Signs, Signs, Signs Everywhere

It's a busy beehive here at The Gang's house.... 

signs of the big events of April are all over the place! 

 Someone was working up a creative

and memorable way to ask his girlfriend to the prom.

She said, "Yes" by the way. Or rather, CHECKED "yes!"

Aren't they just adorable?!

(Special props to Dr. D for allowing us to be included

in this special moment. We're missing the actual prom

because of our trip.)

********************

Someone has been working up a count down

to help a couple little someones grasp the visual

the events of the coming weeks.

*************************

That same someone has also been working

on a very simplified and streamlined visual system

for a "particular" someone to feel the security of consistency

and expectations of both her behavior and boundaries

while we travel.

*****************************

And that "particular" little someone has been

enjoying window markers as a means

of expressing her love for her "hol" Gang.

 "I <3 my hol famule"

Sigh.

I know. How cute is THAT?!

Sunday Snapshot

Oh, such a funny story on the way to these pretty pics!

When LadyBug, Li'l Empress, Grandma and I all gathered in the kitchen before church this a.m., we noticed a theme. And consequently, a perfect opportunity for some picture time, if you ask me.

This is the first shot. Pretty much perfect, I think.

And then we requested The Boss to follow up with another. You know, "just in case."  I'm big on the "follow up" pic, even bigger on the "just in case."

Not just with pictures. Kinda generally in life.

But with this second shot, Li'l Empress just.would.not look at the camera. W.O.U.L.D.N.O.T. I even "got in her face" a little, assuming that she was over-tired and acting out.

Finally, she stopped us all in our tracks, by patting Grandma's arm and asking, "What dis arm doin' here foh?"

Oh. My. Word. She COULDN'T look at the camera and smile pretty.

Because she couldn't figure out whose arm that was and what it was doing on her leg.

Those smiles are pure hilarity. She had us totally cracked up.

I have no idea where she comes up with this stuff.

Wordless Wednesday

Three years ago this week,

THIS was the sight that greeted me

when I opened my email before heading

off on our annual vacation.

I know, can you STAND it?!

And now....

Holding her (instead of a couple of pictures!)

in my arms still doesn't get old!

For more Wordless Wednesday fun,

head over to  5 Minutes for Moms and link up.

Sunday Snapshot

It was a good day to be the Momma of this Gang.

They let me sleep in a bit.

We went to the church picnic.

Li'l Empress got super sweaty and really red-faced

with excitement at all the play time with her big sibs

and their "awdum" friends.

That is NOT a sunburn. It is truly how red

her face gets when she runs around like a loon

on even a mild temp day.

Which today was not.

We stopped by our local bank

to have a contract notarized.

THE contract notarized, I should say.

Then we came back to The Gang's House

and spent the afternoon poolside.

Some family came by to chill out and visit.

Shaggy and Dr. D's "awdum" friends stopped by

for some cool-down time.

Ice cream sandwiches were served

to fortify them for the water battles that ensued.

Later, the yummy, gooey peanut butter chocolate chip bars

refilled all the empty tummies.

The mosquitos filled up nicely on Dr. D's

sweet Italian skin.

The pool was full today.

And so was my heart.

Happy Birthday to me!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Loving the lazy, hazy days of summer.

Loving the silly, cuddly, huggy fun between these two.

Loving that she thinks her muscles are as big as her brother's!

For  more Wordless Wednesday fun,

link up over at 5 Minutes for Mom.

She's A Sly One

So. The other night, I was doing the night time routine with Li'l Empress. Jammies on. White noise on. Little stuffed animal friends all lined up. Blankie tucked in just so. Hugs and kisses and a little silly girl talk about the day. You know the drill. I'm sure you all have a similar routine going on at your place.

But then it was time to pray. And it went a little something like this...

(Keep in mind, I'm typing it as she would have said it. Bear with the phonetic chaos of it all.)

