Ga Ga

Baby Q can say "Da Da" for Daddy and "Ba Ba" for his bottle.
When I ask him to say "Ma Ma" he gets a silly little grin as if to say, "You wish!"  A lot of times he lets out a full belly laugh.

The other day I was having a big conversation with him.  I asked him to say, "Ma Ma".   He looked up at me with those gorgeous brown eyes, gave me a big toothy smile and then said, "Ga Ga".

Baby Q, are you seriously going to say Grammy or Grandma before you say "Ma Ma"?!?!  You little stinker!

Stuff

Okay, I am tired of stuff.  We have too much of it.  I hate feeling suffocated by it.  I am trying to systematically organize, donate and throw away the excess stuff.

So if you are part of the plethora of unwanted stuff around my house...I am about to go all Fly Lady on your behind.

Auntie Self-Esteem Booster

I adore my nieces and nephews.  My heart for them is so big.  I am thrilled that my sisters live close enough to me that I can be a part of their lives.  I love to give them a squeeze and a kiss and tell them that I love them.  I want them to always know that their auntie thinks they are the bees knees.  (What exactly is the bees knees anyway?)  I pray for their little lives and I dream about the ones yet to come.  It is a privilege to be their aunt.

Each little one warms up in their own time.  Little Super Girl is sort of a Momma's girl.  She is a sweet and sassy mix that is just perfect to me.  Her little smile melts my heart and her sad faces make me want to fix it fast.  During our Christmas gathering I received a special gift from her.  She came to me on her own will for a snuggle...twice!  Her Momma snapped a picture I will always treasure.

As if that wasn't enough to keep me flying high...

Little Lady Bug slipped and got a bonk on her head.  Her Momma and Daddy rushed to her aid.  She was sitting in her Daddy's lap with a cool cloth on her boo boo when she said through tears..."I want Aunt Farm Chick"  (Granted, she didn't say Farm Chick because our babies don't know our secret blog identities.  She called me by name)  You better believe I dropped what I was doing and rushed to get her.  I snuggled her for a long time while she recovered from her boo boo.

Thank you, baby girls, for loving this Auntie!

Merry Christmas 2010

Welcome to Four Sisters Farm!

This year, Farm Chick and I thought a live tree on the porch would be the way to go. Pop and I have limited space downstairs and of course, she and EJ with three little cowboys would be pushing space limits and fighting off the littlest cowboy from the tree wouldn't exactly make the season merry and bright! Add all that to the fact that Rock Star is allergic to live Christmas trees and you have the perfect solution with a tree outside! We really thought we were smart until we found the tree blown over with the Kansas wind...but we worked around it and secured the tree.

We put up a HUGE wreath around the star that stays on the porch. The candy canes are there for Bubba because it just isn't Christmas without candy canes!

Come on up! It's been a little chilly but the decor warms things up.

2010 has been a wonderful year. We feel blessed by God in every way. We are grateful to Him that we live near our family and share everyday life with each other. Some years ago, we made an agreement with out adult children to refocus what we do at Christmas to make Christ what Christmas is about.

So we released ourselves from buying gifts for the grownups and limited our material expressions of love to gifts for the kids and to stocking stuffers. We began a new tradition that we call "The Hope Stocking." The Hope stocking hangs with all our family stockings and holds notecards that we each write down our hopes and prayers for the coming year and review the past year's notes and talk about how God has answered prayers...healthy babies born, jobs accepted, moves made, etc. It brings us back to God in a thoughtful and thankful way.

We went even farther as a family this year...Farm Chick suggested that we anonymously adopt a family through a local agency who would not have a Christmas celebration otherwise and we had so much fun planning and shopping for them. It was a great way to teach the kiddos about sharing God's love in a tangible way and that Christmas can be about giving instead of getting.

We are grateful for the Christmas season and for the chance to gather together to remember the best gift ever...God's gift of His one and only Son, Jesus...Who came to seek and save the lost and to reconcile us to our Father in heaven by His death and resurrection. Without that gift, we would be hopelessly lost. Thank You, God, for the perfect gift for now and every Christmas.

Merry Christmas! Enjoy your best gift ever! If you haven't received the gift of Jesus from God yet, the offer is still good. All you have to do is tell God that you want it. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15)

Q My Baby

Q My Baby

(to the tune of Santa Baby)

Q My Baby, welcome to our family,
with glee
We’ve been waiting for you
Q My Baby, we love to kiss and hold you tight.

Q My Baby, we gained a dear birth mom too,
from you
God has blessed us, sweet one
Q My Baby, you’ve made our days oh so bright.

Think of all the fun you’ve had
with Bubba and Wubba and your Mom and Dad
Four Sisters Farm is the place to be
If you know your way to Pop & Grammy’s Pad.

Q My Baby, you love to watch your brothers play,
all day.
You try to keep up with them
Q My Baby, don’t worry ‘cause you’re well on your way.

Q My Honey, one little thing I really need,
less feeds
In the middle of the night
Q My Honey, just let us get some sleep tonight.

Q My Cutie, your DaDa ran two marathons
That’s long
He’s done a total of four
Q My Cutie, your Daddy is really strong!

