Superbowl Sunday

This year, it was more about the food than the game for us. Wings and Chocolate Nutty Footballs. Yum.

Welcome, February

Baby Love. Baby Love. Baby Love.

Flu

Diagnosed. Just Ray. It's pitiful. 

Cardinal in Milk Jug Feeder

Isms

"Is that funny? Is that funny, Momma? ... all those birds!" -- Zach, in the pitch black 6am of the morning from his crib.

(discussing manna) "It was honey wafers. You know ... just think of Vanilla Wafers falling from the sky for breakfast, lunch, and dinner." -- Kylie. YES! Kylie. The almost-17-year-old apologetics-loving, theological rock, Kylie. 

"Momma, did you know glue is dried milk?" -- Judah (would explain the whole marshmallow snowman/snack a week and a half ago.

"How about * I * read the Lesson, and * YOU * say the answers?" -- a very sick TJ. ... and so that's what we did.

His First Snow Day

His first Snow Day. At one year, eleven months, and five days old. 

(and YES! that is our Christmas Tree;)

On Bows

... we heart the tiny ones.

TJ- ism

... she started to fuss, and he said, "Well! What's wrong with her? She looks so pretty." 

Newborn Pics, A Field Trip, and Super Nana

My mom took the eight oldest kids to the zoo for a Field Trip, while I stayed home and snuggled with the sweetest, little newborn baby.

Miriam Clare

8 pounds, 13 ounces of sugar and spice and everything nice

{ this moment }

. . . . . . . . .

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Inspired by SouleMama.

. . . . . . . . . .

A Last Sunday And Snowman Crafting

We're fairly certain today was the last Before Church photo without Baby Miriam. It's a little bitter sweet. It always is. The baby is not the baby anymore ... and there is a new baby.



After church, and a dollar store trip, and lunch, and naps, I decided to make good on one of my goals for 2014:  to do more fun crafts with my littles.



First, we made our Snowman Bulletin Board Display. I found this on dltk-teach.com ... it looks like they have one for each month/season, so I plan to go back for more, and keep my front door as an advertisement for our homeschool.


While we were cutting out our snowflakes, we had visitors ...

"The Tootsie Roll Man!" the boys all shouted as they looked out our dining room windows.

And sure enough, there was the Tootsie Roll Man and his sweet wife. They brought Miriam a beautiful afghan. I'll have to share a picture with you once she is here, and snuggled up in it.



Next:  Cotton balls, paper plates, construction paper, and glue. A very simplified version of a craft I found while googling (I'm not on Pinterest anymore).

Then:  More glue, marshmallows, pretzel sticks, markers, and glitter. Fun. Messy. Yummy (just ask Judah).

Fossils

While the girls, Zach, and I were out shopping with Christmas gift cards and money and coupons and super cash ... Brian was at home playing Head Paleontologist with our five oldest boys. They all worked for hours unearthing their dinosaur skeletons ... and then Daddy worked for hours cleaning up a big, dusty mess. He thought ... that since we still did not have running water ... ... that it would be cleaner to stay in and dug up bones instead of going to the creek. I believe he was wrong.

But no worries ... because we have water. Coming out of our faucets. It's heavenly. May we never take such luxuries for granted again.

The 27th of December

Our God's World News magazines came today. The kids go nuts when they arrive. They're pretty good stuff. I don't think that's what Kylie is reading ... I think she's actually looking at the political cartoons in World. It's strange. She really enjoys Government/Economics-type stuff. She shares almost everything she reads in her Uncle Eric series.

The boys got a last minute stocking stuffer -- each of them received a brand new 12-pack of Crayola colored pencils. They are already putting them to good use and have dumped every single box (except for Connor's) into our well used art caddy. ... we've also worked quite hard depleting the red, green, and silver kisses.

We are still waiting on the plumber to arrive. Word has it tomorrow at 2PM will be the glorious time. Christmas candles are nearing the bottom of their jars. I used of the last of my White Christmas a few days ago ... it's almost my favorite. I seriously consider burning it year round. I'll be sad when my red one is gone too ... I think it's so pretty. Like my poinsettia from my mom. It amazes me it's still alive and red and green.

Outside, we're noticing the red birds a lot more. I love them. I wish it would snow so I could watch them all flit around the tree and feeder, bright red against the sparkly white. Which is why we're leaving our sled and skates on the front porch. Wishful thinking ... of snowy days.

One of the biggest hits of Christmas has been the card games my grandma sent the kids. Judah has mastered, what he calls, Gold Fish. And every time he asks anyone for a card, he will say, "Daddy (or Momma or Wesley or TJ or whoever ... do you have a eel, a shark, a sea turtle, a sea star? ..." It's so cute.

By the end of the day, we were all quite ready for a hot shower, so we decided to head to Brian's work. It was like packing ten people for a sleepover. Quickly. The boys thought it was great fun. The girls and I ... thought it was ... weird. Good memories. ... ... By the time we got home it was super late. We had pizza and root beer and watched Enchanted. And then went off to bed dreaming of true love's kiss.

And running water.

December 26th 2013

The day after Christmas ...

Some of us are busy happily crafting beautiful tulled lights for our beds. Some of us are unhappily busy with assigned reading (Mom Prison may have been mentioned here ... it also may have been asked how long a mom would go to prison for assigning good reading ... and a smile may have crossed a certain reluctant reader's lips). Some of us are curiously busy inspecting blood, toilet paper (unused. ahem.), bird feathers, coins, dollars (to find the REAL secrets behind the American Dollar. What?! haven't you seen National Treasure?). And some of us are dutifully busy climbing up into the attic and resetting the heating unit (NOT me said the very pregnant blogger).

... And we are all realizing how much we take running water for granted ... and impatiently busy waiting for a plumber to arrive. Please. Mr. Plumber. Arrive.

Merry Christmas

Love,

The Baileys

Brian, Kathi, Kylie, Korinne, Connor, TJ, Wesley, Benjamin, Judah, Zach, and Baby Miriam

25 november 2013

six little boys waving goodbye to their daddy this morning

Seagull on The Beach