Dear Je-Ah,

Da da da da foh today. Dank you for Daddy and Mommy. Dank you for Shaggy and Dr. D. Dank you for LadyBug and Baby BlueEyes. And me.  Dank you for my wubby-dubby. And my doggie. And my bear. And my blankie. Dank you for Mommy fitzin all da holes in my puhpul hippo and madin hippo aaaaaaaallll beddah. Hep me seep wew and had gooooood rets.

In Je-Ah Name,

AAAAAAAAMEN!

The only thing is?

That puhpul hippo?

I mean, that purple hippo?

Was still on the shelf in the closet, along with all the other mending I have to get to.

Was still on the shelf, un-fitzed.

I mean, unfixed.

I mean, still on the shelf with a great big hole still in his leg.

Un-mended.

Yeah. She's a sly one all right.

Let's just say that after that particular sweet little prayer?

The puhpul hippo is now fitzed.

And is now nestled nicely each nap-time and bedtime at Li'l Empress's side.

Right where he belongs.

Fourth Fashion

Yesterday, my Gang was decked out to celebrate the fourth... Here's some of the fashions they were sportin' for the festivities of the day.

Baby BlueEyes has lots of

red, white and blue in his dresser.

Apparently, he decided to wear it all at once.

Li'l Empress and Grandma sportin' their

flags and fireworks.

My three little patriots.

Cutie pie cousins with their matching skirts.

They kept telling us they were "twins."

How funny is that?

Come by and join the Fourth fun

at 5 Minutes for Moms.

It's a linky party!

If you want to see some other

fashion - forward cutie pies,

sportin' their red, white, and blue,

head over to We Are Grafted In's holiday post.

See if you can spot Li'l Empress in the mix :)

Sunday Snapshot

Wow. It's been almost three weeks since my last post. A LOT has happened here at The Gang's House. I figured posting a pictorial tour of the last 17 days would be a waaaay more interesting way to catch us all up. I say "us" cuz I feel like I need a good reminder of just what I've been headlong into before my memories fade! So, buckle up and here we go...

Li'l Empress has, for several months now,

told us repeatedly that she wants to be

a piggie when she grows up.

Imagine her delight when these cute

p.j.'s came out of the summer clothes bin.

Oh, and check out the 'tude - hands on the hip

is the new "thing" around here.

I let it slide when she's just being funny or sassy.

We enjoyed our traditional Memorial Day weekend

with my "best friend since kindergarten" and her family.

Well, minus her oldest daughter,

whose presence was sorely missed.

Li'l Empress needed a bit of coaxing for the first

swim of the season. It was a tad chilly at first, but

warmed up nicely by Monday.

The weather was perfect for all the grilling and swimming.

My sweet friend also blessed me by filling

my porch planters. And now, every time I look

out onto my porch, I see all this beauty

and think immediately of her.

Everyone should have a friend as steadfast

and deeply beautiful as Stacey.

Shaggy purchased his first car!

A peppy little '89 Honda Accord LXi.

It's a five-speed, which he will have to learn to drive,

but it's going to be a great first car for him.

I'm so proud of him - every single penny came from

his own savings. He's a hard worker and very frugal, to boot.

Always happy to indulge her little sister's cute

pre-occupation with piggies, LadyBug made this

curly tail for Li'l Empress. She wore it off and on all day.

My two girls got hit this weekend with a nasty summer cold.

But gosh, even all feverish and drippy and hoarse,

they are still so pretty. Don't you wish you looked

this cute when you felt that cruddy?

Oh. Look. There's the 'tude again!

She followed Daddy up and down the stairs

all afternoon, "hepping him" make the closet

door frame. "Hepping him" hang it.

She's gonna sleep good tonite, after all those trips

from the bathroom to the garage and back again.

All that's left in there is for The Boss to trim it

all out, touch up the paint, and finish the closet door.

I can't wait to start organizing!

