What the Week

Not really sure where that week went. Seems like it flew by in a blur of dentists and school work and visiting with family and random other things like Billy working 170 hours a week...at least it feels like he works that many hours. I often refer to myself as a "Northwestern widow". I think his job switch will be worth it in the long run, but right now I just want to take a shower without 3 kids ripping open the curtain. And yes, they do that.

I kept meaning to blog, (so be prepared for the weekly recap photo dump blog style today) I keep meaning to do lots of things, like brush my hair...but it just gets lots in the shuffle, and the breaking up of scuffles. Scuffle is Jericho's middle name. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (You're thinking "no she didn't just compare her baby to the devil"...) He especially likes to prowl during school.

As you can see from the above example...he had stolen one too many worksheets that day, and got the smack down.

 Merrick DID read a few words this week...which was really encouraging for both of us.

Above you have 'hooligans at the dentist'...I'm fairly certain that office is closed down now. At least when we want to schedule an appointment they are. ;) Merrick is terrified of the dentist, and as much as I feel so bad for him, I also feel bad for the person trying to pry open his jaws.

We got some good visit time with Miss Judah Rose this week. Here we have an example of the baby who never wants to be held (Jericho...you can't tame that beast) who just HAS to be held because mommy is holding someone else.

Here we have us, trying on some headlamps at a local outdoor store. Me and Billy have a 2 day relay race (Ragnar) coming up, which will involve some long runs on pitch black dark trails in the middle of the night...so this is quite necessary.

While cleaning out a closet, the hooligans spotted my dress and wanted to play dress up. Fun for them, but I can't breathe. Also while taking this shot I notice I REALLY need to clean the mirror, and I have two photo bombers. Such is a mom's life.

Yes, that is the shattered remains of my mantle decor. Merrick swung off the mantle one too many times playing "ninja warrior", and the glue (yes, GLUE, who puts a mantle on with GLUE?!) broke loose and EVERYTHING fell in the floor. Most of it was broken. I only cried for an hour or two. Glad he wasn't cut, but can I sue American Ninja Warrior for this? I mean, people have sued for dumber things, right? ;) Totally kidding...I take full responsibility for his wild behavior because ya know...he's mine.

 Jericho's new favorite hobby. And no I don't tell him to stop, because then he goes all Miley Cyrus on me and it's "we can't stop...and we won't stop...". Ya know how babies do. I hope he will eventually grow out of this.

Lastly, I have learned that it's never a good idea to let the kids get Jericho up from his nap. I will probably forget this life lesson next time he's screaming to get up and I need someone to entertain him until I can JUST GET A SHOWER. I think if I've learned one thing as a mom, it's that it's a luxury to shower without people falling into the tub and dropping your clean towel in the toilet. I need to run for now. Duty calls. Merrick is out back spraying his sister (an unwilling target) with the garden hose.

Lucky

I'm not much of a believer in "luck"...but I figured I'd dedicate this special 999th blog post on this here blog to one couple whose wedding my sisters and I were able to shoot last weekend. It ended up being a rainy day for their wedding, which in relation to my title, is supposed to be good luck. I don't know about all that, but I do know that a couple who starts their marriage off by washing each other's feet and praying together probably knows what makes a marriage last...and it's not luck.

These guys just seemed so comfortable and right for each other...even despite the change of plans at the last minute, moving the ceremony indoors...you could tell that they know what's important about their big day wasn't where they said "I do", but how they plan on carrying that promise out as they move through life together.

Another thing that stood out as we spent our day catching their memories, was the support and smiles of their families. It is always a nice surprise at a wedding when you get to work with a family who just seems to stinking happy for their newlyweds. (No, it's not always a happy occasion...as a photographer there are those weddings...the ones where you kind of cringe at the family friction. Not the case here. It was such a great atmosphere.) We felt welcomed, and it was easy to join in smiling with these guys.

The two of them have left for their honeymoon, but I have a feeling from watching them together on that "lucky" day, that it's going to be a long time before the honeymoon is over. Wishing the happy couple the best, and many more years of washing each others feet, and never forgetting "they do".

It's Always Somebody

There are not many photo ops with me and all 3 hooligans. Even fewer where at least one person isn't doing something ridiculous. In this case, Jericho decided that it was the perfect opportunity to pick his nose.

He's such a little rat. He is way smarter than I give him credit for (I think), and loves to pretend like he doesn't really know he's causing a problem. He's all "oops...I didn't realize my brother and sister were watching the TV I just turned off", or "oops...I didn't really mean to drop that toy you were looking for off the balcony", or "oops...I didn't realize you wanted me not to pick my nose while you are taking a picture". Ah well...he does tend to get away with such nonsense, but mostly because we can't keep a straight face. It's hard to discipline someone when you can't stop laughing. ;)

Super Hoodie

It's that time of year again. The time of year where I put on a hoodie and don't take it off until May. Well, I do take it off to sleep, but I replace it with 14 blankets. Ok, it really hasn't been that cold yet, honestly, and this weather has been awesome to run in after the soupy humidity I ran in all summer. But I get cold pretty easily. So does Merrick. I blame it on our lack of insulation. Jericho sweats like a pig unless he has zero clothes on. Which is why you always see pictures of him in his diaper...but I digress.

