Introducing..........

TA DA, (drum roll please) here she is..................

Winnie!

Winnie is a Maltipoo!

The kids thought that since she was a "poo" that she should be called Winnie!

Thanks Tammy for taking and sending us a darling picture!

A Night of Fun

Several years ago we quit celebrating Halloween in our home! The main reason is because it scared Kensli to the point that she would have nightmares! She is a very sensitive child and doesn't like anything that looks or sounds scary!

Therefore, I look for things to do on this night that will be fun and make memories for us all! This year the guys went to a football game while the girls went to see a production of Cinderella! Kensli has talked nonstop about the play ever since!

Kensli was able to meet Cinderella and told her how much she enjoyed watching the play! On the way home, Kensli said, "I am so mad!" I asked her why and she said, "I forgot to get Cinderella's phone number in case I need to ask her something!" :)

The girls before the production!

Before the play, we went by a shoe shop to find Kaitlyn some brown flats. Instead we left with two pairs of stylish boots.

They wore them to the play and just about ever since!

A Picture of Mom

Nicholas has decided that he wants to be an artist when he grows up! The other day he decided to paint a picture of me and told us not to look until he was done! When he was finished he proudly showed me my portrait! I was a little shocked when I first saw what he had painted! When asked, he explained that it was me standing outside in the dark looking in the window.

Looks just like me, don't you think?

A Few Curls and Riding a Bike

The other day Kaitlyn wanted to roll her hair on the ends and when Kensli realized she had to the same. Kensli's hair is thin, fine, and much shorter than Kaitlyn's, so the curl really took in her hair. She looked absolutely darling!

Curls everywhere!

She looked like Shirley Temple!

A few weeks ago Nicholas got on his bike and just took off riding for the 1st time! We are so proud of our big boy!

Family Weekend

I told you all something has been dreadfully wrong with me lately! This past weekend was Family Weekend and I do not have one picture to document the entire occasion! EGADS!!! HORROR! It is close to Halloween! My kids even wanted to know why they were not having to dodge the camera! Not sure myself!!!!!!!

Actually, I forgot to take it with me!!!! Can you believe me forgetting the camera? Also, I was just a little bit preoccupied with checking out the different dog breeds, clingy Kensli, and Hispanic ministry to notice I did not have my camera!

We are in search for the perfect, low shedding, cutest, little dog to join our family! Our church family are dog people and I saw all kinds of breeds at Family Weekend........English Mastiff to Yorkie, and even quite a few designer breeds that I didn't even know existed! I think I have found my breed, and will be announcing the newest member of our family as soon as I obtain our her!

Also, I must have looked extremely tired, because if I had one person tell me that with 4 kids I must be worn out, then it must have been a hundred people! Mercy, by Saturday night I was beginning to believe them, and we didn't even participate in the children's parade on Sunday! I think I need something to make my face look better or me more alert! Well, today I really am tired and I am so glad that those same people can't seem me now! HEEHEE! What would they think!

All and all we did have a great Family Weekend! Going to start taking my energy pills and whatever else I can find now, so I'll be looking rested! Also, I am making a list of everything to take next year and my CAMERA will be number 1!!! Can't wait!!!!!

Sounds Minor, but Really a Major Accomplishment

I am so happy to post that last night Kensli slept all night in her bed and didn't get up the minute I did! Most kids by her age are sleeping all night in their own bed without a problem, but Kensli has had sleep issues since coming home from China. Well, last night it was actually a little more than just a sleep filled night!!!

Here is what Kensli accomplished:

• Sometime during the night Kensli started fussing. I waited and she calmed down and never got up or called my name. I did go check on her and she was sound asleep! What a big accomplishment from a child that has a hard time self-comforting herself!
• She slept through the alarm clock, me getting up, and the sun rising!
• Usually if I start down the stairs she starts crying, so I normally I just go in and get her before I go down. This morning when I went in to get her, she mumbled something, rolled over, and went back to sleep! She slept another 45 minutes!

I am so thankful for her accomplishment this morning! Last week we had several sleepless nights! Maybe I should have waited until she had accomplished this for a week or longer to post, but just one night shows me that in time she will overcome and will even start going to sleep without having to be touching me!

