How to eat a donut

How to eat a donut, Benjamin style!

1. Lick off all the sprinkles.
2. Lick off as much icing as you can.
3. Eat off the top of the donut, in case you couldn't lick all the icing.
4. Smile.
5. Move on to the next donut.

Our life in a few pictures

Life has been going at a lovely pace this week. Not too busy, but not too boring. We are currently trying to get everyone in our family over pink eye. Last week we all stayed quarantined for most of the week. We also didn't venture out this past weekend. Just when I thought things were getting back to normal, Timothy came down with pink eye again, despite the drops. Four kids feels like A LOT when you're dealing with something like pink eye!

Here's a quick update on all those kiddos of mine:

Elizabeth lost another tooth! It was actually quite traumatic. Her other bottom tooth was loose, apparently more loose than we thought. She had a blanket in her mouth, and when she pulled it out, she also popped that loose tooth out. She flipped!! Screaming, blood, freaking out.... it wasn't pretty. She was worried that her tooth wasn't ready to come out, like the one that had been pulled, and that it would hurt. Once we assured her it was okay, she was quite excited about the event. Micah is turning into a very big boy! Adding a baby to our family hasn't effected his negatively. However, I feel like he falls through the cracks more than any of the other kids. When I have moments with just him, I realize how big, smart, funny and charming he's become. He is a joy!

Mr. Benjamin seems to be doing quite as the new big brother in the house. But apparently, it's pretty stressful. This is how I found him yesterday afternoon.

Benjamin's also in the process of sometimes dropping his nap, not using a pacy, and re-potty training after some regression after Timothy's birth. Big stuff going on for this little guy! He's also REALLY looking forward to his birthday next month.

And sweet Timothy! We are all in love with every inch of this sweet baby.

I could seriously kiss those amazing cheeks all day!

So that's the latest and greatest in our lives. We are enjoying life, and looking forward to making some wonderful family memories in the busy month of May!

An eventful evening

This evening, Elizabeth lost a tooth! It's not her first tooth. She had her first tooth pulled at the dentist. Turns out, she was quite stressed over losing this tooth because of having a tooth pulled. She was worried that it would hurt, that there would be lots of blood, that she wouldn't be able to eat. Here's the story in pictures.

She discovered that her loose tooth was REALLY loose. I attempted to do the dental floss trick, where you wrap dental floss around the base of the tooth and just pop it out. She was very nervous, kept jumping, and I eventually told her we weren't going to be able to keep doing that.
After a quick pop talk with Grand-Daddy, she decided she was ready for real. I told her I would try one more time, but she had to be still. And guess what happened.....

That little tooth came right out!

Such a brave girl.

Hopefully, losing the next tooth won't be as traumatic!

Long Day

You know it's been a long day when...... you start a Thursday thinking it's Wednesday and end the day thinking it's Friday.

After a long night where I was awake more than I was asleep, I've spent the day dealing with a sick kiddo, a dramatic kiddo, a kiddo who needs to eat every three hours and a coughing kiddo. Thankfully, we had no where to be so we took it easy, spent lots of time in our jammies watching TV.

Here's hoping for a better night tonight!

A Mother

Originally posted two years ago.

"The terrible things that happen to us in this life never make any sense when we're in the middle of them, floundering, no end in sight. The is no rope to hang on to, it seems. Mothers can soothe children during those times, through their reassurance. No one worries about like your mother, and when she is gone, the world seems unsafe, thing that happen unwieldy. You cannon turn to her anymore, and it changes your life forever. There is no one on earth who knew you from the day you were born; who knew why you cried, or when you'd had enough food; who knew exactly what to say when you were hurting, and who encouraged you to grow a good heart."

Adriana Tigiani from Big Stone Gap

Six years ago today, Curtis' Mom lost her fight with cancer and won her eternal reward when she left this earth and went to her true home. When she died, she left a body that had been struggling and fighting cancer for ten months. And we were so thankful that God had taken her to a place where she didn't have to struggle, and where she didn't have pain. But she also left her husband of 27 years, two sons, and a grandson. And me. At the time, I was her only daughter-in-law. We loved her so much, and miss her greatly. But we know her hope was secured, and that we will see her again!

