(note: apparently all the girls in class "LOVE" all of Aleeya's skirts. But I make her wear leggings under them)

8) There is NO losing Aleeya on the playground in the bright pink skirt

9) Gray/sparkly skirt, neon socks, red leggings..... wow, just wow. 

10) I like to call that outfit the "heart attack". Because even if your sweatshirt has hearts AND your leggings, they "still match". And don't you forget it.

11) Monster's Inc shirt, zig-zag/chevron skirt completed with polka-dot tights. I didn't know which color to go with for a bow in her hair?!?! Too many to choose from.

12) Even though that floral shirt seems like it has every color on it....it doesn't. Because there is no purple....which makes it perfect to have a purple skirt to match it.

 And you're "never fully dressed without a smile" outfit......coming right up!

And my personal favorite.....and it needed it's own picture:

Drumroll please..............

the chevron/floral/striped combo

I don't know if you can tell, but Aleeya feels like a million bucks in all her "cute" outfits, and walks around with all the confidence in the world.

She definitely dresses to kill.............

kill the FASHION industry, that is.

A Man's Way

I wanted my hair trimmed and just needed a straight-lined cut on the bottom of my hair.

Brooks has done it before and done fine.

But THIS time it made me laugh because he wanted it JUUUUUUUUST right.....

I'm sitting there holding still, not wanting to move for obvious reasons. Next thing I feel is a bar going across my back!!!! I still held still. After he was done cutting I turned around and found him holding his leveler!!!

You know, to hang things on the wall straight and stuff?!? I laughed pretty hard....but it actually did a really (almost TOO straight) line.

My boys asked if I could get 2 pigtails into Kellyn's hair for church.....so I tried.

 Gosh, she just looked so cute.

 Of course, by the time we got there she had wings hanging out the back, but it was still precious. Sooooo, I guess we're not pigtail ready yet.

Pregnancy update:

We have ZERO girl names. Like zero.

This past week we've (Brooks) been calling her "Plexy" though. 

(No, that is NOT a serious name in the running!)

In her ultrasound there was a "choroid plexus cyst" on her brain. Apparently it happens in 1-3% 2nd trimester ultrasounds and usually go away at about 28 weeks. It's very rare they actually turn into a fetal chromosome abnormality, but still, never had anything "come up" on an ultrasound before.

So for now........"Plexy" (hopefully NOT to be Plexy by 28 weeks), it is.

Gender Mystery Solved!

 At 21 weeks I finally made it into the OB doctor for my first visit. Of course, they treat it like my 8 week visit with the "preliminary" ultrasound to check dates and see a heartbeat. When the lady saw my chart she said, "Well, I think we'll see a lot more then THAT today, now won't we?"

As soon as she hooked me up to the ultrasound, of course I get all teary-eyed. I get more and more emotional with each ultrasound. It's like when I see the moving and most beautiful thing EVER, I realize any sicknesses, weird rashes, teeth issues, puking, etc etc ETC is so so so worth it. It's like seeing the fruit of your labors after working on something so hard for the past 21 weeks. Anyway, so there I was blubbering.

And there my baby was.........sitting ON the camera (immodestly, I might add),  in such a flaunting way as only a little sister of Aleeya could pull off! 

Yep, it's another GIRL!!!!!!!!!

Now we're even-Steven with 4 girls and 4 boys. 

(the boys are gonna die when I tell them they lost their lead when they get home from school!)

It's REALLY cute thinking of Kellyn having a little sister 18 months younger then her to play with! I think her little sister will like playing with this ever-playful big girl.

Of course for ROYCE, that means he has 2 sisters above him and 2 sisters below him. EEK!

Thankfully, I think he might STILL go through life unscathed by the effects of all these girls.....

or will he?

The other relief from the doctor's visit was my blood pressure is great (a concern I have since Kellyn's birth) and I FINALLY made it back up, plus one pound to my starting pregnant weight.

Normally people LOVE losing weight but the first two (sick) weeks of the pregnancy I lost 11 pounds. I have gained 12 pounds since that low........but what's REALLY funny is in the meantime, my belly is HUGE!!!! Not huge huge, but bigger then I usually am at this point, and I wonder, "THIS was my starting weight?!?!" 

The baby is the weight of a full soda can and the size (sorta) of a pomegranate. Uh......it looks like there's enough room in there for 6 pomegranates!

Then again, maybe my little girl likes living large and having her space.

She better ENJOY it while she CAN because when she comes out, she can say GOOD BYE to her personal space!!!!!!!!!! 

