2 Princesses, 1 Dude & Henry Charles

Long, lean & smart!!!

2012-02-16T13:42:00.000-08:00

I took Henry to his 18 month appointment last week. He was 23lb 12oz and 32.5" long. This is the 25th percent in weight and 50th percent in height. I didn't get the head circumference but it was in the 70th percentile. My conclusion was that he is long, lean and smart!

He is growing and changing so quickly! He eats more food than any of his siblings. He is stubborn and opinionated. He demands his own way and is a bit if a bully. Henry has the cutest curls and an adorable smile. He is a love and a cutie. He has recently been learning an explosion of words and there is nothing more adorable than hearing him say "peas" or "dank u".

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas!

2011-12-14T09:35:00.000-08:00

I am so happy that I found my Christmas spirit this year! The last few years Christmas has felt like more of a chore than a choice and I grudgingly put up (some) decorations and tried to get into the spirit. Thankfully this year is different! I was ready for the tree Thanksgiving weekend! We put up lights on the outside of the house, decorated the inside of the house and we're even hosting our first Christmas party in years!

Before we headed out to the Silver Oak Christmas Party I snapped these pictures of the kids. They were going to be for our Christmas cards but I ended up choosing something else

I love this picture of Henry! Look at those curls! Can you believe that Jason wants to cut them off?

She is getting so grown up!

Last weekend we finally(!) got our tree.

I sure love this man. Especially how he puts up with all of my wild ideas.

Catch Up

2011-12-13T08:33:00.000-08:00

I've fallen behind on the BlogWagon again. Last weekend (or was it the weekend before?), I took pictures of the kids dressed in their Holiday best as we got ready to head out to the Silver Oak Christmas party. The next day I downloaded the pictures to the computer. That was when I discovered that I still had pictures from carving pumpkins on the camera! I guess life as been a little crazy!

Always a ham
Look at those curls!
She did not want to touch the "guts"
But did want to pose for a picture
He did not want to be outdone
Daddy helped Henry

Sitting on the pumpkins from Grampa

In November Cooper sang at church with the preschool.

Thanksgiving at Grammie's
There were 18 of us this year!

Having fun at the park on a sunny day in the beginning of December.
It was a little chilly
He loves the swings
Always reading

End of Summer

2011-11-15T10:29:00.000-08:00

It is getting colder and colder here and I think I have to admit that summer is over. In fact, I'm probably going to have to put my flip-flops away and find some real shoes. (Maybe it is a good excuse to buy the new boots I've been eyeing.)

Looking back through pictures, I discovered these that I never posted. As the summer was drawing to a close, we tried to get out into the fresh air in the evenings before the time change. We rediscovered the rope swing in the middle of our neighborhood.

Everyone enjoyed it and like so many other things, it made me wonder why don't we do this more often? Of course, now with the cold weather, coming rain, and time change we will need to wait until spring before we can visit it again...

A Knight, An Angel, a Masquerade Ball & a Monkey?

2011-11-07T16:31:00.000-08:00

We had quite an assortment of Halloween costumes this year. Each child (except Henry) got to pick their own and we ended up with Sir Cooper the Noble Knight. He was wearing the Armour of God.

He picked it out himself months ago and has been talking about it ever since.

Miss Grace picked an Angel costume out of our dress-up clothes.

I made this for Emma when she was in 1st grade in the Christmas pageant.

Emma and her friends decided to be guests as a masquerade ball.

She borrowed the dress from Grammie and made her own mask.

Henry was adorable as a Monkey, complete with banana in his back pocket.

Jason did a great job picking this one out!

Thunder

2011-10-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

I remembered to take the camera to Emma Jo's soccer game today! This is the first time this season!

While the team was warming up, Henry played with an extra ball.

Then the game started. We did great the first half! But the 2nd half was another story. Cloverdale is always a tough opponent and they ran away with the game the 2nd half.

Cooper made sure to put on plenty of sunscreen.

What Happened to September?

2011-10-08T20:25:00.001-07:00

What happened to September. The month was a blur. The kids are firmly settled in school. Emma has started soccer. Gracie is a brownie. Cooper is loving being an Owl. And Henry is still not sleeping!

School started the Wednesday after we got home from Santa Cruz. Gracie is in the 2nd Grade, Emma is in 7th and Cooper is an Owl.

Mrs. Williams is Gracie's teacher. I am very excited to have her as a teacher. Emma Jo had her for part of the day in 2nd and I've always been impressed with how calm she is. She works in the nursery at least one weekend a month and she and her husband have lavish loved on each of the boys while they have been in the nursery. She is also part of a prayer group at school and she prayed for us throughout Henry's pregnancy.

This is Emma's 2nd year in Jr. High. She has the same primary teacher. Her class is a combo class with the 6th graders but they have many core classes separate. She is studying History, Math, English, Science, Computers, Spanish, Latin, and Bible. This year we have new teachers for Spanish, Computer and History. I'm very happy that Emma is experiencing multiple teachers each day. I hope it prepares her for High School in a couple of years. I'm leaning towards public High School and I pray that it isn't too hard of a transition.

Cooper is an Owl this year. His teacher is Ms. Anderson who is the sister of his assistant teacher last year. He is in a small class with 7 boys and 2 girls. He seems to be thriving and he can spell his name!

Henry started walking just after his 1st birthday and now he is running everywhere. He learned how to tackle and wrestle while we were in Santa Cruz. Now it is very common to hear Jason and I telling him to "be nice to your brother, don't tackle your sister!" He loves them but he isn't gentle. One of Henry's favorite ways to express his love is to sit on your head.

Emma Jo is now fully engulfed in Soccer. She is playing for Coach Rob again on the Red Thunder. He is a great coach and she is really enjoying the season. Emma plays multiple positions but usually plays either Attacking Mid or Goalie. She also plays Defending Mid, Full Back and even played Forward last week. She is becoming very skilled at controlling the ball and not panicking under pressure. Emma has a great kick and can boot the ball past half field on Goal Kicks. I am really enjoying watching her play. Last Saturday Emma's game was at 7pm under the lights. It was very exciting game and made me hope that she might like to play for Windsor High in a couple of years.

Gracie is in her 3rd year of Girl Scouts, this year as a Brownie. She is also doing ballet this year after a two year absence. She is loving both, especially Brownies with Rhoda. Last weekend was "Fall Encampment" for girl scouts and Grace go to go to Cazadero with Rhoda and 6 other girls from her troop. They left Friday evening and didn't return until just before lunch on Sunday. Grace had a great time and I don't think she missed us at all. Cooper on the other hand continually asked when we were going to pick up Grace. They are great playmates and Cooper was bored without his "girlie".

Life can be a little overwhelming with four children. I've been swamped at work and have started going to Oakville 1 or 2 days a week. This just adds to the chaos of multiple after-school activities each week. To top it off, Henry still doesn't sleep. In fact he has become a worse sleeper over the past month. He used to go to sleep around 8pm, wake for a snack around midnight, another snack around 3am and then up for the day around 6am. It wasn't ideal but it was okay. Then he started waking around 11:30pm and not going back to sleep until after 1:30am. After a couple of weeks of that, Jason decided to step in. Now thankfully Jason puts him to bed 4-5 nights a week. It is tough on Jason but so nice for me after 13+ nights of taking him to bed every single night. Now I have the option to unwind a little in the evenings and I even have gone to a few women's events at church. I pray that someday soon Henry will start sleeping and that we can encourage it without forcing him.

It only takes a second!

2011-08-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

Friday evening Henry fell off the kitchen counter and fractured his skull. I feel like a terrible mother, and so so guilty. I knew he shouldn't be up there, but he is such a crab when I set him on the ground to get anything done. I'd gotten in the habit of setting him on the counter right in front of me when I'm working on something in the kitchen. Friday had been a long day. I got home from work late, Jason didn't feel well, the other kids were watching TV and the kitchen was a mess. I just wanted to pick up a bit so that I could get dinner started.

I set him on the counter and turned my back for a second to throw something in the trash. In that second I heard aloud THUD. I turned around and found Henry laying flat on his back. I picked him up and tried to sooth him. He almost immediately vomited. A friends daughter had a skull injury earlier this summer and I learned from her that vomiting was a very bad sign.

I took Henry to the ER and after an hour was finally seen by a doctor. The doctor had told me that I should just go home and "observe" him for 24 hours. I insisted that something wasn't right and I wanted testing. She relented and ordered a CT scan. After another hour and half we finally had the test and knew he had a skull fracture. Thankfully the skull hadn't moved and it appeared he was fine, but the decision was made to transport Henry to Oakland Children's Hospital via ambulance for further evaluation.

Oakland Children's Hospital ER was amazing! We immediately had several doctors, nurses, and surgeons evaluating Henry. We were admitted for overnight observation. It was the longest night of my life, and a very trying day, but in the end it was determined that Henry was fine. Because the skull did not move there was no brain injury, bleeding or swelling. The fracture in itself isn't dangerous. We now have to watch him and try to prevent him from further injuring the skull for at least a month. After that time he should be good as new, as if nothing happened to him.

Henry Eating Ice Cream

2011-08-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

The last night we were in Santa Cruz we treated ourselves to Marianne's Ice Cream. We had heard that it was a locals favorite and not to be missed. While enjoying our ice cream we all remarked at Henry's facial expressions. Whenever he eats anything that is cold or sweet (or both) he makes the most awful face like we are torturing him. Then he opens his mouth and wants more.

Pictures from Santa Cruz

2011-08-14T15:34:00.000-07:00

The opinons about Santa Cruz were unanimous. The best part of the trip was "playing with our cousins" or "spending time with the family". The 2nd best part was "going to the beach"! We had a great time in Santa Cruz and hope we can go back in a year or two.

Santa Cruz Beach House!

2011-08-13T07:41:00.000-07:00

We are in Santa Cruz! The whole family!

This year Jason and I will celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary and my parents will celebrate their 45th! Earlier in the year my mom and I were talking about how to celebrate and we thought a family vacation was in order. In previous years we've had wonderful trips to Hawaii, but that just wasn't in the cards this year. Finances are tight with the addition of Henry and the recent remodel, and time is short with so many people trying to coordinate schedules. We knew we wanted to be close to the ocean, so we looked at places we could go in California. Mendocino was crossed off the list since it was too far for John and the boys to travel. Point Reyes was considered but we finally decided on Santa Cruz. It is only about 30 minutes from Los Gatos so we hoped that John and the boys could at least sneak away for a few days to meet us. It worked out that we found a house to rent that is big enough for everyone and within walking distance to the beach AND the Boardwalk!

For the last few months we've looked forward to the big day! The kids (and I) love spending time with the twins and we looked forward to all being together just as much as we looked forward to being at the ocean. We've talked about what we could do and decided on the beach, the boardwalk and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Yesterday, after Meet Your Teacher Day, we loaded up the car and headed down the coast. After a quick stop at In-N-Out for lunch, we headed down to Santa Cruz. Our GPS tried to send us on a wild goose chase, but for the most part we out smarted it and arrived in town after only a slight detour. We found the street and Grampa was standing out front. We made quick work of unloading the car and then found Mays and Dallas with Grammie in the 3rd floor loft. Up there we found Pillow Pets!

The afternoon and evening were spent playing with our cousins and taking a quick trip to the beach. The beach is only a short walk away and it is beautiful! Unfortunately we can't really see the sunset from the house, but we might find somewhere to see it tonight.

Happy Birthday Gracie Lu!

2011-08-02T16:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Sweet little Girl! I love you!

You always have a smile on your face and a story on your tongue.
You love your little brothers to pieces and adore your older sister.
I'm amazed by your creativity and your coloring ability. You are far more artistic than I could even dream of being.
You are learning to be a great reader and love doing math problems. Maybe you'll take after Grammie and Mommy and go into accounting:).

This past weekend we had most of Gracie's class over for a birthday party and she had so much fun playing with her friends. They jumped in the princess jumpy house and made princess (and prince charming) crowns. It was a joy watching Grace in her element with her friends. We don't often have playdates, so I very rarely see her playing with her friends. She is a sweet little girl who tries to please everyone.

