In Hindsight

Toddlers, toddlers, toddlers.

Oh. My. Land.

Last night I took Leif, Harriet and Avery to MCS's annual Open House. Before we left, Avery pointed out that this year will be the first time in his life that he will not have a sibling in school with him and he figured that this meant it would be a great year. I am excited for him and really hope he enjoys middle school.

We piled in the van and as soon as we got to the school, Avery took Leif and they ran inside to find some friends. I strapped Harriet to my chest in her sling and we were off. It only took about five minutes for me to realize that bringing Leif was probably a mistake - a big mistake. The school hallways were crowded and busy. There were booths set up for the local Girl Guides and Scouting programs, and of course, their pamphlets and bookmarks enticed Leif. He could not pass by them without trying to snatch some goodies for himself. Then the meeting started in the cafeteria, and it was hot, very hot. Not surprisingly, Leif would not stand still. He roamed through the crowd until he decided the best place to stand was beside the principal as she addressed everyone. Thank heavens we attend a small, rural school where everyone knows everyone and where people are much more laid back because his presence did not seem to phase the principal or bother anyone. Then he bolted outside. I chased him as best as I could with a backpack on my back and a baby on my chest. Thankfully a friend slowed him down a bit for me. For the rest of the meeting, I followed Leif around the hallways of the school, preventing him from playing in the fountains and going into the newly set up classrooms. When he tried to go somewhere he was not supposed to, I would try to redirect him by grabbing his hand, and then he immediately would go limp and scream like a banshee, drawing everyone's attention. Ugh! I felt bad enough that I was missing the meeting and that Avery had to stand in there alone, but now I was also embarrassed and frustrated with my uncooperative little minion.

Once the meeting was done, everyone headed outside for a corn boil. Avery took off to the playground looking for friends. Of course, Leif followed him. Exhausted from having to chase Leif around the school, I asked Avery if Leif could go with him. 

Sure.

But he looked less than impressed. So, off they went while I hovered at the top of the playground with the other moms and dads keeping an eye on their kids while they played. I am not going to lie; I was quite relieved with this break from being Leif's shadow.

When the evening was done, and we were driving home in the van, Avery seemed quite grouchy. 

What's wrong, Bud?

None of my friends were there tonight.

Some of them were. I saw Will and Parker.

Yeah, but every time I would start to play with them, Leif would go somewhere else and I had to follow him.

Oh.

Here's the thing: we all love our babies at Shenanigans Inc, and as much as we enjoy them, they do make things difficult at times. In hindsight, I should have sent Leif with Mr.Level-Headed to Elliot's soccer try-out, where he could run and play on the big, open field. Last night should have been Avery's night, and I feel bad that I did not recognize this at the time. Sometimes being a mom of five seems impossible; not just because there is more laundry, more mess, and more fights but because these five individuals all have needs and it is my job to try and figure out what those needs are (before they even need them sometimes) and to act accordingly. Last night Avery needed some time to shine and do his thing, and I did not realize this until it was too late.

Sorry, bud.

And Leif is sorry too:

Yeah, right . . . tee hee!

Eleven Days Worth of Nonsense

You are going to have to forgive me, but I am about to cram a whole lot of nonsense into today's post because this will be the last one for awhile. We are taking a quick jaunt up to Halifax tomorrow for Baby Girl's appointment at the IWK, then we are rushing home to begin our whirlwind weekend of soccer, soccer and more soccer. Go Hampton U16AA girls!  On Sunday, we are going to church (as long as a certain someone's head remains lice-free . . . keep praying for us), and then we are having our annual Back to School Feast 

Our theme this year is "Seek Learning", and we will be reading this article to inspire and encourage the Wee Websters and Mr. Level-Headed in their upcoming year of studies. I know . . . I am such a geek! I don't even know when I am going to have a chance to make all the food we have planned.

Then, it is showtime: Monday morning the boys and I will be waking up bright and early to kick off our first day of school . . . eeeeek! Where did the summer go? I am taking the first week of school off from the blog because I foresee having to channel all of my energy into motivating, consoling, and prodding my boys of summer back into a routine. Ugh! This is not going to be easy.  . . . again, keep me in your prayers.

Anyhoo . . . 

11 days worth of Shenanigans Inc. is about to commence in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .

This week marks my 27th week of being pregnant. I am really enjoying this pregnancy, but I am reaching the point now where all I want to do is to meet my baby. People always ask me what I think I am having, and in all honesty, I don't have a clue. Sure, some books say that mom's have a keen intuition about the gender of their baby, but that has never been the case with me. For Zoe, I thought I was having a boy. For both Elliot and Avery, I thought I was having girls. Clearly, I am not a reliable source, and since I have never had success with my past guesses, I haven't even tried to make a prediction for this little one. Some days, Thing 4 is a Leif and some days, Thing 4 is a Harriet. Even my dreams seem to be confused!

