Play spot

Joshua's new thing is to 'pretend cook' he gets all the bowls and even the mixer out and cooks, complete with noises. I wish you could hear him, he makes little squeaks and grunts when he mixes with the mixer! But this is the first time I saw him climb in the cabinet!

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Madies spot

Elizabeth has been working on making Christmas gifts for people and Madie has found her special spot to watch...
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quick update

1. we have a 10 foot tall real Christmas tree

2. the kids love dancing to Christmas music. (Madie and Caleb are "dancing"/wrestling to it currently)

3. I am thoroughly enjoying my new laptop, an early Christmas Gift from David with standing in line at Sam's day after Thanksgiving assistance provided by Mr. Danny.

4. Joshua can finally say u-huh and shake his head up and down....slightly. No and shaking his head side to side has been the norm for the post few months.

5. Madeleine is still a master at Play-doh. I'll snap a picture next time of the after math of her creative time and post it. for now all I can say is it's always mopping time after wards.

6. Caleb is quite the Lego builder now, he can make airplanes, guns and cars.

7. Elizabeth is still my hero.

8. David is in San Francisco till tomorrow night on a business trip.

9. I'm still alive with 4 kids and a dog by my self since Monday.

10. My best friend is getting married in March :-)

My 3 dinosaurs

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Waterfall at Fernbank

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1 Andies Mint

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Is the new bed dog for Bernard or the kids?

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Mommy gave me a cookie...

A chocolate chip cookie!
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"Take a picture of me"

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Quick update

1. Bernard has a bed :-)

2. Refuge's show is like 19 days away!

3. I hate Vogue patterns and have to make one by this weekend ( a dress for me for the show, how I wish my mom and Grandma were here to help)

4. Elizabeth is fighting sickness

5. Joshua thinks whining and grunting for things is cool

6. My best friend Noelle is pregnant!

7. Caleb wants to play drums, bad! We listen to us record a piece for our show today... Its a 13 minute sermon with a drum sound track!

8. Madie is repeating little rhymes I have taught Caleb about writing " magic C goes up like and airplane, goes back done, bump!"
( That's how to right a lower case a)

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Princess Madie

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Picasso

Le Gourmet
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Degas

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For me

Edgar Degas Little Dancer Aged-Fourteen
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The Hope Diamond!

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For my Husband

Julia Child's kitchen!
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For my mom

Judy Garland's Ruby slippers!
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Lincoln's top hat

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Just a little sightseeing...

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Bernard's first days

So I already knew how hard it is to get 4 kids smiling at one time....add a dog, oh it's comical. (And the last pictures are of Joshua's first Oreo!) Enjoy

Waiting for food to drop

This is our new morning routine, Joshua eats a small bowl of Cherrios with milk (yes, he's that grown up now!) And Bernard waits for a few to fall on the ground.
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This is Why I teach

They arrive one at a time with cameras in tow. 3 little dancers ready to be fitted for their first pair of pointe shoes. We all gather around an 8x8 wooden square of floor, our mock ballet studio at a dance store for the day. Shoes come off and unmarred toes are bared, "What's your shoe size?" is asked as I slide into a white plastic chair.

One by one we try on shoe after shoe. Longer vamp, wider width, this one bags too much at the heel. "Hold my hand and slowly step up onto pointe" Wobbly first moments on the tips of their toes as the cameras start clicking. I eye one foot then the other in search for the best shoe for each dancer. Back and forth our fitter goes into the store room, each time emerging with hopefully the perfect pair. We debate and discuss, taking each curve of the shoe, each bend at the arch into careful consideration until at last we settle on the first pair.

At the check out counter I am found showing stitching techniques to eager young faces. "Elastic here and ribbons in front" Divide in half, cut the half in half, leave the rest untrimmed. Box it in then sew straight across and I'll see you tomorrow night.