The Last Laugh

I love nurses.....I REALLY do. But for sooooooooome reason our school nurses at my kids' school KILL me. I think the school must be SCARED TO DEATH of a lawsuit or something. With 4 kids in the school I have "school nurse" pop up on my phone quite regularly. I'm so grateful to know that Aleeya bonked heads with someone in class, is fine and not crying, but a head trauma report was filed. Or that Emerson had his finger stepped on in PE but now able to use it "to its full fuctionality" (yes, that word was used)........its REALLY over the top and ridiculous. 

Anyway, today when the nurse called and I didn't hear it (HEAVEN FORBID  I don't have my phone velcro-ed to me while I shower!), they tried calling my husband, and then tried BOTH of my friends here on the emergency contact list. My friends kept calling me until I heard the phone and picked up and said I better QUICKLY call the nurse because something was really wrong. They were quite worried........anyway, I figured I should probably write them an "Emerson update" email today so they could feel peace knowing all turned out okay. Here is the copied email to them: 

Since I know you were both SO worried about Emerson and since it WAS infact an emergency for the nurses to call BOTH of my friends about it I mind as well let you know what happened. He was playing in recess. Fell down after bonking into a friend. When he got up to step his foot "didn't work". Funny how that is, because then his drop-dead-gorgeous teacher had to CARRY him into the nurses station where he got special treatment in a wheelchair. Since the injury was obviously in his foot, I'm RELIEVED to know that they took his temperature, checked his circulation, vision and looked in his mouth for no "abnormalities". Phew. Good to know. 

It REALLY concerned the nurse that he just couldn't put "full bearing of his weight" on his right foot though, so OBVIOUSLY I had to come pick him up because he couldn't go to class (or limp for the rest of the day?......I digress). Granted there was .5% of me that was worried that something may have indeed happened, but knowing Emerson I assumed the 99.5% of me was right. The nurse handed the phone to Emerson and I talked with him. He was fine, and I knew it by how he was smiling our whole conversation. But I STILL had to pick him up because he "couldn't get to class".

I woke up Kellyn from her nap and dressed the kids to make ourselves presentable. (I love walking through the school with 3 kids) I walked in the nurses place and there was my Emerson, big smile on his face and all......sitting in a wheelchair. I went over to examine his foot and I didn't feel any breaks. Not that I'm an expert, but his foot wasn't in the opposite direction or anything. I tried to get him to move it and of COURSE he couldn't. Then I asked him to put his shoe and sock back on so we could go and his foot didn't have ANY problem wiggling around in the shoe to get his foot in. Mmm-Hmm.

The nurse wheeled him out to the Yeti in the wheelchair. (seriously, ALL I could think of was how I get wheeled around only after I've given birth and done something to that degree.........this kid smiles and says he can't walk and gets the treatment)

I told him coming home and in order to "rest his foot" he would be in bed all day. (The kids know that's what happens when you go to the nurse and need to be picked up.....because if its legit, they really SHOULD be laying down all day. Camden one day had a "belly ache" conveniently before a test....and when the nurse suggested to call his mom, Camden just told the nurse, "Nevermind, I'm starting to feel better, I would rather go back to class." Wise boy, wise boy.......but I did in fact get a call from the nurse telling me that he HAD a belly ache but already went back to class because he felt better.) We get home and I fed Emerson lunch. He hopped into the house and around it on one foot. Then I told him Royce might be upstairs playing with his Star Wars Lego guy and he ran upstairs to stop him........we're talking with BOTH feet.............just fine.

Seriously, that child. But yes, he WILL stay in bed for the rest of the day anyway. I'm not gonna want him to pull this on me again. Hopefully it's miserable for him.

The ONLY thing that brings me comfort and a smile to my face is that Dasher (the elf at our house) actually painted the kids' toenails last night while they were sleeping. So when the nurse pulled off his sock and shoe she saw his toenails. I just know Emerson was mortified.

So I guess I get the last laugh after all..............

3

The Royce-man, Roycey, the Royster, or the angel-face.......whatever you want to call him.......

TURNED 3 last week!!!!!!!!!

Not only did 3 make him REALLY want to learn how to say big words (ie: knucklehead..... "knuckle-hea") but it ALSO turned him into the official cutest 3 year year old. My mom has said to me in the past, "That boy sure has your heart"......and its true.

This boy......admiring his pizza for dinner.

Oh, but wait, he had to movie Kellyn's seat closer so she was right by him first.

Such a sweetie.

 (yes, the girls are in swimsuits.....it was 70 that day.......yesterday it was 40. So crazy)

Camden has a huge heart and when he found out it was Royce's birthday he quickly ran up to his room to find something that he could give Royce and wrapped it up.