(pictures will be added as soon as Henry gives me a moments peace)

1 Year Old!

2011-07-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

His birthday isn't actually until Wednesday, but today we celebrated Henry.

We were blessed to have lots of friends and family come out and celebrate the day with us.

Henry had his very own little cake just for him.

At first he was hesitant to touch the cake, but with a little coaching from the girls, he dove right in.

By the time he was done, everything was covered in cake.

He had to have an impromptu bath in the kitchen sink.

He loves baths and didn't mind that there were people watching.

God's Awesome Creation

2011-07-04T14:37:00.001-07:00

One of my most fond memories of a family vacation is from our first trip to Hawaii with Emma Jo. She was just under 2 years old. The whole family went to Maui and rented a condo on the beach. We had a great time shopping, eating, swimming and exploring the island. Each of those act ivies were great, but my favorite part of the vacation was my early morning wake up call from Emma Jo.

Early each morning, Emma and I would be among the first people up. (I imagine that Grampa was already up, but I don't really remember. I think he was because I remember that coffee was ready.) Anyway, Emma and I would grab her blanket and walk out onto the lanai. We would sit in a rocking chair, cover up in the blanket, and watch the waves crash on the shore. I remember sitting there in peaceful quiet, watching the waves, listening to the water and the birds, and feeling the warmth of Emma on my lap. She would just snuggle in and let me absorb the wonder of God's amazing creation and his great gift of my beautiful daughter.

I've remembered those moments and that feeling for the past 10 years.

On our recent camping trip, I was blessed with another similar experience.

Henry is not a very good sleeper (similar to Emma Jo). He wakes 2 or 3 times on a good night and is up for hours at a time on a bad night. In anticipation of a lack of sleep on our camping trip, Jason bought a camp rocking chair. After we set up the tent we realized that although our tent is huge, it just wasn't big enough to have the rocking chair inside the tent. Thankfully I brought a down comforter that Henry is used to being covered with while rocking.

The first night of our camping trip, Henry woke up around midnight. I wasn't able to nurse him back to sleep in the bed, so I grabbed him and the blue comforter. I wrapped the comforter around both of us and crawled out of the tent to the rocking chair. It was set up right outside the tent under some massive redwood trees. The campground was fairly quiet and dark except for the huge stars that could be seen between the trees. I sat in the rocking chair, nursed Henry and wondered at the beautiful night. The sounds were different from Hawaii but the feeling was much the same. It was a feeling of serenity, wonder, amazement and peace. How blessed was I to get to enjoy this wonderful creation and this miraculous child?

Our second night camping while I would have loved it if Henry had slept through the night, when he did wake up I didn't dread rocking him back to sleep. Instead I was happy to have a 2nd time to rock and reflect on the wonder of it all.

Family Camp 2011

2011-06-26T20:32:00.000-07:00

Two years ago, when we joined FBC Windsor, we heard about members of the congregation going to Family Camp. I didn't grow up with a family camp tradition but I was curious. I did grow up camping with my family every Memorial Day Weekend and I love all of the memories. I wanted to give my kids an annual tradition that they could look back on with fond memories.
Jason and I talked that first summer and agreed that we would go to Family Camp the next year. Then last year I was 8 months pregnant with Henry. We weren't able to attend. This year we decided there was nothing that could stop us.
Last Friday we packed up two vehicles and headed up 101 to Redwoods River Resort.

After a short 2.5 hour drive we were setting up our campsite.

I had been very worried about how much work it would be to camp with a baby. It turns out it was just as much work as I feared. But thankfully I have a wonderful husband who does more than his share, and great kids who help out as much as they can.

In no time Jason had everything set up and we had our new home sweet home.
Then I took the kids to the pool.
Later that night we had a group dinner, devotional and campfire.

After getting a little sleep, Saturday morning we kicked back in front of a campfire.

One of my biggest questions about camping as an adult was "how are we going to make our morning coffee?" We decided to get a French Press and I'm happy to say that the coffee wasn't too bad, in fact it was pretty good.

Cooper loved camping! He played with his scooter, hung out in either jammies or a swimsuit all weekend, and generally just enjoyed hanging out with daddy and getting dirty.

I was amazed with God glorious creation all around us. We slept under "Big Jack". The redwood trees are amazing and it is cool to think that they are one of the oldest living things on earth and they are only found on the Pacific Coast.

The church had activities for the kids every day. Gracie was in heaven since she loves to do crafts.

The only way to keep Henry from eating rocks, sticks and dirt was to hold him or strap him into his highchair.

Saturday afternoon we went to the pool and then took a short hike to the river.

There were fish in the river.

Henry tried to eat river rocks by the handful.

We're leaving on a Jet Plane!

2011-06-24T08:13:00.000-07:00

Well, actually we are driving in a truck and Yukon up the coast, but we are going on vacation! We haven't been on a family vacation in 2 years! All vacation plans went out the window last year when we found out Henry was on the way. This year we have two family vacations planned. The first one starts today.
In a few hours we will load up the vehicles and head up to Leggett and the Eel River. We will be going to "family camp" with our church. This is an annual adventure but the first time we have participated. I'm looking forward to the camping trip with a little bit of dread. While I loved camping as a kid I'm a little bit nervous about being the adult in the situation. We've never gone camping with the kids. I think they will love it but I'm wondering how much work Henry will be. Eating dirt won't hurt him, right?
I'll post pictures when we return, but in the mean time you can pray for our safety and my sanity.

Happy Birthday Emma Jo!

2011-06-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

I know you don't like to be called Emma Jo anymore, but that is how I will always think of you.
I can't hardly believe that you are 12! Next year you will be a teenager!

Look how much Emma has changed over the years...

Age 3

Age 5

Age 6

Age 8

Age 9

Age 10

Age 11

I love you Emma Jo! You are an amazing young lady. You inspire me with your love for your little brothers and sister. I know that we joke about the "good old days when you were an only child" but you are a fantastic big sister! You are become a wonderful young woman. Although we butt heads on many occasions, I am very proud to have you as my daughter. You are smart and pretty. You have a great head on your shoulders and tremendous love in your heart. You are growing up too quickly. I dread the day that you will be grown and leave the house, but I look forward to it as well because I know that you will do fine. Although you don't have a very good sense of direction, you are capable and will be able to handle any situation thrown at you. I am so happy to be your mom and I thank God that he gave me that opportunity.
I love you, Mommy

Garden Planting - 2011

2011-06-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

One of the hobbies that Jason really enjoys is gardening. Thankfully the children share his passion. Each year they look forward to spring when they can get their hands dirty. On Saturday we made the first of many treks (I'm sure) out to Sebastopol to Jason's favorite nursery. He picked out a few starters and some seeds.

Last night the kids got to help him plant.

The garden is going in our re-located raised planter beds.

Henry was excited to help this year.

He has a smile that lights up his whole face.

Grace kept telling Henry not to eat the dirt.

Grace likes planting the seeds the best.

Students of the Year!

2011-06-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

I am one super proud mommy. At the end of the year awards ceremony on Thursday, Grace and Emma were both named "Student of the Year". This award is based on the Fruits of the Spirit named in Galatians 5:22-23.

Each year on one of the last days of school, Windsor Christian Academy holds an awards ceremony. During this assembly the teachers list the accomplishments of each of their students. They talk about Principals List, Honor Roll, Reading Clubs, Fruits of the Spirit Awards and Students of the Month. They also choose Christian character traits that best represent the student. At the conclusion of the assembly a "Student of the Year" is named for each class.

Emma Jo has always aspired to be Student of the Year. She is a great student and works very hard at school. All week she had been telling us that classmates were commenting that this was her year. She told me that right before her name was called JT leaned over and said "it is going to be you".

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ~ Galatians 5:22-23

Getting a little hug from her teacher, Mrs. Codding. When I asked Grace if she was looking forward to summer. She hesitantly said yes. When I asked why she hesitated, she replied that she is going to miss seeing Mrs. Codding everyday.

Happy Grace on the last day of school. She always has a exuberance for life and a smile on her face.

Gimme Five Bottling - 2011

2011-05-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, our family gathered for our 4th annual Gimme Five bottling party. This time was a little different because there are now six grandchildren. We changed the name from Gimme Five to Gimme Five-GOT SIX!
The weather was a little cold and dreary but the mood was fun and festive.

As we were waiting for the festivities to begin, the kids explored the forklift, the hillside and the barrels.

Each year getting the gravity feed from the barrel to the filler is our #1 challenge. In years past we even had to resort to alternative measures to get the wine flowing.

Henry has never had his picture taken on the PINA rock. I guess he didn't want it taken today.

We try to have every person do each job. Mays was very intent on getting the foils just right.

Grace has been a perfecting her labeling technique for four years. She is now a Master.

Cooper is still working on his technique.

Dallas got in on the labeling action also.

While everyone was working Henry snuck into the chips and got himself a snack.

Grammie with Dallas and Grace

Cooper and Emma worked together to get the corks in the bottles.
The GOT SIX gang on the new PVM tractor.

The kids on the PINA rock.

Grammie and Grampa with all six grandkids.

John, Tracy, Mays and Dallas Pina

Grace, Jason, Emma, Cooper, Trish and Henry Donoho

The whole gang!

Grandparent's Day

2011-05-26T16:19:00.000-07:00

Each year on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the kids' school hosts Grandparent's Day. This year, as in years past, the kids put on a patriotic program to honor their Grandparents and their County.

This year Cooper got to invite Grammie and Grampa to his preschool. This was his first "event" at school and he was so excited to show off for his grandparents. I was told that he latched on to Grammie and didn't want to let her go when his program was over.

Grace loves to sing and be the center of attention. She has been telling me about her Grandparents poem all week.

The junior high did a flag ceremony and honored veterans. Emma's job was to carry the American Flag. She was very happy to have that role but told me it was "so annoying" that the flag weighed so much.

Sink Bathing

2011-05-18T13:08:00.000-07:00

One of the things I'm going to miss after we move back to our house (tomorrow!), is bathing Henry in Mom & Dad's extra-large sink. A few weeks ago Henry was in need of a quick bath before we headed out in the morning. I didn't feel like dragging out the baby bathtub for a quick scrub down.

The sink was clean and empty so I filled it up and plopped him in. He loved it and I discovered it was very convenient. He loves the water but when I bathe him on the counter everything in a two foot radius is soaked.

Putting him in the sink prevents that (or at least there isn't anything close to the sink besides counter top).

I also discovered that he will happily play in there while I sort the mail, pick up the island, or get a quick snack for the kids. Of course I keep a close eye on him, and immediately remove him from the sink if he tries to stand up, but in general he is pretty safe and happy.

Zoo Field Trip

2011-05-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

I've been having a really hard time lately. I feel like I'm being pulled in too many directions. I'm trying to be a good wife, mom and employee and I feel like I'm failing at all of them.

This past week Grace's class had a field trip to the San Francisco Zoo. Even though I felt incredibly guilty for taking the time off work since I have so much to do there, I promised Grace that I would drive on the trip. Originally we were going to take Henry with us. After thinking about it, I decided to leave him with Connie and spend the day one-on-one with Grace. One major part of my mommy guilt the last few months is that Grace doesn't get the attention she is craving. I feel like she is always given the short end of the stick since she is so easy going. This was my opportunity to give her 100% attention.

On our drive down to the city she talked non-stop. The only times she was quiet was when we were going through the tunnels.

When we got to the Zoo she was so excited!

Can you see that she lost her 3rd tooth last week.

The number one thing Gracie wanted to see was the Koalas.

Grace really liked the polar bear, lion and penguins.
I thought the meerkats were adorable.

I think she had a great time!

S'mores

2011-05-11T13:27:00.000-07:00

One of my most favorite summer-time activities with the family is making S'mores. There is something just so nice about enjoying the simple things with family. And a little melting marshmallows, chocolate and playing with fire doesn't hurt.

It isn't summer yet, but we took advantage of some great weather and made our first batch of S'mores a little early this year.

Cooper couldn't seem to roast his marshmallow without catching it on fire.

