It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Zeke 7 months

Evan and I took Big Z to get his 6 month pictures taken...at 7 months. He wasn't as smiley as normal because he was tired, but I think his pictures turned out pretty cute!



TROUBLE

With a capital T....

Zeke is mobile and into trouble all the time.

My view from the kitchen

Movie night with our family.....

Today....

I think I have mentioned just a few times that age three has not been a good fit for Eli. Holy cow is he a pistol! He seems to always be in trouble lately....Still sweet as ever, but man is he a challenge!

This child is always up to something....




And this child always has a smile on his face....



And here is Zeke and Mommy sporting the same Simpson shirts. We went to the D3 National Cross Country meet today in Waverly. My college coach's daughter was running and ended up as an All American. It was great to see them...and to be reminded yet again that Catie is not 5 years old anymore! She is a senior at Simspon...I met a friend from college at the meet and had a great time catching up. Funny that I haven't seen her for 11 years, and I have seen her twice in the last month! Unfortunately, a couple weeks ago, I met up with her in Indianola as we attended our coach's wife's funeral. She passed away from a two year fight against ovarian cancer.It was horrible to see what cancer does to a very beautiful and healthy 53 year old woman. It was great to see Coach Ellingson and Catie under a bit better circumstances today. What a great race Catie ran in honor of her mom!

Eli has been obsessed with brushing his teeth lately. We have to hide toothbrushes and toothpaste because he would brush his teeth everytime he went into the bathroom if we let him.

Big Boy

 

Zeke sat in the Wal Mart cart for the first time the other day....He was so excited!

New Day....

Better day...

Zeke is officially mobile. He is rolling and army crawling all over the place. He has a funny army crawl....I'll have to get it on video soon. It is pretty cute!

Zeke is also eating baby food for lunch and supper and cereal in the mornings. We tried Gerber Puffs the other day, and he loves them! He does pretty well picking them up and getting them in his mouth...I am sure that is due to the fact that he has had some practice picking up army guys, legos, fuzz...anything small he can find on the floor. We just talked to the older boys this morning about having to keep tiny stuff in their rooms and their room doors shut. Christmas should be interesting. He is just getting interested in all the things around him so I am sure the Christmas tree will snag his attention.

We went to the doctor last Friday for his 6 month checkup. He weighed 19 lbs 14 oz. He is a TANK! He is wearing mostly 12-18 month clothes already. He is built just like Evan was (and still is).

Chaos...

Life is chaotic...and it just got more hectic. The time of year I have been dreading has arrived. Wrestling season officially began yesterday for the high schoolers. This means that Ben does not get home from work until about 7:00 pm every night. By the time he gets home, the kids have already had supper, already done their homework, they are cleaned up and ready for bed. It is hard on me...he is so much help when he is home that I rely on it too much. It is time to change habits and start coming up with a routine that works for the boys and I.

There are days that just seem to never end and I have to remind myself to enjoy the boys when they are young. I never get this time back, but it is so hard. I know someday I will miss this...

Like when...

Eli takes off all his clothes, forces himself to pee by the front door, and then throws his underwear in the toilet. I'm gonna miss this, right?

Evan and Isaac start wrestling around until eventually they knock the picture frames down and I have to put them both in time-out. I'm gonna miss this, right?

Explaining to my 6 year old that he shouldn't suck his thumb and suggesting we put away blankies so he isn't tempted. I'm gonna miss this, right?

When Zeke is rolling and army crawling across the house, and I have to keep taking things out of his mouth and moving him while I am trying to get supper on the table. I'm gonna miss this, right?

Scrubbing carrots out of the carpet because Zeke has spit up while rolling across the floor. I'm gonna miss this, right?

Explaining to Isaac why he CAN'T keep chewing on his shirts and making holes in them. I'm gonna miss this, right?

Reminding the boys, night after night, that they can't get up while we are eating supper. Reminding Isaac that supper time is not the time to show us new karate moves. I'm gonna miss this, right?

Giving baths and chasing a naked three year old around the house and finally catching him when he gets to the garage. Explaining to him why he can't run around the house naked. I'm gonna miss this, right?

Cleaning up the second glass of spilled milk after I gave in and let three boys have a snack before bed. I'm gonna miss this, right?

Waking up at 4 AM with a teething baby who just wants to be cuddled. I'm gonna miss this, right?

Making sure bags are packed, shoes are tied, coats are zipped, rounding up hats, herding kids to the van, dropping them off at daycare, getting them inside the house, taking coats off, making sure their hair is not standing up....I'm gonna miss this right?

Working all day, coming home, working out while paying for an extra half hour of daycare just so I can get a couple minutes to myself, picking the little boys up, coming home for a few minutes, loading little boys back up, picking older kids up from their after school program, getting supper ready, making sure everyone is fed and cleaned up. Getting big boys' wrestling stuff together, packing up four boys, zipping coats, tying shoes, finding hats, driving to the high school, unloading everyone, getting the big boys' wrestling shoes on and tied, packing little boys back up, explaining to Eli why he is too little to wrestle with the big boys at practice, coming home, unloading everyone, baths, books, bedtime....I'm gonna miss this, right? 

Feeling like a failure when my kids misbehave in public, are out of control, don't listen, are too wild around other people, having people look at you and feel like they are thinking that you have no control, have too many kids, and should do things differently....I'm gonna miss this, right?

It's hard to explain to yourself that you are doing the best you can. It's hard looking at other families and wondering how they have it all together and wondering what you are doing wrong.  It is hard and somedays I feel like my only goal is to survive the day. It's also hard to remind yourself that your gonna miss this.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA!!

Evan's wrestling debut

Evan had a great day yesterday. He had two matches and had two pins! He looked a lot more confident this year and was so excited to wrestle.



He got first place in the tournament and brought home a trophy.

Isaac's wrestling debut

The boys wrestled in their first wresting tournament of the season yesterday. Isaac had a rough day. He had second thoughts when we walked in the door, but Ben and I thought it would be good for him to at least try it. It started out rough, as he realized his first opponent was a girl.



By the end, he figured out if he just rolled over and laid there, the match was over a lot faster! Oh, Isaac....only you would think of that!

Isaac's Dance Party 11-12-10

Happy Birthday, Grandpa Kalainoff!

We have all sorts of birthdays this month...


The babies
Zeke and Locklan

Cousins taste soooo yummy!



Zeke and Great Grandpa John

I can't think of too many kids that still get "Pony Rides" from their Great Grandmas! I'm not sure who is having more fun here, Eli or Nanny?