Carol was an amazing mother! I'm sure any 18 year old would be nervous about meeting her new boyfriends mother, and technically, I already knew her. But I clearly remember the first time I went to the house to "hang out" after Curtis and I began dating. I was so nervous, and mostly because I was afraid that his mom wouldn't like me. Even though she gave me no reason to think otherwise, I was convinced that she didn't like me. But as Curtis and I grew closer, I grew closer to his mom. Even when Curtis wasn't home from school, I would sometimes go over and visit with her. As my wedding day grew nearer, those visits became even more special, a time to learn more about the man I would marry, and the family I would be marrying into. We would look at pictures, she would tell me stories, and we would share hopes for the future. One of her hopes was for more grandchildren (she was always quick to tell me that she was very happy waiting till Curtis and I were done with school!). And though she loved the four men/boys in her life, she wanted a granddaughter. Oh, how I wish that she had been able to meet her first granddaughter, Elizabeth, and her second granddaughter, Charleigh! And I wish she could be here to give me advice on how to raise my two sons to be two godly men, like her two boys.

The quote above rang very true for Curtis and I as we were reflecting on his mom yesterday. As we have struggled with life, especially recently with all we've been through with Benjamin, Curtis has often said, "I wish my Mom was still here." But it's not only the hard times when we miss her. It's the joyful times, the times of celebration... births, baptisms, birthday parties, holidays. Carol had a way of making the bad times easier (as only a mother can) and the good times even better!

This song, With Hope, by Steven Curtis Chapman, was played at the funeral. I still cry, every time I hear it on the radio.

"We can cry with hope
We can say goodbye with hope

'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no

And we can grieve with hope'

Cause we believe with hope

(There's a place by God's grace)

There's a place where we'll see your face again

We'll see your face again"

Saying good bye is never easy. Watching my husband of just over a year say good bye to his mother was one of the hardest things I have even been through. And I know the only way that Curtis, his brother, Dad, and nephew were able to say good bye to someone they all loved so dearly was through the grace God gives his people, and the hope and assurance of salvation. As you think of us through the day, please pray that our hearts and minds would be focused on this, not on the loss.

Good Answer

Many times when I run into a stranger and they either see how many children I have, or I tell them how many children I have, I got annoying responses. "Wow! You must have your hands full!" "Do you ever get any sleep?" "Are they all yours?" "You know what causes that, right?" Oh, I could go on!

This evening, just Timothy and I ran into Wal Mart. He was being a sweet baby, cooing at the big, bright lights. He was irresistible! While picking out strawberries, Timothy and I struck up a conversation with a woman who was also picking out berries. We chatted about how nice these strawberries were, especially for being on sale. She cooed back at Timothy. In the process of our conversation, it came up that Timothy was the youngest of four, and one of three boys.

"God bless you!" the Strawberry Lady told me.

I smiled, thinking I was about to hear one of the annoying sayings that I seem to attract.

But instead, the Strawberry Lady paused, smiled, looked at me and said, "Actually, HE already has blessed you."

I was so touch and encouraged. And I couldn't agree with her more. I am richly blessed.

Oh, and here's what Timothy and I bought at Wal Mart. Care to guess what I'm making tomorrow??

Easter picture

This year, we stayed home and spent Easter with our church family. I love our church, and the people in it. Though I miss being with our families, I'm thankful for our church family which has been like family to us.

Easter Sunday we got up, enjoyed a fairly quiet morning. After getting the kids dressed in their Easter outfits, we did Easter baskets. This year, the Easter bunny was a slacker and just bought what candy could be found at HEB. Thank goodness that's not what Easter's about!

We headed to church where we celebrated our Savior's victory over death and worshipped our risen Lord.

We joined the Findley and Haileys for lunch and an egg hunt. It was a really wonderful day that lasted into the evening.

The following song is one of my favorites, and perfect for the Easter holiday I hope your family had a blessed Easter!

I will glory in my Redeemer

Whose priceless blood has ransomed me

Mine was the sin that drove the bitter nails

And hung Him on that judgment tree

I will glory in my Redeemer

Who crushed the power of sin and death

My only Savior before the Holy Judge

The Lamb Who is my righteousness

The Lamb Who is my righteousness I will glory in my Redeemer

My life He bought, my love He owns

I have no longings for another

I’m satisfied in Him alone

I will glory in my Redeemer

His faithfulness my standing place

Though foes are mighty and rush upon me

My feet are firm, held by His grace

My feet are firm, held by His grace

I will glory in my Redeemer

Who carries me on eagle's wings

He crowns my life with loving kindness

His triumph song I'll ever sing

I will glory in my Redeemer

Who waits for me at gates of gold

And when He calls me it will be paradise

His face forever to behold

His face forever to behold

His face forever to behold

Bluebonnets

My, how 1 year can change things! Look at how different last year's pictures were.

