I ♥ Naptime- Sometimes

Yes, my 5 year old girls still nap.  EVERY day.  For TWO hours!  Believe me, NONE of my older 3 did this, nor did I NEED them to nap in the same way I need nap time now!  I do have to say though, our house does SHUT DOWN at 2pm on the nose each and every day. I make the older kids read in their rooms, or finish up school.  I close my door and hide sleep catch up on whatever I need to.  No one comes to my door unless there is blood involved.  And why would there be if they are doing what they are supposed to be doing?  Which is reading/resting/sleeping.  Some might say we are actually fanatic about nap time.  We do nothing from 2-4pm no matter what.  The very few times we did, we paid.  Because there is a certain someone in the house who begins to melt at exactly 1:55 PM.  Literally.  And if you have been around her you totally get why our lives revolve around nap time. 

Sadly, one of the 2 5 year olds is slowly giving up her nap.  Which thankfully is the one who it is OK to give up naps.  I try, and she tries, but I know she is really about done.  (which I find SO odd really, wouldn't we adults ALL enjoy being told to rest for 2 hours EVERY DAY!??)  As I went in her closet yesterday, this is what I found.

 Sage loves her barbies and if she is not going to nap, playing quietly in your closet is just fine. Even if you are hanging barbies! I actually thought this was quite creative!

On the other hand, Ms Mavery NEEDS nap time.  WE need Maverys nap time.  She takes awhile to settle down but she does sleep every day.   I thought that settling down was just the singing in her bed thing I heard.  But obviously not.

 Interesting enough, her teacher just that day had asked me if I had alot of art on my walls because Mavery had colored on her rug.  EEK! And it gets better.

 If I home schooled her, I would have sworn she sat in on our lesson of hieroglyphics we just had.  Throw in some stickers all over the bed and you have quite the art studio wouldn't you agree?  Maverys answer?  " It was an accident, I didn't mean to".  I hear this at least 391 times a day.  

And this poor Barbie?  I have no idea because "It was an accident, I didn't mean to!"   That is all I got.

It has been a rough, VERY rough few weeks.  I have no idea what is going on.  Is it the time change? Is it the weather change?  Is it Mommy is stressed and crabby more than usual change?  Is it the missing a few weeks of therapy change?  (which makes no sense because how can 45 minutes of therapy once a week REALLY be THAT helpful??)
I picked the girls up from preschool one day (the drawing on the rug day) and the teacher said "I do not even know what to say, or how to explain her behavior today".  And I simply wanted to kiss her and say WELCOME TO MY LIFE! I am so glad someone gets to see a glimpse of it!
To top it off, we were at my inlaws over the weekend.  It had been a bad day, following a bad few weeks. We were having dinner and Mavery put her hand through their china cabinet. Shattered the glass.  Only by Gods grace did she manage to do this with out cutting her self up. One small tiny cut that was it. 

I sure wish I was like all the other blogs I read that seem to have everything perfect.  Perfectly happy kids with a perfectly happy mommy who probably doesn't even need naptime because she is so calm and happy with her kids.  The ones who never have meltdowns or throw fits or ruin a perfectly good day because they have an attitude.   The ones who seem to adore their children every second of every day and never need a break from them. 

I am not that blog.  Or that mom.  And I guarantee you those are not my kids.  I love my children, I really do.  But I do not like attitudes.  I do not like my walls being colored on after I have told you not to do that 529 times. I do not like whining and hearing about what your sister got and you did not. I do not like fighting with your siblings.  I do not like dirty socks left in the van, in my bed, on the stairs, or on the table thank you very much.  Sometimes I don't even like doing 10 loads of laundry a week or washing dishes 3 times a day or going to walmart every stinken day!   I certainly don't like having to repeat myself.  "Stop it.  Listen.  Come here now. Stop it. Listen. Come here.  DID YOU HEAR ME??? Stop it NOW.  LISTEN. GET OVER HERE BEFORE I LOSE IT.  Stop it." 

This is my reality.  I have been reminding myself about this roller coaster ride of life I am on.  Just when I think we are hanging on, almost to the end of the ride, we start back up that hill again.  And many days, I want to be on that one coaster, you know the one that goes backwards.  I want a rewind! I do NOT want to start over, I don't want to climb up a hill, I just want to coast along.  But for whatever reason the Lord just straps me in TIGHT and tells me to keep going.  

So while we hang on and continue to ride out this roller coaster, I think I will continue to enjoy nap time every day with my door shut! But I think I will make sure all crayons are GONE!

Family Photos

Marks brother came in town this weekend and we were excited to get a photo shoot done. (of course excited to see him and my niece since we have not seen them enough, they have moved to Georgia!) Have not had a family photo since Mavery first came home.  Because I am so impatient, and because he gets that, he was kind enough to get me a few photos to share.  ;-)  So this is just a preview of what he did today.   Overall he got a ton of great shots.  As you can imagine, getting 5 children to cooperate is a tough job.  And to be honest, Mavery is like 5 children of her own wrapped up in one.  Been a VERY rough few weeks, wish I could even put it into words.  But regardless Brett is patient and got it done.   It will be some time before we attempt this again! 

Sage is FIVE!

My Sage, my baby, my heart, is 5 years old.   FIVE!  It sounds so OLD to me!  I realize it is not that old when I turn around and see my 13 year old who is now about as tall as me.  And yet it IS that old because just yesterday Makenna was ONLY turning 5.  Now I am even more depressed.   Yet how can one be depressed when they get to be Sage's mommy!  My joy, the one I can count on to make me laugh no matter what is going on.  So thankful for the gift of this child. 