Emma likes the burnt ones.

Gracie likes just about everything!

Henry didn't get to have any S'mores, but he did enjoy watching the fire and hanging out with Grammie and Grampa.

Sonoma County Robotics Challenge

2011-05-09T10:49:00.000-07:00

For the past several months, Emma Jo has given up her lunch recess in order to build her first robot. Windsor Christian Academy offers the junior high students the opportunity to participate in a Robotics Club which is formed to compete in the county wide robotics challenge.

Emma and her friend, Veronica, formed a team and decided to compete in the free form challenge. This year's theme was Robots That Dance. The girls built a simple robot but worked very hard on the programming of its dance.

I had no idea what was in store for us when Emma, Henry and I left the house at 6:30 Saturday morning to get to the competition. The day was typical of any organized activity. Hurry up and wait. With over 200 competitors, there was a lot of waiting.

Windsor Christian had a team of 6 people and 4 robots. Emma's team was the first to compete.

Later in the morning the "Follow the Line" competition took place.

Then we had one more freestyle robot compete. Unfortunately I didn't get any picture of it due to a hungry Henry.
We stayed around for the awards ceremony and were stunned to get a 3rd and 1st place in the Free Form event.

Then we got a 1st place in the Line Following event.

Then after another wait they announced the overall awards.
We were elated to get the "Team Spirit" award.

And in complete disbelief to get the overall "Golden Propeller Award" which was the Grand Champion of all awards.

Four trophies for four robots and six students isn't too shabby. Especially when you consider that only one student was a returning competitor.

We headed back to Windsor for a celebratory Frozen Yogurt and gathered our teammate who missed most of the awards ceremony.

9 months old

2011-05-02T13:07:00.000-07:00

Last week Henry turned 9 months old! Hard to believe he has been in our arms as long as he was in my belly! He had his check-up on Friday and it turns out he is totally "normal" although he has a big head. He was 19lbs 11oz and 28.25" long. These are both right around the 50th percentile. His head circumference was closer to 75th percentile.

Henry can currently crawl, pull to standing, clap, squeal, and wave.

He loves his brother and sisters and his daddy! When he sees Jason he lights up and tries to flirt with him.

Henry loves to eat but doesn't really like baby food. He wants to eat what everyone else does, but often scares me since he puts too much in his mouth and then gags.

Henry is still very attached to mommy and will burst into tears if I leave to room or even set him down sometimes. If crying doesn't get me to pick him up, he will crawl after me from room to room.

He is still nursing and doesn't really like the bottle and won't take formula. He likes to drink out of a cup, especially if it is Cooper's. He can even drink out of a straw!

Henry sleeps in bed with me and prefers to be uncovered. When he rouses from sleep, the first thing he does is kick off all of the covers and sprawl his arms and legs as wide as he can.

He discovered his voice in the last few weeks. He will squeal at the top of his lungs and then stare at you to see your reaction. If you don't react he will do it over and over again until he gets a reaction. He loves it when you babble at him and he will keep up his side of the conversation. When I'm talking to someone else (or singing along with the radio) he will start to mumble. It is as if he wants to have a conversation as well.

Henry has crazy hair that often curls up on the top of his head. The top pieces are super long but the sides and back are fairly short. It would probably look better if we cut some of the out of control pieces, but I adore his crazy hair and I'm afraid he'll look too old if we cut it.

He is still a lot of work and I often think he is more than I can handle, but I remind myself constantly that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Henry truly is a gift and a blessing to our family.

Happy Easter

2011-04-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a very happy Easter! We sure did. Granted Cooper was sick, but with four kids I figure it will be years before all of the kids are healthy for any single holiday. I think it was good it was only one out of the four!

The kids woke up in the morning to discover that the Easter Bunny had come and left baskets of goodies. Emma Jo was excited to find the newest Harry Potter movie in her basket!
After church, we came home to an Easter egg hunt. There were over 150 eggs hidden in Grammie's yard. Grace had been very concerned about how many eggs each kid could find so that everything would be fair. Once she realized how many there were she decided they should just go for it! Emma was a great big sister and left the "easy ones" for the little kids. When Grace's basket was full she took over Henry's and filled it for him!

The kids were adorable in their special outfits that Grammie bought. The morning was a little drizzly so I was happy that Henry had the option of black pants even though the overalls were too cute! Grace wore her high heels to church but quickly changed to Crocs when she got home. Emma looked a little too grown up in her sheath dress and leggings. I can't hardly believe she will be 12 in less than two months! Cooper wore his button down shirt and sweater vest. He loves wearing "fancy clothes" and was quite a handsome little guy.

Henry was very happy finding just one egg and trying to eat it!

Can you believe how big he is? He is very fast at crawling but now would prefer to be standing. Henry pulls up on everything and even tries to let go with one hand most of the time. (Emma's a little worried that he is going to take over the early walking record in our family).

Champions!

2011-04-08T10:50:00.001-07:00

The the past couple of months, Emma Jo has been playing on the WCA 7th Grade Girls Basketball Team. This is her 2nd year playing on the team (and she is ONLY a 6th grader). Emma has learned a lot about the game thanks to great coaches and her skills have improved dramatically. She is an excellent rebounder and a pretty good shot as well. She is a post so her main responsibilities are preventing shots and getting rebounds. Her efforts were part of what helped her team capture the pennant last Friday evening!

Lucky Me

2011-04-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

Sure, just like everyone else, there are days that my kids drive me crazy. But overwhelmingly I love my kids and I enjoy spending time with them. There are days that I can't believe just how lucky I am to be their mom. Most of my very best days are days that I can just focus on being their mom and not worry about work, chores, errands or "to dos". Yesterday was one of those days. The day started of just like any other day. Jason had to respond to the frost alarm in the early morning hours so it was just me and the kids. We were planning on making it to church, but that just didn't work out.

Henry and I got out of bed around 6am and fixed coffee, checked the computer and then plopped ourselves on the floor in the family room. The little kids joined us for cartoons has Henry climbed all over me. Eventually we made breakfast (pancakes since we only had 2 eggs in the house and not much of anything else). Emma Jo was in charge of the bacon. Jason got home as we were finishing breakfast. Then I tried to get Henry to take a nap since he was rubbing his eyes. He filled his belly and drifted off. After snoozing for about 10 minutes his eyes popped open and he was recharged! I handed him off to Jason so that I could shower before he left for the house. After my shower Henry was definitely ready for a nap. I rocked him to sleep once again.

Around 11:30am, it was time to get serious about starting our day. The kids and I decided it was perfect weather for a picnic. We got dressed and headed to the store. The kids were great at the store and in no time our cart was full and we were ready for our picnic.

The little kids got the blanket and spread it in the yard. Emma Jo found the umbrella while I made lunches. It was nothing fancy, but it warmed my heart to see the four of them sitting together, sharing a meal, sharing stories, being kind to each other, and enjoying each other's company.

We had puffy Cheetos. (I can't remember ever buying those before.)

We played hide-and-seek with a napkin.

And in general just enjoyed each other.

Later in the afternoon we baked cupcakes for Emma Jo's Championship party and a cake for dessert after dinner with Grammie and Grampa.

I was tired at bedtime, but happy to have spent a great day appreciating all of the blessings that God has given to our family, namely Emma, Grace, Cooper and Henry.

Great Weekend

2011-04-03T17:59:00.000-07:00

After feeling awful on Friday, I was so happy to feel great this weekend. The weather has been perfect and the kids and I have tried to take advantage. Yesterday we played outside in the water and today we had a picnic in the yard.

We took Henry's bathtub outside so he could have a "swim".

Grace and Cooper played with buckets of water.

I told them not to get each other wet. I guess I didn't say they couldn't get themselves wet.

Later, Grace and Jason went to the annual Girl Scouts Father-Daughter Dance. The theme was Flowers and Flip Flops. Jason was pretty happy he could wear a Hawaiian Shit. Grace was thrilled to wear flip flops and her new Easter hat.

While they were at the dance, I stayed home with Emma, Cooper and Henry. We made pizza buns for dinner and had sundaes for dessert!

Cooper was delighted to have whipped cream! It is one of his favorites. Emma Jo liked the chocolate sauce and the black and white ice cream.

Proud Mommy

2011-03-30T10:44:00.001-07:00

I sure am a proud mommy.

1st Grace - Grace read me this story last night. When I finally got a chance to see it I was surprised by how well she is writing, both her penmanship and how well she sounds out words and tries to guess how they are spelled. She told me that the requirement was to write 4 sentences, but she "filled the whole page!" I think this is pretty good for a 1st grader.

Next Emma - Emma Jo's 7th Grade Girls Basketball team is currently in the playoffs for their league. They came in to the playoffs ranked 2nd since they lost one game in the season. Last night was the first game of the playoffs and THEY WON! Today is game 2. I'm very proud of how well she is doing, how much she has improved over last year, and the fact that this is her 2nd year on the 7th grade team and she is still only in 6th grade. Just think how good she'll be as a 7th grader!

Then Cooper - Cooper is learning so much at Preschool! He comes home singing new songs, telling me about animals and plants, and examining everything to see what it is made out of. The other day when I asked him what letter he was learning about (they have a letter of the week each week), he couldn't tell me the name, but he could show me the sign!

And Finally Henry - Henry has learned how to crawl! He has been getting by with scooting and reaching lately, but he is now officially a crawler. He has good form and is now working on the speed! Now I need to start baby-proofing!

A Day Off

2011-03-26T18:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is the little things.
Little things that add up to be everything.
I have a million little things to do everyday and sometimes it gets to be too much. That is the way I have been feeling this week. I'm sure it is compounded by the fact that Henry has become the baby who DOESN'T sleep. Jason reminded me that Cooper was once the baby who only slept while being rocked, so I'm sure that someday Henry will sleep. Although it doesn't feel that way at 3 in the morning when you are up for the 5th time.
Anyway, I was scheduled to go on a Girlfriend's Retreat with First Baptist Church this weekend. I had been looking forward to it, but in the past few days it felt like just one more thing that needed to be checked off my "to-do list".
Last night I made the decision to say no. No, I'm not doing what I should do, I'm going to do what I want to do. So today, instead of leaving my family and spending the day with the women from church, I decided to go shopping.
Mom, Emma, Grace, Henry and I packed up the Yukon and headed to Emeryville. We were hoping to find a chair for Emma's room at IKEA. It ended up that we didn't really find too much of anything to buy, but I did find a little peace. It felt great to not have anything that had to be done. I did have three kids with me but Henry was a shopping angel and the girls did great, especially after lunch at California Pizza Kitchen.

Leprechaun Cake

2011-03-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

Last week I happened upon a blog posting about a Leprechaun cake. I instantly knew that the kids would love it. Even though St. Patrick's Day was on Thursday, I still decided to make the cake on Sunday. Emma Jo was at the house helping Jason get things ready for new flooring, so it was just the little kids and I.

We mixed up the cake batter and separated it into six different bowls. Then Grace and Cooper got to add food coloring to their bowls to make all of the colors of the rainbow (this was accompanied by singing the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse song about "Red-Orange-Yellow-Blue, don't forget the Purple too!"). Then we carefully layered the colors into our bundt pan. The kids enjoyed squeezing the batter out of the baggies. After it baked it was time to add the marshmallow clouds around the edges and in the middle. Then Grace was in charge of making a leprechaun trap, gold coins, a sign and a ladder.
It didn't turn out as beautiful as the sample blog, but it was pretty darn cute and the kids loved it! Emma Jo was surprised when we slicing into it and there was a rainbow inside.
This was definitely a hit and we've already talked about ways we could adapt the method for birthday and other cakes.

Apple!

2011-03-17T06:48:00.000-07:00

Henry thinks he is a big boy and wants to eat whatever the family is eating. Last night I had Henry sitting at the counter and had given him some Cheerios to snack on while I fixed dinner. He was not very happy with the Cheerios and was whining and complaining. I saw the big bowl of apples sitting in front of him and decided to see if he wanted some apple. I cut off a little slice so that he would have some of the flesh available without peel. He instantly grabbed it and started gnawing away.