Timothy's wonky lip Part 2

This morning, we had an appointment with the plastic surgeon. We are very thankful that Timothy is growing, and gaining weight. Because he's doing such a good job at that, we were able to schedule his cleft repair surgery for May 5th. The surgery will be about 2 hours long, and we've been told to plan on staying the night so that the doctor's can be sure Timothy is eating well and not getting dehydrated. Even though his cleft is incomplete, and not as major as some, the surgery to repair it is just as extensive. The doctor will complete the cleft, the repair it.

While as a mommy I'm no stranger to having my children go through surgery, both major and minor, I'm finding that I am very saddened by this upcoming surgery. Perhaps it's because I've never had a child this young face surgery. Maybe it's because it's "just cosmetic" and doesn't NEED to be done to keep Timothy healthy.

But I think the main reason I'm saddened is because, for me, this is a very obvious and tangible reminder of the world we live in. We live in a fallen, sin marred world. A world where babies are born sick and with deformities. Though I have the ultimate hope of glorification in heaven, I still find myself saddened by the effects of sin.

Every day, I deal with my sin. As a mother, I also have the responsibility of helping my children as they deal with their sin. Though I know Timothy is a sinner, and corrupt in his whole being, I have yet to see those sinful tendencies. But here he is, with a birth defect that shows he is a sinner, born into a sinful, imperfect world. It just makes me sad.

Please keep us in your prayers as we deal with this. I'm thankful that I'm not scared of this surgery. I trust the doctors, the hospital and the staff that will be tending Timothy. Ultimately, I trust that God will use this entire situation for his glory and our good.

Answers

Almost a week ago, I posted asking any of my blog readers to ask me some questions so I had something to blog about. Well several of you came through!! If you've come up with a question, or blog topic, that you think would be interesting, let me know! I had fun, and would like to do it again.

Now, on to the answers!

Rachel B. asked: When you first met Curtis, did you think, "This man is the father of my future children," or not? If not, what did you think?

I actually don't remember the first time I met Curtis. I know it was the summer of '96 at Sunday school. I was 16, he was almost 18. Thankfully, God grew us both A LOT in the two years from when we met till the time we started our courtship. When we began our courtship, I knew he was someone I could see myself marrying so by default, the father of my children. So the short answer is, no I didn't think that Curtis would be the father of my children when we met. I thought he was a jerk. :-) But I'm thankful for grace, and for how God grew us and changed us.

Rachel B also asked: If you could tell the woman you were when you met him anything in the world, what would you say to yourself?



I actually did a blog awhile back about this. Check it out here.


My witty friend, Kristy, asked: Did you know that Sonic has the best drinks?


YES! I sure did!


A little background on that question. Kristy was my roommate in college, and we lived very close to a sonic. I don't even remember how it started, but we would randomly ask each other, "Did you know Sonic has the best drinks?" Good memories, Kristy, good memories.....


Jordan King, a sweet student in our co-op asked: What is the one of the sweetest things your children have done?


Hands down sweetest thing that my children have done is when I see that they are learning and growing in the Lord. The first time the say the Lord's Prayer on their own, singing the Doxology as loud as possible at church, acting out Bible stories, their sweet innocent prayers...... they melt my heart!


I love this question! Thanks for asking, Carissa: Looking at their personalities now, what occupations can you imagine your children having when they are grown?


Elizabeth: Singing, Dancing, Boss of the World.
Micah: A knight or an inventor
Benjamin: TV anchor or Politician
Timothy: Profession Eater/Momma's Boy

Sherry asked for a prediction:Which of your children will be the tallest and will they all be as tall as you and Curtis?

I think Micah will be our tallest. And yes, I think he will be taller than Curtis and I. I also think Elizabeth will be as tall as I am. I think Benjamin and Timothy will be tall, but not crazy tall.

My Da asked several questions, but I'll just tackle one for now: Why is it important to know how to ride a bike?

A life lesson can be learned behind the handle bars of the bike. Sometimes learning something hurts, but in the end, it really can be fun! I think it's important for kids to see in a tangible way that they can put forth the effort, even when it's hard and often painful, and get good results.

Momma asked: why are you so tall?

Because God loves me more than all the short people. :-) And good genes!

Even though she didn't leave a technical question, I wanted to give a big "HI!!!!" to Ms. Mary Ellen King! Ms. Mary Ellen is just about as sweet as they come! I love that she reads this blog. She said, "Love your blog!!!! How you have time I'll never know...." It's funny, because I get this comment a lot. And even though my life is a tad bit busy at the momment, I make time to blog because I love to blog! I really enjoy reading back over old blog, seeing pictures, reliving the good and the bad. It also helps me remember events for when I'm scrapbooking, which is my other hobby.