There you have it. A not-so-brief summary of the missing weeks.  It's my way of easing back into the discipline of blogging. I so miss it when I don't do it, but the pace around here and the STUFF we've been working through to get to this point has been too draining for me to come up with interesting and witty posts. The good news is that the school year is DONE for Shaggy and Dr. D. Hard-fought, long hours, and lots of essay and project proofing, but DONE. DONE. Can I get an AMEN from my peeps?! They are so excited to have two full weeks of downtime before their younger sibs - I've had to tame the gloating and the ribbing to a dull roar. Especially since I still have to get up to a stupid alarm clock WITH the younger ones!

I'll have to sit down this week and share Dr. D's other great news with you all later. It deserves its own post but I'm waitin' on some details to come together. Suffice it to say, as busy and crazy as the last three weeks have been, there have been some very special moments in it all.

Click on the button below and join in the Sunday Snapshot fun.  It's a great way to kick off the week and to capture some great memories for your gang.  And if you come by here to take the tour, drop me a comment. I love visitors :)

Wordless Wednesday

This is how I found Li'l E's lamb the other day.

Stuffed into her toy microwave.

I don't even know what to say about this.

For more Wordless Wednesday fun,

head over to 5 Minutes for Mom and link up!

On Raising a Strong Willed Child

I believe I may have mentioned once or twice around here that our Li'l Empress is working hard, daily, to live up the meaning of her Gaelic name - "little fiery one."  She's sassy, spunky, and opinionated. I may worry about a lot of things with this girl o' mine, but self-advocating is not likely going to be one of those things.  Here's just a snippet of the things that have come out of her mouth recently.

This morning, sitting in the right-turn lane at a red light:  "Red mean top."

"Yes, Li'l E. I'm stopped."

When I see it's all clear, I make the right on red.

Which, in my state, is perfectly legal.

From the back seat, "MOMMMMMMMEEEEEE!

You mut top at red. Red mean top!"

~~~~~~~~~~~

When she's trying to make a point and someone interrupts her, 

she screws up her little face and declares, "I not talkin' to YOU."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to Dr. D, she's now running around the house mumbling

the melody to "Never Gonna Give You Up" 

and then pointing both index fingers at the closest sibling

and yelling in a growly little voice, "Wick Woh'd!"

We're trying to get that one on video, without her knowing we're filming her.

She's a sly one, tho. Always sees that darned camera coming.

~~~~~~~~~~~

When driving to school on a sunny morning, I've taken to pointing out

the newly blooming trees and flowers. The other morning, I pointed out

a purple azalea bush and a pink tree.

 She got a little snippy with me and wouldn't look at the purple bush.

She said, (in a pitch perfect imitation of her tween sister)

"Mooooommmmmeeeee, I DO like pink trees."

Like, "duh, I'm so over purple, MothER."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every. Single. Time. The Boss and/or I leave the house, she demands to know, 

"Who gonna be in chawg?"

Like she has some first right of refusal or something.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And the "why." Oh, the why.

All of a sudden, literally in a day and night difference, we are in the "why" stage.

One day, Shaggy got wise to it. And played along.

He answered so many of her "why?" questions that he actually

got down to Original Sin.

Yessir. My oldest teaching my youngest about Adam and Eve

choosing to rebel against God by eating an apple.

WHY? Because he could.

Serves her right!

Sunday Snapshot

OMIGOSH!  I just looked, and it's been 17 days since my last post.

Heh. I feel like I'm sitting in a confessional.

"Bless me Readers, for I have fallen behind. It's been 17 days since my last post."

Heh. I kill me.

Anyhooo... I knew that the first three weeks of April would seriously kick our collective hiney around here but I had NO idea just how hard the pace would be on all of us. We are spent. Run-down. Worn out. And ever so grateful that the three and a half weeks of calendar crowding and overlap of activities is finally over.  I am so over it.

But in the midst of it all, there were some great highlights. Shaggy has earned almost enough to begin seriously looking for his first car. Dr. D has blown out some of his personal records in triple and long jump, now that he's training with the varsity team. Baby BlueEyes rocked a science electricity project that several moms told me about when they went in for the presentations (the memo about which I must have missed?), and Li'l E had two successful drop-off's in a row in which she allowed me to unbuckle her and open the van door to her teacher without me walking her in to the classroom. Can we hear a Hallelujah on THAT one, my friends?!

