Tuesday Twelve.

1.  7 more days until we are back to the "school grind".  

2.  The boys have teeth cleanings and well checks this week.  So they will be good to go for school.

3.  We are pretty much done getting everything together for our first dossier...(we will need a second for court--whenever that may be)

4.  Nolan officially has 2 little pearly whites.   And also officially seems to understand what "NO" means.  Made obvious by the tears he sheds when one gives him a firm "no" voice.

5.  Um and also...we cut his hair and he doesn't look like the same baby and we are so sad.

6.  I made myself a cleaning "schedule"--we will see how much I stick to it.  Actually...I haven't.  But I am allowing myself some learning time and ya know the boys to get back to school.

7.  OH!  And the two biggest start piano lessons soon too....so that's cool.

8.  And then there will be baseball and soccer things going on too.   We will have 2 in baseball this fall and one in soccer.  

9.  We hit up some new parks today...in the 90+ degree heat.  But the breeze helped it be better.

10.  Robert is going to be working on his masters soon...Yay for him!

11.  I need to cut some boy hair today....I keep saying I am going to and then...um don't.

12.  I won't lie the boys starting school next week is getting more and more appealing.

It's a monday.

I feel lately like I do a lot of just general complaining.  And not really more lately than normal...just that's what I do.  Like a casual "hey how you doin'?" is never met with "Oh great!  Everything is really great"...it's often met with an eye roll and a "well you know tired but otherwise ok"  And ok is ok...but tired is just par for the course so why even go there?   And sometimes sure complain...that's fine but all the time?   I mean really we have to go negative first...I just don't think so.
I have long past said I am just not "one of those" the people that are just happy.  Bubbly and happy go lucky and everything is just GOOD.  Sure sure they have their days when it's not but over all they don't look at the world ho hum and glum.  But the truth is while I don't have to outwardly be bubbly and cheerful I could at least try to be less gripey.  I am even annoying myself with it...and probably much as in the past I am being too hard on myself about all this mumbo jumbo.  And while I do often call just to share a funny or a happy bit of awesomeness...many times I call someone or post here to bitch about something.   When really I would like to see more hey life is fantastic sorta things going on too.   Because life IS fantastic.  Aside from all the awfulness in this fantastic country that quite honestly makes me want to move to a hide out in the woods or Denmark.  Life here in this house is good.
Sure, sure we have our hard days and our moments of hair pulling but that is not really what defines my days.  I know that instead of dwelling on the fact that the boys cut our trip to the pool short by misbehaving or that they are all in separate rooms right now because I had had enough....I can just shrug it off as par for the course and part of you know...parenthood and life.  Hello.  Yes, yes your right.
So now that I have complained about complaining...yes yes I noticed that.  And really I probably don't as much as I think...but sometimes maybe I do.  So less complaining and uh...interrupting yes that too.
We managed to tackle a few things on the ole TO DO list this weekend.  You know the one...the one that goes on forever and ever and always.   A few tree trimmings and yard mowing and a baby step closer to finishing the stairs I started way back when.  A non squeaky baby step at that.  We filled the gap in the landings and put down 4543 nails to stop the squeakiness.   So there's that....and eventually there may even be stain!  A light sleeping baby and a noisy sander are hindering progress.  Also did I mention that light sleeping baby is actually turning into a decent napper?  Hallelujah a nap is a nap at last!  We still aren't pushing out 2 hr naps but we have regularly had at least one ONE hour nap a a day and friends I will take that over the cat naps that were going down.
And also...a certain fab guy had a birthday up in here and thought he would sneak by unmentioned...so here's a mention....no really.  It was Robert's birthday over our vacay week last week...so A big happy birthday to him and his 33 years of baby face-ness.   And 33 years of being so awesome I consistently feel the need to remind him of all the ways he isn't....I am nice like that and it's a favor really.  Ok...so in all seriousness he IS that awesome.  Like for reals.  I could list all the ways that he knows he's fantastic...but let's not get carried away mmmkay.    Let's just say he's great and we are so lucky he's ours and that I can honestly say I look forward to growing old together and watching these kiddies grow and just kicking it with my guy.  Which is good...since we are married and all.  He really is my very bestest pal.  And I think that while us getting married was a good sign of love and all...when it really hit me was when I started wanting him when I am sick or hurt or sad instead of my mom.  While I want my mom and I need my mom forever and always...he is my person now (sorry mom...you still are too I promise!) all the times of "I just want my mom" are now filled with "I just want Robert"  (and my mom!).   If that makes any sense....he is my grown up comfort person and that's how it should be.   So yeah...Happy Birthday to Robert.
And that's a wrap....

