The kids

No pics today, but just a couple of quick thoughts.

Brody has decided that my name is just too long to say all the time (Omi), so he has shortened it to Om, and of course, Claire has adopted this as well.  (she also calls Brody just Brod some of the time)  On the same name topic - since the cousins are together each day, their parents' names and titles get mixed up.  Sometimes Barry is Uncle Barry, and sometimes Daddy.  Sometimes (often), Josh is Uncle Josh instead of Daddy.

Claire gave me a bookmark one day as one of her projects (Nana, Grandpa Leroy and Mommy, Daddy and Auntie Heather also received one).  Today at the farm, she saw my bookmark laying on the table unused.  She asked so sweetly if I didn't want to use it anymore!  (tears)  I said of course I was using it, and that the book was laying on the couch open to the page I was on.  I asked her to put it into the book for me.  This evening I see that she did just that!  These little things are so important to them!

Max LOVES to sleep!!  He loves his bed (or his bed at the farm), he loves his blanket and his paci.  He loves to go to bed.  Our routine is to say "snug as a bug in a rug" as he goes off to bed.  He waves to everybody and heads off to his sleep.  He also copies everything you say and kinda tries it out on his tongue to see how it comes out!  It took me awhile to realize that "mini steet" meant that he wanted to watch "Sesame Street".  (Claire and Brody call it "Sesamini Street".)  (Elmo is the big favorite!)

Mav is a fav at daycare!  Everyone wants to hug and kiss him all day and sing to him and talk to him.  He smiles all the time and gives us all such joy!  Each new thing he learns how to do is so exciting.  (It is Max's job to take Mav's bottle from me when he is finished with it and take it to the kitchen - he takes this very seriously, and nobody else can do it!)

Mara joined us today at daycare.  It was a pretty wild day.  Good thing that her mama was here to feed her every 20 minutes, but I think the kids are just gonna go crazy for her.  Kissin' all day long!

Ranting and Raving

Did you ever think about that saying?  Really, it must mean you are free to do a little ranting, as long as you end with raving, so guess I'll try it.

Saturdays - what a blessing and a curse.  I tend to think ahead about taking it easy.  After all, I have a cleaning service and I don't have any kids living at home anymore.  Shouldn't really be all that much to do on a weekend, right?  Here is a list of just some of the things I have done today.  I'm not bragging either, I'm sure you did most of these this weekend as well!  Laundry and ironing.  Putting away all the clothes I've worn all week that I didn't put away or wash during the week.  Going through the mail from the week, paying bills, balancing checkbooks (2 of them), catching up on tithing to church.  Sorting magazines to throw, share or save.  Going through my "gift room" and writing down all the things I have already purchased for Christmas, birthdays and Halloween (including a lot of books) - then wrapping some.  Putting away my Target purchases from earlier in the week.  Making a list for more shopping.  Picking up plastic hay bale wrap at the elevator in Lonsdale, picking up Jeff's prescriptions at the pharmacy in Lonsdale, picking up a few things at the grocery store in Lonsdale, picking up stamps at the Post Office in (you guessed it) Lonsdale, forget to pick up book on reserve at library in Lonsdale.  Bake side pork for lunch and meals during the week.  Put in a roast and ribs to slow cook in the oven (it's cold out, the heat will feel good).  Check my email and facebook 25 times.  Sort pills for the week.  Start a couple of craft projects for gifts.  Order charms for Jeff's neck chain with M for Maverick and M for Mara engraved on them.  Blog some new pics (I really just needed to sit down for a little while as I'm fighting a cold).  Refill all the toilet paper containers.  Scrub toilets.  Empty all wastebaskets and burn the garbage.  Organize some projects for the kids for the week.  Replace room fresheners.  Talk on the phone to Bethanie about 6 times.  Make lunch and eat lunch with Jeff (sorry, no time for coffee breaks).  I'm getting so tired....
Wait, I forgot the raving part!
I got to hold and kiss Claire this week (extra attention when she wasn't feeling good).  I got to hold and kiss Brody this week (extra attention on Friday when we were alone together).  I got to hold and kiss Max this week (and hear his new words and watch his new "attitude").  I got to hold and kiss Maverick this week (and see him roll over a few times - and smile a few hundred times).  I got to hold and kiss Mara this week.  I got to go shopping a few times.  I got to enjoy some out-of-doors fall weather.  I got a Shutterfly and Snapfish book in the mail this week!  Part of my birthday present from the Parks came in the mail - a new charm for my necklace for Maverick and for Mara.  The sun is shining.  My jeans still fit. 

Harvesting

The kids love the golf cart, and they absolutely adore the garden!  Here we are, headed to the garden again to harvest.  We have an order placed by Great Auntie Nora for a green and an orange pumpkin, and from Great Aunt Sue for more pumpkins for her lake home.  (Claire and Brody are geared up with boots and gloves, Max wasn't feeling the boots today!)

Ready to harvest.  Bethanie and I spent some time out here over the weekend getting rid of some big weeds so that the harvest was easier for the kids to find.

A pumpkin each!

Max is learning about peeling Indian Corn to reveal the exciting colors inside.  They could have done this all day!  Max's piece here was a gorgeous maroon variety.

Claire's turned out to be shades of pink, and that wasn't even planned.  She DID NOT like to leave the peelings on, which Omi does to enhance the beauty of the corn when using it to decorate.  Claire and Brody liked the clean cut look much better.

Brody is not a fan of the silk as we are peeling, so I eliminate that part for him.

Here we are with our Indian Corn harvest.  Heading back to Omi's.

Mara AnnMarie

Our daughter, Heather, and her husband, Sean, celebrated the birth of their little baby girl today, September 9, 2012.  She is our fifth grandchild and our second granddaughter.  Welcome to the world, peanut!  We are so proud, and so happy, and SO blessed.  Praise the Lord for her healthy and happy birth!