The most exciting of all the highlights, though, was LadyBug's Wind Ensemble season. Two weeks ago, they performed a full-length concert of 11 or 12 compositions and KNOCKED. IT. OUT. OF. THE. PARK. Beautiful music was made, ya'll. Beautiful music.  And then. . .

LadyBug's Elementary Wind Ensemble had earlier been chosen to perform at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association's Conference held in Hershey on April 14.  So, with a ton of other eager parents and chaperones, and 66 of LadyBug's ensemble friends, I traveled this past week for an over-nighter to the conference. On Wednesday, we took a couple huge buses and a trailer full of equipment, stopped at Sh@dy Maple for dinner, and headed to a hotel for a good night's rest before the kids' early performance on Thursday.

The kids that I got to chaperone were 3 of LadyBug's close friends and a really sweet group of girls. We hung out at the hotel and watched Americ@n Id0l together till lights out. I enjoyed getting to see the girls interact and handle themselves in such a "grown-up setting."  Since I didn't get any parents' permission, I'll only share pics of my gal. But trust me when I say, their sweetness and cooperation made the work of caring for someone else's kids a total pleasure.

Getting ready for bed and giddy about tomorrow's

performance already!

I was totally impressed by how well these kids handled themselves. Getting them up was no big deal. Being ready on time (for the performance of a lifetime!) was easy. They all looked beautiful, in their concert black and whites. They took total responsibility for packing all their stuff up, sweeping the room one final time (each!) for things left behind, and for getting down to the lobby on time (early, even!) for the bus's departure. They really made my job so pleasant.

And the concert? I struggle to find words to describe just how beautiful the experience was. They all settled right in, warmed up, and got down to the business of tuning up and focusing. And when the music started? Let's just say that I fought tears of pride for the whole concert. THE. WHOLE. THING. Several of the songs were quite poignant and moving, while others were light-hearted and fun. At one point, even the conductor (whom we ADORE!) had tears in his eyes.

They never sounded better than they did

at this performance. They completely knew

how big a deal this invitation was and they

ROSE to the occasion. Every one of them.

What the kids (and the conductors, for that matter) did NOT know until the end of the concert is that the composer of two of their songs showed up for the performance. He was completely wowed by the kids and told the directors that, in his opinion, they ranked among the best elementary bands he's heard across the nation. The conductors were totally pumped that he was there and that he was so impressed with their work. And when we got on the bus and they told us about the encounter, I was really impressed to see how it connected with the kids. They GOT it. They realized the importance of this occasion. Of that composer's feedback and praise. It was an experience that they will never forget. I know I will never forget it.

After their performance, the kids got to walk around the exhibition hall. It was really crowded and full but so much fun for the gang. Each of the kids brought their mouthpieces and had the chance to try out various "high end" instruments. The price tags on some of those shiny clarinets was enough to make me hyperventilate but it was so great to see my girl so enthusiastic about her instrument and be totally into THAT kind of bling! That's the stuff that will last a lifetime, you know what I mean?!

I wasn't the only one shell-shocked

over the sticker prices!

As a "kudos!" for a job well done this season, the overnight trip also included a visit to an outdoor activity arena. For the rest of the day, the kids wore themselves out and celebrated with pizza, go-karts, mini-golf, batting cages, and arcade games. While we chaperones chilled out and soaked up the sun for a few hours. It was awesome, because we had the whole center to ourselves, since it didn't open to the public till after we left. Talk about a perfect chance to burn off some steam and enjoy the fruits of their labors!

That's the LadyBug, burning up the curves!

Waving to her adoring fans Momma...

Good thing she plays clarinet better than

she mini-golfs.  Hee hee hee.

Posing with my girl.

It was so cold and windy in the shade

that these smiles are totally fake!