That was fun! Feel free to comment with more questions if you have any. It could be fun to do this again!

Q&A Time

I feel like blogging. But I'm not in the most rested place right now, so I can't think of anything to blog about. So I'm calling on all my readers (all five of you!) to ask my ANYTHING. From the silly, to the serious.... I'll be picking a few questions out and answering them in the next few days.

If you're a lurker, and have never commented, now's your chance! Just click on "comments" and leave an anonymous comment. But please make sure you leave your name too. Maybe I'll discover who a few lurkers are!

Looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with!

Hosanna!

A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

"Hosanna to the Son of David!"

"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

"Hosanna in the highest!"

Matthew 21:9-10

New babysitters

Adding a baby to our family, while homeschooling, and taking care of the daily things in life has been tough at times. I find myself trying to find a good balance between spending time feeding and loving on Timothy, while devoting enough time to school with Elizabeth, to being with Micah and Benjamin, feeding my family, doing laundry, cleaning the house..... the list goes on and on! There just aren't enough hours in the day!

So I hired a babysitter to entertain the three older children so that I could take care of things around the house or spend the time I need to with Timothy. My new sitters are AMAZING!! I feel like they are already a part of our family, and I wanted to introduce you to them.

Please welcome Tom and Jerry to the Krajca family!!! For Micah's birthday, my mom got him a Tom and Jerry DVD. The boys are especially in love with them. Elizabeth is bother by the fact that there isn't much talking, but is still amused by the hilarious antics.

If you're a worn out mommy, who needs 85 extra minutes in a day, you might consider hiring Tom and Jerry to watch your kids.

Wordless Wednesday

Why so mad, little one?

Why so mad?? Could it have something to do with your missing arm?
Oh!! There it is!

Poor Timothy had his arm pulled into his sleeper and was quite upset about the whole ordeal. I guess he still has some growing to do before this sleeper fits well. :-)

Sunday morning thoughts

This morning, I have the privilege of being home from church with my sweet baby and my sweet two year old, who has a double ear infection. Though it wasn't what I had planned, that's where I am.

While snuggled up on the couch with Benjamin, watching TV, I saw a commercial for a new show. A clip from the show had an older daughter asking a very tired and frazzled looking mom, "Why did you have another kid? Wasn't three enough?"

This morning, after a busy weekend celebrating Micah's birthday, playing hostess to my in-laws, while pouring myself another cup of coffee to combat the sleepiness left over from a rough night, and while getting goo out of my son's ear, I found myself asking the same question of myself. "Wasn't three enough?"

The transition to four has, overall, been fairly smooth. I know a big part of that is because of how much older my kids are than the last time we added a new member to our family. A lot of the ease is because of the fairly easy baby that Timothy is.

Despite the overall smoothness of the transition, I've become very aware of how much one tiny person can change the dynamics of a family. I'm still adjusting to having a baby in the family again. I'm still learning what being a mommy of four young children is like. So on days like today, as I'm pouring my second cup of coffee and looking around at my house that I just can't keep clean, I think of what the very tired frazzled looking mom wittingly told her daughter, "Three kids is for quitters!"

Family pics

My friend Carissa came into town for a day. She's been trying her hand at photography, and I suckered her into trying to get some family pictures of my brood. Though they aren't perfect, I was thrilled with the results! I think it's endearing that the kids are making their silly smiles, or looking at something other than the camera.

Because of Timothy's time in the NICU, there weren't opportunities in the hospital for Curtis and I to get sweet pictures of each other holding our newest addition. And, of course, life hasn't provided many opportunities for photo shoots. Having a pretty picture of us with Timothy was something that I really wanted. And I couldn't be happier about these!

Turning 4

Happy Birthday, Micah!!

Where have the years gone?!? My first son, my sweet Micah, Micah-Moo, Mighty Micah is turning FOUR today!

4 year ago today, Curtis and I welcome our 11lb baby into the world!
3 years ago, we celebrate our sons first birthday.With family by our side, we welcomed the terrible 2's!

And at Chuck E Cheeses we said good bye to the 2's and welcomed a little 3 year old boy.

And now look......

....in the blink of an eye, I've seen my baby turn into a little boy.

Happy birthday, Micah! You are strong, but gentle. Full of passion for life! A sweet brother. I have seen you grow up more and more each day. I pray that you will continue to grow into a godly young man, who loves the Lord with your whole heart. I love you!

