Hey Life, Top THIS!

We had a beyond fabulous weekend!  ((I'll keep it real in the parenthesis--I wouldn't want anyone to think that life with four kids ages 6, 5, 3, and 2 is sunshine and roses all the time.  **Sidenote: who ARE those people who are so quick to destroy JOY shared on social media because it doesn't accurately show *reality*??  My reality- life is hard, and I still have a lot of joy! Sorry...moving on**)) We had a really great weekend!! I have to share:

Friday soon after Josh got home from work our homeowner stopped by with presents for the kids.  He is the sweetest guy.  Josh knows his story better than I do, but he is from Vietnam, basically became an apprentice for a handyman (starting in TX maybe?) and 20 years later with a wife and kids works here in DC.  Anyway- he LOVES the kids.  His English is a little rough, but he and Noah have been talking about baseball the few times he's been here fixing things around the house.  Check this out:

Bats, helmets and baseballs for each kid. :)  So generous!  The kids have been practicing and practicing ;)  And of course they were WAY too excited to hold still for a picture, but the blur just adds to the picture IMO. ;)

Saturday morning Josh finally got a bike!  So all 6 of us went on a bike ride...2+ miles. ((the + was too much for Noah...it took almost as long as the 2 miles to coax him the last bit home)).  It was a beautiful morning, and I had Jordan on my back so it was also a great workout!  My Dad also gave us a tip on how to fix Jack's bike, so the chain didn't fall off even once!  ((But I scraped my knee going too close to a tree, and one of the kids rode over the largest animal poo I've ever seen UGH)).

After our bike ride we went to Sam's and Walmart and got some groceries and returns done with ((kids fighting and screaming)). I introduced Josh to the "Waze" app...a necessity in this area! ;)  Slowly but surely we might be catching up with technology ((who am I kidding)).

I made a delicious salad for lunch--I know what you're thinking--Me, Salad...it is a miracle.  It was so good!  The kids even liked it! 

Then it was lawn mowing time.  The kids played with their new baseball stuff and Josh did the weed eating, and I mowed.  My favorite way to finish up mowing is in a downpour.  Well, my favorite way to finish up mowing is to actually finish up!  But, it's a close second :)  We got rained out mowing about an hour in...and stayed out about another hour and let the kids play in the rain.  It started with running around playing tag and ended with all of us sitting on the driveway enjoying a perfect summer rain!  The kids played in puddles, Josh and I sat and enjoyed.  It rained pretty hard for about 25 minutes, but the rest of the time was just light rain.  Beautiful, peaceful, and relaxing!  ((Immediate laundry and bath needs, trails of grass clippings thru the house, and digging dirt out of ears))

Saturday night we spent watching the Olympics with the kids.  Of course they've never seen anything like it before--by the end of the night each kid had a new favorite sport.  Volleyball, Beach volleyball, Cycling, and Gymnastics.  :)

Sunday we went to church and heard an incredible message, watched more Olympics, then finished up mowing the yard. Made and ate waaaay too much French Toast for supper. Josh took the kids on a walk while I cleaned up, and then we watched Olympic swimming until bedtime. :)  ((And then Josh and I continued watching the Olympics while listen to Jordan *loudly protest* bedtime for over an hour))  ((And then Josh and I stayed up past midnight and I'm not sure there's much to prevent that from happening for the rest of the Olympics))

And I forgot to share this story, but last week Jordan had been telling me for a couple days that she had an apple up her nose.  She would show me her play-food apple, point to her nose and tell me she had an apple up her nose.  Since her most repeated phrase is "that's so funny, Mommy" I thought she was just being silly.  ((Actually she had been digging around in her nose quite a bit, but that's not abnormal for a 2 year old)).  Finally on the 3rd day, after MULTIPLE nose-blows to try to get her to stop picking her nose, she comes over and hands me a slimy chuck of apple about the size of the two-bump lego. WHAT?!?  "Apple not in my nose, Mommy.  Here."  0_o

And here's a couple pictures of our family outing to the Smithsonian a couple weeks ago.  We even had lunch at a food truck! :)

AUGUST!!!

Well, our next adventure has begun!  We've been in Springfield, VA nearly a month!  It's been a pretty good transition- the kids and I have only had 2 things on our schedule the WHOLE MONTH.  So we've done library trips, park excursions, and lots of down time. Which makes my heart happy after going 1,000 miles an hour for months!

Josh is really liking his new job at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (The Military's Med School) in Bethesda.  He is in charge of Protocol for the University, if you want more info on what that entails you'll have to ask him :)

The kids have been extra funny lately.  Also extra grumpy.  We're at extremes here with all the change, but I've saved some good stories for you so hold on to your hat!

Renae- 6 1/2 (WHAT?!!)

