Doctor Visit

Ok, so this is way overdue...John Paul had his 4-year well-check last week. What a big man. Tipping the scales at 36 pounds (just 4 pounds away from a booster seat - YAHOO!). He's such a funny guy, and I mean that in every way. This one truly keeps us laughing. His talking is amazingly advanced, he loves to quote movie lines and tell jokes. Although a 4-year-old's jokes go something like this:

John Paul: Knock, knock.

Mom: Who's there.

John Paul: Frog.

Mom: Frog Who?

John Paul: Froggie! Froggie!

Get it?? Yeah, me neither. But, he starts cracking up. Too funny. He's doing all the things a four-year-old should be doing: drawing people, fostering a great imagination, beginning to learn about the world around him and how it works, separating fantasy from reality (I still need work on that one, myself) and negotiating life as a lefty. He even does the Gig'em left-handed. Love it.

We love you John Paul. Stop growing so fast, will ya?

Top Ten: Things I've Learned Since Becoming a Mom

I feel like I could write a book on this week's top ten, but I don't have that much time!! Oh, and sorry for the lack of pictures. The camera took a nasty fall from the bar last week and the lens is a goner. Be patient, we'll be back with pictures soon.



THINGS I'VE LEARNED SINCE BECOMING A MOM

1. That it's possible to love other human beings so much that it hurts. I love my husband, but you love your kids in a whole different way. Just 7 months ago (wow, where did that time go?) I was holding minutes-old Clare and telling Scott that I was already madly in love. For some moms it takes a while for that whole bonding thing to happen. For me, it was instant.

2. That I could love Scott more today than when we were married. Seeing Scott as a Dad is just, so, well...those that are in our shoes understand :-) Back in 1996 when we married we thought we were so in love. We were. But now it's grown-up love. God has given us life experience, we've suffered through a miscarriage, coped with the loss of a parent, survived a move cross-country and we're sure God has many more lessons to teach us. With each one, we grow up a bit more. And, fortunately, we're growing in faith together which makes that love thing even sweeter...

3. That my relationship would change, for the better, with my parents. I don't know about you, but my parents got smart all of a sudden. Not sure how that happened. Maybe night school. I'm beginning to understand them even more with each new "phase" of our life. Thanks Mom and Dad.

4. That I really do mean it when I say to my kids that "it hurts me more than it hurts them." (the line I SWORE I would never use). To be honest, the whole discipline thing was harder to grasp that we imagined. First we were spankers, but that didn't pan out and we both hated doing it. The kids respond well to time-outs or loss of privileges and we still have the occasional meet-Jesus meeting. But, that's for big-time offenses.

5. That I could survive on so little sleep. You just think you're tired, then you have kids and "rested" becomes relative. Just last night we got 5 hours, 5 whole hours. Oh, did I mention those were NOT consecutive??? The last time we slept through the night was March 25, 2001.

6. That I would love nursing as much as I do. I'm one of those hippy mommas that nurses her kids to age 1. Loved. Every. Minute.

7. That I would become such a germaphobe. Just last week Scott was laughing at me for wiping down the doorknobs with Clorox wipes (that's a whole other top ten, "things I can't live without"). But, when one kid gets "it" they all do and that's bad for all of us. See #5.

8. That being a mom would be so bittersweet. As a wise mom once told Scott and I...with every new accomplishment you're so proud of your kids, but it's also the realization that it's one less thing they need you for. Sigh. Clare is already sitting up by herself. Anna-Laura is potty-trained. John Paul is not. Will can read. Cases in point. All I do around here is cook dinner!

9. That it's possible to do massive amounts of laundry (at least 10-12 loads a week) and still never get done. Why is that? Sometimes I feel like Mr. Incredible..."I just cleaned this place, can't we keep it clean for like 10 minutes? 10 Minutes!!"

10. That it's the only job title you have for life. HOORAY!

No School!

Anybody wanna play hookey with us? Yep, Will's school is cancelled tomorrow. Snow? Are you kidding, this is Texas! Staff day? Nope. Pope in town? We wish. You'll never believe this. Of the 396 kids in school, 60 of 'em, plus a dozen or so staff members are out sick. So, the pastor closed school and hired a professional cleaning crew to get rid of whatever nastiness has inhabited St. Theresa! The kids are already chanting, "No school, no school!" I'm chanting, "Tylenol, Tylenol."

Date Night! Sleepover!

