The view from my window

We're in the middle of a big dig off the side of our house to replace the waste water drainage pipes - just a little dirt and some holes (and a dear friend who's using the excavator we rented, and a friend-of-a-friend who does plumbing, and lots of roots, and several curious kids).  The result will be pipes that don't back up into the house and flood the bathroom, hardwoods and the garage below with 'poop water'.  The end will be nice. 

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The flooded garage after the clean-up but missing some sheetrock after the toilet overflowed into the 2nd floor of the house - two weeks ago!

Big Girl bed

A little later than the others but "right on time" for her - we moved Lydia into the big girl bed.  She has one that matches Lucy's bed from IKEA.  The other night I went into the room and found her talking and 'reading' books past bedtime.  Here's what I found...sweet little critter

Cooking up something in the kitchen

Last week was a week of international cuisine at the Noonan house.  Lucy loves to cook and to try new dishes - very brave culinary adventures - so at the library last week she picked out two cookbooks "Cooking the Ethiopian way" and "Cooking the Mexican way" and we got busy making some dishes.  I'm very proud of her growing cooking skills and her desire to try new things and enjoy the variety of food God's given us.

We made some vermicelli Mexican soup, Mexican hot chocolate and an Ethiopian dish named Doro Wat.  All of the meals, time spent making them and the conversations to follow were enjoyable.  I'll have to take pictures next time and invite you over....for Norwegian food!

Water Park (with a farm theme)

I ended up with several days off in a row two weeks ago so we loaded up the van, invited one of my new found friends in Douglasville, Granny Crowe (who grew up in my county and got her hair cut by my great grandfather and was itching to visit her 92 year old cousin who still lives in Madison) and drove south of the gnat line ... home. 

Every trip to the farm is just good for my soul, even when I spend 12 hot, sticky, dirt filled hours a day working outside - it's good for my soul.  As for me - it's refreshing but as far as my children are concerned - they LOVE IT!!!  Especially when Papa rides them on the Ranger - nowhere in particular but just riding, especially when grandma gives them endless popsicles and takes them to pick blueberries, especially when cousins come and play.  A place where a trip to the mailbox is an adventure and feeding the chickens a delight - where early morning cartoons last much longer than at home and bedtime is later than any clock should say for little ones, where a big dog chases sticks and little ones play in the dirt with their own precious sticks, where grandma cooks and cooks and cleans and where laundry is always promptly completed on Mondays.  We love that farm and those two people who've been married nearly 40 years who live side by side and invite us to come whenever we can.  Thanks for always welcoming our craziness at the farm!

I wish I had a before and after shot of all of our hard work - Erin and I (along with a sweet friend and my brother) cleaned and worked for several days as a Mother's Day and Father's Day gift around the farm.  I hope it's a blessing to them as it was to be able to help!

And while we worked the little ones played in grandma's three ring circus of a water park, picked blueberries, played in the dirt and ate popsicles.  What fun!  We really missed Wyatt but Grandma Camp isn't far away!

Puddle fun

Bubbles

Hangin' with the Sistahs

Puddle jumping with the sisters is a fine way to spend the afternoon.  These two are sweet friends already and can get into lots of mess and fun.  We have a instant puddle in our driveway anytime it rains and the jumping, running and splashing are great.

Fiesta Dancing

Lucy (in pigtails) dancing with her classmates

Field Day

Yesterday was Field Day for S and L at school.  They were super excited and seemed to have a great day.  Much has changed since my Field Days at Madison Academy - now in elementary school "everyone is a winner" so no one came in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place but they did have fun, played some games and got wet!  I forgot the camera for Lucy's games but went home and came back for Samuel's with the camera.  Samuel's competitive, intense personality shone through as they raced and Lucy's encouraging personality came out as she started cheers for her teammates as they raced.  They have both had a good year with sweet children in their classes.  Here are some of the pictures with Samuel and his class.

 Samuel's best classmates - Matthew and J'Martino

Field Day - Kindergarten

One of the sweet mom's in Lucy's class sent me these pictures -

Potty Training

This is how we potty train - an eager participant, jelly beans, a silly song "Pee-pee in the potty, pee-pee in the potty" and the Economist for reading material.

