The bright orange pumpkin

a poem by Emma Joy, age nine

On a bright summer's day,

I opened my cupboard

Just to find a bright orange pumpkin,

Round and fat and broad.

I asked, "Ms. Pumpkin,

What might you be doing here?"

She said, with a voice like honey,

"I have come to say that autumn is near."

I looked outside, and before my eyes,

The trees, oh my! The trees!

What a beautiful sight that met my eyes!

'Twas red and orange and gold.

"Oh!" I exclaimed. "'Tis the perfect time for pies!

I shall make pumpkin, apple, and cherry pies.

But I won't use you, Ms. Pumpkin,

For I think you are quite nice.

Most pumpkins that I've met before

Are rude and cold as ice."

And from that day

And up till now,

Ms. Pumpkin is my friend.

I think that you

Should meet her,

When you see me again.

oh, children. {#4}

Emma, to her little brother: "oh Bennett, you're not actually human. You're an alien and you come from the planet of cute."
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Annabelle, upon hearing talk of the Superbowl: "so, this bowl, it could save your life, right? What are its powers exactly?" (she was kidding. I think. She's a comedian, this one.)
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Rosalie found a snail outside one day, and brought it to me, wondering where she should put it. I told her to put it on the grass, since snails need green things to live. She did, and I considered the matter over. Only a few minutes later, however, she came back to me, worried and concerned. "mommy, I think the snail is dying!" I quickly reassured her that he would be fine on the grass, but she insisted I come and see. She led me to it and pointed, "see? It's dying!"
I looked. Oh dear. "Um, Rosalie, did you step on it after you put it on the grass?? "
"Yes..."
She wasn't wrong... it was definitely dying. Poor little snail, all smashed to bits.

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Recently, there was an old power plant here in our town that was blown up so they could take it all down. one day we happened to be driving down the road on which it was located, and I made sure to point it out to the girls, since it was kind of a big deal.
As we drove past it, I heard Annabelle say, in a jeering tone, "hey, power plant, you got blown up real good, didn't  you? Yeah. take that." 

.... did my 7-year old seriously just TAUNT an exploded building?

yes. yes she did. 

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We were at the dinner table one night and Rosalie was eating an orange. She looked up at me with a mildly concerned expression and informed me that she had eaten a seed. I quickly responded with "oh, it's ok. it just means you'll grow an orange tree in your tummy, and the branches will come out your mouth and ears." (oh come on, we mamas have to have a little fun teasing sometimes!)
But then I reassured her, "Don't worry honey, nothing bad will happen... seeds need to grow outside of our bodies, where there's dirt and sunshine and water." 

Emma chimed in, "Yeah... but if all you eat is dirt and water and sunshine, then you're in trouble."
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Annabelle, upon overhearing a conversation about digital camera and photographs: "Mommy, what's a mega-pickle?"

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Silly kids of mine. I'm so grateful for how they make me laugh and smile! Sure, they most definitely drive me crazy sometimes....but I wouldn't trade them and their funny little selves for the world.

once upon an Easter...

.... my kids all looked really cute. And I took a bunch of pictures. And then I never blogged about Easter, so the cute pictures of my cute kids simply sat in my camera, gathering a thick layer of digital dust and virtual cobwebs.

But it's never too late to blog about something, right?
Right.
(does anyone even still read my blog? or have you all given up on me? I mean, it's been since May 20 that I wrote something. I wouldn't blame you if you'd abandoned me. I sort of abandoned you. mutual abandonment. how awful.)

ahem. Here are those pictures, for memory's sake.

once upon an Easter uncle Elijah and Aunt Lindsey also came to visit!
They are some of our very favorite visitors.

I like this girl, too.

once upon an Easter, Bennett and his daddy took some awfully adorable pictures together.

And this? well, this about does me in.

Happy Easter!!
Wait.
I mean, Happy Independence Day!
The pictures from our fourth should be posted by Thanksgiving. Dream big, I always say!

three girls and a boy.

Have you ever noticed that the mere fact of having children invites people to talk to you when you are out and about?

 

It's true. When it's just little ol' me out running errands, no one even notices me. I stand in a checkout line and the chances of someone striking up a conversation with me are slim to none. I can peruse the home decor aisle at Target with nary a backward glance from a stranger. I can sit at Starbucks and practically be invisible, just another person drinking their favorite coffee drink.

