Ben is Eight!

                                     Ben reading his birthday books and Kira still in her pjs!

                                   Beginning the excavation (it took over an hour for all of us)

                                                I think Ben was happy about his cake!

                                            The group, which included two neighbors.

                       This picture turned out fantastic and I was just snapping pictures in the dark!

                                           See how huge those marshmallows were?

                                   My nativity scene hair clips above and Snow White below

I'm so excited that my oldest is 8! I had no idea how difficult it would be to get him baptized! He had his Bishop interview a couple weeks ago and was approved (Phew)! But, he won't be baptized until December 18th at 6pm! So, I have lots of time to prepare? Yes, I am a little bitter. I had no idea how much time you had to give people in order to have a baptism! I mean, really, everyone knew he was turning 8, it wasn't a surprise or anything. I just assumed (wrongly, of course) that having a small ward would make it easier to get baptized! Now, I've learned my lesson, so I will know for Kira to get her approved a month and a half in advance and have it planned for a little closer to her birthday! Anyway, on to the good! Ben did fantastic in his Animal Thanksgiving Play, he said his line right on time! It's on youtube under "ilovemeinekinder" if you want to see it! At my doctor's appointment I found I had regained the five pounds that had magically disappeared the last time! I think their scale is weird, but that's my opinion! The kids were super excited to only have two days of school this week. What am I saying, we were ALL excited to only have two days of school this week! I got so much done in my time off! I was actually worried I was nesting with all I got done! I am now ready for this baby girl to come (after Finals)! I am packed, she's packed (though I've had weird dreams, so I also packed a little boy outfit, just in case). The car seat is washed and ready to use. The swing now has batteries. I have a plan to move all the furniture in the living room, so we have room for a tree and the swing. Just in case she happens to come before Christmas (I can hope, right?). I made tons of fun bows/hair clips, finished the Laudies' presents, and finished up Cecilia's blanket.  I even sold some stuff to an old friend!  I am excited for her to see what I made this week!  We enjoyed Thanksgiving with Mandy who drove all the way here. What a sweetheart! And then we enjoyed Ben's birthday. We excavated a T-Rex skeleton and then we went out and bought his favorite foods and got his hair cut! He did fantastic! I was sad about his cake, since they didn't have any cool cakes and I really didn't feel like cooking one myself! Then I forgot candles too! Ben didn't mind pretending to blow out the candles! Yesterday we got the vans cleaned along with the main floor of the house. And the kids got to roast marshmallows and hot dogs. They had a blast! Scott is such a great dad! Also on the good news front, Leah is talking pretty well!  She says, "mamaw, papaw, hi, bye, bubbles, poopies, blankie, happy, juice, ease (for please), mine, no..."  I'm very excited!  It cracks me up when she dances and when she "begs."  Now if only I can continue to keep this baby in my rapidly growing belly until after Finals! 

We made it!

When Scott had the Strep Throat and was diagnosed last Sunday, all I could think was, "How am I going to know if Leah gets it?"  The good news is that we still haven't had anyone else get it!  Hurray!  I know I don't want to miss any school, since I have no idea when this baby girl will come and I am very worried about her coming before Finals are over!  I am HUGE!!!  I keep saying to myself, "I can make another month, but another month and a half, I don't think so!"  With all the "helpful" strangers asking me if I could go anytime, I'm not feeling as confident!  I'm still doing well in all of my classes, due to Heavenly Father really blessing me!  There's no way I could do it without Him! 
My kids have been cracking me up!  The things they say and write!  Ben is all about the "buty"  otherwise known as the bottom.   He loved being the center of attention at school on Friday!  He did pretty well talking about his pictures (he had drawn pictures on paper towels to bring in), his dad's fiddler crab that I brought in, and his photo album that has pictures from his birth until now.  He told them that it wasn't a  real alligator when he showed them a picture of him as a baby with his hand in a metal alligator statue.  I'm looking forward to his "Animal Thanksgiving Play" tomorrow!  He's the beaver and will say:  "I have two long teeth that can chop down the tallest trees!"  I'm excited!  Kira was also very excited to show off the crab and family picture in her class too!  If nothing else, Kira absolutely loves her family!  She really enjoyed our "date" at the Symphony on Tuesday night!  She's quite the smart aleck, but is fantastic at making up songs and dances (even if they drive me crazy with their repetitiveness)!  Emma is my funny kiddo!  She says passing gas is due to your butt squeaking!  She has been very loving this week, a little excessive, but very loving!  She keeps hugging my belly (with an accompanying head plant) to tell me she loves me.  She also enjoys brushing my hair (which I love)!  She says her favorite song is "Single ladies" and she'll sing "All the singin ladies, all the singin ladies, put your hand out!"  She also loves to tell nonsense knock-knock jokes!  "Knock knock.  Who's there?  Triangle.  Triangle who?  Triangle dress!  Hahahaha!"  Yeah, I just smile.  I need to work on my laughter obviously!  Leah has already hit the terrible twos.  Why, oh why, must all of my children be advanced in that?  She tells me "No, mine" as she pulls my hair.  My favorite thing she does is dance to music.  She stands there with her feet apart and moves her little bottom like crazy!  It's awesome!  I need to tape it again!
On to another big aspect of my life, making things!  This week I managed to add lace to three jean skirts and to Cecilia's white dress to make it a blessing dress!  I also made Leah a "quilt" along with 3 matching doll quilts and a baby quilt for Cecilia.  I still need to sew the last baby quilt.  My sewing machine was starting to smell, so I decided to give it a break.  I also made my first changing pad!  I still need to add the velcro, or not!  I also need to finish the small parts left for my mom's present! But, I'm getting closer to ready for Christmas! 

Another couple of weeks gone

Yesterday I was feeling the urge to start getting organized.  I was surprised, since usually that hits about two months out.  Obviously school has been keeping me busy!  I was in a parade on Thursday, as one of the Scout leaders.  I got to ride in a Humvee and shamelessly promote my Walnut Park Group.  Scott had all of the kids (poor guy), so he didn't even get to see me!  They got cold and tired, so had to leave!  I don't blame them at all!  It was COLD!  The good news was that we didn't have school on Thursday and the kids didn't have school on Friday either!  Lucky kids.  I had a big math test, that I'm pretty sure I did at least a B's amount of work on. 
Scott is sick and the girls had fevers, that quickly went away.  Just lots of crankiness!  I do NOT like crankiness!  Probably because I have so much of it!
We headed up to Olathe, to celebrate my dad's birthday, but he had meetings.  So, really I was able to give him his birthday present and talk a little before he left.  Chris so kindly watched over Ben and Kira while mom and I took the younger girls shopping with us.  We went to the Book Sale at the Library, Michael's, Ulta, Party City, Chic-fil-a, and Children's Orchard.  Instead of making the girls all matching skirts to match Cecilia's blessing dress, I bought the girls jean skirts and white shirts, and cecilia has a white dress that I'm going to change up some.  So, now I'm going to wait for my lace to come in and I'm going to use that and some ribbon to dress up the outfits and make matching hair bows.  That will do, I hope!  I'm trying to make life easier, instead of incredibly hard.  I don't really know how to sew THAT well!  Speaking of Cecilia though, I have her going home outfit now!  Leah picked the sweater, so I grabbed the matching jeans and we already had two shirts at home that would match, so the hard part is choosing which shirt for her to come home in.  I've got her clothes in drawers, diapers and wipes stored, and her bed next to mine.  Now I just wait a couple of months to meet her!
I am so grateful for the chance I have to become a better mom!  I'm learning, that's for sure!