Dizzy

I only do this until I get dizzy and then I lay down on my back and watch the clouds, she said. It sounds simple but you won't believe how many people forget the second part. / Story People

Seems like the speed at which this summer is passing by (I know it's already technically over for some...but I hold out on admitting it as long as I can) is mind blowing. It's been packed full of goodness, but it's gone too fast.

It feels like a bittersweet parallel to how fast these guys are growing. And just like the summer, I'm holding out on admitting it as long as I can.

Natural Habitat

The beginning of this week Billy's schedule was kind of weird...he ended up with Monday off instead of the usual Wednesday. So we decided to take the kiddos to the zoo. We were, admittedly, a little scared. We had taken them to the aquarium when Tirzah was younger, and it did not go well at all. We had Merrick on a leash, which he used kind of like a bungee cord the entire trip. 'Nough said.

This trip went much better, thankfully. No one fell into any cages or enclosures, no one had any serious tantrums, no one got lost for more than 30 seconds...ok 45 seconds. The kids were thrilled to see all these animals "in person" that they see on so many of their favorite movies. Everyone was there, from Alex and Marty to King Louie and Sir Hiss. Merrick tried to have conversations with the lions and the gorillas...I'm not sure but I think he and the gorilla really understood each other. ;)

Tirzah really liked the snakes. Weird, I know. Aren't people supposed to be scared of snakes? Not Tirzah. She kept waving to them, baby-talking to them, and patting the glass as they slithered around. Maybe with her personality she should be a snake charmer...or a bouncer. I had to have the conversation with her today that she isn't allowed to beat up her older brother. *sigh*

Jericho was a little saint. He rode in the stroller, missing his naps all day long and barely even squeaked. We decided he kind of resembled a panda...he spends a lot of time eating and has a very cuddly shape. I think that based on this trip (and how well everyone behaved) we may be at a phase where we can do more things with the hooligans...like leave the house. ;)

Shadows and Light

“Where there is much light, the shadow is deep.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I occasionally do this. Post about how I'm tired, life is tough, we're broke (that part is true), my kids are exhausting (also true), I wish me and my husband always got along and it wasn't work to actually get along (we love each other, but sometimes would very much like to strangle each other as well), and how I really do love it all deep down. All of these things are true today as I write this. Some of them more so than I would like, some things I won't mention because I don't want to look like a nutcase. (But we all have those things, don't we? The deep down soul aches and struggles that we only share with a few people...but are the ones that bother us the most.)

I think I'm the type of person who's prone to be emotional, and I ride that rollercoaster like I have a season pass and often take my family with me. As I get older I think I get better about recognizing, "ok, you're being emotional...this is time to slap your own face and get it together". But that doesn't mean I don't have those mornings...the ones where you wake with a start, anxious about things happened, things yet to happen, things that might happen...to babies already yelling and wringing things that aren't there out of your seemingly-empty soul. Wake to bills and phone calls and to-do's and dont's and guilt over the didn't and the don't want to or can't. It's like a deep tired ache that I recognize to well.

But then, there in that shadow of feeling sorry for myself and wishing for nothing more than to sit on a beach somewhere, completely alone, without even the whispers of what needs to be done, or what hurts, or who I hurt and who hurts me, what I owe and what I think I'm owed...I realize this is necessary. Who am I to demand to have it easy (even though I do hate, just a little, those people who can afford fancy vacations and days at a spa, or a wardrobe that doesn't involve holes in their good underwear) when I don't have it so hard. This shadow (as sometimes it feels) makes me crave the Light. Makes me remember I'm made for something so much more full, whole, pure, and deep. My soul is tired and achy, but it's from trying to fill it with things that don't fit. Like cramming my foot into a shoe that's too small.

The light is here, I just have to seek Him out. I can sit in my shadow and ache, claiming to be too tired to move, or I can follow His voice to the deep, full, soul-quenching patch of sunlight that He is. This world may not be my home, but He is, and here He is. He is here in the chill of those anxious mornings where I feel the shadow on my skin, where the kids' needs are too heavy to carry, where my war wounds from this life threaten to poison, where the details of life, and life not done as I think it should be, crash on me life a wave. He is always there, waiting to warm my sun-starved skin down to the soul with all that He is, with all that I need.

Big Screen

The hooligans usually stick to their regularly scheduled programs of PBS, and a handful of movies that they can't get enough of. (And that subsequently play repeatedly over and over in my sleep.) They don't seem to mind watching the same...thing...over and over. They would probably watch a movie 4 times in a row if I let them.