8 Months.

Mr. Baby Man Nolan is 8 months old now--or rather he is 8 months and almost 2 weeks old at this point but let's not split hairs Mmmkay?   We were afterall out of town for the first week of his 8th month and the 2nd he has spent rocking the worst virus/cold/teething bout thus far.   To say he is being clingy is an understatement.  But anyway...technically we are on 8 months 1 day so technically none of this has happened yet!

SO!  At 8 months our Nolie Bear is crawling all over and pulling up at anything and everything strong enough to support him.  He has let go of said things and stood sans hands for a split second a few times but certainly isn't standing alone just yet.  He is making steps around furniture slowly but surely and is trying to master the step into the sunroom.  

At 8 months he is (or was) still toothless and happy.  He pretty much doesn't eat solids just yet...but gives it an honest effort sort of.  He gets very excited anytime he sees someone eating food but spits nearly everything out before he swallows it.   He does do ok with some puree'd foods and baby yogurts.  He loves feeding himself puffs and while most end up stuck all over his clothes or highchair a few are making their way into his belly.  So food thus far isn't his jam.  (no pun intended).  I have a sneaking suspicion he is going to be quite the picky eater like his big bros.  Joy of joys.  

At 8 months he has everyone in this house wrapped around his finger...though the boy is pretty much the happiest easiest baby ever.  He is still boycotting sleeping all night but IS starting to rock out hour long naps that leave me blissfully skipping thru the house.  Ok not really--they leave me on edge waiting for him to cry because I am not used to the napping yet!   He is a snuggler and loves to cuddle up with one of us parental figures and snuggle away.  While he is a busy guy he is also pretty content to just chill and play while we do our thing next to him--whether that be folding laundry or reading a book.  He really is very happy and easy going.  He spent his 8 month birthday getting up very early to have his 8 month pictures done (his mother may be a bit neurotic about the picture schedule) and then made his very first long'ish car ride settling to spend the afternoon at the beach.  So at 8 months he got to put his toesies in the sand and the Gulf of Mexico AND spend the night in a tent.   And our laid back boy just rolled with it.   

At 8 months of awesome he is just that.   He has started saying Mama all the time and we are thinking he knows that's me...he is more interested in watching me say words but isn't uttering his first words just yet.  When I say Uh-oh he stops what he's doing and just watches me say it.  He has learned to use the back of his hand to make sounds and can get quite loud doing that and it's mighty cute.  

His hair is wild and desperately needing to be trimmed and probably will be before he hits 9 months.  We are still 100% enamored with every little bit of this crazy haired growling boy.  I have started calling him Nolie Bear as a result of his growls and grunts.   Happy 8 months to our little bear! 

 

Tuesday twelve.

1. My poor Nolie bear is teething...he has been pretty close to miserable the past few days. Even ran a low grade temp last night. He isn't crying or overly fussy but is not his normal happy chatty self and is wanting to just sit with me and snuggle.
 2. Gavin told us last week that his stomach tells him what to do a lot. Hes a funny guy.

 3. I am super bummed that the boys start back to school in 2 weeks. Summer is too fast.

 4. Also it's crazy that my Jakey boy is starting his very last year of elementary school. I am pretty sure he just tip toed into kindy.

 5. Nolan turned 8 months last weekend. I need to get his 8 month post typed up ASAP!

 6. This past week the two biggest of the big ones had a conversation about s. e. x. Thanks to "Marley and Me" Zachary let us know that he knows it is "rolling around the bed and stuff". Jakeb told Zachary you don't have to do that when you are married...zachary then informed him that you "do because that is how babies are made". Which he then argued his case by saying "Mommy and Daddy have done it for times. Right? You guys have had s. e. x. FOUR times??". Jakeb at that point decided he was done with the conversation and the word...while we died from both laughter and uncomfortablness. We aren't ready for those real convos yet!

 7. It has taken me twice to get this far...darn computer glitches.

 8. We received our uscis appointments for fingerprinting yesterday...basically the official form we have to have from the U.S. of A stating we are allowed to adopt or foreign child.

 9. I need a housekeeper and a cook.

 10. Though I am slowly but surely getting better about cooking dinner again.

 11. We spent way more money than I intended going out of town :-/

 12. The boys and I went yesterday and got their school supplies...$71 for 3 kids...excluding lunch boxes and backpacks and included all the extra "donation items".

Well Hello there.

