One Moment, PLEASE!!!!

I just had a moment, and felt compelled to share it after reflecting on the absurdity of it. I was standing in the kitchen. All at once, there was a playful wrestling match ending (girls kind-of kicking Reilly while he laughed on the ground pretending to be hurt while I referreed and made sure they were kicking fair), Kinley singing her "color song" from school (so cute) "y-e-l-l-o-w spells yellow! y-e-l-l-o-w spells yellow! I like the early morning sun when the day has just begun y-e-l-l-o-w spells yellow!" Keep picturing her singing that in your head, complete with hand motions, while 1 foot away Reilly is just getting up, holding on to Shea's foot (she's making unhappy noises about that) and with the other hand is grabbing his math flash cards from Camdyn, who is also very unhappy about that. We were all standing within 5 feet of each other. Cam shouting, Shea crying/angry, Reilly tormenting (after being tormented) and Kinley happily singing, "Daffodils and baby ducks are yellow! Lemonade and scrambled eggs are yellow! I like the smiley face that's yellow, he is such a happy fellow, y-e-l-l-o-w spells yellow!!!" It was quite a loud moment, and I was struck in the middle of it with the chaos that I am so accustomed to...and the sweetness of Kinley's singing through it all. This is a representation of who she is and I am so thankful for such a sweet little girl! (She just "triple-dipple-dog-dared" Camdyn to taste Kurt's mint breath drops...)

Camdynism #9

Last night Cam was wanting to converse with me. It's a need she has every once in a while- I think it's when she feels neglected. Middle child syndrome, maybe. (somewhere in the middle) So she came into the kitchen perhaps mimmicking her big sister's conversation with me. She didn't know exactly what she was going to say, but this is what finally came out- broken up by short silences and other "thinking" noises like "um", and lots of body movement. She can't stand still, or sit still for that matter.
"Mom. MOM. Mom." (tugging at my shirt) Sadly, it sometimes takes three attempts to get my attention. I am working on that.
"Yes, Cam?"
"My leg hurts because I'm filled up."
"Oh, I see. What do you mean by that?"
She pauses, looking out the side of her eyes, trying to come up with an intelligible answer.
"That's why I'm out of time."

It Growed!! (Camdynism #8)

Cam was running around the kitchen showing off her pencil, shouting, "It growed!! It growed!!" She went from Reilly, to Shea, to Macy, then to me- showing us the pencil that had "growed". She had put it into the electric pencil sharpener, and in her little brain, when it sharpened the pencil, the pencil actually grew! It was hilarious, but gave a little insight into a 3 year old brain. And her earnestness (because she believed that the pencil actually did grow!) was precious!

The First Day of School

Here we go again... these pics are a little late, but I had to include them! I love these kids! I can't post any "first day of school" pics without mentioning how cute Kinley has been about starting school. She has been so excited all summer long, and two weeks before school started she was counting down the days. Every day she would ask me, "mom, how many more days until school starts?" She is loving it so much, and has the best teacher. She is doing great! I am so proud of her!

Pics

Chevy Shea's

The Bracelet Bunch (minus Macy)