He happily "ate" it the entire time I was cooking without another complaint (except when he would drop it).

Rock and Worship Road Show

2011-03-14T06:36:00.000-07:00

Saturday night I got to take Emma Jo and a few members of her youth group to the Rock and Worship Road Show in Sacramento. I was very excited to get to go to the concert and even more excited to spend the night with Emma. Since Henry was born he had monopolized my time and energy. I feel as if I've given the other kids the short straw, especially Emma Jo. She is so independent and un-demanding that I haven't given her the attention she deserves.
She was gone all of last week at Outdoor Science Camp at Mt. Hermon and I missed her. The concert was probably not the best decision in terms of Emma being tired from camp and then the time change (not to mention a nursing baby who sleeps with mommy), but it was a great decision in terms of a night worshiping Jesus together and a night spending time with Emma.

(I wasn't sure if I could bring my camera into the show, so this is one I got from the RWRS blog.)

It was a long afternoon/night. We left Windsor at 4pm and didn't get home until 2:50 am (3:50am if you count the time change). Thankfully there were only 7 of us from FBC so we were all able to ride together in the Yukon. We stopped for dinner on the road and I got my first taste of Sonic! We finally arrived at the concert at 6:45 and the only seats left once we walked in were behind the stage. It would have been great to see the front the stage, but it was an amazing experience regardless. I definitely hope to go back next year.

I was exhausted yesterday, but it was so worth it!

I had been worried about Jason and Henry, but they survived. Big thanks to Mom and Dad (Grammie and Grampa) who came over and helped with Cooper and Grace. It is nice to know that everyone will survive (and even enjoy themselves) without me. It makes me not feel too bad about planning on attending the FBC women's retreat in a couple of weeks.

Dance, Dance

2011-03-04T18:59:00.000-08:00

Last night Grace got a care package in the mail. It turned out to be old dance costumes that used to be Aunt Tracy's. Her mom has given up on having granddaughters and decided to share them with our family. She thought Grace would enjoy them.

Turns out that Cooper likes them!

So does Grace.

Even Henry wore one of the headbands.

Cheerios!

2011-03-04T06:06:00.000-08:00

Last night we gave Henry is first taste of Cheerios.

He loved sitting at the table like a "big boy" and he was so proud when he could actually get a Cheerio in his mouth!

I think Lucy ate more then he did. But he sure did have a good time!

Valentine's Craft

2011-02-20T18:22:00.000-08:00

Last week, in honor of Valentine's Day, the kids and I made candle holders for their teachers. I cut hearts out of red, pink and white tissue paper and the kids used starch to paper-mache them to jars we found around the house. It was a simple activity but the kids really enjoyed it.

I always enjoy doing simple activities like this with the kids, and whenever I do it I wonder why we don't do things like this more often.

Zip Line

2011-02-20T18:07:00.000-08:00

Last month, Cooper John started going to MyGym or the Monkey Gym as he calls it. He looks forward to it every week and has a different favorite item at the end of each session. His favorite this week was the uneven bars but I liked watching him on the zipline.

Snow

2011-02-20T16:52:00.000-08:00

I know it is nothing like the snowpocalypse that his the east coast a few weeks ago, but it has been COLD here in Northern California the last few days. In fact, it snowed on the hills surrounding Sonoma County this week.

The kids have always been fascinated with snow and every winter they beg us to take them to see some. Thursday night on the way home from school we could see snow just behind Grammie & Grampa's house. We talked about driving up to it, but I knew that if Jason didn't get mad at me for driving up there in the van with the kids, that my dad would have something to say.

Today much of the snow has melted, but we could still see it on the peaks above the valley. Since it is warmer and there hasn't been any rain in the last 24 hours, I felt it was safe to travel the roads up the mountainside. I offered to take the kids up to see if we could find the snow and they were ecstatic.

We drove up the road, past Grampa's old ranch, and after many twists and turns we found it. SNOW!!! Emma and Grace especially were excited to get out and touch it. There was a meadow full of people playing in the snow. Some were even trying to sled, and I saw one snowboard.

It definitely wasn't Tahoe quality, but it did result in being called "The NICE mommy. Even nicer than Daddy." I'll take that for a Sunday afternoon drive.

Henry's Dedication Day

2011-02-14T05:24:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday was Henry's dedication. Our congregation has been praying for Henry since before he was born so it seemed fitting to have him dedicated almost a year to the day after we shared the news with them.

Kim and the kids made the drive to come to the ceremony with us. After church we all headed over to the town green to get some fresh air, sunshine and pizza! The day was beautiful and the kids enjoyed "walking on water".

Grampa attempted to get a group shot. This was as good as it got.

Cooper, Ruth, Grace, Emma w/Henry, Micah

Preschooler!

2011-02-04T05:34:00.000-08:00

Cooper John is getting to be such a big boy! He started preschool at the beginning of January (although he insists it is Kindergarten). I love our daycare provider, but I felt Cooper was ready for more challenges and opportunities. Thankfully we have a great preschool that is part of our church and the girls' school so I knew just where to send him.
I anticipated a rough drop-off the first morning. Surely he would be worried in a new environment with new friends and teachers he had never met. But no, he walked right in like the big boy he is and promptly told me to "go home Mommy". I hadn't considered the fact that he goes to Sunday school in the same building every week. Each morning when I take him to school we put his lunch box in his cubby and walk him into the morning room. He gives me a kiss, opens the door and ushers me out.
I am amazed at all he is learning at school. He is learning letters, the sound, shape and sign language for them. He is learning Bible stories, Bible verses and songs. He has told me about Noah and his ark, animals and the rainbow. He has told me about David and Goliath and the stone. He is singing about "The B-I-B-L-E, That's the Book for Me" and about having a "Little Turtle, His name is Tiny Tim". Cooper brings home "projects" everyday and asks me to display them on my bulletin board at work. He is making new friends and actually knows some of their names now. He loves his teachers, especially Ms. Maricle whom he prays for just about every night.

I can't believe how big he is getting and how much fun he is!

Time Flies

2011-01-27T05:14:00.000-08:00

Where has the month gone? I can't believe it will be February in just a few days.

Henry is 6 months old today! Hard to believe he is so big already! He goes to the doctor tomorrow, but last week he weighed about 17 pounds (40th percentile).
He has just started eating "solid" food and he loves it! Applesauce was a question mark the first couple of times but now he gobbles it up. Sweet Potatoes were a hit from day 1.
He can roll over both ways.
He prefers to sit at all opportunities, preferably while someone is talking to him.
He will lock his legs and hips so that you can't sit him down when he wants to stand.
Henry has started "talking". He will gladly carry on a conversation with anyone who will sit next to him. He also "sings" in the car when others are singing to the radio.
The older kids still LOVE him. They fight over who gets to "keep Henry happy". They are really enjoying that he is more interactive these days.
We've been working on teaching him to crawl. Cooper will crawl around to show him an example and Grace will hold his belly off the floor to see if that will help. So far Henry is showing no signs of crawling.
He can move where he wants to by rolling and spinning around using his feet and arms.

A year ago at this time we were terrified how a new baby was going to upset our lives. Our fears were justified in a way, Henry has definitely knocked our previous routines for a loop. But he is a sweetheart and now I can't imagine our family without him. I can see that he is adjusting to our family and we are adjusting to him. I can already imagine when this very needy, demanding newborn stage is going to be over and our lives will be somewhat back to normal.

Worn Out

2011-01-18T04:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the kids and I had a "stay at home day" due to the Martin Luther King Jr Holiday. We started off slow but when we got going there was no stopping. First we (I) cleaned out the fridge, did some laundry and organized the pantry. Then we headed to the Dollar store to get supplies for Grace's "Student of the Week" presentation. Next was down to Windsor to drop Emma off at Halle's house. Lunch was a treat for the little kids with a visit to "ChickenDonald's" and playing in the kids' area. I don't think I've taken them there since before Cooper was born! Grace and Cooper had a blast and played so nicely together. We went in since Henry was hungry, but once we got there he was too distracted by all the kids running around to eat. I guess everyone had the same idea for a holiday Monday.
After lunch I took Grace, Cooper and Henry to the grocery store. Surprisingly it went very well. Grace and Cooper were pretty helpful getting stuff off the shelves, and our morning adventure clipping coupons netted over $35 in savings!
Once we got home we put away groceries and played outside. Then Cooper took a bath since he was filthy! After the bath it was evident that Henry needed a nap. As I was putting Henry to bed the little kids were watching Scooby Doo in the family room. Cooper was curled up in a towel eating a yogurt. When I emerged from the bedroom I discovered Cooper sleeping in the chair with the yogurt and spoon still in his hand. I guess three days home with Mommy was just too much for him.

We ended up waking him at after 7pm so that he could have some dinner and get dressed before going back to bed.

Henry

2011-01-15T18:18:00.000-08:00

In the past couple of weeks, Henry has discovered his toes. Every time I change him he has to stuff his toes in his mouth. Each time I say to myself that I should take a picture. This morning I was ready. I got the camera and pulled off his clothes. I laid him on the bed and waited. And waited. And waited. It soon became apparent that he was more interested in looking at the camera than playing with his toes.

Cool Dad

2011-01-14T12:39:00.000-08:00

My uncle Ranndy is a treasure trove of old pictures. Today I got an email which contained this picture of my dad. I'm not sure if I was even born when this picture was taken. Being a farmer, he and my grandfather learned how to make do with what they had. I've heard that although this home-made sulphur spray rig isn't pretty, it served a need for many years.

My first thought when I saw this picture in my email was that my dad looks cool! I remember being a little girl and thinking that he was the coolest guy and loving spending time with him. Even when it was "at the ranch" while he was working. I always thought that he could fix or make anything. I wondered how he knew what he was doing, but I never doubted that he could do it. I think this spray rig is evidence to that.

(For the record, I still think my dad is the coolest guy, and I still think he can make or fix anything.)

Splish, Splash

2011-01-11T06:44:00.000-08:00

Henry has learned to love baths! When he sees me dragging out his bathtub his face lights up. As soon as I place him in the water he starts kicking his legs and "miling" as Cooper would say. Now that he can sit up unassisted he loves to sit in the tub and kick and splash with his hands. Henry doesn't even seem to mind when his face gets wet.

Thanks Grampa for taking these pictures for me.

Sweet Potatos for my Sweet Little Man

2011-01-07T18:16:00.000-08:00

Henry is now five months old! Where does the time go?
He can roll over, both ways. Although he does not get very many opportunities since I hold him most of the time.
He can sit unassisted if someone sets him up. He can stay up for several minutes before toppling over.
He lights up when he sees his sees his siblings.
He loves to watch tv, especially football!
Henry is starting to be more sociable with others and even took a nap in Grammie's arms on Christmas.

He tried rice cereal on New Year's but was not impressed.
Last night we tried Sweet Potatoes and it got a much better reception.

Grace enjoyed taking pictures of him.

Mommy enjoyed kissing him.

And a couple of Cooper & Gracie. I'm not sure why we don't have any of Emma Jo.

How Henry Helps with the Laundry

2011-01-03T09:12:00.000-08:00

Having a family of six means that I spend a lot of my time doing laundry. Since Henry is attached to me most of the time, it means that he often "helps" me. This is how that help usually looks.

I couldn't ask for a cuter helper.

Getting Ready for Christmas

2010-12-24T21:36:00.000-08:00

This afternoon before heading to the winery for the Pina family Christmas Eve I downloaded the memory card from Jason's camera. I was pleased to find these pictures taken over the month of December as we got ready for Christmas.

On Friday the 10th, I decided to decorate Christmas cookies with Grace and Cooper while Jason and Emma took in a show. Grammie and Grampa joined us for cookies and dinner, and Emma and Jason made it home in time to decorate a cookie or two.

On the 13th we found our Christmas Tree.

Mommy loving on Henry.

Henry sporting his santa hat at Grace's Christmas program.

Years ago Maria gave my parents a stuffed Santa from Canada. Each year the kids look forward to him coming out of storage and taking pictures with him.

Last weekend we finally decorated the tree!

Henry hanging out with Santa and some Christmas lights.