So the other day I bribed, I mean rewarded, them with getting to rent a movie if they napped well. This came on the heels of a naptime gone sour where Merrick emerged with a Tirzah-inflicted black eye (that you can kind of see in the last shot). Now y'all see what I mean when I say she's terrifying? I don't know how many times I went in there asking them to be quiet, or at least to stop trying to kill each other...but it was an interesting way to spend my entire afternoon.

Anyway, so they ended up picking the Lorax. I thought it was pretty cute, and I think they did too. Although (thank you Dr. Seuss) Merrick, my worrier, is now extremely concerned about the trees in our yard. I'm not opposed to saving trees, but I could do without him worrying about one more thing. He is the type of kiddo who doesn't miss anything, and likes to quiz me on anything and everything so he knows "the plan". He's been known to freak out a bit if I detour from our regular routine at all. I have no idea where he gets that from.

Anyway, we had a fun evening together. Billy was at work so he missed the first time we watched it. We watched it 3 times before I took it back, grateful down to the bottom of my soul that Blockbuster only has a one day rental period. Jericho didn't actually watch the whole movie...he just hung out while I took a few pictures and then he went to bed. He can join us for movie night once he learns to sit up straight. ;)

#all3

Spent some time outside the other evening with the hooligans. And the mosquitoes. They are so annoying. The mosquitoes, that is. ;) I am outside for 3 seconds and they have already eaten my skin off. This is probably the only reason I am looking forward to cold weather: being able to go outside without making a meal of myself.

The kiddos love being outside. They are so rarely all outside at the same time. Usually J-Hawk is asleep, or hanging out in the house while the older two make sure our neighbors don't like us so much by violating all the noise ordinances known to man.Whenever I manage to get all three in the same pictures with my iPhone I hashtag it with #all3. They aren't all 3 in the same shot here, but they are all 3 outside soaking up the awesome cooler weather and late afternoon sunshine.

Oh, and making sure to keep crime to a minimum too. Spiderman is never far away, and there isn't much he's scared of except for his little sister. He is currently sporting a big bruise under his eye from where she pinched him during naptime. (I guess it's payback for the bloody nose he gave her recently. OY!) I guess Superman has kryptonite, and Spiderman has...Tirzah Shae. She's no joke. I mean, she could at least pinch him somewhere that people won't wonder if I'm abusing my kids. ;)

I'm thinking this fall is going to be lots of fun, playing outside with these kiddos. They aren't huge fans of the hot weather, even though their mama can't get enough of it. I hope my neighbors have good earplugs, or at least aren't bothered by screaming kids dressed up like Halloween characters.

The Napper.

I don't nap. Therefore I'm great at getting things done while the kids are napping. I've never been one to "sleep while the kids are sleeping"...I hate wasting that precious time unconscious. Usually I use that time to actually eat something without three vultures staring me down. Also, lately, I couldn't nap while they are if I wanted to. Merrick and Tirzah have taken to setting up the World Wrestling Federation right in their own bedroom, complete with Tirzah's first bloody nose and Merrick being pinched repeatedly. Thankfully Jericho still appreciates a good snooze.

He takes an awesome afternoon nap, on top of a morning cat nap or two. He will sometimes sleep for 3+ hours, from about 2-5pm. Sometimes even later if I don't go in there and get him up. (Thankfully this also does not interfere with his bedtime. Kid loves some sleep.) He also sleeps like a rock, which may be related to the fact that he weighs as much as a bag of rocks? The other two could be jumping in his crib and he'd still sleep. I kind of love him.

I snuck in there the other day (as I've done plenty of times with my iPhone) and took some pictures of him sleeping with my "real" camera. Those eyelashes on sleepy cheeks get me every time. Those little chubby fingers curled around the crib rails made me into a puddle of mush. I started to get all sappy when I was thinking about how he's nearly 8 months old already. I almost crawled into the crib with him in my sappy time-is-flying moment, but then my stomach growled and I remembered what naptime is really for: eating cookie dough straight out of the tub in peace.

Gentle Giant

I know that all moms think their baby is the cutest and smartest ever. I think that's just the way it should be. I also think that every other mom who thinks that hasn't met Jericho. ;) Hehe. But seriously...he is killing me. He has been affectionately named the "gentle giant" by his Mamoo, and there couldn't be a more appropriate nickname for this sweet, giant, puppy-eyed bundle of baby. He stops us in our tracks just because he's so cute we can't help but jabber with him, or kiss his chubby little cheeks.