This Momma keeps busy with you three
and there is nowhere else that I’d rather be
Of course, that Cruise with Daddy was fun
We love the Grandparents in our family tree

Q My Baby, remember the most important thing
The King
He came to save the world
Q My Baby, His praises we will always sing!

Merry Christmas to all!
Love,
EJ, Farm Chick, Bubba, Wubba & Baby Q

Fa La La La FART La La La La

Okay.  Being the mother of boys is funny.

Wubba (3 1/2) rips a big 'ol toot and then looks at me in complete shock.

Wubba says, "Did you hear that???
I don't have time to respond before he points at me and says...
"YOU TOOTED!"

Seriously did their Daddy already teach them to blame a fart on someone else. 

Well played little man.

This is shameful

Who is in charge of laundry around here? 

Right, me.

I'll do the dirty work!

I got this phone message from Rock Star the other day...

"Hey, I woke up with a song in my head and you are one of the few people who will understand.
"I'll do the dirty work.  I'll handle all the dirty work.  You go relax in your room."  Then she says, "I can't remember the rest and then it ends with...all you have to do is get the flume!"

I called her back and left this message...
"I'll do the dirty work.  I'll handle all the dirty work.  You go relax in your room.  I'll collect the muck and mire.  I wouldn't want you to perspire.  All you have to do is get the flume!"

Only 1980's loving little girls would know this obscure reference.

Drum roll please!

My Little Ponies: The Movie

The song starts at around 2 minutes and 49 seconds.

Enjoy this little piece of the four sisters childhood.  It's a jem.  (Remember JEM?  That is a whole different blog post)

I love being silly with Pop

Recently Pop and I received an email request from Farm Chick asking about our availability to watch the cowboys for her and EJ...Pop and I love spending time with our grandchildren...that isn't a question but schedules do get hectic at times so we needed to compare calendars...via email...

Farm Chick: Hi Mom and Dad! I was just looking at the calendar and had some requests...For EJ’s office Christmas party this Saturday night...Would you be available to keep the boys that night? Next, I am planning to take EJ out for his birthday. I’m planning an overnight at a B&B. Will you guys be available? Also, Mom, I have a doctor appointment on Monday, could the boys stay home with you while I do that? Thanks so much!Pop: I would love to spend time with them. Count me in.
Grammy: Pop (Honey/Baby/Sweetheart/My Love), is anything on your calendar that would keep us from wrangling cowboys for the Christmas party and the birthday excursion? The daytime appointment is no problem - I'll be here.
Pop: Grammy, (Sugar Baby/Love of My Life), I am in on the Cowboy roundup. I will be planning several man outings but you will be invited because you are an honorary Cowboy (and B will not go without you anyway) plus we may need a little lunch and dinner and maybe some snacks and pancakes and stuff. So we will waive the rules and let you join us but you can not act like a “Gril” and question us on the dangerous and adventurous stuff we do. However, if we get an ouchy or need attire assistance, you may feel free to help us. It's complicated as we are complicated and you can feel free to ask for clarification on any issue that may arise.
Grammy: Darling Man of Mine...Though the world of boys is somewhat foreign to me, you have been so very gracious to help me understand and navigate in the "man world" when need be and I do appreciate it. I think your proposition of the Cowboy Roundup is acceptable to me. I will stand by with food, drinks, love, understanding, ice packs, and bandages. I will also be available to administer hugs, smooches, dry diapers and/or clean clothing if needed. I do love my complicated men and will keep trying to figure you all out until the day I go to be with God. Thanks for your kind instruction on the matters of men where I am concerned and thanks also for keeping things that I don't need to know to yourself.

All my love,
Your Woman
Pop: Now that's the way to manage a Man!! Nicely done!!!! It is no wonder you have been invited into the hallowed world of Boydom. I would suggest that you share this insight with women everywhere, but heck we don't have to put up with them and it would probably take away your focus on us. Consequently, those guys are "on their own" sucks to be them!!!!

All my love,
Your Man

I don't really care much what we're doing...I like doing it with Pop...and when you throw the grandkids into the mix it's even more fun. I love being silly with Pop.

The Christmas card that made me cry

My heart skips a beat any time we get mail from Q's birth mom.  Not only do I rejoice that she is reaching out to us but I know that these notes will help Q put the puzzle together some day.  She loves him and I love her for loving him.  I have been thinking about the Christmas letter and pictures I will send her.  I am going to have to include these photos of Q reading the Christmas card from his birth momma!

Ready, set, go!

Clearly we have failed him

While utilizing a family restroom at Target the following conversation took place:

Son: "Mommy if you practice you could stand up."

Me: "When I go potty?"

Son: "Yes, if you practice a lot you could do it.  I will have to teach you how."

Me: "I see an important conversation in your future."

Crooked Bangs

This year I gave Rock Star a special birthday card.  It said:

"Behind every girl with crooked bangs..."

"...is a very supportive sister with scissors.  Happy Birthday, Scissor...I mean Sister!"

I found the card months before her birthday and held on to it. 

It has a deep and profound meaning to us...