BIG CATCH UP POST

I am not sure what has happened to me!!!!! Something in my life has ground things to a sudden halt!!!!!!!!!!! I have been planning to update this blog for days now and I just haven't seemed to have the time! Guess as I was told by my four year old the other day, "Let me splain it to you!!!!!"


SCHOOL......I really think is the culprit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nicholas has finally gotten old enough to handle the tedious task of learning to read and write! Just the added child for half of the day has really eaten into my free time! Some of you veteran homeschoolers may wonder why a six year old would take half a day to complete phonics and math! Two words.....ATTENTION SPAN! Lots of breaks and movement is required! :) Gotta love my boys!!!!

Guess this will be a big catch up post and maybe I can start doing better at keeping my blog more up to date!

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Ricky has really been enjoying school so far this year! I bought the D.I.V.E. cds for Saxon Math and this has really helped him!

Also, we have finally gotten the hang of the nut allergy situation! He remembers to carry his pens with him without being told. He has become good at asking questions and reading labels before eating anything! Only one scare with some chocolate so far, but it wasn't bad enough to use the epi pen!

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Kaitlyn has been practicing her violin for the Christmas Concert. Christmas sounds fill the house and really puts us all in the spirit a little early!

Also, she sold her bike this weekend in our rummage sale and now is riding a new one! Her dad told her that if she could get a certain price for her bike he would give her the rest she needed for the new bike. Talk about a little girl praying daily in our morning devotion for it to sell. Friday she stuck her price on the handle bars and put it by the road. It sold in less than two hours. She was so proud and told everyone how God had answered her prayer!

K. has been trying to develop a love for reading! I have had to help her see the need for this love, but she seems to be coming around to my way of thinking!

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Nicholas has learned to ride his bike this past month without training wheels! He wanted the training wheels off last year sometime, but would not even try to ride the thing. About two weeks ago he gets on and takes off! YEAH!

N. is doing great in school this year and begs to do extra work! I had really worried about him in the past, but now realize that it is better to wait until they are ready!

N. has taken a liking to art and has decided that he wants to be an artist! This is great news, since it the first thing besides soccer that you could really refer to as his own interest!

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Kensli has just been herself! Where would one begin to start to tell what has been going on with our SPICY, ENERGETIC, VERY TALKATIVE, LITTLE FIREBALL!!!!!!!!!!! Literally it is hard to share just one or two things that she has been up to!

She loves rummage sales, because of the customers! She will follow around anyone that she deems worthy of her attention and just talk and talk! This past weekend, she found several new friends! The line up of people that Kensli thought worthy of her attention included a high school English teacher that loved her verbal skills, a 7 year old boy that she evidently liked because he just nodded and let her do all the talking, a beautiful little African American baby girl that she informed the baby's mother that her baby was the same color as Kaitlyn, a lady that looked at the Halloween costumes that we had for sale and didn't buy one which made Kensli want to know why not, and a dog named Leo and his owner that she stalked the entire they were shopping!

One of the funniest things that I overheard her say was her conversation with another homeschool boy(age 6) whose family had dropped by our rummage sale to look around! The little boy, who was a good bit bigger than Kensli, had made the mistake of grabbing her arm with a puppet!

Kensli (with hand on her hip): "I can hutt!"

L. Boy totally ignored her and kept playing with some toys!

Kensli (hand still on hip and added neck movement): "I said I can hutt!"

L. Boy still ignored her!

Kensli (hand and neck movement and add loudness): "HEY, I SAID I CAN HUTT!!!!"

L. Boy finally turned and looked her.

Kensli (before he could respond): "DO YOU WANT SOME HUTT?"

L. Boy: "No!"

Kensli: "Then you better leave me alone!"

At this point I step in to remind her that we do not hurt anyone, and the little boy ran off to play ball with Nicholas! Whew! I am not sure where she gets it all from!!!!!

She got a new bike, too! It is a big girl, princess bike with training wheels! She loves to ride and sing songs she makes up!

She has also taken a liking to Pippi Longstocking! We read the books outloud and then watched a movie! Kensli goes around pretending that she is Pippi, thinking up new words, and wishing she had braids that stuck straight out!

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So, that is some of life here for the last few days.........fast and furious, crazy and funny, happy and loving...........are just some of the words to describe our days! I wouldn't change anything for the world!

PS---I am not sure what has happened to my spacing on my posts! I have worked very hard to get it to look right, but the spacing is still messed up! Any thoughts or suggestions?