Introducing ....

Max.  Max is a Labradoodle. Max is 9 months old. Max has never been potty outside or spent time on a leash or in a crate. Until meeting us. Max likes going potty outside. Max doesn't mind being on a leash. Max hates the crate. Max barks in the crate. Loudly. All night. But isn't he cute? 

Last week we made a gingerbread train. The picture on the box looked much better than our finished product. But I'm sure the professional making that one didn't have near the fun we did! (I'm tired of trying to find out why blogger is underlining this entire post. So please ignore it)

Also last week, the boys had their Medieval Feast to sum up their semester at Master's Academy. They have learned so much about this time period and it was fun to get to see the fruit of their learning. Here they are dressed in their Medieval garb - Noah's a knight. Lucas had to be a Pharisee for his portion of the show (with King Herod in the nativity pantomime) but underneath his cloak he has on a tunic, and Jacob wanted to be a peasant. Aren't they cute?

We're just livin' & survivin' right now.  Last weekend I was at the doctor with the worst sinus infection I've ever had. Confirmed by an x-ray. I'm feeling much better after antibiotics and steroids. The steroids are another post entirely, so I'll save that for a rainy day. 

I'm Baaaaack

No, I didn't run away from home. Though I've wanted to a few days over the past month. :)

I'll be back soon with updates galore.

In the meantime, I'm trying to find a new look for the blog while educating 3 children,  keeping one from destroying herself or something else, housebreaking a dog, and doing laundry.

No sweat.

Florida trip

I know I said I'd be better at posting, but who was I kidding? I can't be consistent with anything! Last weekend, we headed down to Florida with good friends of ours, the Farleys. The weather was perfect and the beach was absolutely beautiful. It's been a while since I had been to the Gulf, since we normally head to the beach in South Carolina. I had forgotten how blue the water is and how white the sand is. The kids thought we were in paradise. 

I even attended my first beach wedding. Who cares if I wa

sn't invited? If you're on a public beach, you're just asking for nosy people like me to come watch, right? :) Actually, Amy & I watched from the 

balcony of someone else's house, so hopefully we were out of sight and didn't end up in

 any pictures! Ha!

Since the beach, we've come back to reality at home. School is going well - plugging along. I've finally caught the bronchitis junk the rest of the fam

ily (including my in-laws) had a while back. It's not fun, people. I think I'd pay any amount fo

r some relief from coughing! 

Ok - enough cold-medicine-induced babbling from me. Here are some pics -

the girls doing their morning yoga:

And having swim suit issues:
Ellie dancing:

Jacob digging a hole with Mr. Mark:

The pool was freezing, even though it was heated. So the kids ended up in the hot tub:

I'm sure more beautiful pictures will come from Kyle soon - until then -

the blame game

Ellie just came in from playing outside. Her pants leg was soaked. 

I went outside to question the witnesses.

Me: Why is Ellie's pants leg wet?

Lucas: Oh, she turned on the hose.

Me: Ellie do not turn on the hose.

Ellie: I not do it. Jacob turn it on.

Me: Jacob, do not turn on the hose.

Jacob: But Lucas told me to.

Me: Lucas, do not tell anyone to turn on the hose.

Lucas: But we needed some water for mud.

Why is it that I have to go through 3 children to come back to the source of the problem?????

Should've practiced those stick people more in Kindergarten

For the month of October, K has had photoshoots every weekend. I began to think that if we didn't schedule our own kids in, we would get to Christmas and have stick drawings of the kids on our Christmas card.  So Sunday afternoon we headed out to a local park to get it done. The picture. Not the drawings.

Turns out stick people weren't such a bad idea.

After 1 1/2 hours of trying to get "the" shot, we gave up. None of the kids were listening to what they were told. I think I may have used a voice that was a bit loud and harsh a couple of times. As other people were walking by. Maybe. I'm just sayin' -

Ellie is either totally all about getting her picture made or totally doesn't want to cooperate. Seems she picked Sunday as her day to hate cameras.

The boys were incredibly silly. "Take one step left" became a 1/2 mile run to the left. "Put your arm around him" became a choke hold or hands over the face.

We were done. Convinced our children would never become competent, civil members of society, K just began clicking the camera as they randomly did their thing. And the most amazing thing happened.

He actually got some great shots. They're not pictures of perfect children, all seated and glowing for the camera. But, who am I kidding - that would be a HUGE misreprsentation of my kids. The images K captured are real. Which just reinforces his belief that pictures should capture personality - not a posed, forced smile that years from now will have no memory attached to them.

Stick people? Never. Not when one of these could grace our Christmas card this year.

chinese grapes anyone?

I was driving the Monkeys to church tonight and Noah decided to tell me a joke he made up.

Noah: What is the longest wall in the world that has grapes on it?

Me: I don't know. What is it?

Noah: The GRAPE wall of China!

I laughed the obligatory laugh, even though the whole Great Wall covered in grapes really did make me laugh.  A couple of minutes passed and I heard this exclamation from the backseat:

Jacob: I ACTUALLY GET IT! 

Hi-ya

Just overheard the boys playing.

Noah: I'm secretly a black belt in the around the house kick.

Lucas: It's not around the house, Noah. It's a roundhouse.

Noah: Well, I'm secretly a black belt. 'Cept it's not secret anymore since I just told you.