With that chill, however, comes one of my favorite holidays: Halloween! I LOVE holidays that revolve around candy and funky colors, in case you hadn't noticed yet. (Valentines Day is another fav. I don't care if Halmark made it up. Why hate on an excuse to eat chocolate?) I always love Target's holiday displays...they really get you in the spirit of whatever holiday it might be. Although occasionally they're a bit early. This stuff has probably been up since Memorial Day at least. Christmas will be up any minute I'm sure.

This weather, the Halloween displays, and my hero-the-hoodie, really make me want to bake pumpkin something. (And I don't even bake.) I'm thinking maybe some paleo pumpkin muffins that my kids and husband won't eat. ;)

Cousins!

My sister Amanda is here, visiting for a week or so while her husband is doing some military training. It's been fun to visit with this little baby again, too!

She is such a sweet little lady, and my kiddos can't remember that Jericho was ever that little. (Well...he wasn't THAT little. At two months she is about at the same size as Jericho was at birth.) They are pretty obsessed with her.

It's fun watching them play, although we do have to play bodyguard for Judah now and then. In light of the fact that Jericho was never this small, Jericho is also built like a tank. These Barron babies of mine aren't used to a delicate style of baby. ;)

Slowdown Sunday

We were able to spend a lot of time with my family this weekend. My sister and her husband are back in town, and my mom wasn't globe trotting like she usually seems to be. ;) So we had a lot of chance to just hang out, and relax. There is so much going on around here these days, that it was really nice to just sit outside, enjoying the fantastic weather we had this weekend, and not really DO anything.

Except maybe play a little piano...

And work on our stunt horse (uh...giraffe?) riding...

Be strung up by your ankles by the aunties...

And eat a popsicle (or two hundred) with Mamoo. (The hooligans always know Mamoo has popsicles and gum).

The hooligans partied hard with their aunties, as you can tell by Tirzah's hair, and had a great wrestling match (reminiscent of Nacho Libre, complete with cliff dive) with PawPaw. (Disclaimer: No babies were actually put into any ovens, and that oven wasn't on. But aunties occasionally get out of hand, you know.)

We are headed into what will be another chaotic week, filled with school and foster care training and capped off with shooting a wedding on Saturday. I'm kinda tired just thinking about the week to come. So I won't. I'm just going to go finish screaming at the football game...which is yet another way we love to relax around here. Hope everyone survives Monday! ;)

Homeschooligan History

This past week we decided to take our first official "field trip", since starting school the other week. I think the kids don't get the concept of a field trip at this point, it was fun for me to get out of the house though. (School really doesn't take us that long, but still you feel kind of cooped up after awhile.)

My parents manage a local airport, and had let me know that there was a B-17 parking at the airport for this week. I knew that Merrick especially would love to see it, and would spend the rest of the week quizzing me about airplanes. He did.

It was fun for them to see this HUGE plane. They weren't even as tall as it's tires. We spend some time running around it, chasing Jericho who was determined to run away down the nearest runway. Merrick wanted to hear all about the guns on the plane. He also wanted lots of reassurance that it wasn't going to start up and run over us, or shoot us. He really wanted to be sure it wasn't going to shoot us.

We got back home and watched some YouTube videos on B-17's, (I've realized YouTube is an awesome resource for homeschooling. Merrick -the visual learner- loves seeing the things he's learning about.) answered another 100,000 questions, etc. I think, for our first field trip, it was a success. Not sure I'm ready to conquer a zoo alone with 3 kids or anything, unless I'm just dropping them off to hang out with their fellow wild animals and coming back later. ;)

Big Steps

There are baby steps, and there are big, kinda scared-out-of-your-pants steps. We have officially started foster care training. (I know, it's a long process. And that's assuming all goes well and we are approved and able to finish training. Not cuz we are drunken criminals or anything, -I'm not. But I'm not gonna comment on the hooligans.- but ya never know what complications you may run into.)

I'm not exactly scared per se, but I am a little nervous. It's one thing to be entrusted with your own family...a BIG thing...but it's a whole different thing entirely to be a part of helping (hopefully) heal another person's family. I feel completely unworthy and unfit for this job. But I think that's probably a good thing. No pride over here. It's just something that we couldn't seem to get away from, if you know what I mean. It just kept coming up, in my face, everywhere I turned. A real 'is that You, God?' type of deal. So we take the big step, and see where it leads. It may lead to nowhere but us learning more about our family and what we need to grow. Or it may lead to the aforementioned helping of other families.