Another Day in the Life of this Mom

Here are a few of the day's events- I'll try to keep them in order.
1. Woke up and spent time preparing for the day- reading Romans 8 and praying for patience today (the Lord knew I needed it!)
2. Woke up Reilly and Shea (after 4 nights being up late- this was no easy task) and fed them, made their lunches, and got them off to school
3. Swept and mopped the kitchen floor
4. Witnessed a huge fight in the Scramble (facebook) chat- it was something else!
4 1/2. Snuck a few minutes of reading about the martyrs, until interrupted by waking children
5. Ate breakfast with Cam at the little kid table (she thought that was cool) since she woke up before Kinley and Macy. Breakfast was followed by a game of Uno attack which is humorous- Cam doesn't really know how to play, so it was a team effort
6. Packed Kinley's lunch, did her hair, and got her off to school
7. Ran to Target with "the littles" for a couple of things and ran into an old friend (I love Kim Gibson-Kollman!)- ate lunch there
8. Read books to "the littles", put them down for naps, and unloaded Target bags and cleaned the kitchen (all sorts of crayons and scrap cut up paper from yesterday afternoon)
9. Cleaned some more
10. Cleaned Dr. Pepper spill (way to go, Reilly!) from the kitchen floor, dining room carpet, cupboard door, outside of fridge, inside of fridge, behind the deli drawer, produce drawer, under the fridge, in the laundry room, on the wall- needless to say, it was quite a spill!
11. Woke up the littles so we could go pick up Kinley
12. Made bracelets with the girls (colored beads and letters from the $1 section at Target!)
13. Prepared dinner with 3 little chefs for the restaurant- "Chevy Shea's", then served it to daddy
14. Spoke with my friend Nichole about her recent doctor appointment (my friend with cancer) and encouraged each other about the importance of spending time alone with the Lord (with 4 and 5 kids, it's no easy feat)
15. The rest of the dinner clean-up awaits me...
After a good game of hide and seek with daddy, the kids are now on the "Bible couch" reading about Elymas in the Bible.
I neglected to mention (it wasn't really an event") that Cam identified the shape of "pants" in my vericose veins... thanks Cam! Wow, the reality of aging is setting in.
Are you tired?

Camdynism #8

Recently my kids have been using the word "period" when they want to be emphatic about something. Usually it's misused a bit, but they're figuring it out. Today Cam defined it for Kinley.
"It's when you're dead, you stick out your tongue, and then you wake up in the morning!"

Szeto Wedding

Clad in Plaid!!! We asked Reilly to get dressed for the wedding we went to yesterday, and this was his outfit of choice. Hmmm, what to say. Yes, those are plaid shoes...and shorts... and shirt!! When I told him I wanted to take a picture of him, you should have seen his response. He quickly figured out that something was wrong with his outfit. He was shedding clothes as fast as he could (embarrassed, a little?), but I made him put them back on (just for the picture- he did not wear them to the wedding!). I think this may be an attempt to be as cool as Zac Efron (or however you spell it). Nevermind the hair... anyway I promised him that in 10 years, he would appreciate me having taken this picture . (Maybe...maybe not!!) Somehow, this morning he made it out of the house with the same shorts and shoes on (ugh) and argued with me that they matched!!

Cam was a flower girl in Jon and Miranda's wedding, and this was the ring-bearer. Of course both of them being so young, one of them had to not cooperate. You might think that would be Camdyn- (No, really???), but she actually did a great job. Darren took one look at all of those people looking at him, and froze. I argued with him for a while as I got the kids started down the aisle, but he couldn't see mommy in the front past the crowd of gawkers. Thankfully, Cam LOVES to have an audience, and performed well. When she looked up at them, she got quite the smile on her face and walked ever so slowly down the aisle daintily dropping rose petals. Chalk up a few cuteness points (she'll undoubtedly be needing them soon).

Talk about cute... Here is the MAN who performed the wedding yesterday...Looking quite nice, wouldn't you say?

Camdynism #7 (and then some)

Tonight I needed a little break. The kids and I were cooped up in the house today and I felt like I was hitting walls all day. That's probably not the right way to phrase that, but I think you get what I'm saying. I went to the school to drop something off (packing up all of the kids) and the office was closed (district meeting- perfect timing!) I went again later, and discovered the doctor's office left off the t.b. test from the immunizations (for Kinley), and that I didn't have the proper paperwork for Kinley. School starts in 2 days. Cam has been a handful recently and today was no exception. First thing this morning after she finished her chocolate milk, she helped herself to Kinleys (when she got up to go to the bathroom), drinking every last drop. She presented me with several other opportunities for sanctification today as well. I do thank the Lord for her "cuteness"- she is so adorable, even when she is getting into trouble.
Anyway, we went out for dinner tonight (because it always sounds like a good idea). Soup Plantation seems simple enough, but the kids love the fact that they have so many options and they fill their plates with each option. Grandma wouldn't have approved of the food wasting that went on tonight. Reilly started with raw broccoli- literally filling 3 whole sections of his tray with it.
"Uh, Reilly, that is raw broccoli- do you know that?"
"Yes, mom. I like raw broccoli."
"Okay son. Have at it!"
His first tray consisted of raw broccoli (lots of it) and cold plain pasta. We got to the table and I watched his face as he ate the first bite. It was clearly not what he expected.
"Uh, mom, it's crunchy."
"Yes, Reilly, I told you it was raw broccoli."
"Well, I didn't know that it would be crunchy." He didn't dare say that he didn't like it after insisting that he knew all about raw broccoli. I noticed him look over at dad, and apparently dad had also warned him about raw broccoli when he was serving it up.
I think he needs a little clarification on terms. "Raw" is clearly something that is unclear to him. Let me clarify- was unclear to him.
He ate a few bites, then we let him move on to other things.
Anyway, we had a great meal there, and the kids enjoyed the food freedom. I'm not much for making separate food for their tastes here at home, so restaurants are a privilege- especially one like Soup Plantation with options galore.
After we left, we let the kids wander around for a few minutes outside around a planter box in the outdoor mall area. They were up and down the stairs, checking out the flowers, watching people, etc. Another family was there as well, and Cam took it upon herself to meet the kids. The little girl was probably 5, and the boy was 3.
She leaned over to the boy and kindly said,
"This is my sister Macy."
Then her face turned into a scowl combined with a mean instructive tone.
"DON'T PUNCH HER."