We're gearing up for 1st grade!  I can't even believe it.  Renae has such a cheerful heart, she's really the only one who understands what moving really means.  She misses her friends, she really misses Miss Terri (her dance teacher), and she misses church!  But, she's got a great attitude about it and trusts that God's got great plans for us here, too!   We've watched her performance at Dance Camp this summer quite a few times over the past weeks, and I realized that I hadn't shared it! The theme was about being Jewels--Renae was a Ruby (wearing red)--about how we are Priceless to God and about shining for His glory!   ENJOY!! (click ENJOY to watch! hahaha) She does the Charleston all day long :)

Also, this girl is STRONG!! She did not inherit her Mom's muscles, that's for sure.  She helped me move furniture, assemble furniture, and move boxes around :)

Renae and Jack discovered the live lobsters at the grocery store.  They like to count how many of them have different color rubber bands on their claws.  They say the rubber bands keep them from "cripping"?!?  "You don't want them to CRIP you Mom!"

Jack - 5

Kindergarten! WOW!  He is more than ready and excited!  While Jack still keeps us on our toes, he seems to have mellowed out a little more.  He is definitely not a crowds or attention guy, he will often times be off by himself in large groups, rarely talks to strangers, and will not do anything on command.  He's very particular...wonder where he gets that from?? HA! :)  This kid is hilarious.  Here's a bit of a conversation I overheard:

"Daddy, am I still going to have hair when I'm a parent?"
-"I don't know, only God knows that."
"I hope so, I want to keep my hair!"

Every night ends with "Mom, what are we going to do tomorrow?" And he has a very sweet side.  He wants more hugs or kisses than any of the other kids.  He LOVES babies.  He will spend time playing/talking to them more than the other kids as well. :)

Last week  Jack somehow located and acquired silly string and used the whole can trying to kill a cricket in our basement bath tub.  He was laughing so hard--that is one of my favorite things about him.  He laughs so easily.

Noah 3 1/2

Noah is still smack dab in the hilarious/adorable part of the end of toddlerhood.  He is so imaginative.  Just yesterday he told me that he was going into the TV screen to help a squirrel.  He was going to break the TV....go into the screen...fix it up behind him so the bad guys couldn't get back out...and then help his friend squirrel.  Uhhhh, let's not try that.

Also hilarious is that Noah barely can stand to be outside for very long...he complains about the HEAT!  "I'm too Hot, Mommy. I don't like to be HOT!" Son, you've lived in GA for 3.5 years and never mentioned it...?!

Noah also wants to tell bedtimes stories every night.  Usually they are very dramatically told starting with "Once a spon a time..." there's usually a ghost or a pirate, and most especially a golden treasure.  One time the story ended with "and then we all had glass teeth. Then End."  I started recording them after that one came out.

Also hilarious: Noah came over and climbed on my lap.  "Please lick my head Mommy, I'm Simba".  He told me it was his bath and that Mommy lions lick their babies clean.  When I gave my best pretend lick (I was actually really impressed with my sound effects) he turned around furious...the phrase "looking daggers at me" wouldn't even adequately explain this..."I'm serious, MOM.  Lick my hair!!!"  When I tried to negotiate into any scenario where I would not have to actually LICK HIS HAIR...he just got more and more upset.  I felt bad, but it was really funny.  Finally Renae piped in "I'll lick your hair, Noah!" To which I said, "Who wants to watch the Lion King?!".  Crisis averted.

Jordan- 2

Cutest 2 yr old ever. EVER.  One of our friends up here has rightly nicknamed her "Bouncy".  She is the kid you see running and you are always cringing, just waiting for her to trip and fall.  She rarely does though..she's just very bouncy.  And she answers to it, too!  She thinks it's so funny.  Actually, that is probably her most repeated phrase right now, "That's so funny, Mommy, its so funny."

She is continually around me asking to be picked up all day long, so when she came over a few nights ago while I was cooking and started leaning on my legs I didn't even turn around.  Next thing I knew, two tiny hands were hiking up my shorts...."There you go, Mommy, all better." Uhhhh.  Apparently saggy shorts and on her list of pet peeves because she will help you out if she sees the need. :)  hahaha!!  I didn't even know she was tall enough to do that!  Maybe I'm already shrinking in my old age :)

She continues to have several dare devil moments.  Mostly because she so badly wants to play like the big kids.  I rescued her from hanging from one arm off a swing, watched her go down a 6 foot playground ladder hands only.  Like the double fireman's pole with no legs...maybe she'll be in the Navy-that's definitely a ship skill!

A couple days ago I walked in on Jordan playing with shaving cream that she somehow reached.  The only place she put it....on her head!  #balddadproblems  hahaha ;)

She will still ask me before bed if "we rock a minute?" YEP. ;)

Lots going on here!  If you want our new address, let me know and I'll get it to you! :)