Last night we finally hung up all the stockings for Santa Claus. My great-grandmother made the first one when my mom was a baby. My grandmother made ones for my dad when they got married and then for John and I when we were born. My mother carried on the tradition making stockings for Jason, Tracy and each of the grandkids. Traditionally the stockings aren't done until the baby's 2nd Christmas so Henry's should be ready next year.

I think it is so fun to have all 12 of us here at the house for the weekend!

Decorating the Tree

2010-12-20T06:02:00.000-08:00

Grammie and Grampa came over last friday night and we had a great time as a family finally decorating the tree. Grammie had as much fun as the kids putting ornaments on the tree. Grampa enjoyed trying out his new camera and watching the activities.
He shared these photos with me:

The whole family in front of the tree.

Grace with Santa Claus. Cousin Maria sent this two my parents when Emma Jo was just a baby and the kids look forward to him coming out of storage every year.

Henry really wants to be a big boy and he was enjoying standing up watching the kids and lights.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2010-12-03T05:36:00.000-08:00

The Christmas season is quickly approaching. The last few years all the hoopla has felt more like a chore than a blessing, but this year I'm actually looking forward to all the trappings of the holidays. It started when I heard that Silver Oak's Christmas Party included kids this year. I loved buying dress up clothes for the kids. The boys are both young enough that I could buy whatever I wanted and dress them up like little dolls. I'm so excited to show off Cooper in his pin-stripped vest and tie, and Henry in his sweater vest and newsboy cap. Emma Jo is very happy to get to wear her father-daughter dress again and Grace likes any dress.

On Thanksgiving morning we dressed the kids up in their new outfits to try to capture a picture for our Christmas cards.

Before the party this weekend, I'm hoping to do a little shopping. I'm also hoping to string Christmas lights around the yard this weekend and begin to decorate the house. Next weekend, after Jason's 40th birthday, we'll be getting our tree and fully "Christmasfy" the house.

3rd Birthday

2010-11-27T11:05:00.000-08:00

Cooper John turned 3 yesterday! I can't hardly believe it. He has brought so much joy into our lives. He is truly a little boy who loves tractors, dinosaurs, trucks, dirt, tools and mischief. He adores his daddy and would spend every waking (and sleeping) minute with him, if possible. He is a handful and proves to me that boys are definitely different than girls. Although he makes me want to pull my hair out I wouldn't have it any other way.

Emma Jo decorated Cooper's cake. He couldn't decide if he wanted a tractor cake or a dinosaur cake, so he got both!

Since Emma won't be at Cooper's party due to a friend's conflicting party, we let Cooper open her present last night.

Toy story is Cooper's favorite movie and Emma knew Woody would be a great birthday present.

She was right!

My Little Indian

2010-11-24T17:00:00.000-08:00

Today Cooper is thankful that he is feeling much better today after a week of illness and burns.

Today at daycare he made a paper Indian vest and headpiece.

He wishes you a Happy Thanksgiving.

What a Week!

2010-11-24T06:13:00.000-08:00

It is only Wednesday morning, but we've already had quite a week. It started Saturday morning with Cooper puking in the carpet store. Guess we'll have to pick out the new floors for the house another day! Then Saturday night Henry decided he didn't need to sleep. I didn't get him down until 11:30 (he usually goes down around 8!). Then at 2 he woke up and could not be comforted. I finally discovered he would sleep in my arms if I sat in the LazyBoy rocker. We stayed there until 7am. Thankfully Jason was off this weekend and Henry and I got to sleep in until almost 10! I was still exhausted and tried to take the day easy.

Monday I got everyone to daycare and school and was just settling into a groove at work when my phone rang. Cooper was sick again. I hurried to daycare and picked the boys up. By the time I got him he seemed fine so we spent the day lazing around the house watching Bolt. Henry had a doctor appointment in the afternoon and we discovered he is totally "average". He weighed in at 14lb13oz and was in the 50th percentile for weight and length. Monday night Henry didn't go to sleep until 10pm, but he pretty much slept all night (except for a few snacks).

Tuesday Cooper stayed home with Grampa and Daddy while the girls had their Thanksgiving parties at school. Henry was a daycare and it was a quiet day. The quiet ended around 6:30 when Cooper accidentally touched the wood-stove. Then there was screaming and tears. After running cold water on it for 30 minutes and holding onto a Nemo and Lightning McQueen icepack we discovered he was more scared than hurt. He was exhausted from the experience and fell asleep in Jason's arms around 8pm.

This morning everyone seems to be better. Cooper's hand is a little red but I can't see any blisters. Henry is snoozing on the bed. The girls are sleeping in knowing they have a five day weekend. I'm hoping this is a sign that the week is changing and we'll have lazy days and happy kids for the long holiday weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Heroes

2010-11-11T16:10:00.000-08:00

My uncle Ranndy is much more eloquent than I am, so you might want to click over to his blog and skip this post altogether.

Today we celebrate our veterans. I say celebrate because we should remember them everyday. They are the brave men and women to put their lives on the line to ensure our freedom and to help those less fortunate than us. They are husbands and wives, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers. They are young and old, proud and scared. They are the heroes.

Both of my grandfathers fought in World War II. One passed away before I was old enough to know about war. The other didn't choose to discuss it.

Unfortunately I don't have any digital pictures of my Grandpa Dick. I do however have a few of my Grandpa John.

My grandpa circa 1960

Grandpa and his three brothers who all served in WWII

They all made it home safe.

To everyone who has served this country, and everyone who has had a loved one serve this country, Thank You. You are the heroes.

Check It Out

2010-11-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

New Banner!

The kids dressed up for Halloween 2010.

Prepared for Raining Days

2010-11-04T05:46:00.000-07:00

When the rain started pouring down a couple of weeks ago, I realized that Cooper was going to need rain boots this year. Since all we have by way of hand-me-downs are pink boots, I started searching for the perfect pair for my little man. After a whole afternoon of dragging the entire family from store to store last weekend, I finally just ordered the ones I wanted from the Internet. Last night Cooper's new fireman rain jacket and rain boots arrived!

I think he is just the cutest thing! And I love how his little face just lit up when he saw them.

GIANT Halloween!

2010-11-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what was the best part of Halloween, seeing the kids dressed up having a great time trick-or-treating, or having the Giants win 4-0! Cooper combined the two by sporadically throwing in a "Go Giants" when he should have been saying "Trick-or-Treat" or "Thank you". I don't think anyone minded that he got confused:).

This year was the first year that we let Emma Jo trick-or-treat with friends and no mom or dad.

She was a Green M&M.

Cooper decided on Saturday night that he wanted to be Batman and "save the day". Unfortunately we had already gotten his dinosaur costume over a month ago and there is nowhere to get Batman at the last minute in Healdsburg anyway.

Grace thankfully agreed to wear the Snow White costume that Emma wore at her age. She had just wanted to be a princess so she was happy.

Henry made it through about half of the houses the little kids hit up and then he needed a break for an after-dinner snack. I didn't mind because it meant I got to listen to the World Series on the radio.

Our littlest Dinosaur. All of the other kids were pumpkins their first Halloween, so Henry wore a pumpkin suit under his dinosaur suit.

3 Months Old!

2010-10-28T06:04:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that Henry Charles is already 3 months old. Time sure does fly!

Henry is sporting his "scary vampire" Halloween outfit that Grammie bought him. I love the little feet.

My Two Boys

2010-10-18T14:46:00.000-07:00

Today was my first day back to work since leaving with pre-term labor in July. On Saturday morning I took this picture of Henry to use as the background on my computer at work.

Today as I was staring at it, it reminded me of a similar picture I took of Cooper right before I returned to work with him.

Can you tell they are related?

New Addition

2010-10-17T18:59:00.000-07:00

Work is progressing nicely on our new master bedroom and bathroom addition.
On October 8th the floor joists were completed.

By October 19th we had two exterior and two interior walls!

The kids got in on the action of knocking out an interior bedroom wall.

They are very much looking forward to each having their own rooms. Cooper says his is going to be a Dinosaur room!

Henry didn't get to help, but he sure is cute!

Gimme Six Harvest

2010-10-17T06:50:00.000-07:00

One of the many advantages of living at
Grammie & Grampa's house is the amount of time the kids get to spend with their grandparents. The beautiful land is also a bonus!
Yesterday while the girls were doing homework and I was doing chores around the house, Grampa came home with some guys to pick the Gimme Five vineyard. Cooper jumped at the opportunity to hang out with Grampa, especially when he heard that Topas was out there. Cooper loves Topas and says "he's a nice guy".

Cooper supervising Topas.

Sampling the grapes to make sure they are just right for Gimme Six
Checking out the harvest

Relaxing after a hard day's work

Thanks to Grampa for letting Cooper help and for taking such great pictures!

One of Those Days

2010-10-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

Today was one of THOSE days. Yes, one of those days when everything was just about perfect.
I woke up to a quiet house. It was 6:30 (I never sleep that late). There was hot coffee and all the kids were still asleep. It would have been better if Jason was home or the kids slept long enough for me to watch Private Practice, but it was pretty good nonetheless.
Then I got everyone up and ready and there were no fights. We got doughnuts for breakfast and even though they didn't have the kind the kids requested (chocolate twist), everyone was happy and said "Thank You".
We watched Grace's soccer game and then came home with our friend, Halle, in tow.
Once home the kids played nicely together blowing bubbles and riding in the "Golf Jeep" (golf cart).
After lunch I took all the kids (including Halle) to Emma Jo's game. By then the sun was out and Jason was able to meet us there. Henry slept and I was able to watch the whole game. It would have been better if Emma hadn't been hit in the face with the soccer ball, but at least she was fine by the time the game was over.
On the way home from the game we got ice cream (and Starbucks) and brainstormed Halloween costumes for Emma and Halle.

All in all it has been a great day. The kids have been fabulous, I got all the dishes and laundry done and Jason did the grocery shopping! The only thing that would have been better is if Henry would have taken a bottle. I'm really stressed out since I'm going back to work in a week and Henry is now refusing to drink from a bottle. I'm hoping Connie is more patient than I am and that she can get him to take one!

These Toys Crack Me Up

2010-09-30T06:27:00.000-07:00

In the last week or so, Henry has started smiling and laughing. He loves to lay on his playmat and "talk" to his toys. This morning while all the other kids were sleeping and I was watching the news Henry was enjoying a little morning time with his toys.

Lucky Charms

2010-09-29T16:20:00.000-07:00

Grace is playing soccer for the second year. Her team decided to be called the "Lucky Charms". We were blessed with a great coach who ensures that all the girls have FUN. In fact, he reiterates at every practice and game that the number one rule for his team is to have fun. In addition to the fun, the girls are learning the very basics of soccer.

Grace scored a goal in the first game of the season, unfortunately between Henry and Cooper I didn't have a chance to take a photo. Last Saturday I was able to catch a quick video of Grace playing since it was just me and Henry watching Grace's game (Jason and Cooper were in Cloverdale watching Emma Jo).

I'm going to try to remember to charge the camera and bring it to both games on Saturday to take some pictures of both Grace and Emma Jo.

More Changes

2010-09-26T20:40:00.000-07:00

Just when we were all getting used to life with a family of 6, we've changed it up again. NO, we are not adding to the family, but we are adding to the house. We've decided that a family of six needs more than 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. We have begun a major remodel/addition which will result in a 5 bedroom, 3 bath house. Each of the kids will have their own rooms, and I will finally get my soaker tub!

In order to make this go as smoothly as possible, Jason, the kids and I have moved up to my parents. They graciously offered their house to us for the duration, and have moved into the back cottage in order to give us more room. I'm still in awe of their generosity and the kids are still trying to figure out how exactly this is going to work. "Will Grammie have breakfast with us everyday?" "Can I ride on Grampa's forklift?" "Are they really going to sleep back there?" "Are we going to our house today?"

Last night was the first night in this newest reality and for the most part it worked pretty well. I'm sure by the time we have it all figured out it will be time to move back home. I have a feeling when we do leave there will be withdrawal pains, for the kids... and the grandparents.