Long time no typey typey.   We have survived A) our first camping trip at the beach in the summer...and B) our first vacation as a family of 6 with a baby.   A baby who I should mention thought the best time to get his first tooth would be while we were out of town.   But he was a for real trooper...and quite possibly won the easiest baby ever award.
So the camping...let's just first say this was my idea and I am some sort of crazy I am sure.  HOWEVER.  It really wasn't bad at all.  Yes, yes it was hot but not that hot...the issue wasn't the heat it was the humidity because walking around feeling damp is just not fun.  Picking up a sticky baby isn't either.  Robert says I would be a great indian because I can just be outside like it's no big deal...and I am like well it is no big deal--most of the time.   I don't do outside in the dark alone...so that would be a problem in my indian-hood.  But I can also just relax outside doing nothing for a long time.  And I love exploring around outside.  And there is something about the breeze blowing thru our tent and the staring at the stars.  I will stop here to complain that loud birds in the morning are not cool and that tents and air mattresses and showers are a must.  I draw the line right there.  And I will also tell all you folks with RV's that camping isn't camping unless you are in a tent or in the open air.  Just sayin' ;-).   So St. Andrews State Park in PCB is pretty good and the showers are way better than at Unicoi State Park where we camped in October....I will also say that camping in the summer is ok...provided you have a fan and at least some breeze.  We saw several people with straight up window air conditioners sticking out of their tents.  We called that cheating but were also a little jealous.   If we do it again at the beach--which it's likely that we will.  We will not choose July and try to locate a campground that is actually directly off the beach.  Where we were we had to drive down to the beach that was about a mile or so away.
After 2 days of camping we packed it up and hit up one of our favorite beach towns, Cape San Blas for 4 nights.   We arrived stoked to be walking distance to the beach and with a pool to use directly off the beach....we trekked out to the beach super excited only to find it stinky and covered with sea weed.   Bummer.  The sea weed in fact was so thick in the water we chose to actually drive further down the island to see if it was better--it was so we again had to drive to the beach.   Which is a pain with 4 littles...but better than not going.  We had a great time and the boys were very sad to have to leave Florida and their friends.  My friend and her 3 kiddies came down and stayed with us in CSB for the 4 nights.  
We are kinda glad to be home and less glad to be doing laundry and even less happy about the fact that school starts in 2 weeks.   Our summer is gone and it feels like it just started.   Our chalk board full of activities didn't even get a dent put in it...so we are getting cracking on all things bucket listed this week.   Nothing like a good cram to get 'er done.

Tuesday Twelve.

1.  Has anyone mentioned to you lately that it's hot?  Yes?  Well I thought so.  

2.  The big boys are all watching Seabiscuit and asking a million questions while they do.

3.  I can't believe we are already in July and the boys start school in less then a month.  Honestly I am bummed--I always am.  

4.  They got their new backpacks in today they are pretty neato.    I tend to pay a bit more for back packs and we use them for years and years.

5.   Nolan is starting to cruise around furniture--I feel like I may have typed that already....

6.  We headed north to Chattanooga today to spend a few hours visiting with my college friends....they are my very bff's and I miss them lots.

7.  A funny is that of all 6 of my college pals 4 of us have kids...I obvs have the most BUT we all have boys.  7 little boys total.  

8.  My little boysies are very sweet and think little ones are too funny.  Makes my heart happy.

9.  I am trying to teach Nolie bear to clap...he thinks I funny but not enough to clap about.

10.  Oh.my.goodness.  The questions coming from the other room about the movie...goodness they are funny.

11.  It rained it's hiney off this afternoon.  Something we needed very badly.

12.  Did I happen to mention I got my hairs did this past week?  Well I did...finally...as in it was over 9 MONTHS since I last had my haircut.  That's insane...over 6 inches off and it looks so very much better.  My ultimate goal is to have it short short short...I have very thin fine hair that just looks better short.

Howdy.

I have the big boys taking a break from toys and video games and they are perched around the the table with all crafting options...minus paint and glitter.   They were told to make something...anything.   Jakeb promptly rubbed glue all around his paper and started to glue paper together.  So ok anything except just gluing paper together.   He then drew "a pregnant person with no underwear" WHAT?  Ok anything except THAT too...let's keep it appropriate yo.   Basically they need a break from discussing Pokemon and video games.
We also have chrysalids we are watching turn into butterflies from caterpillars I finally ordered for their Butterfly Garden.  The one they get for Christmas.   Now they aren't done yet but really friends it's cool.
And also I ordered these cool water marble things and they are kicking it in the water this morning looking mighty cool and completely tempting for little hands and big hands alike.  
I have started to blog a handful of times in the past week or so but while I have a wealth of ideas to discuss when I am you know driving or showering or anywhere other than with my hands on the keyboard they promptly vanish when I sit down in front of the screen.
So therefore you get a run down of the day and what we are doing.   I could mention we are all still in our jammies and my desk is a mess.   My desk is always a mess I do eventually get dressed.   I ordered a chair from Wally-world and picked it up yesterday so the kids got an awesome massive square box to hang out in until they destroy it...hopefully it will not be soon but we shall see.
That's about all I got today folks...or all I have time for Nolan is over me ignoring him and Jakeb is over trying to entertain him.   Stay cool!