But add my four children into the mix, and suddenly, I am glaringly obvious. I get comment after comment, from sweet nostalgic old people to young twenty-somethings who usually look slightly relieved that it's not them shopping with four kids in tow. Other moms with their hands full give me a nod and a smile and speak a word as we maneuver our carts and kids past each other. Solidarity, sista!

 

I don't mind this sort of thing at all. Really, I am the type of  gal who will happily chat with any random person. Usually, I'm the one who tries to strike up a friendly convo with the person behind me in line. I love talking to people, and I like to say things like "oh, I love your boots!" or, "your hair is gorgeous, how do you get it so shiny?" (yes, I'm a wee bit awkward, I'm sure.)

Quite often, I am thankful for the comments I get when out with my children:

"My, you have your hands full!" (The most frequent. I don't mind this one, because, well, I do.)

"Oh, this brings me back... cherish these days, they go by too fast."

"Cute kids. Looks like fun, mama!"

Most people are bright and positive, encouraging and friendly. I like that.

 

But every so often, you get a comment that really makes you stop and think, one that makes you wish afterwards that you had the chance to respond, the right words to say on the spot:

"Three girls and just one boy?! Oh, poor little guy. All those sisters to grow up with."

I've gotten variations of this one several times. And while I may not think to say something to whatever person is making it, this is what I wish I could say.



I have three daughters and a son. Just one son. A single solitary boy, the youngest of them all, and so he will grow up with THREE big sisters.

He gets to grow up with three sisters.
Three sisters who love him more than I can even properly put into words.
Three sisters who take delight in him and think he's the best thing ever... even when he's a little stinker.
Three sisters who show him affection and tell him how great he is every single day.

These girls will be the first women in his life, the ones who will love him first and most fiercely for a long time.
He will grow up with a front-row seat to the ins and outs and ups and downs of being a girl. (I'm hoping and praying that he will learn from this how to treat a lady and be a gentleman, and that someday he will make an even better husband because of it.)
Sure, there will probably be times in his life when he'll wish he had a brother, or at least maybe not all these sisters. (after all, siblings will be siblings.)

But I think God knew what He was doing when He planned our family just the way it is.
And I think it's pretty cool that our boy gets to grow up with three of his very own personal cheerleaders. Three little ladies to root for him and watch out for him and let him know just how special he is.

these pictures were taken a couple months ago when Bennett was first figuring out how to pull himself up to standing. Emma and Annabelle and Rosalie were amazed and thrilled by his latest accomplishment and literally cheered him on as he climbed up and fell down, only to climb up again. Such a sweet moment for this mama to watch.

things I wish I had time to do, but totally don't.

yes, I really am writing a blog post about this.
prepare yourself.
it's going to be riveting.

are you ready??

ok. here it is.

I give you my list of Things I Wish I Had Time To Do, But Totally Don't.

1. gardening. Our yard has so many dead or unruly plants in it, so many bare patches that need some green. I want to be in the dirt and plant things and watch them grow again and bring some new life and color into our yard.

2. exercise. Because, really, I don't suppose this post-fourth-baby body of mine will magically tighten up and slim down on its own? will it? I have to exercise?

that's what I thought. sigh.

3. reading. I miss books, and I miss a great story. Besides, I have a feeling that getting a chance to read a book that's not written for a child would be good for my brain!

4. sewing. My closet shelves are stacked with fun and lovely fabrics and I have a good friend who just had her first baby, an adorable little girl. Those little girl fabrics are calling out for me to make a blanky. And my cousin is having a baby boy soon! and I realized the other day that my very own little boy has not one Bennett blanky made just for him. Yes indeed, a date with my sewing machine would be nice.

5. crafts. what are those, again? hot glue? paint? huh? these things are no longer a part of my life, and I want them back.

6. cleaning. I do what I can, when I can. but it never gets done as much as I want it to be done. this, however, probably does not bug me nearly as much as it should.  I do love to have a clean home, though. and I promise we don't live in a pig-sty.

