the weather

Since moving to Ohio, I've had a lot of memories come flooding back. The insane change of weather has not been one of them.  Is it just Ohio?  Or is anyone else out there experiencing 60 degree days in December only to quickly be replaced by several inches of snow.  It's sorta insane.
As we speak I'm deliberately choosing not to help (I KNOW!!) by going out and shoveling the deck.  I gotta blog man.  Fast and furious like, before my time is up.  I'm looking at Neve's tray and the nibblets are getting more and more sparse.
Type like the wind, momma!! :)
-Snow days are pretty upon glancing, but darn near impossible in their longevity and seeming endlessness to fully enjoy.  Having a bunch of pint-sized people in the same close quarters makes for more fighting...more tattle-tailing...more "MOOOOOOOM!!!!!"
Can't they just break off and find things to play with?  Sounds easy enough - grab a buddy and some books or blocks, trucks or trains... have a blast.
Quietly. :)  haha.
-Warmer days I welcome.  Even if we can't get out until I have an adult reinforcement at home, it's a blessing.  Outside is a magical thing.
Well, a warm outside day. 
I've been enjoying them myself...   as in...going outside.
To run.
Yep, I'm still at it.
I mainly run when I feel like it. Sometimes I allow a break to get the better of me and then I have to force myself back out... Usually the forcing takes place on the colder days.
I can't decide if I wanna announce it (because then I may have to stick to it), but I am in the process of trying to train for a half-marathon.
Maybe....
Possibly....
We'll see.  I'm up to 5 miles now.
Not an easy 5 miles, but it felt good after it was done. 
Because I could say I did it....nothing more. (and maybe to eat more.)  LOL.
More on that in time... maybe.  ...possibly.

10 & 11

I mean, it's sorta embarrassing.
I'm almost positive I kept a better log of the boys months as they chugged along their first year.
But alas,
I'm behind again.
Smooshing two months of accomplishments, activites and adorable-ness into one post.
Sorry, Neve.

The girl is 11 months old now.
I mean, just every bit of the spit-fire, free spirited, loving, funny, charming, eye-catching little beauty I thought she'd be.  To boot she's a momma's girl (still!), so that is the whipped icing on the cupcake (who eats cherries.....)

She communicates well - has a few words...not sure she picked up many more since her 8-9 month check, but she still says Dada, Momma, Pop-Pop, Nana (and can identify correctly).
My girl is an attention hog.  Since she's down to 2 naps, she in a switch shift from the boys, so for the 3 hours that they are down, she is awake...active and wanting someone to hold her, play with her...do ANYTHING with her but try to ignore her.
She loves to eat.  Kinda picky at times, but she's got a few staple favorites - fruits (the canned stuff is the softest and easiest for her to pick up), oatmeal, cheese...hot dogs or ham...she likes meatloaf, yogurt, and sweet potatoes.  I usually give her a tray of stuff for her to feed herself with and then sneak in bites of baby food to make sure she's getting enough.  She loves to drink water.  I've recently introduced both a sippy cup and bottle full of water and she can knock back either without any problems.
Her expressions are SO explanatory.  I mean, sometimes she just kills me with those wide eyes or poochy lip.  Her smiles are to die for and she's got the squinty eyes that I do.
That's about the only thing she got from me though.  OH wait - the dimples.  Okay, besides those 2 things, everything else seems to come from the Nester side.
Stick straight hair (why is is STICK straight - how often do you find perfectly straight sticks anyway...), blue eyes, short eyelashes, small ears, blonde hair, chunky thighs.... (alright PERHAPS she gets those from me too)....
Girl is beautiful.  Inside and out.
My boys are starting to see her as a playmate now.  Especially Thad.
He's been loving on her alot in this past month.
They're all aware of her and try as best they can to be careful around her and quiet when she's asleep.  They aim to please her and I'm happy to see more love and less jealousy.
Truthfully she's the one who is starting to get jealous.
My babies generally have a permanent place in my arms (even if they have to take turns like the twins did), but now that's she's super mobile, she plays, cruises and crawls around alot more.  I get to accept brothers more and more in my lap, but Babs doesn't seem to keen on it.  HA!
She'll learn.
Neve just got weighed the other day.  I didn't write it down but I know it was just shy of 22 lbs (and 29 inches, if that says anything.)
She wears 12 month clothes but more than a few outfits are getting kinda snug...
I'm not gonna lie...she's getting kinda chubby!
I like me a fat baby though.   :)
 ...Baby girl loves bathtime.  Sometimes I run the water and let her play just to kill time.  Those 3 hours when the boys are down for naps get long...  Whenever the boys get in the tub too she's crawling over there to stand and lifting her legs up to try to get over and in.  All smiles in the tub!
Her sleep is usually pretty good.  Usually.  When she's sick it's no fun for anyone...  But she still has the funny habit of burrowing herself at the head (or foot) of her crib.  It happens every night. Sometimes I see her sideways corner to corner.  It's so funny.  She likes to feel constricted I guess...
And the binky.  She's still a fan.  No one has quite loved it like Shep, but you never know...she might win out.  We'll just have to wait and see.
The other day she stood for a few seconds unaided, but when I try the "i'm gonna hold your fingers while you take steps around the room" it didn't work.  She is too quick to drop to her knees (something Shep never learned...poor fella...he just sat there crying until someone helped him down.  haha), and crawl away.
Smart as a whip too (another unclear saying)...she puts lids on things and can stack stuff correctly.  She loves to play with shape-o, and claps for herself with every shape she gets in.
Man, I just love her.
You know when you look at your kids - any of them, but really look.  And watch them...feels like your heart may explode with pure joy at the thought that they're in your life.
God is good.
He gave me my baby girl at a time where I needed a blessing that only gets BIGGER as time goes on.

