Montpelier--Home of James Madison

As I was searching through our photos, trying to decide what to put on our Christmas card, I came across these photos from Montpelier and wanted to post them.  Jason and Kayla first visited here in the summer of 2010 and it was love at first sight...or something like that.  Montpelier is still going through the restoration process so it isn't fully furnished like Monticello or Mount Vernon.  However, the grounds are quiet, secluded, peaceful, and beautiful.  Jason likes this home more than the others because he feels he can really talk to the tour guides and ask questions as opposed to being herded through the house like cattle.  Plus, if you hit it at certain times, you can have a lovely chat with James Madison or Dolly.  Jason took Kayla and I to Montpelier this past summer, he took all the kids (except baby) in the fall, and then we went back for a Christmas candlelight tour this month.  Yes...he likes it that much.  The kids have had their fill of "old houses," but they are perfectly happy to explore the property without a house-tour.  What a lovely property it is!

 

Archer is 7 months!

Archer at Montpelier (home of James Madison), Sept. 2011

 Archer turned 7 months old on November 12 and hit a couple of milestones this week.  His first tooth broke through.  To my surprise, it was on the top of his mouth instead of the bottom!  I had been checking his bottom gums daily because his cries sounded like teething cries but I didn't think to check the top.  His other top tooth broke through a couple of days later.  Archer also started the army crawl this week.  He saw something he wanted across the room and to my surprise, started dragging his little body towards it.  It was so cute!  I'll add some video later.

Archer at Cox Farm, October 2011

For the record, we adore this darling boy!  Not a day goes by that I don't think about how wonderful babies are.  Yes, they are demanding, and when they are going through a fussy bout it does not feel wonderful, but when they smile, laugh, play, get excited, and do new things, it is so irresistable!  It's interesting how much of a magnet little babies are too.  I tried to shop at Walmart last weekend and had such a hard time getting any shopping done because so many people stopped to talk and play with Archer.  It was cute. 

Archer at Cox Farm, October 2011

More about Archer....

Archer is a very happy, content baby.  We went through some fussy spells early in his life but those days are gone.  (Well, they do return a bit when he is teething or sick.)  I keep marvelling at how fast babyhood goes by.  In the beginning, the days and sleepless nights feel so long but before you know it, they are past.  Before you know it, your baby can be happy without being held all of the time.  Before you know it, you can get things done again.  Not as much as you used to, but you can do some things!  Archer likes to play on the floor with toys, he especially likes to dump out his brother's bin of hotwheel cars.  He likes to hang out in his little play gym.  He loves cheerios and cereal puffs (they help extend the time he will stay in the play gym).  He loves all food now.  I didn't start feeding him solids until 6 months but he has taken to it with a vengeance!   He especially likes to gnaw on a tough crust of bread.  He loves to watch his brothers and sisters play, they keep him entertained.  Hunter likes to chant this little song over and over "Doo doo baby, doo doo baby.." getting progressively louder and louder each time he says it.  It drives me crazy but the baby loves it, so I tolerate it.  The baby is very fascinated with Hunter overall.  If I'm feeding Archer or changing his diaper and Hunter walks in the room, the baby will twist and turn so he can see him.  It really helps me to have the big kids around.  Archer still goes in his baby swing once in awhile but not to lay back and fall asleep. He is wide awake and trying with all of his might to grab the legs of the swing.  He doesn't want to be abandoned in the room but will be happy in the swing for awhile if he has people to watch.  Archer takes good naps in his crib when we are home but my days of staying home and keeping my babies on a perfect schedule are gone.  We are often away from the home for classes and field trips but he does pretty well.  All in all, I couldn't be more delighted with this little guy.  I love you Archie boo!

Archer with Daddy at Skyline Caverns, September 2011

Strategies for Sanity

I continue to mentally compose blogs in my head without managing to physically compose them.  I have more time to think than write I suppose. :)  So, instead of writing something inspiring and uplifting myself, I'll share something someone else wrote.  I recently found the blog of an amazing mother of 10 children.  I have seen her at homeschooling conferences over the past 6 years and always admired her from a distance.  I've only spoken to her a few times but every time I have, I've been impressed with her calm presence and beautiful spirit.  I am fascinated by big families.  I don't know why I find them so fascinating when I grew up in a large family myself (10 children), but fascinating they are.  Four children feels like such a lot some days and I wonder how people who have more do all they do.  Karolyn shares her "Strategies for Sanity" (or for keeping a firm mind and a peaceful home) on her blog and I wanted to share her straegies here too.  I'm just going to list them but it really is worth going to her blog to read the full description of each strategy:

http://firmnessofmindmom.blogspot.com/2011/04/strategies-for-keeping-firm-mind.html