Not only did Scott and I have a great date night (we watched "Gone With the Wind"), but Will and John Paul had a sleepover at Uncle Daniel and Aunt Amanda's!

We took the girls out to dinner and Scott says, "I think I need to take a moment." There were no fights to break up, no screaming over toys and everybody had plenty of personal space. But, by Saturday morning we were missing them (and the respective uncle/aunt might've been a wee bit tired). They came home smiling with lots of fun stories. Sounds like it was all fun and games at Camp Farnum. Thanks Daniel and Amanda - that was a great bday gift for ALL of us!

The movie we watched was a two-nighter. You know it's long when halfway through, "INTERMISSION" pops up on the screen... But, gosh darn it, Scarlett, how could you run handsome Rhett Butler away??? Definitely a classic. We loved it.

Oh, couldn't part today's post without a cute story from Will. As I'm getting them ready to go on Friday afternoon (they had most of their stuff packed for days...), I reminded them to be nice to puppy Buster. After all, he is a little fellow. Will just looks at me and says, "I know Mom. Buster's just a little puppy in a big world." Seriously, I can't make this stuff up. Buster survived and the boys don't have any bite marks - so they must've gotten along quite well.

Go Green

Are you sick of junk mail? Tired of one more catalog crammed in your mailbox? Got another "can't miss" credit card offer? I have found the answer - HALLELUJAH!! Thanks to Parents magazine, I found two jewels.

Catalog Choice lets you opt out of TONS o' catalogs with one click. It rocks. You just set up your account (and no, they don't send you stuff or charge you a fee) and then you start checking the catalogs you don't want.

The other site, Opt Out Prescreen, let's you opt out of all those credit card offers for 5 years or FOREVER. Gee, guess which one I picked????

So, go save the environment. Internet we love you.

They're here, they're here!

The birthday pictures have arrived...finally. We had a Cookie Monster party - always looking for something different, you know? And, we're BIG cookie fans at Casa Whitaker, so why not? We had 16 kids and three babies (all within a month of one another) and a whole lotta noise. We had the kids decorate cookies which went great, except we're still finding sprinkles (whose idea was that???) And, they made a jar of cookies (all the dry ingredients) with the recipe on top to finish them at home. John Paul absolutely loved the attention and was completely mesmorized by the singing of "Happy Birthday." You know, he's been like that since year one. At the end of the party, he shouts out, arms wide, "Happy Birthday Everyone!" What a host.

Enjoy the pictures!

Wednesday Top Ten: What I Didn't Get Done Today

Well, this started out as an ode to John Paul and his many faces over the past 4 years (see sad attempt above). But, as evidence by today's top ten, that didn't happen. See Item #1.

WHAT I DIDN'T GET DONE TODAY
1. Post pictures of John Paul's birthday on the blog.
2. Brush my teeth. (I know sometimes it's too much information, isn't it?)
3. Have 2 girls nap for any length of reasonable time.
4. Cook dinner.
5. Order my eyeshadow from Mary Kay. May not seem like a big deal to you, but this has been on the "list" for about 5 weeks now. Looks like it's now 5 weeks, 1 day.
6. Pray. Ok, I should clarify. I did pray, but it was mostly, "Please Lord, just give me 5 minutes without someone yelling in my ear, spitting up on my shoulder, screaming that they don't like lunch (hey I did do that today!!)..."
7. Eat dinner. Do 3 slices of cheese and chips and queso count?
8. Write thank you notes from the party. I know it's the Type A in me. But, to be honest, John Paul opened them so fast, I don't remember what's Christmas and what's birthday. So, if you get a thank you for something you didn't give, keep it to yourself.
9. Go the cleaners. Shhh...don't tell Scott. He thinks I'm so good at remembering!
10. Make anyone's beds, pick up toys, wash dishes. Oh well, it happens. And you thought I always kept a clean house - HAH!

I promise next week's will be much better. And, TOMORROW I'll have pictures. Thanks for being patient.

Happy Birthday John Paul!

Hey funny man, here's to year number FOUR!

That was then...



This is now...



I'll have pictures from yesterday's crazy house...oops, I mean birthday party posted later this evening.

Happy Birthday Uncle Cory!

Hope you had a great day Uncle Cory...29 and holding, right??

Christmas craziness - part 3

Yes, Christmas is still going on at our house. Granny Whitaker arrived today (could you hear the kids screams where you are??) and we enjoyed one last round of presents, good food and sugar-hyped kids. It was fun. Really.