 

 

Date with the big fellas.

I don't often acquire the motivation to bring my 4 and 6 year old out get the chance to go on a date with my big fellas.
I recently took the opportunity to do just that.
Each of my boys have taken turns breaking something in Nana & Pop-Pops house. 
Well, I know one thing was Cale's fault and one was Thad's fault.  No...make that two at Thad's fault.
The others remain a mystery. 
Still don't know who knocked down the Christmas Tree - effectively breaking the plastic base.
Not entirely sure, (though I would bet good money it was our artist) who colored on the walls.
The big guys scratched the ceramic tub because they were using the strong loofa-looking thing (technical terms of course) to help clean.  God love em, they really were trying to help...

The list continues, and I'm sure will be added to in the days to come before we move, but luckily it's been nothing major.
Luckily.  Yet.

ANYWAY...gosh where was I?
Oh yes, the date. 
I took the fellas to eat and then to Walmart to buy replacements for said broken items.

Though I'm not a huge fan of McDonalds anymore, I do enjoy a large fountain coke.
And they enjoyed their special happy meals.

Clifton Mill

Instagram is pretty great.  I really should do more of these pics. 
It's sorta like downsizing. 
In actuality there were at least 20 pics taken the evening we went to see the lights at Clifton Mill. 
Especially the group shots - there are usually an entire series of shots to try to get the "best" one. 
Generally we settle for one.  Rarely, if ever is there one perfect shot (as evidenced by above), but ya know, it's cool  It's life. 
Life with 5 kids.
So, this will do. 
Snapshot of the night. 
Beautiful lights for another Christmas-New Years tradition in Ohio.
Nice. ;)

Christmas 2013

 

Do pictures about sum it up?
Everyone was pleased with their presents. :)

a point in time reference, here's what Cale asked specifically for from Santa:
1. 2DS
2. 2DS charger and case
3. pokemon game
4. pogo stick
5. light up light saber

Megersa asked for:
1. sheild
2. light up light saber
3. toy truck

Elf on the Shelf

 

 A little Elf came to visit us this year!!
The story goes that she comes to visit a family for the year and reports back to Santa the goings-on each day.  She isn't to be touched... 
At night she tries out the human world...getting into all kinds of mischief.
On Christmas Eve she heads back to the north Pole for the next 340 days. 
A promise to return the following year keeps her magic hopeful.

A friend of mine and I talked about whether or not we would get an Elf this year.
$25 seemed sorta steep for a toy, but it's a one-time purchase.
I really wanted to start a new tradition.
And she's cute.
Plus, I got tickled pink at the thought of all the things "she" could get into. 
.........Turns out 25 days is a long time. 
Late night scrambling to find something for Effie to do often didn't seem worth the trouble.
But by golly, Cale LOVED it. 
The imagination and wonder of a child.  It's so spectacular. 
He whole-heartily believe that she was real.  That she had an 'in' with Santa. 
Cale really was the only one who noticed her.  He played hot and cold with Pop-Pop every morning to find her.  I missed out on the early morning scavenger hunt, but enjoyed being behind the scenes.

We named our Elf, Effie. (Thank you, Hunger Games.)
I picked a girl, a brown girl - to represent the minorities in this household.
Above are just a few of the pictures of things we caught her doing.
Next year I may take a note from other Elf families and fill out a calendar of ideas and stick to them.  This way we aren't scrambling at midnight - or even worse - 4 am when I realize she hasn't moved since the previous day....

The magic!  The wonder!
...the creativity from momma (and lets face it - Pinterest) :)