SCREAM, CRY, LAUGH, SPANK, OR TAKE A PICTURE?

CALLING ALL MOMS! What would you do? HEATHER IS DRIVING ME CRAZY!I got her some black fingernail polish for Halloween. A few days after, I caught her trying to get into it, so I put it up in the kitchen window where I thought she could not see/reach it. Wrong.
Last night while I was nursing Anne and waiting for Evan to come home from work, I let the kids watch a movie on my bed. Heather took the opportunity to go into my bathroom and wreak havoc. She took my brand new (expensive) mascara and decorated herself and the toilet. Won't be putting that on my eyes! There was hand lotion all over my tooth brush, and everything else...What's a mom to do? (Check out those eyebrows!)
Her latest thing is that anytime I call her by name she responds something like this...
"I not Headah, I a mommy."
"I not Headah, I a pwincess."
"I not Headah, I a whale."


And so I ask...What do all you moms out there do when you can't decide between screaming, laughing, crying or spanking?
Clearly I chose to take the picture!

TWO WEEKS OLD

Three pictures from today...

My goodness! Time is flying! Anne is more alert and waking up and opening her eyes more. She is still very sweet and good tempered. I am trying to just enjoy every min. I can with her. Life is busy meeting the needs of our other kiddos and keeping up with our large house, so the quiet moments when I just get to hold her, just because are all the more sweet!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I LOVE HALLOWEEN! I love the costumes...I love the trick or treating...I love Halloween decorations...I love the feeling on the streets when all the people with children, come out of their homes and walk up and down the streets greeting each other, smiling, neighbors handing out candy. I think it's just the best.
Heather was a "Princess Witch." (In her words.) I was at Joann fabrics a month or so ago and saw the beautiful orange organza fabric with velvet cats on it, and got the idea for this costume. She was so cute and everyone couldn't believe she kept her wig and hat on the whole time. Heather is a girly-girl. She understands what most women come to understand...a little discomfort is a small price to pay for beauty!
Ewan was his hero, Indiana Jones. This was a truly home-made costume...the pants, coat, and boots were hand-me-downs. The hat, his grandparents brought Evan from Australia several years ago. All I had to do was make his bag.

Cameron's costume was a trade. Someone borrowed his Jedi costume from last year and lent us this Darth Vader costume. He kept saying to children on the street when we were trick or treating "You don't know the power of the dark side!"
Can you tell where Baby Anne was? Evan had her in a front pack. People kept saying to us on the street..."Four kids?! Are they all yours?" Portland is a very liberal city and families with two kids are considered "big." We definitely stand out with four!
Anne was wiped out after a long night of snuggling in Daddy's jacket!

SCHOOL HALLOWEEN PARTIES

Each of the kids had parties at school this past Thursday. Amazingly, each kids' party was at a different time, but I pretty much spent the entire day, going to a party, coming home to feed Anne, going to the next party, coming home to feed Anne...and so on. It was an exhausting day, but with each of the kids feeling their own little insecurities this past week I didn't want any of them to be the only kid who's mom didn't come.

I was especially glad I went to Cameron's class party. As I was leaving at the end, his teacher took me aside and said she could tell it meant a lot to him to have me there. He's had a rough couple of weeks at school. He's been very emotional.

His class was hysterical: ten kids with Aspergers and High Functioning Autism all dealing in their own way with a major change in their routine. There were meltdowns, some serious stimming, Cameron stuffing entire chocolate cupcakes in his mouth...and one boy obsessing about baby Anne (who I had in a sling) even asked if he could try my "milk." As the teacher put it...never a dull moment!

Dream BIG, Cameron...Dream Big.

Funny Conversation:
Cameron-"Mom, Can I have the Lego Star Wars Death Star for my Birthday?"
Me-"Um, no Honey. It costs $400. That is too much money for a mom to spend on a little boy for a present."
Cameron-"But I REALLY REALLY WANT IT!"
Me-"That's the kind of thing you will have to pay for with your own money when you grow up. You will have to get a job and work hard like Daddy."
Cameron-"What about when I'm a teenager?"
Me-"Sure. Lots of teenagers get jobs and work hard for their own money."
Cameron-"I could get a job at McDonald's! Then when it's lunch time I could stay there and eat all of the Hamburgers I want!"

ONE WEEK OLD!

Talk about the fastest week of my life! Whew...it has flown by! Anne is such a good baby! We are all just eating her up. Her brothers and sister are crazy about her and shower her with love and patience.

I will not try to gloss things up, today was rough...I am tired...I yelled...my house is falling apart around me...

Oh well. A small price to pay for this little beauty!

A GREAT PAIR OF LEGS!

I like to joke that I married Evan for his thick hair and skinny legs...so that my girls would have a chance to escape my genes...

Cameron got Evan's thick hair, and look at these legs!

Lucky Ewan!