The pink boots. Stop with the cuteness. You should see the skirt and shirt that go with them.



More legos for Will. "Dad, I can put those together in like, minutes."



Duplos and dvds for John Paul. Don't let the deadpan face throw you - he was super excited.



What, no pictures of mom and dad? We're buried under the paper. We'll catch everyone tomorrow. It's a famous uncle's birthday...and John Paul's 4th birthday party!! Check back late tomorrow for pics. Hopefully I'll have them up by then. If not, then I haven't recovered from having 16 children at our house :-)

Date Nights: Unforgiven & The Grapes of Wrath

The people at Blockbuster are starting to recognize Scott on a first-name basis. It's been a fun week. We started with the shoot'em up movie, Unforgiven. Scott and I kept thinking this was a recent movie. Hello! It came out in 1992. Man, we need to get out more. Great movie. I'm not a big western fan, but there's something about Mr. Eastwood...

We went back to B&W and watched the Grapes of Wrath last night. It made us realize maybe we should be reading these books, too! (oh wait, we DID in high school) It sparked some great conversation about what life must've been like "back then." We sure do have things easier today, in many ways.

Have I told you lately just how much fun we're having?? And, the best part is some of these are so good (and so G-ratish) that even our kids can watch them. How awesome is that?

Snapshots: January 18, 2008

It's been a busy week, work-wise for me (which is why we're lean on the posts). Will created a great "recipe" in class this week. I realized after I scanned the posts that there aren't many pictures of him. Sorry, I'll do better.



The kids and I hung out on Friday. I finally found a quiet activity for them...it lasted about 5 minutes (note: no one is crying, coloring on the other sibling or throwing crayons in this picture - that happened about 2 seconds after I shot it.)



At least Clare found a happy spot. She obviously isn't eating well.



And, for the funniest story of the week (stop me if you've heard it)...at the dinner table Thursday night, the kids were horsing around and Anna-Laura spills her milk (HUGE surprise, this happens at least 3 times/week). Will starts cracking up as I'm cleaning it up and I (in my infinite wisdom) say, "Am I laughing?" (forgetting of course that kids are like sponges, they remember only the sarcastic things you say) During the cleanup, John Paul decides to go for a huge bite of salsa, and learns that hot really does mean hot. Scott starts to laugh and says, "Hot, John Paul?" To which, of course, John Paul replies, "Am I waffin'? It's not funny guys." (insert lots of laughs here). Reason #116 why John Paul really is the funniest member of the family.

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday Top Ten: Things I'll Never Do Again...Promise!

Posted by popular demand...the hump-day top ten

THINGS I'LL NEVER DO AGAIN...PROMISE!
1. Eat at Chipotle. Seriously, are they trying to compete with Freebirds? Ain't no comparison. Free the bird.

2. Lead Vacation Bible School when I'm 8 months pregnant. Not one of my smarter pregnancy decisions. Who knew that jumping around, singing songs and corraling 140 kids, grade 5 and under, would put me in early labor? Duh.

3. Nurse a baby in a bathroom. Back in 2001 (yes, Will is almost 7!), I was too embarrased to nurse in public with a blanket over my shoulder, so I opted for the ladies restroom on more than one occasion. Thankfully there are laws in place that protect the rights of us breastfeeding moms. It's not like we're looking to flash people...but, who really wants to eat lunch in a bathroom, I ask.

4. Have spine surgery. Ok, this one kicked my tail (see pictures). That recovery was brutal. Once was quite enough for me, thank you. Sorry, Dr. Geck, you'll have to find another patient :-)

From this...



To this...



5. Take the last flight out...from anywhere...with kids. Scott and I learned this one the hard way flying back from my 10-year high school reunion. Will screamed the ENTIRE WAY home from Houston To Indy, falling asleep, of course, the last 10 minutes of the 3 HOUR FLIGHT. No he's not hungry. Yes, his diaper has been changed. YES, we've tried everything. Yes, we're ready to jump off the wing.

6. Move somewhere that requires snow shoveling. Snow is fine for TV and snowskiing, but not for shoveling... Oh wait, this is my top 10, not Scott's! I just provide the hot chocolate.

7. Buy generic ketchup, jalepenos, sausage or diapers. Not enough room for the "why", just trust me.

8. Judge a book by its cover. This one really falls under the category of, "Things I Hope to Never Do Again." Just when you think you have somebody figured out, God goes and surprises you.