They came to class ready to learn and to work. Corrections were give and light bulbs went on. "If you were Standing in a window I wouldn't know you were on one leg" I hear echos of this spoken many years ago as I share it with my class. We all try to find a way to pirouette without lifting our front heel. Try it this way, no think of this instead, yes that's right, and no, I don't expect you to get it right tonight.

8:05, it's time to get those new shoes on. "Bring your pointe shoes in the studio and I'll help you put them on."

8 dancers surround me in a circle on the floor. One shoe at a time I bend and flex and step upon before they slide their toes in. "Um, I need a shoe to use to show them how to tie it just right" One of my dancers slides forwards and offers to show them how. Step by step she walks them through tying a pointe shoe ribbon. Repeating verbatim what I told her just a year ago. I pair them up, one newbie on pointe with a "veteran" one as they came to be known. Sousou isn't as easy as it looks with actual pointe shoes on.

We move into the big studio and I let them leap in their shoes for the first time. Toes dangle un-pointed as they fly through the air. Parents look on from the door way. To finish we bouree from one corner to the other. Slowly traveling one after the other they glide, or try to glide gracfully across. The last dancer continues a few paces behind, step by step, "Back foot leads, back foot leads" I grab her hands and inch by inch we finally make it to the black tape line.

8 beaming faces, "it's 9 o'clock, we have to stop" 16 eyes grow sad, they would fly across the floor for hours more if I would let them. As they head out the door their parents smile, they've had a good time we can tell. I can barely stop talking about how wonderful their first class was, how they helped each other, all the new things they experienced. My 2 eyes are gleaming as they all say good night.

How I wish you were here with me now to see what you've taught me grow and be reborn. All those many years, class upon class you poured your knowledge into me, countless hours spent in the studio training and pruning my gift of dance. Now my gift teaches others just as you did. If only to be worthy of passing on the legacy you gave me. Never growing weary of helping a back learn how to stand straight, or a sickled foot point correctly. I still hear your voice as I clap to the beat of the music. "Strike a match with the heel. Push down to go up. Eyes direct the hands...." the list goes on and on. And I remember my first pointe class like it was yesterday.

Tonight I realized being someone teachers is the greatest honor I've known. Thank you.

oh ps. I let them eschappe, I know you didn't let me do those during my first pointe class but I had to let them. They did well.

My morning companions

Day 3 with Bernard here at our house begins with both of my youngest kids up and at 'em early. This is the view I have from my chair, Bernard snuggling at my feet while joshua drinks his bottle. We haven't quite figured out our new routine with a dog in the mix but we will. So far its been pretty easy. Bernard seems to be very comfortable with us. Tuesday night I came home to him resting in his spot between the chair and the tv, David said he had been chilling there most of the evening. I think the kids wear him out! Playing in the backyard he's not quite sure about. Yesterday he just watched them play. Oh, and he discovered pinecones, he loves tearing them to pieces. He tried to bring on into the house this morning. We went back and forth about it. He would bring it in, I would say no, he would go back out, drop it, then grab it really quick and try to come back in. I knew how to fix that one, I closed the door and he lasted like 2 seconds, dropped the pinecone and promptly came in. Reminds me of the parenting tactic of pretending to leaving the kids in the store so they will come running to go home with you!

Today we go to the vet, I have a ton of questions for them. And Sunday he starts puppy training class. Should be fun. And I bought him some training treats and food at the store. Realized I will need to pay attention to all those dog food coupons in the paper now. I also resisted the urge to buy him a toy. Really only because we were at Wal-mart and I figure toys at Petsmart will be better!
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First pictures

Sorry, the camera reflects Bernard's eyes really bad. But it was too cute not to snap a picture. He's already joining in our morning routine of watching Curious George.
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Waiting for the arrival

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A good weekend

I just wanted to share with everyone my shopping adventure this weekend.

Its my last weekend off till Thanksgiving so I decided to get all the winter clothes for the kids handled. Madie had a few hand me downs from Elizabeth. Joshua is 100% set because he can wear all of Caleb's old clothes since they were both born around the same time. So armed with that info and 200.00 dollars, I set out to conquer clothing our family.