Happy Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

More Pinkalicious Pictures!

 If you did not see the post below this scroll down to read more about our Pinkalicious party! Sawyer is such a good sport in this house full of pink.  In the book the girl has to eat green foods to turn back to normal from pink, so Sawyer wore green!  (And he was happy that one of the girls friends brought her brother for Sawyer to play with!)

 Anxiously waiting for the guests.  I wish I had better shots of Makenna's dress.  This is from my aunts wedding at least 36 years ago!  My mom wore it and of course still has it. 

 Present Opening Area.  Makenna & Kyra's tissue flowers.  Those 2 were a huge help to me, could not have done everything w/ out them!

 Making Crowns!

 And beaded necklaces

 Painting cupcake banks. Thanks to the moms for helping out!

 I loved doing this little table with the chairs, so sweet!

 My little Pinkerbelle with her friend Grace.

 This picture makes me laugh.  Paige is trying to tell Kyra what to paint on her face I think!

 Beautiful Jaylyn letting her nails dry!

 Sweet Mavery ready to eat some sweets!

 Sage, happy here but did NOT enjoy the singing to her, she whispered in my ear, I am so embarrassed!

 A good shot of Makenna and Kyra in their pink! Kyra did a great job reading and kept the girls very interested!

 For presents we had the girls sit in the stools and drew a name for a friend to come up and sit with them while they opened her gift. This helped for them to not be overwhelmed and worked out fair for the friend to give her gift w/ out everyone pushing!  This is Cousin Adley

 Lots of smiles and lots of pink!  Mavery, Lily, Grace & Sage

Sitting with sweet Eden!

So birthday party season is ALMOST over!  Next Saturday is Sage's official birthday but on that day we spend it together as a family.  Though it will be a bit crazy because she gets to compete in her first gymnastics competition!  It has been fun with all the parties but I am glad to be DONE! Now we move on to the holiday season!

Pinkalicious!

 My 2 little girls are CRAZY about the book Pinkalicious.  If you have not read it and have a little girl, I bet they would love it!  Made for an easy theme for their birthdays this year.  I apologize, pictures are not in order.

 This was the "Salon" area.  We had face painting, nail painting and pink hair spray!

 The book and a doll from the book.

 The Pink party table.  In the book the girl eats to many pink cupcakes and turns pink! We had lots and lots of pink food. Thanks to Makenna & friend Kyra for making the cupcakes and cake!

 Pink stuffed oreos, pink marshmallows, pink chex mix, pink whoppers, pink fluffy jello and we also had pink milk, pink punch or pink soda!

 Super size cupcake! The girls worked very hard on this.

 Megan and Makenna working on nails.  Thanks Megan for joining us to help!

 Sweet Eden painting a cupcake bank.  The girls also made crowns,  & beaded necklaces.

 Hi Megan! She even wore pink!

 Malaine dressed up as a pink cupcake and Adley has on her cupcake outfit too!

 Our Pinkerbells! Can't believe they are 5 years old!

 The party guests all in pink!

 Jaylyn and Malaine enjoying some pink goodies.  Malaine still has pink hair even after a shower!

 The party table!  The girls sat and listened intently while Kyra, below read the book.  You can see her & Makenna were both dressed in lots of pink too!

It was a very fun day.  I love pink so this was so much fun to get ready for.  I love my pinkerbellas!

Happy 5th Birthday Mavery!

 Mavery was SO excited to celebrate her birthday on November 1st!  First thing she woke up and said, Sage you are only 4 and now I get to be 5!

 She rushed to blow out her candles, sure Sage was going to jump in and do it!  Smart girl that Mavery! She knows her sister!

 A pinkalicious cake.  The girls are REALLY into this book!

 Be sure to get all the icing!

 Each birthday the older kids LOVE to give a gift to their siblings.  Sawyer is reading her the card he made, so sweet!

 A coloring book from Lainey, she LOVES to color!

 All her own!

 princess games from Makenna with a promise to play with her, the best!

 BEST thing we have ever bought for Mavery.  Her own "computer".  Which did not go well for Sage, who has to wait 20 days for her birthday!  Mavery will sit and sit and sit with this, wish we had found it long ago! 

And moon dough, I love the look on her face.  She thought this was so neat!  It is neat.  Not to be confused with moon SAND which I despise.  This does not dry out and is so soft. 

Happy Happy Birthday Mavery Raye JinSong!  I can't believe you are 5 and I know you can't believe it either.  Every day you ask, "Am I still 5?"  Thank you Mavery for loving me as your mommy even when I do not deserve it.   Thank you for teaching me what true God love is really all about.   Thank you for hugs and big kissy lips even when I have been crabby with you.  Thank you for being WAY more patient with me than I  have been with you.   Thank you for being mine.   I pray that this year, as you are 5 is our best year ever!  Happy Birthday!

New Friends

 Last year a new family moved to town and started at the girls preschool.  We were thrilled to meet them and have had such fun getting to know them.  Our girls are so similar, it is crazy.  Above is Sage with Grace. She was born in Japan.

And this is Lilly. She was born in Guatemala.  The girls are virtual twins, just like our girls. Lilly and Mavery are VERY much alike.

 Thankful for Gods blessings of new friendships!