9. Drink Diet Dr. Pepper. Ick. I'm a fan of the fully-leaded stuff.

10. Have a cat as a pet. Kathryn+Cat=disaster Don't ask me what my dad used to do to them. I'm more of a dog (someday we'll get one) or fish (the kids and Scott are on tank duty) kinda gal.

Kodak nugget

Ok, I've been holding on to this one for a while. Today just seemed like the perfect day to share. Why? I have no idea. But don't Scott and his brother Cory look cute with Santa Claus? I can only imagine what life was like about 25 years ago when they still believed :-)

The results are in...

On Saturday, Will competed in the P.S.I.A. competition (UIL for private schools) in creative writing and storytelling. In creative writing, they give them 3-4 pictures and ask the students to write a paragraph about the pictures. He loved this one, but didn't place in the top three. Bummer. He also competed in storytelling where each child is read the story, then they have to re-tell the story to a panel of judges. Again, no top 3 finish. Bummer, bummer. BUT, he was jazzed that he got to see his friends and play Pokemon Tag on the playground. (don't ask us what that is, we have no idea!!) We were so proud of him and have no doubt that in future years he will find his event and knock everyone's socks off!

Will...we're proud of your effort big guy!!

Date Night: Casablanca

One of our new year's resolutions was to spend more time together as a couple...even if it meant staying here and visiting after the kids were in bed! So, we googled the American Film Institute and got our list of the top 100 movies of all time. After looking at the list, we realized we'd seen too many romantic comedies and action films and needed to see some classics!

Over the holidays we watched "It's a Wonderful Life." No we hadn't seen it and YES it was excellent. Why did it take us 30+ years??? So, last night we grabbed a coke and watched "Casablanca." Now all those famous lines finally made sense. And, it was a good one. We're going to do our best to knock out all the great ones in '08. We'll keep you posted, but until then...Here's lookin' at you, kid.

Snapshots: January 11, 2008

Why is it naps are wasted on the young? Sure wish I could take one every afternoon...sigh. Since naps were out of vogue around here today, we had PLENTY of time for pictures. Have a great weekend and enjoy!

Mom of the Year

If you thought Scott and I were mean, you gotta read about this mom! She put an ad in the paper to sell her son's car because she found alcohol under the seat. Here's an excerpt from the article:

The ad reads: "OLDS 1999 Intrigue. Totally uncool parents who obviously don't love teenage son, selling his car. Only driven for three weeks before snoopy mom who needs to get a life found booze under front seat. $3,700/offer. Call meanest mom on the planet."

And, in other news of child defiance...this morning, while I was nursing Clare, I asked John Paul to go wash his hands. He did, but the water ran FOREVER. I told him to quit horsing around and get it done. He came out and said he wasn't messing around. Right, and I'm the Pope. I told him I was watching him (ok, a little white lie) and knew better. He just smiled and me and said, "Not true, not true!"

Exact replica of the smile he gave me... (he had a playdate on Monday with fellow buddy, Rhys).

Wednesday Top Ten: Women I Admire

Ok, I figured since it's finally hump-day (man, is the first week back to school and work as tough on everyone else?!?) I'd honor the day with a Top Ten list. Yes, I'm a Letterman fan, beard or no beard. And they do say imitation is the highest form of flattery... So, plan on seeing a "Top Ten" post each Wednesday!

WOMEN I ADMIRE

1. Mary. Seriously, as the mom of our Maker, could there be any better example? Don't worry, I won't go Catholic on you :-) As a mom now I have a much different perspective on her and all she endured - the joy, the pain, the suffering, the pride. When I find myself all out of answers, I think "What would Mary do?" It's likely she's not thinking about putting her kids up for sale on ebay...

2. Elizabeth. If her best friend is Mary, what's not to like? I think it's her quiet faith and her excitement about pregnancy that I'm most drawn to about her.

3. My mom. Hey, she's put up with me for 33 years, bit her lip more times than I probably know and loved me unconditionally. She's an awesome cook, an expert seamstress and she's my mom. I love you :-)

4. Aunt Mary Lou. Or, Aunt Mary Woo to my three older kids. While we may not be of the same political affiliation, there's no person I can talk to quite like Mary Lou. She just gets me. When I had my spine surgery, she stayed 3 weeks, took care of the kids and manned the house and (here's the kicker)...she still calls us family.

5. The Godmothers: Carla, Gachia, Lynne and Cathy. I had to group these four as one because they all share the one thing that truly inspires me: their dedication to their faith. While they all have different traits I love, they each taught me to be a better Mom by being a better disciple of Christ. And, now they're a permanent part of our family!

