Friday, August 26, 2016

7QTs - End of Summer Catch Up

Just want to clear the summer air... 




---1---

Little A... 


Currently, he loves eating banana, cheese sticks, and puffs. He's fine with pretty much every baby food I give him... I usually mix it with rice cereal to thicken it up. When he eats goldfish he swishes them around his mouth and spits it out and then it falls in his bib and then a few minutes later he'll dig it out of his bib and finish it off!

---2---

Oh and I gave him his first Oreo : ) 


I think he liked it...


I like him : ) 

---3---

Speaking of hims... 


I like these hims


They are cute : ) 

---4---

White Transfiguration Pizza


We had white pizza to celebration the Transfiguration earlier this month. It is AWESOME. I think we've ordered it at least one more time if not two. 

---5---

The conference swim meet was almost a month ago...

R did great!



I didn't get a pic of E (????) because I was videoing her races. She was less than a stroke away from first in backstroke! (the camera gets a little bouncy in that race : ) 


Future Nash Rec swimmer?


Sure why not?

---6---

Papa's birthday was the day after the swim meet but we celebrated early... 


4 of 6 is not bad for our crowd


The Y is there... Promise


: )


So much excitement!



Yay!

---7---

We survived the start of school and another birthday this week. Maybe I'll blog about it before Christmas : ) 

Monday, August 22, 2016

7QTs - All Things End of Summer

Here we go... 




---1---

M likes to use lidless cups... 


Especially when she is not the one cleaning up the mess so lidless cups for her outside ONLY. I think she did this on a day when Lee woke me up as he was leaving and told me M was at the table eating and everyone else was in bed... #bestwaytostartamorning

---2---

E FINALLY finished her 1st grade workbook. It was doozy. I don't recommend trying to complete it section-by-section because that reading comprehension section was insane. I am quite sure she sat at the table for 2.5 hours and got through about 14 pages (because she'd get distracted or would complain 75% of the time but still). Next year a page from each colored section... 


So she traded in the workbook for a Lego set.


And within 20 minutes of it being built, it was taken back. I don't know what got into her for a few days last week but some kind of self-centeredness that was crazy. I mean how do you communicate to a 6-yr-old - the world doesn't revolve around you and you need to be halfway nice (if not 100% nice) to your sibs and you aren't entitled to do stuff. 

It was a long few days but we got through it and I have given back some of the Lego set but my dresser still has a part or two up there. 

---3---

On to lighter subjects...


A is super cute and trying out all 25 million of his teeth that he got overnight


Seriously I think he has 6. He enjoyed knowing on the watermelon and swishing it around for a minute and splitting in out


And then repeating the process! : ) 

---4---

My patience for E's behavior may have had something to do with the explosion of events from 2 days before


Our day... Laid out on our kitchen table


First up was swimming evaluation for year round swimming. And she wanted me to be there so we made a party out of it and brought the whole gang. Basically E wanted to throw the towel in on soccer : ( and has been saying she wants to do swimming this year. More on that later but we are letting her give it a try. 


Then R did a quick change in the locker room to get ready for her 1st tee ball (but she thinks it is baseball) practice. Batting 0 for 2 on soccer this season : ( : ( 

E and A went with Papa and M was stuck with us in the heat


She was super cute and not so much into batting but was quite good at throwing and even didn't cry when she got a ball to the face no (there was a collective gasp from the parents - you know being the only girl, even I thought there'd be a tear shed but no harm, no foul)

She couldn't decide if she wanted to hold onto her hat or her pants since both were falling down 

She had a good time and I was happy for her 

Then after tee ball we ran home and loaded up on fruit and E and R and I headed to a skate rink for a birthday parties for their friends from way back. They had a great time and both girls braved the rink but I think they had more fun on the indoor play area. 


THEN, we shot out of the party and Lee and company met us for an End-of-Summer-Party hosted by some friends they've known since before preschool. It was a blast. I'm so glad that our kids stay in touch with friends from MMO and preschool even though they are at different schools now or in different classes!

---5---

The girls have been having a blast outside (when they can because it is so humid and hot and sticky)



I'm not going to say I'm ready for fall but I am ready to be able to go outside and feel like I can breathe. 


---6---

So tis the season I suppose... 


This fall is bound to the loco with swimming, tee ball, AHG, school, Bible Study and soccer (M is playing with the 3s because she wanted to and I wanted to coach because I kind of enjoy it : ) 

---7---

Tomorrow is the dawn of the school year for us. I know I am in a totally different place with our schooling decision. I am at peace and it feels great. I am not an emotional, hormonal, pregnant mess. I know the parents in her class and they are awesome. I know the kids in her class and they are great. I can't say I'm ready for summer to end but I can say I'm good when it is time for school to start. 

Saturday, August 13, 2016

Inquisitive Minds are Bound to Ask

Everyone's been thinking it and some people are asking it...

'When's the next one coming?'

'So you are done having kids, right?'