Last week I had a very vivid dream, where I was taking Thing 4 to the doctor because he or she had a diaper rash. When the doctor took off Thing 4's diaper to see the rash, this little penis popped up. I was shocked and exclaimed:

You're a boy?! I thought you were a girl.

Then I picked up my baby and held him close to my face. I whispered:

Really? You are my Leif and not my Harriet.

I could not get over the shock, but I was pleased nonetheless. When I awoke from that dream, I was convinced that Thing 4 is a boy.

Then . . .

A couple of nights ago, I had another dream. I do not remember the premise of this dream, but I do remember Mr. Level-Headed sitting in a big, comfy chair, talking to our baby girl, Harriet, who at this point was a toddler. She had a head full of curly, brown hair and was asking him a million and one questions. When I awoke from this dream, I started thinking that perhaps we are having a girl . . . tee hee!

Ultimately, I guess we will have to wait another 12 weeks before we know for certain, but I am having a lot of fun speculating on who this little person I am carrying actually is.

27 week bump

 But there is one thing I know for certain, and that is that this craving for poutine has got to stop. I am not even going to tell you how many poutines I have had since Friday night, but know this, it is more than two and less than four . . . tee hee! Oh, and for the record, Costco makes a ridiculously good poutine and it is super huge and it is super cheap. Costco, you just keep getting better and better in my eyes . . . 

Look at those cheese curds! Some of them were as big as the french fries . . .  Heaven!

Yesterday, was a big day here at Shenanigans Inc. Not only did I discover Costco poutine, but Elliot finished a honk'n huge novel that he actually started during the school year. It took him 30 minutes a day/ five days a week for about three months, but he got through it and more importantly, he enjoyed it! In fact, he has already picked up the second book in the series and asked if he could read it just for fun.

Ummmmmm. . . YES!

How long have I waited to hear those words being uttered from one of my children's mouths? Far too long if you ask me.

The book is called the Beyonders and the third one just came out.

Funny, Elliot. Very funny!

Oh, and since we are talking about books, Baby Girl ACTUALLY read a book this summer. A big kid's book, nonetheless, and it was fiction . . . gasp! This may come as a shock to you, but as smart as that girl is, she is not a reader. Sure, she has a stack of non-fiction books, fact books, and Baby Mouse graphic novels by her bed at all times, but she is not one to sit and read a novel. Well, that all changed this summer and I am giddy about it. Perhaps we need to start up our very own mother-daughter book club . . . only kidding Baby Girl. I promise to take it slow . . . tee hee!

And that is all, folks. I hope you had your fill of us. See you in September!

A Nesting Frenzy

Tomorrow morning, I will be 26 weeks pregnant, which means I only have 13 weeks left to go . . .  eeeeeek! This is starting to get very real for me and very scary. In fact, last week I woke up one morning in a terrible anxiety-ridden frenzy, which unfortunately, has not left me. I felt this overwhelming panic because I had no clothes for the baby to wear and no school books for the kids when we start back in just 2 weeks from today. Mr. Level-Headed, who I am pretty sure has never had an anxious day in his entire life, just laughed it off and assured me everything would be fine. He kissed me on the forehead, told me I am cute, and left for work.

Yeah, like that's gonna make me feel better . . . . grrrrrr!

So, I got to work. I had a few errands to do that day, one of which was a doctor's appointment and so I showered, ate breakfast, and ran out the door. Still propelled with this intense desire to get things done, after my doctor's appointment, I hit Walmart, where I bought the baby some adorable plain white onesies (my favourite) and all of the kids school supplies. Then I did the groceries and headed home. I thought that as soon as I had these few items in my hands and neatly stored away at home, that I would feel better. WRONG! 

Nope. I woke up the next morning, feeling the exact same way. So this day, I ordered all of our homeschool curriculum, went over our homeschool schedule for the year, came up with the five science experiments we are doing in September, made up a list of all the library books we are going to need for our unit study on Ancient China, and then made a list of which libraries they can be found at. . . .  phew!  That night I went to bed feeling like I had really accomplished something and I was hopeful that I would wake up the next morning feeling more relaxed. WRONG AGAIN! 