New Reality

2010-09-08T06:34:00.000-07:00

I think I'm starting to adjust to my new reality of being mom to four children. But I had forgotten just how busy life can be with a newborn. Although it seems like I'm busy all the time, it also seems like I don't get anything done, except feed Henry.

My typical day goes something like this:

~ 6am - wake up and get a cup of coffee, nurse Henry
~ 6:15 - Cooper comes out to family room and we turn on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
~ 6:30 - Grace joins us in the family room
~ 7:15 - wake up Emma Jo
~ 7:30 - Emma finally gets out of bed and heads towards the shower
~ 8:15 - out the door on the way to school
~ 9am - Henry and I arrive back home - he is hungry and nurses until about 10am
~ 10:15 - shower and get dressed
~ 10:30 - start laundry
~ 11am - pump milk so we can try and get Henry to take a bottle
~ Noon - Henry wakes up and wants to eat - realize I'm famished
~ 1pm - finally get lunch after Henry falls back to sleep
~ 1:30 - fold and put away laundry, try to pick up the house, clean the kitchen
~ 2:30 - Nurse Henry
~ 3pm - Head out to pick up girls from school
~ 3:30-6pm - either hang out with the girls and help them with homework or take them to soccer practice
~ 5pm - Nurse Henry
~ 6pm-7pm - spend time with Jason and all the kids, eat dinner
~ 7pm-8:30 - nurse Henry
~ 9pm - Bedtime
~ Midnight - Nurse Henry
~ 2am - Nurse Henry
~ 4am - Nurse Henry
~ 6am - start all over again

In addition to the above, I try to fit in everyday life necessities like grocery shopping, doctor's appointments, banking, sewing on Girl Scout patches and buying diapers. Not to mention the baby announcements that are sitting on my kitchen counter waiting to be addressed or the Thank You notes that have yet to be sent. Then on top of everyday life, we are gearing up for a major home remodel and addition. That involves cleaning out closets and cupboards, determining what we can give to charity, what we need to take with us during the move and what can be put in storage for the next six months. It also involves trips to the Building Department and excursions to the Bath & Kitchen store and visits on-line to try to pick out a new soaking tub, shower and bathroom fixtures.

Since my day seems to be full now I wonder how I will manage in a few weeks when I go back to work. I'm going to need to figure out how to shower in the morning before I leave the house. The major obstacle I'm facing is worrying that Cooper will wake up while I'm in the shower and he will accidentally hurt Henry while he is trying to help. Maybe I could leave the family room TV turned to a cartoon and Cooper will migrate out there on his own? Then I'm going to have to figure out how to get us all out of the house an hour earlier than we leave currently. Henry is going to have to start sleeping better for that to be a possibility. And actually with the temporary move we'll need to leave the house about 20 minutes earlier than we did last year since we will be living further away from daycare and school.

I guess we will continue to take it one day at a time and figure it out as we go.

Back to School

2010-08-24T06:18:00.000-07:00

On August 18th, the girls went Back to School. Emma Jo started 6th Grade and Grace is now in 1st Grade. Grace is delighted to have Mrs. Codding for a teacher (and Mrs. Stadum for a substitute) and Emma Jo is thrilled that they are now upstairs in the Jr. High. In Jr. High the students get lockers and Emma came home from school on the first day with the exciting news that she got a top locker!

All four kids in front of the house on our way off to school. Cooper keeps asking when he gets to go to "Grace's Kindergarten".

In front of the sign at school.

Gracie and one of her best friends, Matthew waiting to go into class. They have been together since she was 12 weeks old and started daycare.

Group shot of the 6th Grade before they head upstairs on their new adventure.

End of Summer - Cookie Making

2010-08-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

One of the last things we did to enjoy the end of summer, was make chocolate chip cookies.

We invited our friend, Halle, over to help.

I'm not sure if the kids liked the cookies better or the cookie dough. (Thankfully the eggs we used weren't tainted with salmonella.)

We had to pick up Cooper after we mixed the dough, but before we formed the cookies. That was when I realized that I might have lost my mind. Because who in their right mind would think making cookies with four kids and a 3 week old baby was a good idea?

Thankfully Jason got home before it got too out of control, and Henry slept through most of the chaos so everything turned out okay. (And I got some delicious cookies to snack on while I go a little crazy.)

Swimming Lessons

2010-08-14T11:32:00.000-07:00

Grace and Cooper just finished two weeks of swimming lessons. They both did amazing! I wish I had signed them up for lessons earlier in the summer. If I had I bet Grace would have been swimming independently by the end of summer! She was willing to go under water, retrieve rings from the bottom of the pool, cross the pool with a kick board, and even swim 1/4 of the way across the pool completely on her own. I am just so thankful that she is finally getting over her fear of getting her face and ears wet!
Cooper has developed a little attitude since we brought Henry home from the hospital and swimming lessons were no exception. Cooper would not get into the pool unless it was his decision. Once he got in the pool he would gladly participate in class, as long as he was holding a toy of some sort. By the end of the two weeks he was willing to blow bubbles, use "scooper arms", kick with a kick board or holding on to the rail. He was not willing to go completely under the water or jump off the side, but I'm sure that will come next year...

Good Morning

2010-08-07T07:14:00.000-07:00

This morning started out a little earlier than I would have liked, at 4am Henry decided it was time for breakfast. Before 5am Cooper decided it was time to watch Mickey Mouse in my bed. But early wake up aside, today is a good morning. Jason is at work but we are doing just fine on our own. Now at 7am Henry is snoozing away in bed next to me. Cooper and Grace are playing Barbie & Buzz Lightyear in their room and Emma Jo is still sleeping. In a little bit we will officially start our day with breakfast, showers and chores, but right now it is quiet and peaceful in our house. It is moments like this when I think "four kids isn't crazy". We'll see if I still think that this afternoon...

Henry Charles

2010-08-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

I am so happy to share that Henry Charles has joined our family. The induction worked (maybe a little too well) and he was born early on Tuesday morning.

We started the induction with Cytotec to get everything ready for the "actual" induction scheduled for Tuesday morning. Turns out the Cytotec worked overtime and my contractions started almost right away. They were fairly mild about every 5 minutes starting around midnight. At 4:15 the contractions started in earnest. I felt my water break during a double contraction at 4:25 and he was born at 5:15am. I went from 5cm to complete in less than 40 minutes which left no time for an epidural or any other pain medications. Thankfully we were able to hold off the birth long enough for my midwife to arrive as Henry was crowning. Unfortunately the quick progression did not give Grammie enough time to make it to the hospital in time to attend the birth.

Each of Henry's older siblings is delighted with him.

Cooper can't stop saying "I like Henry".

Grace wants to hold him as long as he doesn't start crying.

Emma Jo is again loving being the oldest and having the freedom to hold Henry without having to sit carefully in a chair. She is treating him like a living doll and having fun dressing him up and talking and singing to him.

I had always wondered if I should have tried to have the other kids without an epidural. I always felt a little cheated that I had pitocin with each of them which seemed to rule out the possibility of an epidural-free experience. Now I know that epidurals are a good thing. I can say though that I felt fantastic within a few hours of Henry's birth which definitely wasn't the case with any of the other babies. I'm not sure if it is attributable to no epidural to recover from or if it is due to the extremely quick labor.

We came home from the hospital on Thursday and since then Henry has become very comfortable on our bed. He will gladly sleep for 2-4 hours at a time in this spot.

Last Post on 2 Princesses, 1 Dude & The Little Bean

2010-07-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

By this time tomorrow we will know if this little one is a boy or a girl! In fact, we'll be holding the Little Bean in our arms and making room in our hearts for one more baby. I'm a little nervous as to how the induction is going to go. I'm unsure if baby will be here tonight or not until tomorrow morning. I'm hoping that Jason and Mom will both be there for the birth. I'm worried how that will work if the baby decides to come in the middle of the night.

I'm still unsure how the baby is going to affect our day-to-day life and family balance. I'm sure it will all work out, but it feels like such an unknown. Our family seems so busy, so full, so complete I wonder how one more will fit in. But, my arms are aching to hold this little one and I'm so excited to see what Emma, Grace and Cooper think about the new baby. I guess we will know soon...

After the baby is born and we get settled at home, the next question will be what should this blog/journal be called next?

Quiet Week

2010-07-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

This week as been very quiet at our house. Sunday afternoon both of the girls went off to week-long sleep-over camps. Emma Jo spending the week at Mt. Gilead Bible Camp. Jason and I drove her out there on Sunday afternoon. She was so excited, but a little nervous. She must have asked me a dozen times if I had requested any of her friends to be in her cabin. She was so worried she wouldn't know anyone and would be lonely. When we arrived we discovered that not only was Anna F. in her cabin (whom I had requested) but there were actually four girls from school/church in her cabin. And three more in the cabin next door! We got a letter from her yesterday and it sounded like she was having a blast!

Grammie and Grampa watched the little kids while we were dropping Emma at camp. After dinner, Gracie went home with them. She was planning a week at "Grammie Camp" so that she could be big like her sister. Grace loves to spend the night at Grammie's and has been begging to send a week there. We agreed that the week Emma was gone would be the perfect timing. I heard the sleeping didn't go so well the first night (with Grace crawling in between Grammie and Grampa in the middle of the night) but everything has been great since then. She calls every night to share a highlight of the day, but is quick to hang up and get back to the fun with her grandparents.
I think Grampa is having as much fun as Grace. We got this email from him yesterday: What a joy it is to have Gracie visiting. I enjoy seeing her skipping from the house, coming to visit me in the vegetable garden; not a worry in the world. I told her last night I might have to leave this morning before she was up and that I wished her a good day. She comes up to me and said for me to come to her room and wake her up, that she would give me a hug and a kiss. I went in there this morning, but she was sleeping so comfortably that I could not bring myself to waking her to give her a hug. It is wonderful that she seems so comfortable.

Cooper is the only one at home this week. He reminds us that he is at "Mommy Camp". He has asked a couple of times where Gracie and Sissy are but for the most part he is pretty happy to have Mommy and Daddy to himself. He has been enjoying working in the garden and workshop with Daddy and watching movies with Mommy.

It is nice to have such a quiet week because it will be anything but quiet in less than 10 days when the baby get here!

The Big Switch

2010-07-04T21:21:00.000-07:00

There was lots of activity in our house this weekend. We finally made the switch and gave Emma Jo back her own room. With Cooper becoming such a big boy, we promised Emma Jo that she could get her own room back and Cooper could bunk with Grace. Everyone seemed pretty excited about the possibility. Grace is ecstatic to finally be big enough for the top bunk. Cooper is so proud to be a "big boy" and get to sleep in Grace's bed. Emma is just happy to finally have her own space.
We started the move on Saturday morning by having Emma sort and pack her closet. To make matter really complicated Grace wanted to move from her dresser and her side of the closet to Emma Jo's dresser and closet. Clearly those are to be used by the oldest so it was her rightful place. So Saturday we had to get Emma's things out of her room, Cooper's things out of his room, Grace's things into Emma's old space, Emma's stuff into Cooper's room and then Cooper's stuff into Grace's room. We also had to put the baby stuff into our room so that Emma could have her real furniture, not a baby changing table/dresser combo. Right smack in the middle was nap time so most activity had to halt as Cooper took a nap in his old room. By that time I was exhausted and so happy Daddy was home to help.
Thankfully by Sunday afternoon Emma Jo's room is completely re-done. She is so very, very happy to have her own room and is so proud of how she put it together. We didn't do any painting or even change the window treatments since we're not sure which room she will be in after the remodel.
The little kids' room is about 70% done. Their toys and books need to be organized. Cooper's clothes need to be loaded into his dresser. All of the wall art needs to be shifted or changed.
The biggest work still needs to be done in our room. We have odds and ends from each of the kids on the floor. We have several loads of laundry that need to folded. The baby's stuff is sorted but nothing is washed or put away. It is basically chaos in our room. Jason is frustrated since he doesn't do well with disorder. I'm even starting to feel claustrophobic. Unfortunately I've felt awful today so I haven't been any help at all. I'm counting on feeling better tomorrow and tackling at least the clothes and having Rosie vacuum the floor. I'm sure that will go a long way towards our room being livable again.
I am happy to say that we now do have a car seat and diapers! I just need to wash some baby clothes and we wil be ready for baby!

