How many licks snaps does it take?

A few weeks ago my high school friend, and now blogger friend, Raechel, stopped by our house on their way down with her family (and two nannies!) to the beach.  They got to hang out with us, adults, on Sunday night and have breakfast with us Monday morning.  Before they left, we tried to get a picture of all of the kids.

So, how many licks snaps does it take

To get a good picture of 5 kids, early on a Monday morning?

The world may never know.



Oh Dear! again

Dear I'm-going-to-throw-my-gum-wherever-I-may-please,
If you insist on throwing your gum in the parking lot, you will have to take care of the consequences.  You now how 2 pairs of shoes to clean up for me.  Please call me and we'll arrange a time for you to do this.
Thanks,
Sick of sticky shoes

Dear Self-
Never, ever, EVER try to make bias tape out of a super stretchy knit fabric again.  It will not end well, and will likely result in lots of tears.  (Thankfully, no one but E and I will see that home made miracle blanket up close anyway.)
Love,
I hate taking out seams

Dear Consignment sale,
Please sell lots of my baby clothes so I can pay for the new ones I'm buying.
Thanks so much,
loving-the-girl-stuff

Dear Isaac,
I love that you're getting more words (seriously, people!  He's totally rocked his speech therapy!  over 20 words now, and he said ZERO 4 months ago.) but would love it even more if you could kick "no, thank you" to the top to learn next.  The incessant grunting of "uh-uh", while cute, is a little rude.
Fondly,
your also-add-"yes"-if-you-can mommy

Dear O and A,
You guys are so awesome and fun!  I love hearing about your days at school and everything you're learning.  Please don't ever stop telling me all about it.
Always,
Mommy

Dear O,
I know you hate handwriting.  I know your teacher makes you do it "too long" every day.  Unfortunately, you're a lefty, and your handwriting may need a little extra work through out the years.  It happens. 
Sincerely,
can't-remember-the-last-time-I-had-to-hand-write-something

Dear E,
So glad to have you home!  Please don't leave me again.  Please.  And, just so you know, I cannot help it if I am jealous that you get to go to Hawaii for work.  I also may not be completely "happy" for you.  Especially since baby girl will only be a month old when you go.
Fondly,
I-wannnnnnnnnnaaaa-go-too!

Dear baby girl,
If you could just somehow relay the message to daddy that the name *I* have chosen is an awesome name, that'd be great.  Also, maybe tell him you don't want to be named Jennifer, Jessica, Cathy, or Amy.  While all good names, you are not 30.
Love and belly rubs,
I-want-to-name-you-soon

You win some, you lose some

Win: Not having to wait long to see the OB because it's glucose tolerance testing day.
Lose: Failing said test and having to wait 3.5 hrs for the 3 hr glucose test.
(ETA: I just got the call that I passed the 3 hr test, so I guess that's a win, too!)

Win: A loves Kindergarten!
Lose: He's been exhausted every day this week.  So much so, we've moved his bedtime up to 6:15.

Win: Isaac's new nap schedule.  He's been sleeping 2+ hrs.

Lose: We've been having to lay down with him to get him to sleep/stay in his bed.  Only for naps, but still not great for October when the new baby arrives.

Lose: E traveling for work again soon.

Win: Lots of time in the evening to sew/craft/work on consignment stuff.

Win: My littlest's love of blueberries.  I love to hear him say it, and I love watching him eat them.

Lose: Blueberry diapers.  Enough said.

Lose: Having a family member say "How many weeks do you have left?" then, after I reply, responding with "wow!  You're just going to get bigger?  I mean, you're already big!"

Win: Having someone ask how many weeks I am, then responding with "wow!  you're so tiny!"

Win: Having an awesome OB who schedules your appointments on Mondays since that's her "day on call" and she knows me and my labor history (went into labor with A and I the same day as my appointments)

Lose: Finding out that Awesome Dr will likely be on vacation when I deliver baby girl.  Possibly not, I suppose, but probably so. (She'll be gone the week I'm 37-38 weeks. O and A were 38 wks, I was 37.)

Win: Having a child who is super creative and smart.

Lose: Having a child who is super creative and smart, thus coming up with a way to stuff 10 pennies into our van's cassette deck.

Win: posting pictures from the first day of school.

Lose: No lose.  This one's win-win.

He said MOMMA Elmo?!?

Isaac has been feeling less than stellar lately.  Last Wednesday night, he started with a croupy sounding cough, and nothing more.  Then, the cough got worse, so I took him into the dr. on Saturday.  He needed steroids, again, for two days. Saturday night, the poor kid started running a fever, and got really sick. Sunday morning, I was ready to take him back in.  Monday, he was sounding croupy still, so we had to give him another day's worth of steroid (which, if you've never had the torture joy of having a child on steroids, you are really missing out on some wildness/crankiness/worst-sleeping-ever-ness.)

Every day since Monday, I keep thinking, "okay, if he gets worse, I'll take him in."  Because, let's face it, I don't really want to drag 3 kids to the doctor's office ever, but especially when 2 of them are healthy. He hasn't gotten any worse, really, just kind of the same.

So, in all of his sick-glory, the kid has been extra snugly and loving (minus the steroid days when he was just mean to me).  Today, he was sitting on my lap while I was, cough, checking facebook on my phone and watching the news.  He keeps saying, what I thought was, "momma" over and over.  Seeing as how he hasn't said this, yet, I was over joyed!  I threw down my phone, looked into his sweet face, and then was immediately disappointed.  He was pointing to the t.v. at Elmo.  Saying "memo, memo", then signing "please". 

thanks, kid.  Apparently it's more important to say a furry, red, annoying puppet's name before mine.  Burn.