The Aquatic Center

This is Reilly blogging. Two days ago we went to the Aquatic Center. The Smalls went and neither of us families knew it! I liked to go off the high dive and the low dive. It was fun for all of us. Tomorrow we might go to to the beach about the same thing!

Camdynism #6

At dinner tonight while we feasted on chicken, fruit salad, potatoes and beans, Cam declares (to no one in particular),
"That's not fruit salad!!! That's Ashlyn!"
I wasn't sure I heard her right, so I asked, and she confirmed. Ashlyn is my niece.

Interesting Things I've Done Today

1. Cleaned up a HUGE accident from "trouble"(I won't mention any names)- glad for pergo floors today!
2. Cleaned peanut butter out of Macy's hair
3. Baked chocolate chip cookies
4. Picked and ate a home grown tomato (I think I've defeated the gophers)
5. Played Webkinz- "Home Before Dark" (level 8) and "Booger gets an A" (level 10)
6. Made "Kamekaze" sandwiches for lunch for the kids (Kurt's invention)
7. Did laundry (okay, so that's not very interesting)
8. Cleaned boogers off of a bedpost
9. Trimmed bug-infested cilantro in my herb garden
10. Ate salad and a mocha for lunch (my life is full of ironies)
11. Filled the big (18 inches deep) pool in the backyard and sent the kids out to play
12. Took the kiddos out for pizza and ice cream, then to the park
13. Cleaned up another accident at the park from "trouble"...are you kidding? She hasn't had accidents in a long time, and 3 in one day?
14. Played "simon says" in the park (away from the crowds- I didn't want to be seen by someone I know while flapping my arms like a bird or doing jumping jacks)
15. Put the kids to bed...aaaaahhhhhhhh. Now it's time to snuggle up with a good book (Holiness by JC Ryle) and relax until Kurt comes home. He's preaching tonight at the Foundry.
16. I just received the best reward at the end of a hard day- Shea just finished brushing her teeth and came in the office and said, "I just wanted to come in here to tell you something. Thank you for all that you do and I love you," followed by a big hug. What a sweetie!

One of THOSE days...

Well, some days I have trouble coming up with something interesting to post, and other days are, well, like today. All things considered, actually, today was a pretty moderate day and we did get a few things done. Anyway, among the more interesting aspects of the day...

1. Reilly trips at dinner and spits a mouthful of ice and water on the floor.

2. Cam holds one bite of corn in her mouth for 45 minutes before swallowing. (the smell of cookies baking offered some motivation)

CAMDYNISM #5 "Mommy, my arm hurts from eating this corn for so long!!!"

3. Macy sleeps for a record 5 hours. I think that's the record for all of my kids! (the monitor was on the whole time- so I know she was sleeping!)

