Christmas

2010 Christmas was a great one, we were so thankful to finally have another sweet baby to share it with! Christmas Eve was spent in Huntsville, we went caroling although only to a couple houses... it was much to cold and rainy to be out. Santa was good to the kids this year... I'm pretty sure he's always good to them but earlier this month when I was given Christmas lists I was told by Becca she would prefer me to get her gifts because Santa didn't always give her what she asked for! :-) We left Granny's Christmas afternoon loaded down, not sure how we all fit in the car! We then went to Gran and Papaws where once again the kids loaded up with a lot of fun stuff. We then enjoyed yummy breakfast for dinner which could be onew of my favorite traditions! Then just like that Christmas was over and I was left with a houseful of stuff to find a place for :-)

3 months!!!

Seely, you are now three months old... it's crazy how fast time flies! So what are you up to these days? We finally got to the doctor for your 2 month checkup the other day, we were late because you had a cold when you were actually supposed to go. You now weigh 12 pounds and are in the 25th percentile for your weight, which is up from the fifteenth you were when you were born. Where you really grew was in your height, you went from I believe the tenth percentile to the nintyth.... and are now 25 inches long! I knew you were getting big :-) You have started to smile and every now and then we will get a laugh! You talk a-lot, and you love to have conversations with your sisters... funny they know just what you are saying.... the other day Emma was talking to you and she says "Seely do you want to watch sissy eat some chocolate?" then I hear "Momma Seely said yes! He wants me to eat some chocolate!" I can't imagine that would be to much fun watching someone else eat candy, but whatever :-) The doctor also gave you a prescription for zantac, she thinks you may have reflux... I agree and am hoping this will make you feel better. We love you so much and are looking forward to your first Christmas!

What really happens

So this is what really happens!
Josh wakes me up to tell me bye as he leaves for work...I don't want to get out of bed. I hear the girls already awake, they sound like they are playing nicely... I know this means they are making a mess somewhere.
I roll out of bed... because Seely needs his diaper changed, I quickly brush my teeth. forget about makeup and clothes...Seely wants to eat and so do the girls.
The children all wake up happy... well they have been awake for a while now and although they usually wake up happy...after they have been up for awhile the fighting begins.
We actually usually do make breakfast together...this of course makes a big mess...I just add it to the dishes that I did not wash the night before. We get ready to start our school day...the girls got dressed on their own when they got up... they usually don't match...I fight the urge to scream and just go with it:-)
If I did scream they probably wouldn't hear me over their screaming baby brother anyways.
We sit down for school, grumbling the whole time about how they never get to play... mean momma is a phrase I hear throughout the day. Seely sits in his swing...for five minutes, then I am bouncing him again, and trying to teach school. Did I mention all the grumbling going on :-)
Lunch time comes and I throw together some peanut butter sandwiches, except all the knifes are dirty so I have to wash a few dishes really quickly, this does not even make a dent in the pile of dishes in the sink... the girls sit down to eat, I stand bouncing Seely and trying to get a bite in my mouth.
We finish school just as Daddy gets home at two....well finished except the part we skipped because I just couldn't take any more of the grumbling. He walks in to peanut butter smeared faces, and a house that looks like a tornado may have come through.
I cook soup for dinner because I can throw it all in one pot, we eat, the girls take their baths after being told no less than ten times to do so. They then clean their room while I stand in their room bouncing Seely and directing them as to what needs to be picked up.
We read a story say our prayers and the girls go to bed... while Daddy or I lay between them staring at the ceiling waiting for them to fall asleep.
Mommy and Daddy spend the evening taking turns holding Seely, and attempting to restore some order to the house.
10:00 comes, we get ready for bed... oh wait I'm still in my pajamas, well that was easy :-) As I fall into bed I hear Seely waking up... I move to the rocking chair to feed Seely my head soon drops...I wake up and wonder why the side of Seelys onesie is wet as I wipe the back of my hand across my drooling mouth...Don't judge:-) just being honest!

A day in the Life of.....I wish!

