Supermodel Selah!

Selah has dabbled in trimming her own hair a time or two, but the time has finally come for her first Big Girl Haircut!

Before

Beautiful hair, though the hair care routine was getting a little much for me. Wash, condition, detangler spray, comb, brush, blah blah blah. I spent more time on her hair than I ever have on my own!

Before

And thanks to Mrs. Whitney, she now has this adorable 'do!

I love how swishy it is now! She can dance around and shake her hair and it falls back into place so sweetly.

Brotherly Love

Bless Joe's little heart. He is always surrounded by girls! I tell him he's going to be such a great husband someday.

They love their big brother!

If anybody even THINKS about getting on the floor, Lauryn is going to bounce on their squishy tummy. 

 

Joe made all sorts of fun noises and funny faces while Lauryn bounced away happily!

... and then his BIG sister stuck a tiara on his head, said, "Hey, Joe!" and snapped this blackmail shot:

No wonder he's always asking for a brother!

Think INK

A few weeks ago, Kaity's biology class started back up for the spring semester. The only downside for us was that Co-Op had not yet started back. That left me with two hours to while away with three kids forty minutes from home. Sitting in the van: not an option. I took a look at a map and realized Kaity's class was only a few miles away from INK - Interactive Neighborhood for Kids. We took the kids there last year for Selah's birthday and they loved it! Providentially, it was also Homeschool Day, and admission was half-price. I can dig it.

Doing Lauryn's make-up.

It was the joy of Lauryn's heart to have her very own tiny cart to push.

Of course we bought Ralston brand cereal!

At the '50s Diner, which was inexplicably playing '90s rap music. (Hammer time!)

At the bank's ATM.

Action shot! Engineer Selah, jumping aboard the train.

Engineer Joe - clearly the railroad's in his genes.

Doctor Pittard, with a very skeptical patient.

Very Silly Interviews

Way back in "aught nine", I interviewed my TWO kids about their mom. It was pretty hysterical! I ran across it several weeks ago and am finally getting around to interviewing Selah. This has been quite an experience, I'll tell you that! Be very thankful that I've edited out a good bit of her commentary and random, rambling stories. I then re-interviewed Joe, just for laughs.

1. What is something Mommy always says to you?
S:"Put your dishes away. Clean up and uh ... also, clean the stairs."
J:"Finish your school."

2. What makes Mommy happy?
S:"Putting my dishes away. Um ... Clean up your room."
J:"Me obeying her."

3. What makes Mommy sad?
S:"Not doing your dishes. When you don't clean up your room."
J:"Me accidentally breaking a ceramic bowl."

4. How does Mommy make you laugh?
S:"Catch me!"
J:"Tickling me."

5. What was Mommy like as a child?
S:"Selah. I love my mommy!" (Then she gave me a hug.)
J:"A German girl."

6. How old is Mommy?
S:"Firty-five."
J:"Ten trillion years old? 35."

7. How tall is Mommy?
S:"Six inches."
J:"Somewhere between 5 and 6 feet."

8. What is Mommy's favorite thing to do?
S:"Um, clean dishes? You like to eat dinner!"
J:"Cook!"

9. What does Mommy do when you're not around?
S:"Um, go get dishes?" (I intervened. "Enough with the dishes! You're obsessed!") "Go get groceries!"
J:"That's a toughie. Play on the laptop."

10. If Mommy becomes famous, what will be for?
S:"She's awesome! Well, you ARE awesome."
J:"Best chef. Best cook. Best dessert maker."

11. What is Mommy really good at?
S:"Dinner."
J:"Cooking. Giving birth? I mean, seriously, you've had lots of practice."

12. What is Mommy not very good at?
S:"Pictures."
J:"I don't know ... Maliciously annihilating things."

13. What does your mom do for a job?
S:"Food."
J:"Parent."

14. What is Mommy's favorite food?
S:"Um, lettuce. Meatballs. Ooh, ooh ooh - 'busketti'!"
J:"I know it's not ice cream! Brownies? Chocolate?"

15. What makes you proud of Mommy?
S:"Put all your dishes away and you're finished, and then you see it!" (I think she's got this one backwards, like I'm proud of her when she does her dishes.)
J:"She spends most of her time with us four kids. When she's not cooking or sleeping with Dad."

16. If Mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be?
S:"Stench of the meatballs! (She just finished watching "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs".)
J:"Iron Man."  (Yes, because the millionaire playboy lifestyle is SO ME. Maybe it's the beard."

17. What do you and Mommy do together?
S:"Get lollipops for me and Joe. Mop!"
J:"Play games."

18. How are you and Mommy the same?
S:"Um, necklaces. We have necklaces."
J:"We both have green eyes."

19. How are you and Mommy different?
S:(She just started giggling uncontrollably, then indicated our hair color being different.)
J:"We have different hair color. I'm male and she's female."

20. How do you know Mommy loves you?
S:"Hugging each other."
J:"Because she's related to me."

21. What does Mommy like most about Daddy?
S:"Kissing each other! You kiss my Daddy."
J:"Everything? I don't know. I have no clue. Everything, I guess."

22. Where is Mommy's favorite place to go?
S:"To the movies."
J:"Home."

Evenings At Home

Daddy and Lauryn on their laptops:

Another evening, Joe, Kaity and I were playing Qwirkle together. Lauryn and Selah were "helping".

Jeff brought the laptop over and showed the kids some Mnozil Brass videos. Jeff saw their concert in Florida October 2013, and we're going to another one next month!

This picture was taken one morning while I enjoyed my coffee ... Kaity was working on Biology when she came running up and said, "Mom, I got water on your laptop!"

Final Christmas Celebration!

On New Year's Day, Jeff's family came over to celebrate Christmas with us.

Lauryn was so proud of herself for sitting in the big chair!

Paige!

Jason!

Selah and Sarah.

Jacob. We saw a lot of this from all the kids!

Joe. All the cousins were playing Minecraft with each other on their tablets.

Papa, in His Chair.

Jeffrey.

 We were able to connect with Joe and Jennifer via Skype. Everyone gathered around the laptop to see Joe, Jenn, Jackson, and Raegan all the way from Texas!

Jason and Jacob, paying homage to the queen. 

We relocated to the couch so it was easier for everyone to see. 

We had a great time together: eating, laughing, sharing stories, opening gifts, etc. Jeff and I are so excited to have the blessing of a home large enough to host gatherings like this and hope to do it many more times over the years!

Pittard-Shields Christmas 2014

While we had plans to go to my parents' house for several days over Christmas, guess why we didn't ... Anyway, Mom and Berk came to us instead! I made a big pot of chili and we ALL got to sit around the table to share lunch. It was absolutely wonderful to have a table and chairs where we could be together. After lunch - presents!

Lauryn loves this book! She "reads" it all the time.

 We gave Bobba a Sponge Bob toy (inside joke ...) and a certificate for the Cookie-of-the-Month Club. We sent Banana-Chocolate Chip in January.

Kaity racked up with the Doctor Who merchandise. 

We've played this a few times and those questions are hard!

Tom Baker scarf! Jeff is always plotting to steal it.

Magnet dolls! Selah loves these.

Joe is really good at shooting this bow and suction cup arrow set. He likes to set up targets outside.

It's Anna from Frozen!