Night Off

2010-06-28T06:48:00.000-07:00

I have the best parents ever!

A couple of weeks ago I asked if they could watch the kids on the 27th since I had won tickets to an A's game. I thought it would be nice for Jason and I to spend the day together and I knew the kids would love swimming at Grammie & Grampa's for the day. Of course Grammie said yes. Then last week they suggested that we drop the kids off on Saturday night so that we could go out and have the night off. Who am I to say "no" to an offer like that? I warned them that the kids are a lot of work and I knew that they would be worn out, but they insisted.

So, Saturday afternoon, after Cooper woke up from his nap, we loaded the kids up and drove them up to Grammie & Grampa's house. We dropped them off, took Mom's new car (a convertible!) and headed down to Marin. Jason and I had a great time driving with the top down and feeling the wind in our hair. We had a great dinner at Buckeye Roadhouse where we ate way too much food. Then we came home to a quiet house and got to sleep all night (with no one crawling into our bed at 4am)!

Sunday morning we enjoyed a hearty breakfast at Norm's and then headed down towards the game. Again we put the top down and cruised down to Pleasant Hill. Jason enjoyed shopping at Rocklier, one of his favorite wood-working stores that he never had the opportunity to visit. Then we made it to the almost empty coliseum and watched a fun baseball game. Even though it wasn't very good ball playing, at least the A's won and we got to watch from the comfort of a suite.

When we got home we discovered that everyone was worn out. Cooper was crashed on the couch in just a pull-up and t-shirt. Grampa looked ready to hit the sack but Grammie was still "on the job" taking Emma Jo to Youth Group. Only Grace seemed energized and ready to move on to her next adventure. She LOVES spending the night at Grammie's and is looking forward to July when she gets to spend a whole week up there.

Home Stretch

2010-06-26T07:28:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we will be 35 weeks pregnant. That means Little Bean is due in just 5 weeks and since both Grace and Cooper were induced a week early it is likely Little Bean will be here in less than a month! I'm starting to get really excited about this.
Last night we took the kids to see Toy Story 3 and I kept looking at them thinking this is one of the last outing we are going to be going on with just 3 kids. Kind of funny to think of just 3 kids. I never thought I'd have more than 2 kids and for a few years after Emma Jo was born I didn't think I'd be blessed with a second child.
Now that we are expecting #4 I'm trying to be thankful and positive. Even though my back hurts so bad many nights that I just want to curl up in a ball and cry and the contractions take my breath away I'm trying to stay positive. If I say "I'm fine" enough times it has to be true, right? I know many women who would love to trade spots with me and would gladly take the discomforts of pregnancy in a heartbeat. I'm trying to remember that these discomforts are only temporary and in just a few short weeks I'll have a new baby to hold and love and cuddle which will make it all worth it.
Since we are just a month (or so) away from meeting this new little one, I've realized we need to get ready. We are going minimalist with this baby, but we still are going to need a car seat, diapers, wipes and some clothes. So far I have about a dozen sleepers. We have a big kid stroller, changing table and Ergo carrier. I was blessed by my colleagues with very generous gift certificates to Target so in the next week or so I'll sort through the house and decide what we are going to need right away. Then, before my blood pressure gets any higher and my doctor orders me on bed rest, Mom and I will go shopping for the essentials. Then I'll just have to find the baby clothes I've purchased over the last few months and wash them up and wait for this little one to arrive.

My Dad

2010-06-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

My dad's most favorite thing is his family. He was the most excited about anyone when he found out about the little bean. He delights in his grandchildren and will use any excuse to spend time with them. We have dinner together every Sunday but he often finds excuses to see the kids another time during the week.

One of his other favorite things is growing things. I'm sure this is why he became a farmer.

To finish off the Gimme Five celebration on Memorial Day weekend, Dad got all of the grandkids to plant pumpkin seeds in the garden. It has become a tradition for Grampa to provide personalized pumpkins for each of the grandkids (and other special kids too). The past couple of years the Gimme Five have been involved in the planting. I think this is the best merging of Dad's two loves.

Grampa sorting out the multiple types of pumpkin seeds for distribution to the Gimme Five.

Cooper digging in the dirt. He and Dallas were much more interested in digging than the actual planting.

Dallas and John planting in their designated pumpkin ring.

Grace and Mays planting.

Emma Jo and Jason showing Cooper what to do.

Cooper, still playing in the dirt.

Grace showing off her pumpkin seeds.

When all of the pumpkin seeds were planted the boys wanted to plant more so Grampa got out the tomato starters and let them help with those as well.

Mays and John planting tomatoes.

Cooper had to use the "big" shovel.

Official Summer Kickoff

2010-06-15T05:40:00.000-07:00

I know the calendar says summer doesn't start until next week, but in our house it has officially started! Yesterday was the girls' first day of their summer camp. This year they are going somewhere new, Steve and Kate's Camp. The camp has been in Marin and San Francisco for years and is new in Santa Rosa this year. It looks like a lot of fun with many options for the kids and both Grace and Emma can attend, which makes it a great choice for us!

On their first day, Grace knitted a scarf and sewed a pillow. Emma Jo learned hip-hop, started recording movie, started knitting a hat for the baby and played Dance-Dance Revolution. Both girls talked about camp all night last night and were excited about what they might try today. Emma is thinking about making a blanket for the baby. Grace wants to try out Hip Hop.

Both girls agreed that the food was fantastic. Emma had a crepe for morning snack. Yesterday was cinnamon crepes, but she thinks there might be different flavors every day. She also enjoyed the lunch of Margaretia Flatbread and Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches. Each day there is a choice of five different meals (Sandwiches, Pasta/Rice, Flatbread, Salad and Soup). Grace wasn't willing to try something new, but did say their pizza (flatbread) was very good.

I'm so happy that we found someplace for the kids to spend the summer that they really seem to enjoy. It makes me happy to hear them so excited about their day.

In Cooper news, he is officially potty trained! He decided himself on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend that he was done with diapers. He went through a few days of protesting having to use the potty but we have only had a handful of accidents since he made his declaration. This past weekend he discovered the joy of peeing outdoors. I think he has only used the potty a couple of times since Friday night when he discovered that he could stand and pee on the grass. I think he is the cutest little thing and I'm pretty happy that we will only have one in diapers in August.
Cooper has also gotten better at going to sleep. He moved into his toddler bed last month and we've been transitioning him from rocking to sleep to being put in his bed awake and falling asleep on his own. Last night we read a story, rocked for about 10 minutes and then I put him in his bed. I held his hand for a couple of minutes (until my back couldn't take it anymore) and then I kissed him and walked out of the room. Cooper protested a couples of times (he said he needed a band aid) but after just 2 or 3 visits from Papa he fell asleep and stayed asleep until almost 6am.

I could do without some of the heat we are experiencing, and I wish my back and side didn't hurt so much from this pregnancy, but overall we are having a great kick-off to the summer. On this week's agenda is: Saturday-Emma Jo's birthday party, Sunday-shopping for Father's Day then dinner at Grammie & Grampa's, Monday-Basketball practice for Emma, Tuesday-Jason's softball game, Wednesday-Bible Study for Mommy & Youth Group for Emma, Thursday-Emma's 11th Birthday!, Friday-Family Game Night (or maybe the new Toy Story movie), Saturday-Mommy & Daddy Date Night, Sunday-Father's Day. We are busy, but having fun together.

Emma Jo's 11th Birthday

2010-06-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

Although she doesn't turn 11 until Thursday, today we celebrated Emma Jo's birthday. (I'm not supposed to call her that anymoe, she is just "Emma".) We planned a pool party at Grammie and Grampa's house. The temperature was in the 80s or 90s but thankfully there was a breeze. The pool was crystal clear and warm so the kids didn't care about the outside temperature at all.

Emma Jo decorated these cupcakes to look like the beach towels we gave out as party favors.

My Grandpa

2010-06-04T08:40:00.001-07:00

Today would have been my Grandfather's 88th birthday. He died when I was a very young girl, but I still remember him and my grandmother. There was nothing more important to them than family. They raised four boys (my father is the oldest) and were surrounded by brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews. There were three grandchildren when they passed away (I was the first girl), two more came after their deaths. They loved us and always made sure we knew it.

I've heard people say that my grandfather was a big man. In fact many people called him "Big Johnny". I never thought of him as big. I realize now that is because he always got down on my level to talk to me. He did however have huge hands and all future great-grandchildren's hands have been compared to his.

One of my favorite memories of my grandfather was when he took my brother and I to the fair in Napa. We were going to the fair and the destruction derby. All the cars had to park in a dirt lot which was a little drive from the actual entrance to fair. Grandpa told the gate attendant that he had a bum leg that was injured in the war and requested special parking. We got to park in the first row!

My grandmother was a very special lady as well. When I was really little we lived on the same property as grandma and grandpa and got to visit them just about every day. It seemed that every time we visited she had something new for John and I. One of our favorite things to do with her was paint on the kitchen table. I thought she was magic that her coloring books would change color when we painted them with water. She also always had chocolate kisses. She would pull them out of the cupboard and tell us not the let the "boys" know where they were. I always thought it was funny that she referred to my dad and his brothers as boys.

When we have weekends together as a family like we did with Gimme Five last week I think about how happy it would have made my grandparents. How great that the legacy of family that they created lives on.

Gimme Five Bottling 2010

2010-05-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the third annual (and last) Gimme Five bottling. Why the last? It isn't because we don't have a good time (we have a great time!). It is because my next year there will be six grandchildren! We'll definitely have a bottling next year, but we are still thinking up the name. What is your suggestion?

The "real" pictures are coming soon. These are a few I snapped with our camera.

All the principals and their parents and grandparents.

left to right: Tracy Pina, Mays Pina, John R. Pina, Dallas Pina, John C. Pina, Rickie Pina, Grace Donoho, Cooper Donoho, Emma Donoho, Trish Donoho (and little bean), Jason Donoho

Grammie and Grampa with four of the Gimme Five. Mays was not in the mood for pictures.

Emma Jo and Cooper playing with a ball waiting for their chance for pictures.

We try to give everyone a chance to do every job on the bottling line. Corks, Foils and filling bottles are usually the favorites.

Cooper wasn't interested in bottling, but Grampa showed him how the pallet jack could be raised and lowered. After Grampa had to go back to work Cooper convinced Grammie to play his new game.

Gracie has been the chief labeller since year one. She takes her job seriously.

Cooper also convinced Grammie to take a break and share some Doritos.

The kids had fun playing Bocce before and after the actual bottling.

Tired Boy

2010-05-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

Spending the day at home with Mommy and his sisters makes for one tired little boy.

But he sure is cute when he is sleeping.

Kindergarten Graduation

2010-05-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

Today Gracie graduated from Kindergarten! She is so proud of herself. She has learned so much this year and is very excited to be going to 1st Grade next year.

For Kindergarten graduation every year, Windsor Christian Academy puts on a Nursery Rhyme play. The kids are each assigned a nursery rhyme character to act out and the entire class recites the rhyme. Grace as Little Miss Muffet. She was especially dramatic when the spider sat down beside her.

Grace also had a reading part in the graduation ceremony.

Last week we learned that Grace had been named Kindergarten Good Samaritan for the 4th Quarter and she received that certificate at the end of the ceremony.

Last weeks of School

2010-05-20T12:28:00.001-07:00

The girls are busily gearing up for the last couple week so school. I was looking at our calendar the other day and realizing just how busy May is and June isn't much better. Before we know it the baby is going to be here!
Last week I was lucky enough to chaperon both girls on their end-of-the-year Field Trips. I was waiting to post until I had the pictures downloaded and edited, but I just don't have the time or energy for that these days. It seems as soon as I get home I'm ready to lay down. Unfortunately I can't do that since I have three little people to take care of.