 That smile on his face opening Camden's gift says it all. Royce was THRILLED when Camden gave him one of his old walkie-talkies that Royce likes playing with. I smiled and told Camden how sweet that was and he just said, in an awww-shucks-kind-of-way, "well, it doesn't work anyway, so I gave it to him".

haha

BEST gift was obviously the trike. Did NOT get off it........ I've never seen someone love a riding toy so much.

We finally pried him off the trike for his cake topped with Lego-guys......and weird, melted white puddle/whipped cream things.

Ready for the spider pinata........but we JUUUUUUUUST can't decide if it's worth getting off the trike for.

 I found that spider at a store the day after Halloween for $3, so it was a no-brainer to pick it up for Royce's birthday. The only issue (and it's a BIG issue with my kids) is that it only has 6 legs........so clearly, this pinata would've only worked for Royce who doesn't know any better.

I've seen my fair share of pinata whacking, but I have NEVER seen a 3 year old go to TOWN on a pinata like he does. You can't just say, "two hits, Royce!" because that turned into a speed-batter that got 20 hits in before the next kid could pry the bat out of his hand. This kid LOVES showing off his baseball skills.

After grabbing the treats and the kids dispersing to reek havoc on their goods, Royce just returned to his trike..........with his riding buddy securely fastened on his back.

Happy Birthday little buddy..............our family would be SO boring without you.

I guess Christmas is Here!

Since Thanksgiving was so late this year it's like we wanted to HURRY and decorate for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving to give the Christmas month justice!

When I was little we always had sugar cookies on our Christmas tree. In my child's eye, I think it added to the magical/tasty/colorful/perfect Christmas ideal. It's one thing I knew I always wanted to do for my kids.

I halved the sugar cookie log (I seriously can NOT make homemade good ones) and made 1/2 of them tasty and baked them....

Then the other half I called Iris, Royce and Aleeya in the kitchen and had them WATCH me add jalapeno juice  and chili powder to the dough. They smelled it and agreed it would be yucky. But they REALLY smelled like jalapenos....which isn't really a Christmas smell in my book, so I loaded it with straight cinnamon too and it made them turn brown........almost gingerbread looking......and baked them. These would be for the tree.

 I kept emphasizing to the younger ones that they are YUCKY and they wouldn't want to eat them. (It makes me wonder how my mom kept us off the cookies.......then again, I remember taking many bites of them)

I love that when Royce concentrates his bottom lip comes out. He put eyes on the hands and feet. So cute.

 Bronson's was pretty clever with his mohawk.

 All the ones for the tree.....

Then we decorated the yummy ones and ate all of them.

Later that night the girls and I started threading the popcorn and cranberries. Once again, a look I just love. I HATED doing the work though. This year the girls wanted in on it and helped. Those two just talked my ear off and giggled while we made the strands. It's probably a tradition I will look forward to next year just sitting there listening to them. 

The boys heard all the fun and towards the end all asked to help to......the strand was our longest yet!

A magical/child/colorful Christmas tree. I love seeing my kids just stare at it. One of my favorite parts is the tree skirt that my Nana handmade and sewed so many little beads on.

 When Brooks got home from work at 10:30 he saw it and said, "It's perfect.........for our family." I asked him what that meant and he said, "It just matches our family. It would look REALLY out of place if we had some designer looking Christmas tree in our home." I guess he's right.

Moravian Stars are my absolute favorites. 

Brings back such wonderful memories of Winston Salem......plus, I don't think there's a prettier star shape out there.....and well, with the Christmas story you NEED a star!!!!

We put our bigger Moravian star out on the porch too!!! 

Speaking of Christmas ornaments I had seen a deal (on artscow.com) last month on Christmas ornaments. Pat had made me a Family Home Evening chart 10 years ago and the wooden hearts on it were wearing out.....plus we didn't have enough. Considering we use it every Monday night, I was trying to think of something to use instead. The Christmas ornaments turned out perfect!

 (Yes, Royce and Kellyn are, I guess on "stand by" ?.....)

They turned out better quality and clearer pictures then I thought!

With Christmas all decorated for, stockings up, nativity sets out, advent calendar in full force with an Elf watching our every move I feel like we're officially ready for December.

I didn't think I would be healthy (with this pregnancy and all) at this time of year so back in September I got all the Christmas shopping done. (And Christmas cards done.........so if you see our family picture in an OBVIOUS summer-looking picture, you'll know why...) So really, this month is all about soaking in all memories and peaceful moments we can. Oh wait, Kellyn doesn't have a stocking yet.  I guess I have to make that and one for the baby for next year (I've been waiting to find out the gender to pick a design!!!)

And if you're wondering if the cookie-chili powder trick worked............ well

IT DID!!!!!!!