In my dreams this is how a perfect day in our life would go!
I wake up when Josh is getting ready for work, the kids are all in their own beds still asleep.
I have a minute to get my teeth brushed, put on makeup, get out of pajamas and into decent clothes.
The children all wake up happy! We make breakfast together and get ready to start our school day.
We sit down for school, seely sits in his swing, everyone is happy and can't wait to learn something new... no one is screaming...did I mention how happy everyone is :-)
Lunch time comes and I make something delicious in a clean kitchen... we all sit down together to eat.
We finish school just as Daddy gets home at two.... he walks in to clean smiling faces, and of course the house is spotless.
I cook a wonderful meal for dinner, we eat, the girls take their baths, and then clean their room with no prompting from me.
We read a story say our prayers and the girls go to bed... on their own
Mommy and Daddy spend the evening talking about our day,watching some tv and spending time enjoying Seely.
10:00 comes, we get in bed ready to start our day again tomorrow!

Do you believe me? Well stay tuned... I'll tell you what really happens!

2 months

Wow I can't believe Seely is already 2 months old!
Seely what are you up to these days? You still sleeps quite a bit although not that much in your bed... you loves to be held! You like music, and you love to be sung to. We are practicing for the Christmas cantata at church and you really like when I put on my cd to listen to. You like tummy time, which is weird because your sisters hated it when they were babies! You are eating every two to three hours during the day but usually only wake up twice during the night. I can not believe how much you have grown in two months, you have your well baby checkup next week and I can't wait to find out your stats!
You have come into our lives and completely turned them upside down and we would not have it any other way...we love you so much and thank God that he blessed us with you :-)

It's all in how you look at it

I was laying down with the girls the other night, we had read our story and said our prayers and now I was just waiting for them to go to sleep. Emma rolled over and asked if she could lay on my arm.... so out goes my arm, she lays her head down and says lovingly... "Momma you smell like Seely" I just laughed pretty soon Becca asks if she can lay on my arm... so out goes my other arm, Becca lays her head down and says..."Momma you smell like spit up... nevermind you can have your arm back!" I laughed again... It really is all in how you look at it! :-)

Pumpkin Party!!

So Yes, I know, this post is a little late... and yes I know I have been a pretty horrible blogger lately! Maybe one day I'll do a post on our daily schedule just so you can see how little time I have to sit down on the computer :-) The week of halloween we hosted our third annual Parker pumpkin party! I'm pretty sure everyone had a great time, I know the girls did! Each year i am amazed at how much better the carvings get, maybe next year we should have a contest... hmmm we'll have to think on that! Here are a couple pics from the party and of the girls in their costumes....Enjoy!

Three weeks ago...

So, I know I have been absent for a while and maybe someday I will post about my experiences in the last nine months.... but this post is strictly to introduce you to someone! Three weeks ago today God blessed us with a beautiful baby boy, there are truly no words to describe the joy that we are feeling right now. There is so much I want to say but for now I would like you to meet....
Joshua Seely Parker
"Seely"
9/17/2010
7.5lbs 19.1/2in.



Isn't he absolutely amazing!!!

Few Words Wednesday

Oh how I can't wait to see this view again!!!

Snow Day

Well the girls finally got to see some snow that actually stuck to the ground! We may have had to drive up to Huntsville to see it, but it was definetly worth it. As soon as we got to Grannys the girls started throwing snow balls....



After the big snowball fight of 2010 ended we jumped in the car and drove to an undisclosed location :-) to get some good snow shots, and to let the girls go sledding.... Can you still call it sledding when you use a pool float as your sled?



The adults may have gone sledding too, but we won't show those pictures :-) All in all it was a great day and one I'm sure the girls will remember forever.

he puts up with alot...

I came in the other morning to Emma putting one of her shirts on the dog... Apparently he was cold. I have also seen him with make up on, feather boas around his neck and sunglasses over his eyes....He puts up with alot from these girls....and he loves every minute, well okay, he might not love every minute... but he does put up with it all! :-)

"That" Mom

Oh how I wish I was "that" mom....you know the one, she makes something creative for every holiday, she can bake cupcakes and swirl the icing perfectly, or make cut out cookies and decorate them so they look like they came from a bakery...yea..."that" Mom.

I have been seeing all these cute cupcakes and decorated cookies in magazines for valentines day, I could make those I think (insert sarcastic laughter here) Well I tried, and umm yea....I'm not "that" Mom.