7. talk on the phone. We have lots of family that is far away. and lately it feels like I don't get to talk to them nearly as often as I would like. I'm missing that connection. thank goodness for texting! It's the only way we can share the important parts of our day, such as what we're having for dinner, or what our favorite routine on So You Think You Can Dance was. You know, the really crucial things.

8. nap. I'm tired and sleepy. and I like naps. thankfully, since napping is almost never an option, I also really like coffee.

8. blogging. That way, I wouldn't have to resort to lame posts like this one... I bet that would make you happy too, wouldn't it??

It's true that there is never enough time in one day to accomplish half of the things I need to do, much less the things I just want to do. If I'm caught up on one thing it feels amazing.
Why, just the other day, all the laundry got washed, dried, AND folded. I'm pretty sure I now know what it feels like to successfully climb Mt. Everest!

Truth be told, silly lists aside, I don't mind the busy-ness of life right now. These four little people that inhabit my home and my heart are worth every minute of crazy.

 

 

this picture is just one of many from Bennett's newborn session, taken by the one and only Lorie Chambless.

in case you're wondering, yes, my mommy heart did melt within me when I saw this.

I'm blessed beyond words.

oh, children. {#3}

I can't believe it's been since October of last year that I posted about the funny things my girls say! Sadly, I know there have been many moments that made us laugh that didn't get written down for this blog, but here is a collection of some of them.

Annabelle is standing at the fridge, playing with some magnets, and Emma comes up behind her, stands for a minute, and then spanks her behind. Annabelle turns, surprised, and Emma politely says, in a thick French accent, "Merci, for letting me spank you. Eet was lovely."

It made the whole thing so classy, that I don't even think Annabelle minded.
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One morning I applied a thick green face mask before I took my shower. Rosalie came into the bathroom, took one look at me and exclaimed, "Mommy, you look like dina-soar!" teehee. Rawr.
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Emma and Annabelle are eating lunch, being their usual silly selves, and I'm listening from the sink, because it's always entertaining, and this is what I hear:
Emma: Guess what, I'm inside an apple right now.
Annabelle: Really?
E: yes, and guess what else. THERE ARE WORMS IN HERE.
A: That's disgusting. You should leave.
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I'm sitting at the table after breakfast, when Rosalie comes running up.
"Mommy, mommy, can I have some ooh-ooh-x-y-z?"
I stare blankly at her, trying to figure out what in the world this might mean.
She points to the mug in my hand. "can I have some? ooh-ooh-x-y-z?"
Then it clicks. "Oh! You want some of my tea? Is that what you mean? Tea?"
She nods. "Yes. T."

I love how in her little brain, it obviously made complete sense. X, Y, and Z are letters. So is T. How could I not understand? Duh, mom. :) (not sure why the ooh-ooh is there, but I'm sure she had a good reason for that too!)
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We had just gotten home from church one Sunday and were walking through the garage to go inside, when Annabelle says, out of the blue:

"so, what's going on with this short ladder?"

There WAS a stepladder she had just walked past. But it was so random, so casual, so completely unexpected and irrelevant, and so FUNNY how she said it that we all burst out laughing. Maybe you had to be there. But trust me. This kid is funny without trying.
Now, "the short ladder" is kind of a running joke around our house!
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One Sunday after church I was asking the girls what they learned about in Sunday school, what they did, were they good girls, etc. Rosalie, who recently joined the youngest class, had to pipe in her share too, of course. "Um, we learned 'bout a baby." Pauses. "Then, we all gave God a hug!"

Naturally. Why, what do you do in Sunday school?
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While shopping, in a store that was quite hot and stuffy, Emma says to me, as she fans her hand in front of her face vigorously: "I am so hot right now that I would happily and in a heartbeat visit the place where the penguins live!"
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When my brother, Uncle Elijah, comes to visit, there are always lots of funny jokes flying around (well, maybe only funny to us... but still.), and the kids especially always have a hilarious time. One afternoon when he had come up for the weekend, and we were trying to convince Rosalie to take a nap, he happened to us the word "nappy-poo." As in, "don't you want to go take a little nappy-poo now?" Coming from him, the older girls thought this was quite amusing.
So, that night at dinner, when going to bed was mentioned, Annabelle looked at her uncle and asked, "Yeah, don't you want to take a little bedtime-poo?"
Just say it out loud. Doesn't have quite the same ring as "nappy-poo", does it??