There is more training to do, a home study, psychological testing that will surely reveal us for the lunatics that we are, etc. There are interviews that ask the type of questions like, 'do you like to wander around your house in you underwear'. (How did they KNOW? I mean, where do you think the hooligans get it from? Kidding, kidding.) Lots of things designed specifically to make this introvert uncomfortable. I mean, 'get out of my space' is my middle name. I think, regardless of the outcome, I've already learned a lot. Like when God asks you to do something, He doesn't guarantee it'll be easy, and you should also probably just do it. Even if it means you can't wander around in your underwear anymore. ;)

"Merrickan" Ninja Warrior

We have all watched a lot of American Ninja Warrior around here this summer. Merrick especially loves it. He likes to reenact the moves the guys on TV do...all over my house. He's pretty good at it though. Here is a video Billy took of him before church yesterday. I think, should he ever face the spider wall, he'll have that obstacle mastered. ;)

Back to School...Back to School

So this week we've finally had to relinquish our hold on "summer", be responsible folks, and start school. I never started school before mid September when I was in school, so I wasn't really in any hurry to get the kiddos started.

I think I just didn't want to give up my one last summer break, and was a little intimidated to actually dive into teaching two kiddos. Yeah, yeah, some people have taught more than that at a time, but I double dog dare ya to try your hand with these wild animals. They make enough noise and chaos for at least 3 kids each. And then you have the hulk on top of it.

He sure is cute, but he needs to be unconscious for me to get anything done. So typically we do our work in the afternoon during his super-awesome nap. (He's always been a great napper.)

Merrick is officially in Kindergarten this year, as you can see from the gang sign he's throwing in the above picture. (I said earlier this week that those cutesie "first day" signs just don't seem fitting in the case of the hooligans...gang signs though? Probably.)

The above picture was taken on Wednesday. This was the day where we learned to sit still while maam takes a panorama. Kidding kidding, we did learn some other school-type stuff. ;) They are pretty good at "freezing" when a picture is involved though. Maybe if I pretended I was taking pictures all the time they'd actually sit still?

With the hooligans being in school now, and me not feeling like I can waste time going to the gym or running after they are awake for the day, I've been seeing a lot of the road before sunup. It's cooler, which is nice, and I'm still half asleep, which is also nice. Your half-way through your run before you realize what is even going on. Win win. Their school work really only takes about an hour or so of actual sitting down time, but I still feel like we needed to have a little something more of a schedule in place. Ya know...responsible adult and all that.

The above picture was the day we learned to shoplift. Kidding...that's not part of our current curriculum. ;) I had taken the kiddos to Target to look for a few school supplies, and turned around and noticed they were doing some shopping of their own. And also, they were leaving a trail of shoes. Glad I noticed Jericho had lost a shoe before we drove off. Those things are expensive.

As our first week of school comes to a close, it's been a few parts fun, a few parts stress, a few parts "is it Christmas break yet?" Ok. Right. I'm the mom now. Don't tell them Christmas break is my favorite part of school. ;)

Baddest Most Beautiful Babies in the Land

True story. They are cuh-razy, but oh-so-cute.

Jericho is a mischievous little man. Ok, he's not little. But you get the point. In this picture, you'd think his sister's hands have acid on them. I'm not gonna swear they don't, but I doubt it. He's like the Hulk, honestly. When allowed to run free and do as he pleases he's fine. Make him mad and I literally cannot hold on to him. I need to somehow restrain the beast, but as my husband recently told me I've "created a monster", because he knows, oh how they know, when I think he's funny.

Merrick has gotten better about staying put while I take pictures as he's gotten older. (Thank goodness! At least ONE stays where I put it.) But despite being in the right spot, often I look at a picture I've just taken and realize in his efforts to be still and not move, instead of looking like he's smiling he looks like he's being pinched. He's trying to smile, and in his head he thinks he is, because he argues with me everytime. (Through his unintentionally serious face and gritted teeth) "Mom, I AM smiling! See?"

Tirzah, bless her little hot-tempered hide. Always comes down with a case of "I'm a vampire" when we take pictures. Suddenly, even on cloudy days and under a shaded gazebo, she cannot...stand...the...sunlight. It's burning...my eyes...I'm melting...what IS that flaming thing in the sky? She has literally stood there, in the shade, and refused to open her eyeballs because she can't. She just...can't. And when Tirzah can't, just go on and call it a day. She's the unmovable stone of stubborn and to proceed would be just asking for it. But alas, she got that stubborn from her mother, so we do usually proceed.

I do typically get a few good ones. Ones where Jericho isn't trying to bite his sister and isn't intentionally running away. Where Merrick doesn't look constipated and Tirzah hasn't got flames sprouting out of her eyeballs. Those pictures, where the three people I love most in this world's little toothy grins are all right there together and melting my heart, make me forget the other ones where those toothy grins are sunk into a sister's arm.