His sweetness is just irresistible. I hope this kind of personality continues. As much as I dearly love his siblings, we have a sweetness shortage around here. Energy? Got it. Sass? Got that. Hilarity? Yup. Spunk? Uh-huh. We could use a little more J-style sweetness in the mix, if just for my own sanity. And after his check-up last week we discovered he is in the 98th percentile for his weight, and off the chart for his length. (He weights about 22.5 pounds, and is nearly 30 inches long. For comparison, he's about 6 pounds lighter than the 3 year old, and about 6 inches shorter. No wonder my back hurts.) Hence the "giant" in gentle giant. If he keeps this up I'm going to need to sell an organ on the black market to feed him as a teenager.

Screech Week 2012

We're back! We spent the last week relaxing at the beach down in the Outer Banks, NC. (Which I deemed Screech Week 2012. Seemed appropriate.) Well...those of you with kids know that one does not relax on vacation with three small children. You simply carry on your routine insanity at another location, and often with less sleep even than usual since children use any excuse possible to not sleep. Missing blankies, stubbed toes, different surroundings, phases of the moon, weather in other countries, weird noises (often made by their own siblings), etc. It was fun, in that now I really need a vacation sort of way. But really, I love the beach so it was good to get away.

There was this momentary lapse in judgement, where I (the photographer who should know better) tried to do a session on the beach with my  three hooligans. It was about like you are imagining, but worse. I think the only thing that would have made it more stressful was if Jaws himself was involved. It's a good thing the kids are cute no matter what face they are making or I'd probably just be out of luck. ;)

The kids did fairly well on the beach. Merrick was the sand-wallower, which was totally surprising considering he cannot handle when his socks are crooked much less when he is dirty. Tirzah loved it once she discovered peeing in the ocean (particularly on random unsuspecting cousins) was pretty much acceptable. She was not a fan of sand, but ocean-peeing? New favorite hobby. Jericho pretty much sat on the beach and was cute...or napped in the cottage and was cute. His routine doesn't change much when you move him from one place to another. He eats, sleeps, squeals like a beluga whale, looks cute, repeats pattern. He's awesome.

I love taking the hooligans to experience new things. I know trips like these will be more fun as they get a little older, and a little more capable of not peeing all over the van while we drive home through the tunnel, and a little more interested in sleeping past 6:30 am, and possible a little more interested in walking to the beach on their own legs (instead of making me carry 3 people, two towels, two cups, a bumbo, an umbrella, a chair, a ninja turtle and a shovel). But until then, at least I can call it a good workout.

 

The last shot is for Project 366, Sweet Shot, and Communal Global.

Future Olympians

I was watching the Olympics the other night, and was really excited because track and field was finally on. I was watching the guys throwing shot put, and thinking how they were build a lot like Jericho. (We had just been to his check-up at the doctor, and discovered he is in the 98 percentile for his weight, and is off the chart for his length. He's pretty much huge.) This train of thought got me to thinking, if my kids were athletes based on their personalities/body types what sport would they be in? (Thanks, Google, for the pics. Since these are obviously not really my kids.)

Obviously this would be Jericho. Enough said. Then we have Merrick. I decided high dive seemed appropriate. They are generally smaller built and wiry, and are always seen running around in their underwear (speedos) and jumping off tall objects. Merrick to the letter.

Tirzah, I wasn't so sure. But then I remembered hearing a bit on gymnasts, and how the female gymnasts are notorious drama queens. Lots of emotion...tough as they may be...but they can still put on the waterworks and throw a good fit. Yes, that would be Tirzah.

I'm not sure my kids will ever actually be olympians, but I'm as proud of them as Michael Phelps mama either way. ;)

Pinky Promise

Thursday my sisters and I had the honor of shooting another wedding. This was an extra special one, since it was the wedding of a girl who we have practically watched grow up, or grown up with in my younger sisters' case. I'm so glad we were able to be there, and to watch the first few moments of their marriage unfold firsthand.

When my husband was a youth minister a few years ago, this girl was one of our students. I probably am not supposed to admit this, but she was always one of my favorites. ;) She was one of those kids who just "gets it". She has a deep heart, and a good head on her shoulders, combined with an irresistible personality and zest for life. Plus she likes great music.

I was thrilled for her, watching the fresh, sweet excitement of the realization that yes, that just happened. She just got married to the man of her dreams. They were (and hopefully forever will be) totally wrapped up in each others eyes. Counting their married kisses, giggling between the two of them, pinky promising forever to each other during after-ceremony pictures, and generally forgetting anyone else was in attendance a few times. (As it should be.)

Katie and Rob, we were honored to be a part of your first day together as husband and wife. I pray you show Christ's love to the world, and always to each other, through this gift you've been given. Cannot wait to see your love for each other continue to grow!