The Anti-napper

The two faces of Zachary:

All of my kids have a strange sleeping habit that causes much dispute and annoyance from everyone else in the family. Shea, well, she just doesn't go to sleep. Alex needs a night light some nights, needs it totally dark the next night and is easily distracted by anything. Put these things together and it makes it really hard to share a room. Cody sings himself to sleep. He has done this pretty much since birth. He is not really partial to any particular song but Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and I Love to See the Temple are regulars on the line up. He has stopped singing as much lately and it makes me a little sad because this has always been his signature move. Alex and Cody recently started sharing a room and putting these two personalities together has proven to be a challenge. Everyone tells me it gets a easier, but I am still waiting. Zachary is in a league totally of his own. He hits his head on his pillow. He has done this for all of his almost two years. He also moans and groans and makes so much noise I can hear him at night. Noone really believes the noise level is what I say it is so this past summer Grandma thought that Grandma, Mom and Zach could all sleep together in a very tiny camper. Zach's rocking literally rocked the camper. I was worried he would rock it right off the blocks. Because of this, Zach sleeps alone. His noises often wake the boys in the next room. So, now to the point of this long blog. Zach is down to a one hour nap. It takes him on average 45 minutes to fall asleep and then after a short sleep, he is up rocking and moaning and groaning and calling for every family member in hopes of rescue. In the past I would leave him in his crib until he really started crying but being the crazy kid that he is, he has started climbing out of the crib. He shows me how he gets out and it is an emergency room visit waiting to happen SO, he is rescued much faster than in the past. Gone are long four hour naps, gone is the baby

A quick update...

Like I have said a million times, life really gets in the way of blogging. But the quicker my kids grow up, the more I realize how much I need to slow down and watch them grow.

Christmas at the cabin

Weekend in Austin

The newest member of our family...Bounce Vesper Jones

Besides Alex, I am the primary care giver for Bounce. I feed her (yes, there are dead, frozen mice in my freezer), well, Alex dangles the mouse above her head, but I am in charge of defrosting the little critter prior to feeding, and I also am in constant contact with many local snake experts. If anyone has ANY questions, I am now pretty much an expert.

On the hunt...

...for alligators. We braved the chilly air and went to Brazos Bend State Park. It is known for having lots and lots of alligators and last time we were there they were basking on the trail and easier to see, but this time it took some looking. We did see five, but this was the closest and the easiest one to see. The kids had fun but kept saying "this is a really big lake...how much bigger is it?" That was their version of, "Are we there yet?" Nothing beats quality time out in nature.

Mom, how'd you get those lines on your forehead?

Cody hit me with this one this morning while the kids were brushing their teeth. Try as he may, he could not make his forehead wrinkle. He tried pushing his eyes together. He tried looking mad, but, to no avail. I wanted to explain to him that at some point, lines and valleys appear out of nowhere and seem to deepen overnight and that when you look in the mirror, you wonder where the lines and valleys came from but then, a scream, a hit, a cry and oh, yeah. Four kids.

I ended the conversation by telling him that the lines are magic and that it takes years to get enough magic to make really good lines. This seemed to pacify him for the moment. Why scare him?

GQ, anyone?

This was just too cute and I couldn't pass up a blogging opportunity...although it has been 7 months since my last post.

But, I am back.

Wolf Creek Park, 2009

We went camping over Spring Break. We usually go the last few days of the week and the kids look forward to it every year and they talk about it all year long. This year was perfect weather it was, as always, a great time. No major injuries and everyone (well, not mom and dad) , even Zachary slept very well. Next year: cots for mom and dad.

Alex discovered fire this year. He found that even as the morning fire was dying down, he could "make a fire" by throwing pine needles on the coals which would produce amazing amounts of smoke and if he was lucky, he would see a small flame. I think our fire was hot all day long.

Boys will be boys.

If Shea is missing, she is up a tree. She can climb any tree, any where.

Cody tried to climb the same tree, but Shea's feet were as high as he could get.

Boys and their sticks.

Even Zachary carried a stick around. Well, dragged it around.

Alex

Alex is 7. Ahh, how time flies. I must say, he is a cool kid. I am constantly amazed at how his mind works and how he can figure things out. Anything. He has a personality and a giggle that are contagious and he genuinely wants everyone to be happy and goes out of his way to make others smile. His imagination and story telling (which to me sometimes falls into the "fib" category) are endless and he can spin a yarn with the best of them. I watch in awe as he grows up before my eyes.



To add to the party atmosphere, the first graders had Reading Restaurant today at school. The parents make a reservation and the kids have a menu and we get to choose a book (or 3) off the menu for the kids to read to us. It is really fun to see Alex interact with his friends at school. His teacher says that he is a friend to everyone - what more could a mom ask for?



Alex, we love you and Happy Birthday!

This year I had strict instructions for a cake. Half chocolate, half vanilla. Chocolate frosting on the vanilla side and vanilla frosting on the chocolate side. The sprinkles were just a bonus. (Notice there is a faint finger print in the chocolate frosting)

Stars Wars is big in our house this year. The card that Grandma and Grandpa sent even played the Star Wars theme.

Grandma, just so you know, this is already 1/2 put together.

$75. Nothing more can be said.

The new bike. I was concerned that it might be a little too big, but try telling that to Alex. Off he went without a second thought.

Zoomin' by

The three amigos...yes, Shea DOES ride her bike with her eyes open.