Pixie Stitch Boutique

Two friends of mine, Lindsey and Dayna, have started the sweetest business called Pixie Stitch Boutique. And I was blessed enough to receive gifts adorable personalized gifts for Timothy from them. Check out their blog to see all the adorable shirts, onsies, burp rags and more that they can custom make for you!

Big Families

Apparently, my little family of 6 is considered a big family. Who knew!?! When Curtis and I began announcing our pregnancy with Timothy, we heard comments like, "We didn't know you wanted a big family!" or "I love big families like yours!" I thought that big families consisted of at least five kids. But apparently, big families begin at four children.

I recently came across this article. Brilliant! Enjoy the read.

Why big families are easier:

Patience. I never have to teach patience. My children know that I can’t drop everything for them if I have a baby in my arms.

Work Ethic. My children have learned to work because there are always chores to do in a small house packed with little messy lunatics. And they all learn quickly that sometimes they have to clean up a mess even though they didn’t make it.

Humility. My children have learned it’s not always their turn. They’ve accepted they can’t always get their way because other people have to get their way sometimes. They’ve learned that some children are better at certain things than they are.

Foreign language skills. You can learn a lot of Spanish by watching ten years of Dora the Explorer that you just can’t pick up in two. And now with the Diego spin off I’m practically fluent.

Laughter. The children have learned to laugh at the insane non sequiturs of younger siblings. They’ve learned that laughing just feels better when seven people are doing it along with you.

Competition. Do I really need to go into this? Everything is a competition in big families. The children compete over who reads faster, who drinks their milk faster, who gets to the bathroom first…etc. Everything is a competition and they’re all keeping score.

Balance. The floor of the front room of my home is a minefield of toys and childhood paraphernalia. Just walking through the room requires great skill and balance. I’m absolutely convinced my two year old will be a favorite for Gold on the balance beam in the 2016 Olympics. (She might have to lay off the cookies a little but I’ll deal with that later.)

Life isn’t fair. Sometimes you just give it to the baby because you want a little quiet. Not all the time. But sometimes.

Just say “No.” Being able to say “no” may be the most undervalued skill in this world. The need to be liked is pervasive. The need to be cool even more so. Having brothers and sisters teaches children to say “no” about 143 times a day. It’s a good skill.

Praying. They learn that nothing beats praying together as a family.

Nature/Nurture. Having many children has taught me that nature has a lot more to do with who my kids are than nurture. This is helpful, especially when your children misbehave you don’t have to feel bad about it. Just say “Stupid nature!!!” and blame your spouse’s genes.

Namecalling. You can occasionally call your child by the wrong name and still not be considered a terrible parent. They know who you mean just from your tone. Sometimes if you need something done you can call the wrong name and someone will still show up. That helps.

Spying. My children have learned that they can’t get away with anything. I have spies who look a lot like them who are willing to drop the dime on them for anything. Even at school I’ve got a child in just about every grade. If they do something I’ll hear. That keeps them nervous. And I like keeping my kids a little nervous.

Friendship. The children have many friends. They’ve got girly friends, crying friends, fun loving friends, consoling friends, and crazy friends. And they all have the same last name. And they’ll be there forever for each other. No matter what.

Love. I think my children have learned to love because there are others around them to love and who love them. I honestly can think of no better way to teach children to love than siblings.

A wonky Lip

Many fellow bloggers use their blogs as a form of journaling, to record the events that are occurring in their lives. I'm writing this blog to share information, but also to remember the details of life that so easily slip away.... especially in the busy, sleep deprived days of being a new mommy. I'm sure many of you will find this post less than exciting, but I do want to try to remember all the details of Timothy's first few months.

As soon as Timothy was delivered, the doctor commented on his cleft. We were relieved to realize that it was just his lip, and not his palette that was effected by the clefting. Almost immediately, we started receiving information about the process of getting it repaired.

At first, I really didn't care. I was more focused and concerned on getting Timothy out of the NICU, helping him eat well and gain weight, and getting rid of the jaundice that almost put us in the hospital again.

But once the chaos surrounding his early birth cleared, I started doing some research on cleft lips. Between the information for the staff in the NICU, our pediatricians input, and the information on line, I quickly discovered that one of the biggest debates in dealing with a cleft is the timing of the repair. Someone in the NICU told us it would be taken care of around 12 months. Another nurse told us 6 weeks. Our pediatrician said 6 months, and the ENT told us 9-12 months.