1.  Make your daily spiritual/mental nourishment #1 priority.

2.  Work for physical order & guard your family.

3.  Use self-educating curriculum.

4.  Outside activities: less is more

5.  Know your personality strenghts and weaknesses and work to improve.

6.  You've only got one body; take care of it.

Other posts I loved:

"A Joyful Mother of Many Children" (expounds more on the above strategies)
http://firmnessofmindmom.blogspot.com/2011/05/joyful-mother-of-many-children-ldsehe.html

"Peace Which Passeth All Understanding"
http://firmnessofmindmom.blogspot.com/2011/05/peace-which-passeth-understanding.html

A Dose of Love

The Vision

Mom gets sick with pneumonia and can hardly function.   The children cheerfully get up and do their morning chores as usual.  They eagerly start their school work on time without complaint.  There is no bickering or fighting, only loving words.  The baby stays on his schedule and takes good long naps in the morning and afternoon allowing Mama some much needed rest.  When he isn’t sleeping, he is easily entertained by the older children.  The 4-year-old continues to go to preschool and stays happily engaged when he is at home.  Everyone picks up after themselves and stays on top of their chores so the house stays neat and tidy.  Such a lovely dream…

The Reality

Mom gets sick with pneumonia and can hardly function.  At any given moment, the house looks like a tornado swept through it.  The older children are barely doing any school work or chores.  At times they are fighting intensely.  Most of the time, they are staying out of earshot of Mom which isn’t very hard since she can hardly speak at all.  They are making themselves unavailable to be tasked, figuring if they just leave Mom in peace, she won’t give them anything to do…they are right.   The 4-year-old isn’t feeling well either which translates into him being extra cranky, demanding, and needy and not able to go to preschool.  Something is also wrong with the baby as he is crying most of the time and NOT sleeping.  Mom is in despair.

          Happily, the story doesn’t end there.  At some point, I dragged myself to the doctor, got a chest x-ray, got started on antibiotics, and felt drastically better within 24 hours.  I was no longer shaking with fever and chills, my chest pain was subsiding, and I could breath again.

Before this happy change, I hit a low point.  My sweet husband had tried to get off work so he could take care of the family, but he had obligations he couldn’t get out of.  I was weary, weary, weary with trying to take care of my unhappy baby.  I feared he would need to go to the doctor soon and our car wouldn’t start (I learned this when I tried to get myself to the doctor).  At this point, my big kids were trying to help but they couldn’t do much with the fussy baby either.   I just wanted to sleep but I couldn’t.  I felt desperate and miserable and tried to think of who I could call for help.  Who could I ask to take care of my fussy baby and whiny 4-year-old so I could rest?  I knew my friends would do it but how could I ask them to?  What if they got sick helping me?  I WANTED  MY MOMMY!  I indulged in a nice crying fit as I thought about all of these things…and then the phone rang.  I was in no state to be talking on the phone so I let the answering machine get it.  I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard the message,

“Hi Marsha, this is Tami (compassionate service leader from church), I heard you were sick (thank you facebook) and I’m calling to see how we can help.”

You know in the movies when the heavens open up and a light shines down and the angels sing?  Well, that is how I felt at that moment.  In my heart I felt, “Heavenly Father loves me and everything is going to be okay.”

And it has been.  I had a nice long chat with Tami and felt better just having someone to share my woes with.   My mother-in-law loaned her car and watched the kids so I could get to the doctor.  She also took the kids to her house so I could rest.  My brother-in-law helped to fix our car.  Friends from church brought us dinner and helped shuffle my kids to their classes.  I was overwhelmed (in a good way) by the kindness of others in my time of need.  And even though I still had that fussy baby by my side, his spirits improved and we had some beautiful naps together.  During my moment of crisis, I had tried to play the “Glad Game” from Pollyanna, but try as I might, I couldn’t think of anything glad about getting pneumonia.  Well, that changed.   Getting sick showed me I was loved and needed and I’m thankful for that.  Thank you one and all for the dose of love you sent my way, it meant so much.

Caramel Popcorn & Composition Meet

The children were nestled all snug in their beds when Jason decided to try out the new microwave caramel popcorn he had bought.  After he polished it off (with some help from me), Kayla came down and handed him a paper and went back to her room.  At the top of the paper she wrote, "I hope this is a good descriptive paragraph.  Please grade it." 