'Is number three five on the way?'

'How are you going to fit five kids in the van?'

'You actually want more kids?'

The list could go on about whether or not and when there may or may not be bebe #5. Though it seems like the 'more kids topic' has come up at least once a week for the past month or so - and back in July it came up twice in 24 hours.

It kind of had me looking over my shoulder, like, are you talking to me? Do I look pregnant to you? Well maybe that's not a fair question because this baby weight from A is no joke. But you get the point. Why are so many people curious about more babies? And why are so many people forthcoming with asking?

It probably a sign of the times. It is  time when babies comes into conversation and I generally get way more than I bargain for and find out entirely more than I care to know about that person's sex life and birth control etc etc etc. When it is become socially acceptable to boldly proclaim this stuff?

So when people ask if there are more Kibbes on the way I try and steer clear of the bedroom and remain honest and open about the possibility of more kids.

Honestly - Yes we are open to having more kids. We believe that every child is a blessing. But we have no idea if we will be blessed with another child. We realize that life is not a given. There are hundreds of couples who love to have more children or even a child - but it just isn't happening and that is a sad and scary thought and we should pray for those people who struggle with infertility.

Open - Being open to new life in today's world is a challenge. Openness means sacrifice to one's self and that is hard but I am quite sure it is worth it. Openness isn't a guarantee but it is putting yourself out there saying okay God, it's about Your will and not mine.

I don't think anyone will deny that raising a child is super tough especially with the pressure to put your kid in 2500 activities plus make sure they go to a top tier university. BUT our goal as parents should be helping our children along their journey towards heaven. The decisions that parents have to make about schooling, activities, boundaries... all of it isn't easy. Having kids molds us and shapes us and challenges us that way we can mold, shape and challenge our kids to be the best person they can be.

So when is the next Kibbe coming? - I don't know.

Do we actually want more kids? - Sure

How will we fit 5 carseats in the minivan? - I have no idea

But some way, some how it will all work out... On God's time. Not ours.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

7QTs - Catching up

Just trying to play a bit of catch up!




---1---

I think this guy right here might be the happiest that summer swimming season is over


No more hot, humid late afternoons at the weekly swim meets. We still need to enjoy the pool a few more times... ever since there hasn't been practice we haven't been at all!

---2---

R asked that I take a pic of her and her wings...


I think she is going to miss E the most in the afternoon once she realizes her playmate will be at school.


Speaking of school... E took her class pet home from school and will have to turn him loose with the new kindergarteners. I think she's going to have some separation anxiety because Fidget has traveled the world with us this summer. The beach. To Grammys. To Jibbe's every week. Could be a tearful departure. 


Also speaking of school, E and R have been (not-so) diligently getting their summer workbooks done. R isn't totally motivated to do it and I could be expecting way too much out of her and her letters soooooooo.... and E is not thrilled about 'all the writing' BUT sorry. Don't care. The bar is set high around here and those things will be finished and appropriate completion prizes will be doled out at the proper time. 

---3---

The kids have fallen into some rough times around here... 


This is A after he climbed/fell out of his crib (it hadn't been lowered yet). Papa immediately lowered it. You see what happened was, A was napping and then I heard him fuss and cry a little but I was in the middle of doing laundry so I didn't get him immediately and then I didn't hear him again so I figured maybe he went back to sleep? But then 10 minutes passed and I thought I should go check on him and then I couldn't open the door because he was RIGHT THERE on the floor! 

He could have gotten way hurt so his guardian angel was certainly looking out for him

Speaking of guardian angels... 


M has been putting hers to the test. One of those is from falling down the steps inside (which has since been gated for A's sake). The other I'm not quite sure but she and R have a tendency to RUN into walls because they go 1000 miles a minute. I am quite convinced M will be the first to fall down the brick steps in the back because despite my shouts and pleas to HOLD ON TO THE RAILING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.... she doesn't do it

---4---

Our mushrooms are back again this year!


Not quite a complete fairy ring like last year but still equally gross and interesting - I won't let the kids knock them down because I want to see how big they'll get!


This year they are growing in clusters... 

---5---


E finally got to go to Lego camp after begging for a year (last year they canceled it)


She didn't tell me a whole lot about what they did because she says I have to wait to see the pictures she took (on the disposable camera - please explain a one-time use camera to a 6 yr old)


I did get to camp early one day to see what they were up to


I think she'd go to Lego Camp every week of the summer if she could 


---6---

Let's see other scenes from around the casa...



They dressed themselves - I promise!



Crawling around with A


They've been having a blast playing with this 'Live Baby' at the neighbors house. It cries, it pees and the girls think it is awesome


E was super into it but REFUSED to hold her because she was afraid of getting peed on : ) 

---7---

With the school year looming we made a trial run to school. It was way easier than last summer because I knew what times to set the timer for and everyone remembered what the morning rat race felt like... But their reward was going to play


A thoroughly enjoyed the slide


E and R made my heart stop a few times!