BABY

fIve GoOd THinGs

1. sleep
2. sleep
3. sleep
4. sleep
5. sleep

ciao~alicia

THE PINK SUPERBALL

Chris & I loved doing these valentines with him... of course Abby was first~ and of course her ball had to be pink... how does he know girls like pink?~ he calls Abby his best friend~ maybe they have shared stuff like favorite colors~ maybe he just knows more about girls than I think~ he's told me that girls like pretty things... he's told me girls are silly...

to be the only girl in the house gets funny~ to be the mom of boys is a gift~

he likes it when I fix my hair & asks me to wear it down when it's up... he always notices when I change my toe nail polish and always asks me why I paint my fingers~ silly he says~ he fixed my hair for me the other day~ a clip and a headband~ I should have taken a picture... the next day when my hair was different he asked me if he could fix it again... these moments~ scrumptious!!

Five Good Things

1. hard lessons... sometimes so tough but so good to make them strong~ and me... later that night he got a stomach bug and missed his valentine party... disappointments make us appreciate what we have... I'm not so sure he felt that way yet as the tears flowed... I was glad I was here to comfort
2. thinking of others... a lesson we talk about EVERY DAY~ harder for some than others
3. my valentine card from the boys... little handwriting... presh
4. Beth Moore... started another one of her studies and already have had some aha moments!! LOVE her!
5. My sweet hubby ~ postponed our valentines day and came home ready to help with all the sickies... we all got it except for Nate... birthday boy was spared!

ciao~alicia

I LOVE NATE

Nate turned 5 today...

I can't believe it... he's so big and so little all at the same time...

my sweet Nate~ he reminds me to slow down... he reminds me to be silent but to be loud with what is really important... he reminds me that life is beautiful both inside and out~ around and in between... he is so beautiful~ inside and out... my sweet Nate Nate...

his sweet whisper wish... I could swim in this moment for a while...

Five Good Things

1. Nate's amazing gift to think of others... he would give you his last m&m... for real
2. Nate's amazing smile... so full of life... delicious
3. My weekly dates with Nate at the donut shop... the monster chocolate donut rocks for Nate and his smile is just as presh every time he sees it on the tray
4. Nate's little lego space ships~ I find them everywhere and they are so intricate~ they totally make me smile
5. To spend time with Nate is like a hot bath... you feel warm, you smell a sweet smell and you finish just a little more relaxed than before...

ciao~alicia

CHILLY CHILLAXIN

last week I got spoiled... the snow was here~ and of course this texas town shut down... Christopher & Chris were home... dreamy...

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so, it was a good day to...

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lick sugar off the counter from daddy's homemade donuts... yes, he is delicious in the kitchen~ he also made maple syrup...

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from scratch...

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oh, how I love you ... let me count the ways... they were soooo yummy!!! powdered sugar like the snow outside, sparkly cinnamon and sugar & sticky maple... oh be still my heart

it was also a good day to...

help mommy put away baby things... to jump on the clean blankets right out of the dryer... to put funny things on Nasher's head to just look cute...

to do a puzzle...

to take a good nap...

& of course napping is better than cleaning up like you are supposed to...

it was the best day to...

do marshmallow art...

to help make hot chocolate to warm up...

to read a good book... if you have boys & haven't read this... you must!

& to make these petite red potatoes... too pretty... I just had to take a pic!

it was A Good Good Day!! .

Five Good Things

1. little hands learning to cut snowflakes... and decorating my kitchen with them... LOVE
2. late nights watching a little face
3. hearing my kids using kind words with each other
4. Cooper's "it's ok baby ~ don't cry"
5. 4 brothers... I'm still amazed!

ciao~alicia

NASHER JAMES

I've been thinking about this post for days... what could I say about this last week? I am still a little lack for words... I am amazed... I am blessed... I'm still laughing at how his birth unfolded... I have loved seeing the love of my life with his 4 sons~ pure sweetness... Nasher is just how I thought he would be... calm, sweet, easy~ like he was in the womb~ it was just my body that made it tough... he is amazingly beautiful with the longest eyelashes I have ever seen... his skin & hair are lighter than all the other boys, his fingers and toes are also so long, his cry so innocent it's almost calming. He loved hearing Daddy playing his guitar to him the other night and well, I think I am in a little piece of nirvana... more pics to come... there are 400 in my camera right now & taking more every day!

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Five Good Things

1. my amazing hubby who cooked, cleaned, took care of me and played baseball every day with the boys this week~ so grateful we had him for a week~ he's delicious
2. 3 little big brothers with adoring looks on their faces
3. the moment... oh to cherish each one and not be in a hurry
4. warm showers... need I say more?
5. a house full of little feet and little laughs

ciao~alicia

AFTER MIDNIGHT

so... i am 39 weeks preggos and up most nights... not that far from the ordinary for this mama but it's different when you are uncomfy and waiting for those contractions to send you into the hospital... so... i think i'll look as good as i can when i get there... my toes are painted thanks to my sister~ i can't reach them... now the nails~ done!

i'm trying to enjoy feeling him move in these last days~ this is the last pregnancy

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i should pack the diaper bag but all the little stuff is too presh to look at & there is a part of me that is sad this is the last ritual to be done for the last baby...

