Snow

These are old pictures by now and we still haven't gotten a huge snowstorm, but these are pictures of one of the small storms we got. The kids were out there early and looking forward to fun in the snow. Really, it's just a skiff, but Nate doesn't remember deep snow, so he was impressed.

So was Jason.

These boys aren't going to be the type that stay in when it's cold outside.  They'll be out there playing, I'm sure of it.  I guess we just keep hoping there will be lots of snow to play in.

Book Club Helpers

This is an old event, but still worth talking about.  I had book club at my house on a night when Mike was out of town last month.  I asked the kids to help me get the boys in bed and pick up things a bit.  They were really excited to help and we got things done in record time.  Jason and Nate were snoozing and they got the food set out on the table.  I made fudge for that night (as a special request from Allie and Jake who crave it all year round.)  I also made caramel popcorn and pumpkin cookies.  The kids set things up and even remembered to get my chair out because they have seen it out in that room after previous book clubs.  Then, it was a waiting game.  I had told them that people would be there at 8.  So when 8:00 came and went, they were outside looking down the street and asking me every thirty seconds when people were going to show up.  They didn't realize that the ladies hardly ever show up on time (me included.)  They always show up though and we did have a great time.

I love my book club and the friends that I have there.  We've been going strong for 9 years now.  I still feel like a traitor when I think of the year that I didn't come to this book club.  I had too many things on my plate and I let this book club be the thing that I took off.  Never again.  I need my book club friends too much. We've chatted through all sorts of issues and read so many great books.  I love book club!

A New Chair

The high chair that was a happy place for so many little Schwabbies is no longer in its place of glory at the kitchen table.  Jason spent more time trying to climb,  monkey style, out of it than in.  So, we finally got him settled in a booster seat.

 He seems to like it.  The monkey like behavior isn't much different, but it is what it is.

It is pretty strange to get rid of the baby items one by one.  The infant things are long gone, but there are still a few things that I use every day and have a hard time giving up.  I put the high chair in our storage room and Mike thinks it's ridiculous to hang onto it, waiting for grand kids, but it sure is a handy chair, and I'm sure there will be times when we'll need it as we babysit babies.  There just have to be more baby bums sitting in that chair.

Two Sides of the Door

There are two sides to every door.  When I see books on the floor outside Jason's room....

 ...it means that when I open the door, I will find this...

Jason climbs out of the bed every night and then falls asleep at the door.  He does his best to get attention from anyone who will listen.  He pokes his fingers under the door and says "Allie?"  "Jake?"  He never calls for me because he knows I won't come and get him.  Allie and Jake find it almost impossible to resist rescuing him.  It is even harder for Jake because his room is right next door.
Jason's room has some french doors on the other side of the room, so I can sneak in when he's asleep and put him in his bed.  I guess that's how we are doing things for a while.  I might as well just put him in a toddler bed, but I am afraid that naps will go out the window.  For now, he doesn't climb out of his bed at nap time.
Anyway, he sure is a cute little guy...just one that has trouble falling asleep these days.

I haven't been posting because I had all the pictures on the camera and hadn't put them on the computer yet.  That meant that I found all sorts of new things to write about when I finally got them on there. These pictures are before Allie's hair cut, and before Jake started wearing pants to school.  He wore shorts until just a few weeks ago.

I get so frustrated during FHE, scripture study, and family prayer because I have a bunch of wild monkeys that are bouncing off the walls.  Then I break out a Piggie and Gerald book and I have total silence and attention.  What is up with that?  I love that they all like to read though.

Sometimes when they are bouncing off the walls, I'll get Allie or Jake to sit down and read to the littles while I get dishes done.  This night, they all ended up on the couch together.  I thought the picture above was funny because Jason bopped an unsuspecting Jake on the head with his sippy cup.

...and tried to do it again and again...

...Allie just kept on reading through the chaos...

Best part was that Nate fell asleep as Allie read, so that meant one less kid to put to bed.

A Picture of a Monster

Nate has a pretty basic routine.  He hangs out with Jason in the morning, then we have lunch, and most days when Jason goes down for a nap, he wanders over to the neighbors and asks for a treat.  They give him a treat and then he'll ask for one for Jason.  He ends up with two treats.  On his way home, he eats them both. One day, while Nate was on his excursion, he discovered something new, so he came in to tell me about it...

Nate:  Mom.  There is a picture of a monster out there.

Me: Where?

Nate:  Out by the berries, on that green thing, there is a picture of a monster.

Nate was pretty animated, and I knew it was going to be funny, so I took my camera as I went out to see the scary monster picture.  Sure enough...

Here's what Nate had to say about the monster that lives in the green thing...

Nate:  That monster eats bumble bees and kids.  And he punches them (complete with punching gestures) and he has big teeth.  He only eats sad kids, and he lives in there and when it's Christmas, he will jump out and he will run for his life.

Me:  He'll run for his life?

Nate: Yeah.  He'll run for his life.

p.s. Nate said that the monster eats bumble bees because he has been stung out there a few times while playing near the green box.  There is a hornet nest there every year and he happens to upset those mean hornets at least once a year too.