Can I just say I adore the thrift store? Who ever created the idea of the thrift store was a genius. I love it because you can go to 1 location and shop at a least 6 different stores. Between the goodwill and Kohl's, I got 50 items of clothing for my money! Including-get this, 4 pairs of jeans for me (amazing I know, I actually got something for myself!)

The final note in this story is a picture in time-

I sat in the dressing room in the Junior's department waiting for Elizabeth to try on size 0 jeans and remembered being in Gap with my mom doing the same thing. Growing from the kids department to the juniors. Huge step. But all that ran through my mind was, "where did my little girl who lined up all our shoes go?"
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Princess Madie

Getting ready for Halloween early
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It's back

Yes, I have brought out the old, trusty crockpot. How I have missed this wonderful invention. Fall, I embrace you!
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After a long weekend

A rainbow, actually a double rainbow but I don't think you can see it on the picture. Just a wonderful reminder for me that God never forgets His promises to us.....
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Waking up

Its 7:15 and I am making breakfast for the middle two...while they play under my desk humming songs together. (Wish I could have taken a recording of the humming too, so sweet)
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whip cream

um...

yeah, so I haven't blogged in forever. That's because Project Dance is 2 days away! sorry, when it is over I will try to catch up.

I did blog on Refuge's site....

Now that I have a tooth...

Joshua got into the fruit drawer in the fridge, found a plum and figured out he can bite it now because he has one tiny tooth on the bottom! He really is enjoying it!
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Happy Birthday Joshua!

Hooray, Joshua is 1 today!

I blogged on our company website earlier this morning about him, thought you all might want to read it....

Refuge Blog

Caleb turns 6

We Celebrated Caleb's 6th birthday last weekend. I've put together a slide show of the pictures. I think the best was David surprising him and taking him to see the Braves play last Wednesday. They watching batting practice, Caleb got a ball, a tee-shirt, watched the entire game, ate cotton candy and the Braves won! We don't have pictures from that, but I'm pretty sure Caleb will have memories of it for a long time.

Caleb's first tooth to loose!

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Looking up

From the table where I am writing out household chores I see all four of my kids reading, quietly. Madie in the brown chair reading Sneeches. Caleb on the cough reading the Animal Encyclopedia. Elizabeth on the reading the Kingfisher History encyclopedia. And Joshie reading/eating various books behind me. They all did this on their own. This is why I love home schooling, learning happens all the time, even when its not planned.
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The Mischievous Madie strikes again

Yes that's an entire roll of TP in the sink, soaked. Yes, that's a bare bottomed Madie and Yes, this was proceeded by " its quiet.... Where's Madie?!"
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Hello Mrs. Potato Head

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Our youngest driver

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Sittin' in the grass

I do most of my calling outside because its quiet and the kids are inside. However, today Joshua decided to join me
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New Living Room

So Sunday we went to Ikea to shop, not for us but for another one of our many projects we are working on. Upon passing through the living room furniture section I saw a sign for a chair cover for 9.99. In brown, the color I want. I checked out the couch cover section and found the match cover for the 3 seat sofa for 29.99. these guys are normally 79.00 and 149.00



Needless to say, we bought them. Figured might as well get the covers while they are on sale since eventually we wanted to get the Ikea couch


Well, we decided to go ahead and take the plunge and buy the couch and chair frame as well! The couch frame weighed 150 pounds and can fit on the top of our van! The two boxes they came in were an instant hit with the kids....I will try to get pictures of that later.



Oh, and yes, we basically redid the living room. New brown drapes and new rug compliment the new couch and chair nicely. All entire cover for the couch and chair can be dry cleaned. And I went back yesterday and bought a spare set. So I am completely prepared for our 4 crazy kids and I finally will have a couch and chair that 1. match and 2. do not have a slipcover that always looks completely disheveled upon it. Hooray!

monologue

(riding in car)

Elizabeth: Mom, I just saw that punch buggy, you know the g...g...something one!