A couple weeks ago, we went to the ENT who started us on our journey of cleft repair. He confirmed what we already knew, that Timothy's cleft is very minor. It's actually not even a complete cleft. We were encouraged that this would make the repair process a little easier. Since the cleft was an incomplete cleft, we were referred to plastic surgeon, rather than the cleft team.

Today we met with the plastic surgeon. I left the meeting feeling very informed and I also felt like we had a plan in place.

The plan for now is that we wait for Timothy to get a little bigger. The plastic surgeon said he wants Timothy to be at least 10lbs before the surgery is done. Timothy will have a well visit with our pediatrician on April 4th, and another visit with the plastic surgeon on April 8th.

The surgery will most likely take place between April and August. The surgeon encouraged us that taking care of it sooner, rather than later, will help aid the minimizing of the scar. He did mention that many children who have clefts are at a higher chance of needing tubes put in their ears. Considering both Micah and Benjamin have had tubes, I was already expecting Timothy to need tubes at some point anyway. If possible, the plastic surgeon would want to time Timothy's cleft repair for the same time as tubes would go in.

I learned today that the surgery will be more involved than I was expecting. We've been through several surgeries with our kiddos. We've had the minor tube placements to Benjamin's major craniotomy. I was anticipating the cleft repair surgery to be similar to the surgery of getting tubes put in..... go in, surgery, 2 hours later you head home. However, we learned that the surgery will last 1-2 hours, and that there is a good chance we might have to spend the night in the hospital. Even though Timothy's cleft is incomplete, the surgery to repair it is just like a complete cleft repair. Since there's extensive work being done on his lip, and because he is getting all of his nutrition by sucking, he will be closely monitored for dehydration, which is why we might have to spend the night.

I also learned that this may not be the only repair surgery Timothy will face. When he's school age, he might need to have his lip done again. And then depending on how his nose is growing, he might need rhinoplasty right about the time he hits adolescents.

We've been asked, "Why not just leave it?" And after hearing about how involved the surgery is, and how he might face more surgeries, I've thought about just leaving it. I think Timothy is beautiful, and his lip is sweet and endearing. But then I think about 13 year old Timothy. Imagine having an obvious defect while dealing with all the other "excitements" of adolescents. I also think of 22 year old Timothy, going for job interviews. Though I hope and pray he is a grounded, godly man, surrounded by strong, godly people, odds are he will be judged first by his appearance. This is his smile! His first impression. And even though this isn't going to be quite as simple as I originally though, I feel more confident that we are making the right decision by doing the repair surgery.

Early Wordless Wednesday

Momma said there'd be days like this

Timothy's nights are mostly good. But he is a baby, so we have bad nights in there too. Last night wasn't a bad night, but it for sure wasn't a good night!

This morning, I dragged myself out of bed, ready to get a start on what I was hoping would be a great week! My sister, Shannon, has been here since last Wednesday, and is leaving early this Wednesday morning. I'm trying to prepare for life with four kids, all alone, and was hoping that today would be the start of a great week.

I got this sweet boy up..... and began changing his diaper. Then he went potty all over the place. Of course. But I wasn't going to let that little incident get to me. It was the first day of a great week!

Then he did it again AND pooped all over the place. I began to have a bad feeling about my supposedly great week.

I headed to the kitchen to make a wonderful breakfast of homemade banana muffins. I was greeted by the smell of fresh coffee, was reminded how thankful I was for my sweet husband, and got my second wind.

Apparently, my second wind came in the form of a little too much enthusiasm. While I was making the muffins, I spilled vegetable oil ALL over the kitchen floor.

I decided to tone down my enthusiastic expectations, and just make it through the morning.

Eventually, I was able to start accomplishing my goal. Breakfast was great! The playroom got cleaned! School was started! The baby was fed and changed several times!! Yay!

This afternoon, Elizabeth and I had an encounter. Not a good one! I showed her mercy and sent her to dance despite her behavior. Benjamin and Timothy were sleeping, and Micah was my big helper. I was able to do some cleaning and general picking up.

Unfortunately, while doing the picking up, I accidentaly knocked this picture off the mantle.


Is it too late to go to bed and try again tomorrow morning?

Who 'dat baby???

When a family has their first baby, everyone wants to know, "Who does that baby look like? Mommy? Daddy?" But when you have baby #4, the baby no longer looks like Mommy or Daddy. The big question is, "Which brother/sister does he look like?"

Judge for yourself! Elizabeth

Micah

Benjamin

Timothy

So who do you think the newest Krajca looks like??