Gymnastics

Allie has been doing flips around the house for years now.  It is almost a compulsion.  She gets up from the dinner table and does a few hand stands and cartwheels and when I ask her to sit back down, she is almost surprised to find herself flipping around instead of eating.  It's just something that she does without knowing she is doing it.

A few months ago, some of her friends started getting private lessons from a neighbor of ours who used to be a gymnast.  Allie begged and begged to be able to do it too, but I resisted.  She is in dance and we just started piano. With activity days, I just felt like she had enough on her plate to entertain her.  She let it go for a long time, but I could tell that she was sad about it.  She tried to teach herself all that she could and we even watched youtube videos on how to do a back handspring.  I guess I decided that it couldn't hurt anything to let her have a few private lessons so she could quit landing on her head and learn the right way to do a back handspring.  She was so excited.  She worked for an hour and learned new ways to position her body and she can do them by herself on the tramp now and can do them on the ground with a spotter.  Way to go Allie!

Nate Boy

There used to be a time when I feared for Nate's life every single day.  He was so wild and crazy that I was just sure I would never raise him to adulthood.  Times have changed.  Nate is such an easy kid these days.  He makes me so happy and I have so much fun with him.  Not only does he talk so much and tell funny stories, but he loves me.  He loves to give me kisses, he loves to snuggle me, and he loves to be around me.  I know it might make me sound needy, but I love every single minute of his snuggles and I love each one of his wet kisses.  I love it when he says "you probably need a kiss from me" and leans in.  Then, if we happen to smack our lips at the same time he says "we both kissed at the same time!"  If he kisses one cheek, he'll say "I gotta get the other side" and he'll shove my face to the other side and give me another smacker.  I love it when he says "I missed you Momma" when I come in the door from being gone (usually only for a few minutes).  

Jake used to be my little lover boy.  He climbed into bed with me every night and I used to worry about it and wonder how I'd ever get him to sleep in his own bed.  People would tell me not to worry about it and that eventually I'd miss it.  I couldn't imagine missing it, but now that he doesn't climb in bed anymore, I realize that I do.  I don't necessarily miss having him in my bed, but I miss that sweet innocence of youth that he had and the way I was his world.  His world has expanded now and although he loves me just as much as ever, things are different.  So, when Nate climbs into my bed, I don't worry about it.  I know Mike isn't a huge fan of having kids in the bed, but I don't mind so much.  Right now, I am Nate's world.  Jason is there too, along with Allie, Jake, and Mike.  But I am the one he needs the most.  He uses Mike for entertainment, but I get the love and affection.  I drink it up.

Jason takes great naps.  He climbs out of his crib now every day (even with the lowered mattress), but he still takes an awesome nap.  So, Nate and I have from 1 to 4 to hang out together.  That's when I try to be productive.  Sometimes my breakfast mess stays on the counter until Jason is down for a nap.  That means I feel like a total slob if people stop by before nap time because they see the mess we live in, but I can't worry about it too much.  Anyway, nap time is my time with Nate.  On this day, we made bread.  He loves to dump the flour in and he's surprisingly good at it.  He can dump it in with little to no mess.

 He also likes to put his finger on the turning paddle and scoop the flour off.  I love those cute little fingers and I love our time together.  Nate is a great little buddy.

10!

Jake is a double digit boy!  He is such a great kid.  10 years ago, he came into our lives and made me a mom.  I can't imagine starting our family out any other way.  He's the best older brother and the best oldest son anyone could ask for.  I am so grateful for his happy disposition, his kind heart, and his cute little face.
I love that his first reaction is to be cheerful.  He had the croup last week and I knew he had a pretty sore throat, so each time I walked by him, I'd ask how he was.  He'd say "great!" then pause and realize that I was asking how he was feeling, so he'd tell me his throat still hurt, but his first instinct was "great!"
He can drive his siblings a bit crazy sometimes because he pesters them a lot.  But he also helps them when they need it and snuggles with each one as often as he gets the chance.

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

I hope Jake has a great birthday and I hope he has a great year being 10.  The years are so fast and so slow at the same time.  I can't imagine going back to the days of snuggling just one little baby at home...life is so different now, but I did have a great time with Jake as a baby and I am so glad he is mine.

Grandma

My mom came up to our house to celebrate my birthday.  She is pretty awesome to come up for every birthday.  We got to go shopping while the kids were in school and I got some fun new clothes.  She also shared some maple syrup and currant from her last trip to Canada.  She showed the kids her adventures on the globe and they all thought it was pretty cool that she visited so many neat places.  

She sends them post cards from her trip when she's on the longer ones and they look forward to those.  Allie asks each day if a post card has come from Grandma when she knows Grandma is out of town.  The one Nate got has a picture of a potato running down the road and it has made for some interesting conversations between us.  Nate is very literal.  He still gets mad when you try to call him some sort of a nick name.  He says "NO!  I'm Nafan Joe Schwab".  Anyway, the running potatoes was something that totally threw him off.  "Mom!  tatoes can't run!  Why are those tatoes running?  They don't have legs!  They're just veg-ables!
Anyway, thanks Mom for being my mom.  Thanks for coming up and making my birthday great.  Thanks for loving my kids so much and being such a wonderful grandma.  Our little town might not be as glamorous and Prince Edward Island, but you are always welcome here.