We laughed a lot. I know, our maturity is astounding.
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Me: "Rosalie, do you want to go somewhere with Mommy tonight while Emma and Annabelle are at AWANA?"
Her, with an excited smile on her face: "Yeah!!!"
She thinks for a moment, her face more serious, and then she lights up again. "Oh!!! Are we going to DISNEYLAND??"

I couldn't help but feel that telling her our destination was, in fact, Target and Yogurtland would be a slight let-down...
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Emma and Annabelle were in the bathroom brushing teeth and combing hair, when I overheard this conversation:
E: Hey, have you ever been to Fairyland and seen all the cupcakes?
A: No, I haven't. But I did go there and I did see Tinkerbell.
E: Well, I went there and saw the cupcakes (there are soooo many of them). But guess what else I saw.
A (eyes wide): What???
E: I saw a BALD Tinkerbell. She had no hair!
A: Oh my goodness. I can't believe that. Are you sure it wasn't just pink or something??
E: Nope. She was definitely bald. I felt bad for her.

I.... have no idea what to say about this. heh.
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These crazy, silly, wild, imaginative, weird, funny kids of mine. What goofy girls I have.

Life with kids.
It's never short on laughter, thank goodness!

Miss Emma Joy, eight years old.

Since the last little girl birthday, we've had yet another one.
On January 9th.
why yes, I am way behind.

But this girl deserves a post of her own too, and when it comes to blogging, "better late than never" is a motto by which I must live.

We celebrated Emma's birthday this year by going to the park with family on the Sunday afternoon before, where we opened presents and had cake and ice cream and the kids played and the adults froze to death and my husband started feeling distinctly not well.

At least the kids had fun, right?

The next day, on her actual birthday, I was left feeling a little lost. I had a husband who was home sick with the stomach flu, we were all exhausted from the weekend, and there weren't any real plans in place to celebrate in any way. I knew that we had to make it special somehow though-- birthdays need to be special! So, when we were all finally ready, minus Daddy of course, we went out for a late lunch at the Marketplace, followed by a hot chocolate at Starbucks and a movie rental from Blockbuster (birthday girl's pick. Ella Enchanted.) And even though it wasn't exactly what one could consider a well-planned out day, it ended up being really fun, and I think Miss Emma enjoyed herself. I know I enjoyed the time with my sweet girls, and conversing with my brand-new eight-year-old over chinese food.

Eight!! She's eight. Another year flown by. It doesn't seem like that long ago that I woke up at 3:00 one morning, two days shy of my twentieth birthday, with the contractions that I knew meant I was going to be a mother for the first time-- and soon. When we welcomed our Emma Joy into the world a mere 4 1/2 hours later (now that was a blur), little could we know what it would mean to be parents, or what joy she would bring to our world.

It's been an amazing eight years. A time of growth and challenge, change and wonder, joy and delight, love and learning, and every other thing that comes when you bring a child into the world. I'm so glad and so grateful that God brought this child into our world.

Here's to our eight-year-old, our firstborn...


our charming little fashionista...


our practical perfectionist, our particular and planned-out little person...


the big sister, our serious thinker, our smarty-pants...


our sometimes-so-very-silly, crazy, playful, loving, can-drive-you-crazy, funny, sweetheart of a girl...


our darling and lovely daughter.


I've cherished these eight years, and I know I've learned a lot as a mama-- and I know I still have much, much more to learn. This child of mine has been there for my mistakes and our triumphs, and I can only hope and pray that I will set an example for her that is worthy of the young woman I so desire her to become.

I think, by the grace of God, she's well on her way.

And until she becomes that young woman, I'm going to soak up every childish moment I can with our Emma Joy.

Happy eight years, Emma, my dear, you are loved more than you can even know.

a cherished evening.

tonight, Emma and I ran errands together.

Annabelle and Rosalie were tucked into bed,

but not Emma.

oh no, she got to come with me, even though it was bedtime.

she sat in the front seat of the van, by me (don't worry, our airbags automatically turn off)

and scrolled through the list of artists on my mp3 player since I told her she could pick the music.