Me: G something?

Elizabeth: yeah, you know, it's that g word, we've talked about them before.

Me: You mean Ghetto?

Elizabeth: umm, no....

Me: Elizabeth you remember where Daddy said the word ghetto came from right?.......

Me: it's from the book you are reading too.....

Elizabeth: (nodding)

Me: It's kind of like in Fiddler on the Roof.....

Me: it was horrible to think......

Me: When you say something is ghetto.......

(5 minutes later)

Me: Was that the word you were thinking about?

Elizabeth: no.

Me: oh.

(Pause)

Me: Geek squad?

Elizabeth: Yes, Geek squad!

yes, I am the granddaughter of Elkins Sr. who once lectured me about what a Medicine man was for 2 hours! Not because I asked about it, because he wanted to tell me about it.

Definition of Mischievous

I was sitting correcting Elizabeth's paper and this is what Madie did.....in 5 minutes or less. Yes, that's Scotch tape around the toy and around her leg. When people ask how Madie is doing, I always so she's just mischievous and being herself! This is why.

My two boys

Caleb helping Joshua drink his bottle, so cute!
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Added to my resume today...

I can build a dance studio sub-floor!
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Tired kids

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Ever seen the ugliest tree alive?

Now you have (this tree is beside our gas station at the beginning of our neighborhood, every time we get gas I just can't get over how hideous it is!)
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Madie

Yes, that's Madeleine wear her "fabulous thrift store find" swim vest(which we haven't used yet to go swimming) Joshua hat and big Sissy's play money in her hand. She playing some sort of game, a work/house game. We moved the girls into 1 room and the boys into another. The girls have already started playing house, bitten finger baby dolls and all! The boys haven't really bonded yet, Caleb is enjoying watching David build in the garage. Which by the way we finally cleaned up for the like zillionth time! and last but not least, I think David and I should win an award for being able to re arrange a 3 bedroom house in SO many different ways! We've been here 4 years and we still can find new ways to arrange it!
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10 things Thursday

1. Joshua holds the phone up to his ear and pretends to talk on it.

2. I just got our school transcript-its the first one for Caleb. He completed 180 days in Kindergarten!

3. Madie has her finger and toe nails painted red and LOVES them.

4. Elizabeth taught Joshua how to crawl the right way (not army crawl) all they do each night is chase each other around the house, its so precious.

5. Caleb is enthralled with Lego Batman, its all he talks about. Thanks Mr. Danny for getting it for us! (Its a game we play on the Wii, and for Caleb is real!)

6. I'm trying to enjoy my last two weeks of summer vacation before I start back teaching ballet in the evenings, it just goes so fast.

7. David should have a new 4day work week starting in August which will be wonderful for all of us.

8. Joshua is trying to walk, you can tell he wants to really bad but just ends up lunging forward and falling! I bet he will be walking by his birthday in September.

9. Joshua is also refusing to allow me to wean him. And still not sleeping through the night.

10. All in all we're good, a lot is happening with Refuge so we are keeping busy. just wanted to give everyone an update. Love to all!
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Caleb's First Poem

Future Musician?

Joshua has been exploring much, much more lately. He loves to pull up and stand on any thing you can reach and I've even caught him balancing on his own. Recently he found he can reach the piano.

He makes a wonderful melody of music.....

perhaps he too will be a musician? (classical one hopefully, so the long tuxedo pants will hide his chubby baby legs!)

I just like you Mommy

Yes, that's Madie wearing her baby in her "pouch" just like I wear Joshua. I made her a pouch out of my scarf after watching her try to use her shirt as one. Its so neat to see your kids act like you. And rather funny too....last night I walk into the living room to find Madie, shirt up, nursing her baby. Of course this was one of her many babies she has bitten the fingers and toes off of. I guess she was trying to make up for her violent behavior by being extra motherly!
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