First I find a cutout cookie recipe, it says its perfect for cutouts or cookie spritzers (more on that later) I make the recipe....easy enough....put it in the fridge to chill....yep I can do this.....take it out of fridge and roll it out, umm not looking so good.....cut them out, or when that doesn't work just attempt to make circles...add sprinkles (they make everything prettier!) I get the cookies on the pan, all nine of them, I'm laughing...okay maybe I was almost in tears...except I don't cry over things so trivial...so yea, I was laughing ;-) When the cookies were done the girls each had one, then Josh had one and yea, he's not a good liar..."These are good (as he makes a this is disgusting face) well the first bite was good, the second not so much." So, I throw away all nine cookies....yea, I'm not "that" Mom.

I try again, this time making a recipe I'm familiar with. The first pan comes out of the oven they are super flat and won't come off the wax paper...but thats okay...they just need to cool, so I turn to put them on the island....and drop the whole pan on the floor! (they still didn't come off the wax paper) In to the trash they went! I finally was able to get two pans of cookies baked to take to the party, they weren't pretty, nothing like the ones in the magazines, but they tasted good, so atleast they had that going for them!

I tried to be "that" Mom today, I didn't suceed...but I'm sure I will try again...and maybe, just maybe someday I will come to your party with a perfect plate of cookies...magazine worthy....yea, someday I will be "That" Mom!

silly faces

I must confess

This post is supposed to be for Not Me Monday....but I must confess....it's all true....and, it was me. :-)

So the other day the girls and I decided to make a cake, I've been trying to turn pretty much everything we do into a learning experience, Becca helped read the instructions, we talked math when putting the ingredients together, then we threw a little science in by talking about how the ingredients change once cooked. Oh yea...I was feeling pretty good about myself, we had a great learning experience, and we were going to get to eat cake in thirty minutes, yep, I was doing good.
I gave the girls the beater to lick....they later took the bowl....which was a good thing seeing as it would be the only part of the cake they would get to eat.



The girls kept asking me if the cake was done...I kept telling them no, and not to open the oven. I thought I smelled something burning, but just knew that it wasn't the cake, maybe some had dripped down the side or something. When I finally peeked into the oven, what I saw made me double over in laughter, our cake was gone...well it wasn't in the pan anymore, (sigh) Apparently I didn't put the pan together right. Are you ready to laugh....this is what I found in my oven...



yep, our whole cake had leaked out the bottom of the pan, it was now a large pancake on the bottom of the oven....a large pancake that needed to be flipped! In order to get it out I had to get a spatula and scoop it all up, the girls didn't find it quite as funny as I did....they had really been looking forward to eating that cake!



YUMMY huh, well at least they got to lick the bowl!

Almost wordless Wednesday

Butter $2.14...
Sugar $1.09...

Watching my daughter make cinnamon rolls with Granny...

Priceless!

Not Me Monday

Drumroll please.... are you ready for this past weeks not me's? Well here we go!

I did not drop a pan of biscuit dough on the floor and then pick it up and save it for later in the day when I let the girls play with it, i mean that would be gross and thats what playdough is for!

It was not this mother who tricked her girls into eating spinach by hiding it under the sauce on their pizza....okay maybe it was me but really that's pretty smart thinking!

And my 3 year old does not know more about cooking than I do....

Me: Emma I will be right back I need to put the chicken in the oven
E : Okay (as I'm walking out the door I hear) Mom don't forget to take the "fat" out of the middle of the chicken, it's in a bag and Granny says it's not good to eat.
Me: (thinking oh I'm so glad she reminded me) Well of course Emma, I was going to take it out, no it's not good to eat.

I mean really....you're going to believe that a 29 year old has never cooked a whole chicken....and her 3 year old had to remind her what to do! No....that was definetly Not Me!

I Am Not An Eskimo...or a minnow

I was so not made to live where it is cold, this little cold snap we are having is not fun. The girls and I have been stuck in the house trying to stay warm and we are going CRAZY! So thats whats been going on in our house....a whole lot of nothing. Oh how I can't wait for Spring!
Today Emma was writing and she said Mom how do you write minnow
Me: what?
E : minnow
Me: minnow? like the fish
E : nooo like (singing) abcdefghijkl minow p
Me: (smiling) Emma those are letters L M N O P
E : no! its minnow