"How about First Aid Kit? I think I'd enjoy listening to that."

so that's what we did.

she asked me about the words in the songs,

questions that showed me how her mind was thinking and working.

intelligent questions.

we conversed.

at the mall, we held hands as we wandered through forever 21, and we pointed out the things we thought were the cutest. I think we have smiliar tastes.

after that,

starbucks was a necessity for our evening. she picked hot chocolate, I picked an apple chai.

"I'm glad I have this hot chocolate, or I might be cold in the stores. It tastes really good, too!"

at wal-mart we found her brown corduroy flats, which thrilled her to no end.

"these will go with practically everything! and they're so cute!"

oh, my little practical one.

we stood in line for a long time together to pay for our things, but I didn't really mind.

the evening could have stretched on a little longer. I was glad of it.

glad for this time with my little girl.

who, as she sat there with starbucks in hand and her brilliant blue eyes,

with her quiet thoughts and mindful ways,

didn't seem like such a little girl.

how does this happen so quickly? my mother-heart wonders.

your baby becomes your companion,

and brings you a whole new kind of joy.

it's almost bewildering.

a tad bittersweet.

but mostly,

it's amazing, and wonderful, too.

Lord, thank you for my sweet Emma Joy. Help me to be the best mother I can to this wonder You put in my life.

featuring a very lovely little girl.

Fashion week, day 6! tomorrow is the last day, I can hardly believe it. Aren't you all going to be sad when it's over? I will be, although wow is it a stretch for me to blog EVERYDAY. Have you noticed how my posts keep getting later and later? Um, there's a reason I only blog once every three weeks! hehehe. But this week has been so fun, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Today's outfit doesn't seem very "fall-ish" probably, but perhaps that is because it was quite hot and summery outside. I snapped this picture as we were out the door to go buy groceries. (yes, again. I buy a lot of groceries, apparently!)


cream tank top: tj maxx
lacy top with ruffles: kohl's clearance
skinny jeans: Paide denim, marshall's
messenger bag: target clearance
nude flats: Payless clearance
rosette headband: Etsy

Isn't this headband the cutest? One of my friends makes these, and they're amazing. Please do yourself a favor and go check out her shop, Pocketful of Zoe, on Etsy. Her name is Alisha and she's not only quite talented, but also a lovely sweetheart. I already want to buy more from her. One of each, if you please. :) I love it when friends of mine open Etsy shops! it's just so much fun to buy beautiful things from people I know and admire. 

and now, lest you are tired of looking at pictures of me, I give you the fabulous Emma, who asked if she "could do a fashion post too?" She carefully chose her dress and the shoes to match just so, and adorned her hair with her favorite flower just for the occasion.

I think her look is sweetly fresh and floral.

work it, Emma Joy, work it.

Sometimes I can't believe this lovely creature is my daughter. Such a blessing.

Sweet girl of mine. oh, I'm thankful.

day 6 links. Now that I'm actually on the computer, I need to go see what everyone else is wearing today! whee!

snapshots o' summer

A Civil Wars concert in LA with some of our best friends. Words cannot even describe how amazing.


Father's Day with the best daddy ever.

swimming lessons for two little wanna-be mermaids.

the cutest band of VBS-goers you ever did see. (Rosalie, Annabelle, Emma, cousin Faith, our sweet neighbor girl Hayley, and cousin Jason)

Lots of fun and laughs with Auntie Lydia (we love having her here everyday!)

Piggie-tails on a two-year old blondie. I die.

Playtime outside (when it's not too hot) and pockets full of posies. Gorgeous blue eyes and sun-kissed cheeks.

A shaven and shorn but oh-so-sweet puppy dog, who likes to snooze in our cool house and wait around for the lovin' we will inevitably give her.

Tomato plants growing large, corn growing tall. And we await the bounty.

a day trip to Cambria, alone, for the two of us. happiness and wonder. love.

summer-y and much-shorter haircuts for these sisters. chop, chop!

also: rompers and dresses and great big smiles. all-around cuteness.

trips to the library (it gets us out of the house! it's cool! it's FREE!) which always results in three little readers all in a row, and me smiling at the very sight.


this summer is flying by in quite a blur. But it's a happy, sunshiney, memorable, colorul, mellifluous, lovely sort of a blur. 

And we'll be soaking up every last little bit of it that is left.