Royce tried sneaking a bite one day and then started crying shortly after spitting it out. 

Mommy- 1, Royce-0

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Brooks has been on an ER rotation so has been leaving in the morning at 10 and gets home around 10:30pm. So on Thanksgiving morning before he had to leave for work I made  asked Brooks to deal with the turkey.

I just have a hard time with meat. If it has bones or resembles it's "former shape/self" then I just don't have much to do with them. 

Brooks of course changes everything into an anatomy lesson and told the boys to stick their hand in the turkey and pull out what they can find

(Camden's face says it all....)

Wow! The sack of treasures with all the organs in it. *GAG*

Here is Brooks pointing out to the boys the heart where the blood goes in and yadda yadda (I tuned out)

The turkey really was QUITE the entertainment for the morning though.

The "wingspan" for some reason was REALLY interesting to them.

So with that, Brooks was off to work to help save people from their electric carving knife wounds and Turkey Bowl blunders...........while I save the world one Thanksgiving feast at a time.

It was actually SUCH a nice slow paced day. I put each kid in charge of a dish. The day before Emerson had made the raspberry/pretzel dish and Iris helped with the potatoes (I make the make-ahead potatoes) and both were in the fridge. 

Bronson wanted to make the blueberry cobbler.

Aleeya did the deviled eggs

Another HUGE perk of having just me and the kids is that I didn't have to worry about the "presentation" either. The kids just wanted the food. To illustrate my point, check out Aleeya's eggs......

While all the morning cooking was going on, these three just did this......

pans, spoons, hotpads and a LOT of make believe.

They picked the mid-day "snack" too which consisted of the deviled eggs, mini-pickles, pomegranate seeds, Ritz/cheese sandwiches and celery with peanut butter. (Personally celery w/ peanut butter is an abomination on Thanksgiving to me, but I couldn't find the traditional Degn family cheese spread to put in the celery sticks. Darn.) 

After snack I put the younger 4 down for naps, the 3 boys went upstairs to watch football and I shoved the turkey in the oven so I could go take me a nice relaxing "Ensign Bath". I'm telling ya, how many people get to soak in the bath before their Thanksgiving feast?!?!? It was heaven.

I know I always talk about how Royce doesn't speak very much but in the past month he has REALLY tried to start talking. When he woke up from his nap I led him in to see the turkey in the oven and he said, "Oooooo, tu-key". It was so cute that I pulled out he video camera to capture it again. He didn't exactly say it like that, but here is just a sample of his cute voice.

(LINK)

The turkey turned out!!!!! Wa-hoo.

I actually just wanted to sit and stare at it. You see, cutting turkeys or whole chickens really isn't in my......um.....job description? It's more in Brooks' department. For the kids' sake I put on my game face on, pulled out the electric knife and went to town. BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT PEOPLE!!!!

It wasn't too hard though because it kept just falling off the bones and the dreaded "detach the leg at the joint" thing turned out to not be that vomit-provoking for me.

Another perk about having a low-key Thanksgiving is that there wasn't a set time to have things done or any stress. I just called the kids in when I was done. They each grabbed a can of A&W Rootbeer (their special request)........and sat down. Yes, we're high class like that. 

AND apparently we don't have a dress code for the feast either. You can come with no shoes, in your pajamas or heck, without a shirt if you're Emerson!

Looking at that full table made me so thankful.......just so so thankful.

One of my favorite things is how EVERY TIME we sit down to eat any meal that Royce will go behind Kellyn's seat and move her close to his seat. He always feeds her and wants her close to him. When she is NOT in her chair, she always walks over to him and opens her mouth. She knows how to work it and WHO is the sucker.

It was truly such a peaceful, relaxing day full of gratitude. As I sat at that table FULL of food and full of children, I couldn't help but be grateful for it all........and a husband who has a job to provide all of it for us.

(Don't feel too sorry for him, the hospital catered the docs a big ol' Thanksgiving meal)

Mango Week

The kiddos have had "Mango Week" marked on our calendar since I was 6 weeks along.

We read an article saying that by 19 weeks the baby would be the size of a mango. When Bronson read that, he said, "On that week can we EACH have our own mango to celebrate?!"

Of COURSE I said yes!!!!!

 Not exactly because I'm a nice mom but I am always craving a good ol' mango, so it sounded like a GREAT excuse idea to me!

 Pretty sure this kid could eat 20 in one sitting!

 EVERYONE loves mangoes.........oh wait, my ridiculously picky-fruit eater Emerson doesn't....so he and Kellyn got a banana. (Kellyn's little sleepy-I-just-woke-up face is so cute)