Okay, well my brain is fried for some reason. I am really tired, but I saved the best for last. This morning while the girls and I were going through their closet Camdyn disappeared for a while. I sent Shea down to check on her and make sure she was okay. I heard Shea walking around the house shouting for Cam, with no response. I could hear a little panic setting in with Shea (she is a little on the dramatic side), but just as she started to get worked up, I hear a stern, "MOM! COME HERE!!" (Shea-little mommy) I come downstairs and find Shea in the living room pointing. Behind the wing-back chair in the corner was this (see picture above). She had asked me 10 minutes earlier if she could have a "Danimals", to which I responded "no". I'm not a mean mom, it was just 30 minutes until we were going to eat lunch. I guess she decided she really wanted one. Then she wanted another. Hey, if you're already going to get in trouble, why not make it worth it? She was in the middle of drinking her 4th yogurt when she was caught. I would give just about anything to see her face as she was listening to Shea calling for her! By the way, she had also already had one at breakfast, making that a record 5 for today. Well, she did get in trouble, and will not be eating Danimals for a while.

I wonder if I'm sending her the wrong message by taking all of these pictures of her being naughty??

The Damage

The Damage...

and the new-do. It's not quite finished. I ended up spending WAY too much time on it, then kinda got stuck as I was layering the back...I left a message for Josh Rivas...waiting to hear back from him...not asking Kurt's opinion of what I've done...hope it's fixable...oh well!! It will grow out someday!

Wedding...

Wouldn't you know?? Camdyn is the flower girl in a wedding in a week and a half!!! This just dawned on me... Kinda like the time that I dyed Shea and Kinley's hair with pink Kool-aid the DAY before they were in a wedding! What in the world!!??

TROUBLE

Well, in case you can't tell what this picture is all about...first, take note of that little GUILTY expression. Then, as you likely notice now, that is a wad of precious fine baby hair behind her on the floor (at least 4 inches long!!). Those are NOT scissors in her hand, I grabbed those out of her hand the second I caught her chunking off the back of her hair (never to be returned to anywhere in reach of children!) but it is her brush. At least she cut off her own hair, and not Macy's. She is the very first Gebhards kiddo to pull this little stunt, but this would be the THIRD time. The other times she did much less damage. Tomorrow we will attempt to correct this little problem, although the damage is serious. The shortest cuts left just around 3 inches of hair right in the middle of the back of her head. She probably cut off 5 handfuls of hair before I caught her. The funny thing is that I was standing just on the other side of the island the whole time she was barbering...what on earth was she thinking? Pics of the "new do" and full damage tomorrow (I'm not sure why I didn't take one of the back of her head today- sorry). Hey, to think that we've never experienced the good old kid getting ahold of scissors scenario up until this point is pretty impressive. I would've put money on Cam- and will predict that Macy will be next. She is Trouble (with a capital T!!).

Da' Boyz

This is Adam going a little stir crazy this morning when he was waiting for Reilly to wake up. He went up and down the stairs repeatedly, and chose this chair to wait in- it's at the bottom of the stairs.



This is Reilly and his cousin Adam. These boys are two peas in a pod, best buddies, favorite friends, soul mates, and then some. It is beyond hilarious to watch them interact, and would be difficult to describe. I'll try. First of all, (especially over the phone) they communicate with noises. There are all sorts of noises. The ones that you would imagine to come from boys, and then there are these squeaks and screeches that I really need to get on video. They are extremely high pitched, and annoy the girls to no end. They're noises that you would expect from girls, but these two think they're mighty funny when they make those kind of noises. Secondly, the boys love to play video games together. This is also quite amusing to watch. Those same noises can be heard when they play video games. They would play all day if we let them, and it would be easy to let them. They share perfectly, have tons of fun, and never argue over what to play next, or who should be what character. Third, the boyz are absolutely inseparable. This morning Adam couldn't even hardly stay downstairs waiting until Reilly woke up. He kept going up and looking at Reilly sleeping in bed and pacing back down the stairs. I'm pretty sure he was up and down the stairs at least 6 times in 30 minutes, just checking to see if Reilly was waking up yet. It is so much fun to see Reilly and his cousin Adam be such good friends, and I can't wait until they head off to college together! (wait, maybe I didn't mean to say that) I guess I mean to say that I am so glad that they are buddies, and just wish they could spend more time together. These are pics from our time with the cousins this last week. More to come.