Tuesday Grace's Kindergarten class had a field trip to the Windsor Town Green. We played on the playground until the Library opened at 10am. Then the Librarian told us all about the library including the types of things they carry, where things are located and the rules of the Library. Did you know you can check out 30 books at a time for up to 3 weeks! That sounds like 25 lost books in my house! After our tour each of the kids got there very own library card and were allowed to check out a book (we limited them to 1 on their first visit).
After the library it was back to the playground for lunch and then Powell's brought over Gelato for dessert. Grace loved it! I'm not sure how she tasted it because when she was done her bowl was still full and her entire body was covered in chocolate, from her eyebrows to her shoes!
On our way home Grace declared that she wants to move to Italy since they have the best pasta and gelato! I told her maybe we could visit there someday.

On Wednesday it was Emma Jo's 5th grade trip to Sacramento. We left the school at 8am and didn't return until almost 7pm. It was a long day! We started our day with a stop at the Sutter Fort. I was surprised by how small the fort is. I only had Fort Ross to compare it to, but I'd say Fort Ross is twice as big. The kids liked looking in each of the rooms, but the highlight was a tie between the gift shop and the man, dressed in period attire, who fired a real musket.
After the fort we headed over to the Capital building. We ate our lunches on the lawn before entering the building. The kids had a list of questions that needed to be answered so we scoured the halls, stairwells and galleries looking for information about the capital and the state. The architecture and details were amazing and it was fun to remember that the last time I was in Capital was on my own school field trip.
Our next stop was Old Town Sacramento. We headed over a little early and managed to find ice cream before the rest of the class came over. We didn't have much time for shopping before our tour of the Railroad Museum, but the Ice Cream was worth missing the shopping. By this time I was exhausted, so I welcomed the 20 minute movie at the museum. (Thankfully I didn't fall asleep like one of the other parents). The Railroad Museum is pretty cool and I'd love to take the whole family back later this summer. I think Cooper would love it! The kids had a great time scouting out the trains and I pretended to be a weary traveler and watched from a bench.

It isn't often that I get to do one-on-one things with the kids and I regret that. I'm sure it will only get worse once the Little Bean is born. For now though, I'm enjoying the time I have with them and trying to spend as much quality time with them as possible.

Awana Awards Night

2010-05-20T06:10:00.000-07:00

Last night was our last Awana meeting for the year.

Grace was very excited to get an award for finishing her Hanglider book.

She actually finished it three times!

How many times can I look at them and feel so overwhelmed with love?

2010-05-11T18:13:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was cleaning the kitchen counters when I glanced out the window and saw Grace and Cooper playing outside. They were laughing and swinging on the swings side-by-side. They were having a great time just the two of them. I stood there watching in amazement. Amazed that they were having such fun together. Amazed that they were mine. Amazed that each and every day I love them more and more. You'd think that after time I'd get used to it. I'd know they are mine. I'd know that I love them. There would be no capacity to love more. And yet, it seems that the love swells and swells and it never bursts.

Later, Cooper was playing ball while Emma Jo watered the garden. Cooper bent over to get his ball and whacked his head on the edge of the table. Emma immediately ran over, scooped him up, kissed his owie and made it all better. She hugged him, kissed him, loved him. It made my heart swell again. How did I get so lucky to have such great kids? I love them, they love each other. There couldn't be anything better.

I'm one lucky Mommy.

Ready for Swimming

2010-05-07T18:08:00.000-07:00

Tonight when we got home Cooper promptly changed into his swimming suit and new arm floaties. He is now begging me to go float in Grammie's pool.

I asked him if I could take a picture and he instantly started saying "cheese!"

After I snapped this picture he found Grace's pink cowboy boots to add to the outfit.

Grace's Pink Jeep

2010-05-05T06:22:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of Grammie & Grampa's house is the golf cart that can be cruised around the property. Emma Jo is old enough to get to drive it on her own but Grace is still too little. Grampa felt bad that Grace didn't have a vehicle of her own so a couple of weeks ago when we arrived for dinner we found this little Jeep sitting in the driveway.

I'm not sure who likes it more Grace, Cooper, or Grampa!

WCA Golf Tournament

2010-04-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

Every year Windsor Christian Academy hosts a golf tournament benefiting the tuition assistance program. This fundraiser helps children attend the Academy who otherwise would be excluded due to financial hardship. I've wanted to participate in the tournament in years past but it has never quite fit into our schedule. This year we made it a priority to play. Isn't 6 months pregnant the perfect time to pick up a club after not playing for several years?

Mom, Dad, Jason and I formed a foursome. I went into the tournament knowing we wouldn't be winning any prizes, but looking forward to spending the day with my family. Even though we see each other all the time, I still enjoy being together, and it is a nice break to not have the kids demanding Grammie & Grampa's attention. We played about as expected with each of us having some great shots and some not-too-great shots.

On about our 14th hole, after teeing off we saw a huge man coming towards us on a golf cart. Bubba Paris was the featured speaker at the dinner following the tournament and we were told he may make it to Windsor early enough to visit foursomes on the course. We stopped and chatted with him for several minutes. He remarked about my belly and shared that he had six boys before he was finally blessed with twin daughters. Bubba said he wasn't a great golfer but asked to take a swing. While he topped the ball about 20 feet he let all of us hold one of his Superbowl rings. It was as big as a golf ball!
Although my whole body is sore today, it was a great day yesterday and definitely worth it. I look forward to playing again next year.

Awana Grand Prix

2010-04-28T05:59:00.000-07:00

The girls are participating in Awana this year. It is a big commitment since we have to make the drive down to Santa Rosa every Wednesday night for their meetings. The meetings last until 8pm so it means a late night each week as well. But, I'm glad they are enjoying it so much and are learning more and more about Jesus.

Each spring Awana hosts an annual Grand Prix. They kids get pine box derby kits and get to make cars of their own design and then come and race them. Emma Jo decided to make a Hersey Bar car and Grace modeled hers after one of Coopers lego toys.

The night could have used a lot better organization, but the kids seemed to really enjoy themselves (until the end of the night when Grace was only of only about five kids who didn't win a trophy).

Neither of the girls won any of their races. Emma Jo even tried racing backwards once thinking the weight in the front would propel her over the finish line first.

Basketball

2010-04-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

Emma Jo played basketball for the first time this year. Windsor Christian Academy participates in a private school Middle School sports league for 6th, 7th and 8th graders. The main basketball season has 7th Grade and 8th Grade teams. Since we are such a small school, we do not have enough 7th and 8th graders to fill two teams. In fact, this year there were only enough players to fill one team. We ended up fielding a 7th Grade Girls team which was made up of one 7th grader, a handful of 6th Graders and several 5th Graders. Emma Jo was one of those girls.

I was shocked when she told me she was going out for the team. Earlier in the year she had said she wanted to play basketball but she was afraid she wouldn't be any good since she had never played before. I was so proud of her when she decided it was worth the risk and you never know until you try.

Emma had a great coach! He was always encouraging the girls to do the best they could. He loves Emma's height and how she listens and tries to implement what he teaches. He just kept trying to get her to be more aggressive on the court. He sounded just like her soccer coaches!

Emma wasn't afraid to take shots or go for defensive rebounds. She even scored a few points and took a few free throws.

The WCA Mighty Warriors ended the regular season after losing in the semi-finals. They had a great season which was amazing when you consider they were mostly 5th & 6th graders playing against 7th Graders.

Just this week she has started playing in a 6th Grade practice league. I'm so happy that she has found something that she enjoys so much and has an opportunity to really have some success.

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T05:59:00.000-07:00

This past weekend really felt like the beginning of spring. We made a trek out to our favorite nursery in Sebastopol and bought seeds and a few starters for the garden.

When we got home Jason and the kids prepared the raised beds and planted the seeds.

The girls were very happy with their efforts and can't wait until the carrots, beets, kale and rutabaga start growing.

Cooper wasn't too interested in planting the seeds, but the next evening he enjoyed digging in the nice soft dirt. I guess it is time to re-fill his sand box because Jason and the girls were not happy with him messing in their planter.

Spring Break - Day 5 - Schoolhouse Beach - Bodega Bay

2010-04-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

I promised the girls that on our last day of Spring Break we could have a picnic in Bodega. The kids are amazed that the beach is so close to us and yet we never go. After a lazy morning, we headed to the store to pick up a picnic lunch and some sand toys. We took the scenic route along the Russian River and headed towards the ocean. The first glimpse of water near Goat Rock was as magical as ever. It made we wonder why we don't do this more often.

We drove along the coast taking in the crashing waves and blue sky and tried to decide which beach we should visit. We finally settled on Schoolhouse Beach. It had rock that the waves could crash on but the surf was fairly mild where it finally hit the beach. We were very aware of Grampa's worry that someone was going to be swept out to see by a rogue wave.

We set up our blankets, ate our lunch, played in the surf and sorted rocks for the best ones to bring home. I loved how each of the girls personalities shown through how they played on the beach. Emma Jo wanted to be as close to the water as she could without being too close and having Mommy tell her to move. She jumped over the waves and played in the surf. Grace on the other hand would turn and run if the water was within 6 feet of her. She did get wet on the first wave but a couple of drops got on her skirt which signalled the end of her water play.

We had talked so much about how Grampa was worried someone was going to be hurt that on our way home, as soon as we got to Sebastopol and had cell phone service, Grace called Grampa to let him know that we were all safe and on our way home.

Lazy Spring Break Morning

2010-04-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

The kids are enjoying our "Spring Break" attitude. Mommy lets them do many things we don't do during the school week since "we are on vacation."

Spring Break - Day 4 - Academy of Sciences

2010-04-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, the girls and I headed to San Francisco to visit the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. Emma Jo had been here for a field trip last year, but it was a first trip for Grace and I. We made arrangements to meet one of Emma's classmates down there.

The Academy of Sciences was re-done in recent years and it is a very interesting place. One could easily spend all day there looking at all of the exhibits. We were there for almost 5 hours and that was about all I my feet and legs could handle. We'll have to plan on going back after the baby is born.

While we were there we got to watch a movie in the planetarium dome about the life of stars. It was very cool to see realistic representations of the milky way and the formation and ending of stars. We also got to walk through the rain forest. The girls were disappointed that there were very few butterflies in the exhibit, but there were lots of birds including a Macaw that squawked the entire time we were in there. The aquarium was also a hit. It definitely isn't as big at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but the displays are really neat and we were able to see many different kinds of fish and sea life.
The only part of the Academy of Sciences which we were all on the fence about was the "Extreme Mammal" exhibit. It is the newest exhibit and very odd. It featured mostly extinct animals with extreme features. Most were too bizarre to comprehend.

Ice Cream

2010-04-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

Grandma Bette & Grandpa Joe - Thank you for the Cold Stone Ice Cream money for Easter! We went last night and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Cooper had an interesting technique of using a big spoon and a taster spoon to scoop the ice cream into his mouth. He ended up with ice cream all over his hands, face and shirt, but he sure looked cute doing it.

Sorry, no pictures of Emma Jo since she was the photographer!

Spring Break - Day 3 - Mrs. Grossman's Sticker Factory

2010-04-07T18:13:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that this new adventure everyday for a week is beginning to wear me out. Good thing we are half way through...

Today's adventure was a trip to Mrs. Grossman's Sticker Factory. I have loved these stickers since Elementary School and ever since I learned the factory was in Petaluma I've wanted to visit. I was thrilled when I made the suggestion to the girls and they both voted "yes". It meant I finally had an excuse to go.

The tour was about 40 minutes long and included a short movie and a walk through the factory. We got to see the printing presses, assembly line, packaging, and one-of-a-kind laser cut machine. After the tour we were each given a bag of stickers and a postcard to make our creation. The girls worked diligently on their cards but I was a good mom and saved my stickers for Cooper. After the tour we shopped in the "Company Store" and got a good deal on stickers for our house and Connie's house.

Then we headed towards home and made a quick stop at the gym for swimming. Now we are cooking some Carne Asada tacos for dinner and looking forward to Cold Stone for desert.

Easter Egg Dyeing

2010-04-07T07:37:00.000-07:00