I'm so grateful that I took the time and opportunity to spend this time with my LadyBug. Participating in the trip, getting to watch her interact with her friends, witnessing that amazing concert? It was all an amazing privilege and honor. It was such a wonderful trip and again, a memory that both of us will treasure for a long, long time, I'm sure.

And now? I think that concluded the last of the crazy calendar that was our April. I think I might actually have a "normal" (I know, what is normal anyway?!) week ahead. It's a good thing, too. This Momma can't take much more excitement 'round here. And I really need to grocery shop.

Fare Negotiation

Here's a snapshot of my typical Tuesday taxi runs, for the foreseeable future. I think I may need to start calling myself Taxi Momma instead of The Gang's Momma... I've become this silent, auto-pilot cabby that I don't think I even recognize.

7:15 a.m. - run Shaggy over to the local high school for his state mandated standardized testing (Yes, quietly and in my p.j.'s, in case you are wondering.).

Since he's a cyber-student this year, we had a couple options from which to choose for testing arrangements. This option involves 10 different mornings of running him there, sometimes for a couple hours, more often for only 45 minutes or an hour at a time. Now that I'm in the thick of it, I think we chose unwisely. The other option was three mornings, for the whole morning each time, at a hotel about an hour away. The Boss would have done those runs, and worked in the hotel lobby. Yeah, not my finest moment of clarity and choice. I must not have had my coffee yet when I opted for TEN early morning runs instead.

7:30 a.m. - run LadyBug to the local elementary school for Wind Ensemble rehearsal. (Yes, still in my jammies. And still very quiet. Don't judge me.) Since her concert is coming up soon, today is the last WE rehearsal. But in two weeks, they are moving band rehearsals to Tuesdays, so it's really no change for my tan cab.

8:00 a.m. - get Baby BlueEyes out the door on time for the bus.

8:40 a.m. - run BACK to the high school to pick up Shaggy. (I'm STILL in my jammies. Ugh. But at least the laundry has been started, the kitchen floor has been swept, and Li'l E got some breakfast. I am a little chattier. But not much. Again, no judging please. You know you do it, too!)

A large chunk of time at home allows me to blog, catch up on laundry (well, as catch'd up as any mom of five is ever gonna get?!), get Li'l E into some suitable clothes, shower, clean my room, my bathroom, and the kitchen up before lunch. Who knows, I might get crazy and even sit down to eat lunch with Li'l E, Dr. D, and Shaggy....

1:30 p.m. - get Li'l E down for her nap - whether she sleeps or not. Today. the break for us both is a must.

2:35 p.m. - run Dr. D over to the high school for his first home meet of the Spring Track and Field season. He's competing today in the long jump, triple jump, and possibly a sprint or two.

3:10 p.m. - get LadyBug and BBE off the bus, snacked up, wake Li'l E, and dress them all warmly for the track meet.

3:45 p.m. - head BACK to the high school (Woot! Woot! I get to use a different entrance this trip!) for Dr. D's track meet. The Boss is trying to meet me there - hope he doesn't miss this auspicious event for Dr. D's sake....

We had a major miscommunication and both The Boss and I thought the schedule listed today's meet as "Away," which would have significantly reduced the running around we have to do but now The Boss might have to dart out of a meeting and rush home to try to catch even at least some of the meet.

5:20 p.m. - head home with the littles, to change, eat and get geared up for their first real soccer practice/game of the season.

6:05 p.m. - The Boss will take LadyBug and BBE over to the field across town. I think Shaggy will hold down the fort here at home with Li'l E, since it will be quite chilly on the field by then.

At some point in here, someone will have to run BACK to the high school and get Dr. D, but since it's the first meet, we're not quite clear on what time that will happen. The soccer field is close enough that The Boss can leave the littles with their coaches if need be.