6. Sr. Anna Laura. Name ring a bell? She's the inspiration for our Anna-Laura and she's one cool nun. I didn't know God made them as amazing as her. Here's hoping some Dominican nuns are convinced to come establish a community in Austin...at St. Theresa's, perhaps??

7. Dawn A. She's a good friend of ours from Iowa. Mom of 7. We knew her when she had 2! It's easy to say all moms of big families fit a certain stereotype, likely that they're crazy or need to employ some sort of artificial birth control. Dawn and husband Matt really helped Scott and I see that the Lord has a plan for each family and that children really are a gift from God. Thanks Dawn for helping us keep the door (and the mind) open.

8. Janet T. Another good midwestern friend from Indiana. Mom of 5. Each time we talk to Janet, there's a cloud of peace that surrounds her and you just can't help but be caught in the moment. When I'm around her, I know there is a God. She really is an instrument of His peace.

9. Kelley F. She's endured the loss of an infant child and the special needs with another. Her commitment to her faith really is quite amazing. She carries her cross with honesty. Let's face it, some days stink. But, others...others keep you going. Thanks, Kelley, for showing me that it's all a matter of perspective.

10. Elizabeth Edwards. Yes, I know she's a Democrat. But, ever since her husband ran for public office a few years ago, I've been especially intrigued by her genuine strength. The tragic loss of her teenage son and two bouts with cancer, the latter likely terminal and she does it all with grace.

So, there you have it. My two cents worth. Take the time today to tell a woman you admire just how much she means to YOU!

Doctor Visit

Miss Clare had her 6-month well-check today. I think Dr. Enders and I did 50% chatting, 50% Clare update. You gotta love a doctor that's a real person. There's no doctor I trust more with my 4 kids than her.

At 16 lbs., 11 oz. Clare is obviously doing just fine in the eating department :-) She's rolling everywhere, eating cereal, chomping on her hands (which is a good indicator we have teeth coming) and just so darn cute we can hardly stand it. She was a trooper for the 4 vaccines (3 shots, one oral). Man, it still makes me tear up when they cry. The Snoopy bandaids made it all better, guess I should've picked one up too.

We do need to have a chat with her about stranger danger...this kid smiles at everybody!

Home, home on the range...

Hot diggety dog, Uncle Cory and Aunt Jennifer are moving back to Texas!!! We got the good news tonight that they'll be heading back west sometime in June after Cory graduates from Harvard. We're so excited that the two of them (and nephew Whitaker) will be just 3 hours north up I-35 in Dallas. Welcome back to the Lone Star state Y'ALL!

Snapshot: January 5

Snapshot: December 31

A Day at the IMAX!

Oh Baby!

Our little nephew is almost fully cooked. Aunt Jennifer is looking WAY too cute to be 33 weeks! Just thought we'd share the latest ultrasound photo. Keep Cory, Jennifer and Baby Boy Whitaker in your prayers. The scheduled arrival is February 22.

Stick with what you know

Just two funny things we had to share from our family day today...

Scott and the boys ran by the bank to get a cashier's check. After the teller counted the money, she looked at Scott and said, "How much was that again? I'm just not good at math." Hmm...perhaps banking is not in her future??

Later, at the grocery store, as I'm putting the food on the counter, John Paul starts jiggling Clare's stroller. The checker at the counter says, "Should he be doing that?" My reply was something like, "He's 3, it's what he does." He fires back, "So, it's not like shaken baby syndrome, or something?" Dude, how old are you, like 12? You stick with paper and plastic and leave the parenting to us :-)

Have a great weekend!

Snapshot: January 3

Can't you just smell how sweet she is???

Fredericksburg!

We spent the day near Fredericksburg at a friend's house. Between the two families there were 8 kids, 6 and under!! It was a day full of mischief, fireworks, laughs, no naps and lots of fun. Thanks for a great day Thomas & Melanie!

The kids: Blaise, Madelon, Jax, Will, John Paul & Anna-Laura



The girls - the other two were on mommas' hips!



The other "kid"



Mom and Clare

Texas X 1,000

The gift to Will from Nana became our family's obsession for 3 whole days! The Texas 1,000-piece puzzle looked easy...until we started it. And, after all that work, we're still missing one piece. If you find it, you get to put the puzzle together again!!



Day 1: Will hard at work


Day 2: Daddy hard at work


Day 3: Will taking all the credit