Caramel Popcorn
by Kayla LaFroth

The smell of caramel popcorn tantalized me as I sat miserably in my hot pink chair in my cheerful room.  The idea of sneaking downstairs and stealing a couple handfuls of the caramel coated popcorn sounded very appealing.  I imagined crunching as I munched on the delicious, sticky, little caramel puffs, the caramel exploding flavor into my mouth as I chewed the popcorn.  Instead, I sat, taunted about those little puffs iced with caramel.

Jason delivered a bowl of popcorn to her room with an "A" taped on it.

Yogi Bear Campground

I have started many posts over the past few months but never published them because I was waiting to add photos.  This is a post from May that I finally added pictures too.

Jason took the kids camping at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park to celebrate Kayla's eleventh birthday.  This was an odd birthday (as in odd not even), so it was not a "party" year.  We still try to do something special on the odd birthdays so Jason took Kayla, her friend--Olivia, and the boys to this awesome place.  I stayed at home with the baby and learned to appreciate how much they all help me when they are here.  They had a blast!  Happy Birthday sweet Kayla.

The Crew

The place they stayed...not really camping.  A cabin with A/C, kitchen, bathroom, tv. etc!

Tanner meets Yogi at the pool.

The golf carts were a huge hit!

Lazer Tag, here we come!

Watch out!

Giant Jumping Pillow

Water Slide

Paddle Boats

Building sand castles in the volley ball pit

Action figures they made out of clay during a rainy afternoon

Marshamallow Roasting...or burning.

Just for fun, let's contrast the place Jason camped at to the place I camped at BY MYSELF with the 3 kids AND THE DOG last summer:

Hmmmm....I think Jason is a little smarter than me.  I'm not sure how I let myself get talked into it.   We were all going to go together but Jason had to work until Friday and we were afraid we wouldn't get a camping spot, so I went down Thursday night to set up camp all by my lonesome.  Jason had me practice setting up the tent at home since that is usually his job.  He suggested it would be super cute and a great adventure.  Well...our tent did not have a bathroom, kitchen, or A/C and boy did I need it!  (No, I'm not bitter!)  I wish I could say I have fond memories of the experience but I'm afraid it might have been the end of my camping career.  That's why I'm still whining about it a year later! :)

More cooking days

Kayla and Hunter have been away visiting grandparents for nearly 2 weeks now.  It's been strange to only have 2 children again.  I love the time with Tanner, and the peace and quiet (Hunter and Tanner are LOUD together) but I am definitely missing my big kids.  Since they are on my mind, I thought I'd post about a couple of our cooking days before they left.

Kayla chose to make "Coconut Lime Sours" on her cooking day.  You must try these!  Kayla and I tried them at the Georgia's home and we were hooked!  They have such a unique taste--sweet, sour, crunchy, chewy--my mouth waters just thinking about them.  You can get the recipe here.  If you don't like lemon or lime, skip this recipe.  My boys won't touch these, but us girls think they are great!

On Hunter's cooking day, he wanted to make funnel cake.  We love to buy these at fairs and amusement parks but we hate shelling out $7 or $8 for one!  We found this easy recipe online.   Although these were delicious, I have no intention of making them again.  As I mentioned before, I don't like deep-frying.  Not only is it unhealthy, it's so messy.  Add loads of powdered sugar to the equation and you get an even bigger mess!  I didn't like the clean-up, but the funnel cakes were a huge hit!

In spite of my assertions, I'll probably end up making these again.  Tanner has asked to make Funnel Cake for every cooking day since this one.  So far, I've been able to talk him into other things, but it's only a matter of time before I give in!

Photo Shoot by Joyce

Our friend, Joyce, is venturing into photography and asked if she could practice her skills on Kayla.   YES!!!!  I love this question since I am not a photographer at all.  She did a fabulous job; I love how the pictures turned out.  This is Joyce's website: http://joycemessickphotography.blogspot.com/.  I hope she wants to "practice" on us again! :)

My beautiful Bald Baby

Our little Archer is growing fast.  Some things are getting easier and some things still need improvement. :)  All in all, there are many delightful aspects of having a baby.  I love our early morning "chats."  We smile and coo at each other and he kicks and waves and I LOVE it!  I tried to capture some pictures of him "talking".

Here are some other pictures from the past month or so:

 Pregnant again?  Just trying out the Moby Wrap.

Kayla wanted to try it too! 

Blogger Help?
1.  Is anyone else having a problem with Blogger flipping their pictures sideways?  I wanted to add more pictures but it keeps flipping them. 
2.  Another question, when I sign in to my account, it doesn't show I'm signed in on my home page and I can't edit from there like I used to be able to.  I have to click "sign in" every time I want to edit and then it takes me to my dashboard.  Just wondering if anyone has solutions.