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the last baby?...

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i can't imagine having any more... i don't think my body would condone another round & i feel like 4 is a good number... but everything feels so last...

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like when you finish a good book and close it ~ your life perspective changed forever... sad that it's over but love the ending...

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baby nasher... the last one... time for a new novel...

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Five Good Things

1. little newborn onesies... 5 to 8 lbs... presh
2. big brothers
3. His divine plan for this new life
4. bland food... soon no more heartburn!
5. pretty polish

ciao~alicia

LITTLE HANDS... BIG STUFF

the sweetness of the moment... the privilege of watching them learn... these busy little cooper hands have been trying to master cutting... his determination has been ~ well, for lack of a better word... inspiring... to practice is to grow...

i never want to forget this day...

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Five Good Things

1. that big box of crayons... loved putting them in their stockings and loved that i'm not so old that they had those when i was a kid... after all it was just a couple of weeks ago that christopher asked me if we still had donuts when i was a kid~ i am still smiling about that one!
2. awanas~ they come home so excited... i never tire of hearing all about it and seeing their little hearts grow
3. expanding... camera course in the near future? hopefully!!! or maybe just a lot of studying on line!
4. weekly donut dates with nate while the other boys are in school... to watch nate enjoy a donut will make you want 10!
5. my messy desk... lots of stuff going on with these little guys! neat can be over rated!!

ciao~alicia

MY YARN & ME

oh, sleep deprived!! late almost every night lately i have been a factory... crocheting stuff for baby nasher and some other special babies... here's some of nasher's stuff i've been working on... i'm thinking about starting the whole etsy thing~

next on the list... hanging baby cocoon, diaper covers & baby nesting pods!~ stay tuned!

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Five Good Things

1. sunny winter days for boys to run in the back yard = tired boys = peaceful evening
2. veritas press readers for little minds... i need to do a whole post on this curriculum... it's a m a z i n g!!
3. getting christmas down... house getting back to normal!
4. vinegar/water spray... disinfects and green
5. coffee from laos... sooo good... i have to say i love it more than my starbucks... did i just say that? i think that needs its' own post too!

ciao~alicia

BRING ON 2011!

my kids definitely know how to party it up for the

new year!!!!

we had silly glow in the dark masks, hats, poppers, confetti and lots of munchies!!

and of course, the funnest confetti cake!! coop is my official baking assistant and thank goodness mimi was there to help... even though it takes almost no effort to bake a box cake ~ i was sadly out of breath by the time it was over... oh my... and about to give birth? not a good sign!!

look at those chocolate chip eyes!

and my little blueberry's eyes... melt!!!

classic... i wish sometimes i could just lick something and get away with it!... oh, to be little!

Five Good Things

1. no new years resolutions this year!!
2. pics from 2010 with my tissue box and cracking up
3. packing diaper bags... or at least thinking about what's going in it;)
4. felt... the funnest banner to make ever with all the sheets christopher picked out... everything from zebra to puppies to tie die... cute
5. white tulips came 2 dozen this year from my sweet... gorge!!

ciao~alicia

THE GOOD STUFF

this christmas i was off my feet a lot... the challenge was to focus on what we did and not panic about what we didn't do... hard for this high standard girl! i have to say it felt balanced though... more family and less "stuff"~ stuff to do... places to go... things to see... we spent time together playing, drawing, creating, just being still. i did get some great pics of the boys in their christmas jammies... the week before chris took me on a date... I wore jeans and he told me i was overdressed... i was puzzled when we drove up to walmart and thought oh, well we do have some shopping left for the boys... then he goes to the camera section~ I still did not catch on... then he points to the nikon d3000... i have been wanting a big body camera since christopher was born. it's yours he says... i totally cried... yes, at walmart... with my huge belly... the woman behind the counter seemed to understand... she looked in the back for the last one... she found it covered in dust... meant to be mine she says...

christopher told everyone to be reindeer...

santa setting up the train after midnight... all i wanted was to see their faces when they got up...

the look of pure concentration... after months of practice bubble blowing! huge accomplishment around here... Nate picked it up the next day... life seems to smile at Nate in these special ways... 14 mos. behind big brother is not always easy...

the silver sleigh bells came on time after i ordered them late... LOVE these... when they leave home they will each have one for every year...

boys zoned out on star wars... i may never understand... the only thing that would have gotten their attention i'm sure would have been an announcement of something to do with food... i heart christmas sheets... my favorite decoration hanging from the ceiling... my favorite tradition... christmas eve night with chris wrapping and watching white christmas...

snow globe alley... i love to pick them each one out every year and watch them play with them...

advent was a sweet thing to add this year...

the only baking i did this year? christopher's birthday cake at 10:00 at night with my little night owl helper... yes, we pride ourselves on our eclectic jammy combos!

now on to the new year and new memories!... next christmas there will be 4 little ones to make memories with... i better start in february!

Five Good Things

1. bubble gum
2. hot tea
3. little boy imaginations
4. tradition
5. sisters

ciao~alicia