Saying Goodbye

The children playing today with friends while moving vans are packed!

Our dear neighbors - and our kiddos' EVERY day playmates - are moving today.  We are usually the ones to leave and this is a first for us to have others move on and leave us here in this place with the silence left by their absence.  Almost every day Mary Hannah and Hans play with Lucy and Samuel out the back - I listen through open doors and windows at their play, at their stories and laughter and adventures and I love it.  I am really going to miss this sweet friendship between those kiddos.

Last night there were tears and today more play as the vans are packed.  We love their family and will miss them and pray for their next endeavors.  We'll also be playing more with the great kids down the road!

The blessings of a mother

I love you Mama and wish I was there to give you a hug and share a cup of coffee.  I'm so grateful for all the years of faithful love to me and Casey - you are a wonderful Mama!  I wish I had a scanner to scan some of those old pics of you but all I have is the now...

Lucy made a booklet at school about me - here are a few of the pages
Even my daughter knows where I'd rather be...

 Her favorite place to go is "her mom's house" (she even drew the screened porch!)

 Wow - I have some awesome fingers!

While I'm at school, she "works" - (I'm working on a guy who's been shot while smiling!)

Mama

For all of my dear friends who are in the trenches of motherhood - you know who you are
-you're the ones who have been to the pediatrician more in the last few years than the movies,
-the ones who are drowning in clothes - dirty, hand-me-downs, clean - of all sizes and seasons,
-the ones who wonder how many times you can feed macaroni and cheese to your kids before they get scurvy,
-the ones who wonder how will I make it through dinner and bath again tonight let alone the next 16 years and then are amazed at how fast the time goes - too quickly,
-the ones who laugh at the conversations of dreams and imaginations and try to remember what they say to share it with dad later,
-the ones who well up with joy and laughter at the simplest pleasures or the profoundest of truths from little lips,
-the ones who can recite favorite books from memory and often do with eyes closed so that you get a little rest while the kiddos sit quietly
- the ones that have given up dreams of spa treatments for fantasies of clean homes
-the ones who are so much more grateful for their own mothers and wonder how did they do it?
-the ones who wonder - am I doing this thing called mothering right? Is there even a right?
-the ones who thank the LORD for His grace and love to cover their sins and the messiness of motherhood.

I was greatly encouraged by Ann Voskamp's post about mothering today on her website I loved the quote "we’re not the Hallmark mother, just the Velveteen Mothers"  - check it out and enjoy your weekend full of dust, diapers, dirt and diligence with your little ones.  I am truly blessed to have wonderful friends who are mothers to walk this journey with AND an amazing woman I call Mama - I love you!

Teacher Appreciation week

Samuel stuck some flowers in his backpack to take to his teachers this morning and Lucy carefully wrapped some flowers in paper towels and stuck them in a yogurt tub to take to school.  If heart matters - these kids are grateful for their teachers.  And I'm grateful for teachers - those at home and at school - THANKS for all you do to help make the next generation a little brighter!

PS - I took an apple to my favorite teacher earlier this week (I think he ignored the bite mark from a little snot-nosed curly redheaded kid and ate it :)

Tower building

Mama - "Lydia, can you put some toilet paper in the bathroom while Mommy puts the groceries up?"
Lydia - "K"

My sweet helper - let me know if you need a toilet paper tower at your house - I know a good stacker!

2 - I love it!

Lydia at 2 with Lucy 6 and Samuel 7 1/2

Lucy at 2 with Samuel 3 1/2


Samuel at 2 with Lucy 3 months

Spring check-ups

Samuel and Lucy had dentist appointments last week and did great - still no loose teeth for Lucy and Samuel's got a handful that are still waiting to fall out - they just need to work on their flossing!

At their joint well-check ups for Lucy and Lydia they checked out fine.

- Lucy measured 44 inches tall (38%) and weighs 44 lbs. (45%)

 - Lydia measured 32 1/4 inches (13%), weighed 23.1 lbs (8%) with head circumference 49.5 cm (92%) - I think its the curls!