6:30 p.m. - I have to get out the door to Moms' Night Out. I have a built in excuse for HAVING to leave on time (alone!) and enjoy a night out: I lead the group that is hosting it!  :)

8:30 p.m. - The Boss brings the littles home for snacks and showers after soccer. Then he gets to put all three of the younger ones to bed.  And I won't come home till they are all asleep. First rule of Moms' Night Out, right?

9:20 p.m. - The Boss will fall asleep exhausted on the couch, thanking his lucky stars that he won't have to participate in the madness of The Gang's Typical Tuesday next week. He's going to a conference out of town for three days. (The busiest three days of the whole month of April, I might add. I'm NOT even kidding.)

10 p.m.-ish - I will come strolling in, temporarily energized by a night out with my friends. The blur of the day will have faded a bit with the consumption of yummy treats at P@ner@ Bread. Faded enough that I don't decide to go on strike and demand a rate increase immediately. The lure of the warm, quiet, dark bed is too strong. Striking at that late hour will be counter-productive, as the other parties with whom I could negotiate will be sleeping. All of them.  (I hope!)

But I seriously need to negotiate my fares.

I think I'm being grossly underpaid.

Sunday Snapshot

On Thursday, Li'l Empress had her first ever dentist appointment. Yup, big girl chair, full cleaning and everything. And I have to say, given how hard it can occasionally be for her to engage in and enjoy new experiences, this appointment was a pleasant surprise. For me, and for the dentist's whole staff. 

It certainly helps that both of the big brudders went first, showing her how it's done. And that they let her climb all over them, ride up and down in the chair, and boss them around a little bit. Even the hygienist got in on the fun, letting Li'l E help count Shaggy's teeth.

I could tell she was getting a little nervous when they told her it was her turn to climb into the big chair by herself. But in this instance, we worked the power of peer pressure for good - they cheered her on and made it a chance to gain their fist bumps and brotherly approval.

The cheesey smile is masking a touch of uncertainty.

The pretty purple bib just like her brothers' 

made transition a little more tolerable.

She was remarkably calm and even excited about showing off all her teeth and counting "ten on top" and "ten on bottom" with the hygienist by this point of the visit. She didn't mind the sticky scraper thingy in her mouth at all.  (I hate that thing but managed to mask my squeamishness, er, distaste, for the sake of the mission!)

Counting her little pearly whites . . . 

quickly moved on to polishing with "Mr. Tickle" and some

"awwwdum" berry toothpaste.

When the hygienist took a break and asked Li'l E if her teeth

were starting to feel clean and sparkly,

Li'l E said, "Ummmmm?  No, not reawy."

I'm not even kidding.

It went so well that she was positively IN CHARGE of the room. It got to the point that it was almost like her own one-man stand-up show.  In fact, she got so comfy with herself and her surroundings that she didn't even once ask for me. Shaggy was all about easing the situation - her "walking security blanket - and Dr. D was giving her funny things to say and positive self-talk to share with the hygienist:

 "Li'l E, tell the hygienist how awesome you are."

"I'm awdum."

Note the "awdumly" relaxed, chill pose.

(The fact that she crosses her legs while laying down like that

just totally cracks me up. Such a diva.) 

None of us knew what to expect - given her age, her dislike of anyone in scrubs, and her, ummm, well, her temperament. :) Let's just say, our pediatrician and his nursing staff earn every.single.penny. of every.single.visit. by the time Li'l E settles into acceptance of even a regular check-up. Between the gazillion questions about needles and band-aids and boo-boos (she's very uncomfortable with any sight of any of the three), the stubborn resistance to making eye contact with any of those scrubs-clad folk, and the constant requests for reassurance ("Mommy, I neeee you.  Mommy, you 'tay wit me?  Mommy, I neeee you."), the mere mention of the word "doctor" or "nurse" is used spaaaaringly by this household.

Again, it was one of the more pleasant surprises we've had with Li'l E and all things medical. And another happy milestone for our girl!

Click on the "awwwwdum" 

Sunday Snapshot icon at the top 

of this "awwwwdum" post

to join in the "awwwdum" fun!!!