Nope. I woke up the next morning feeling frazzled, frenzied, and even more freakishly neurotic . . . aaaaaahhhhhhh! So, we cleaned the house. While I cleaned out, organised and labelled our craft drawers (I really am sick), Mr. Level-Headed, who had came home early that afternoon, cleaned the kitchen, Baby Girl cleaned the bathrooms, and the boys cleaned and vacuumed the basement. Instead of being all appreciative of what everyone was doing, I became a highly-critical drill sergeant, demanding they do this and that until everything was just right. Ugh! My poor family. That night as I laid on the couch, resting my tired achy body and putting my swollen feet up, I thought surely this has to be over, but I was wrong yet again. 

The next day, after I devised a detailed budget for our family expenses clear until the end of October (I am a NUT!), Baby Girl and I went shopping. The boys were spending the weekend at their friends' camp (I have the best friends ever! Thanks a million, Lisa) and Mr. Level-Headed was working on a book report for one of his classes. It was so much fun having an entire day to spend with just my girlie. In the end, she found a couple of great dresses for the upcoming youth conference she is attending in Quebec City, and I bought a ton of baby stuff. I just have to say that Frenchy's and Value Village have become my new favourite baby boutiques . . . tee hee! I bought baby towels, 7 pairs of sleepers, an armload of onesies, a sleep sack (I guess you are not supposed to put blankets on babies when they sleep anymore . . . who knew?), and a cuddly, fuzzy, snow suit complete with bear ears on the hood to wear on our winter walks (I guess you are not supposed to put babies in snow suits when they are in their cars seats anymore either. . . again . . . who knew?). Surely, with a boy-free weekend and spectacular girl's day out complete with baby shopping and a very yummy salad and poutine for lunch under my belt, my anxiety should once and for all be gone, but . . . . nope. Grrrrr! That night, I cried to Mr. Level-Headed that I felt so restless and wanted nothing more than to crawl out of my own skin . . . do you know what I am talking about? It's the worst feeling ever, and no matter what I do I can not seem to get rid of it. Darn pregnancy hormones! 

 Anyhoo . . . that is where I am at right now, and it is no fun at all. No amount of nesting, or eating, or warm bath taking, or hard work can seem to shake off this feeling. I guess, like my first trimester morning sickness, I am just going to have to wait this one out too. 

But, in the meantime, looking at all the goodies I now have tucked away for Thing 4, sure puts a smile on my face.

And really, there is nothing better than animal faces on baby bums. The sheer delight I get from holding these outfits is ridiculous!

Oh, and don't think for  one moment that the above outfits are too boyish for my little  __________ to wear, that is if, in fact, Thing 4 is a girl, because they are not. In my house, girls wear green, they wear grey and they especially wear outfits with animal faces on the bum and on the footies. Yes, this drives my poor mother-in-law crazy, but it's the way we roll here at Shenanigans Inc.

Okay, so as I was writing that last paragraph, it occurred to me that most of you do not know the names we have chosen for our precious little baby. Now, it is not that we are keeping them secret, but rather, very few people like our names and since I am in a particularly surly mood lately, if I see another person roll their eyes at them, or laugh or gag when trying to say them, I am going to lose my mind. So . . . it is probably best to put the names out here on the blog. That way, you can all make your faces, call us crazy and even cry if you want to, and then clean yourself up and put your fake smile on the next time you see me. Now, before I impart the names, you need to know this. Names are SUPER important to me. I lose many months sleep over them and they have to be just right. I test them out by saying them out loud randomly throughout the day, I write them down, and I say them alongside all my other kids' names. For me , the name has to be just right, and after only two months we found Thing 4's names. They are perfect!

If Thing 4 is a boy his name will be Leif Christian Webster. All of my kids have a family members name in them, and since both of my boys have already taken their grandfather's names, we decided to choose a name for Thing 4 that would be a nod to my Danish heritage. We wanted something masculine, but also intelligent, and I think this name has it all. Leif is after the viking Leif Eriksen (you can't get much more manly than that) and Christian is because well, we are very proud to be christians but also because of Hans Christian Anderson, the Danish author and poet. We love it!  

Now, if Thing 4 is a girl, and this is the one people seem to have the most trouble with, her name will be Harriet Wynona Grace. Wynona is Mr. Level-Headed's mother's middle name and Grace is because it was only through the Lord's grace that we were ever able to have another child, and they just flow nicely together. Harriet, which is probably the name you are all gagging over right now is awesome! I know it sounds like a very old name, but to me, it does not. For me, and thanks to a children's book I used to read to Zoe over and over again when she was little, Harriet is a rambunctious little girl, who although tries to be very good cannot but help get into trouble every second of the day. Does that not sound like one of my children? I ADORE the name Harriet!! For me, girls' names need to be intelligent, strong, and serious. I want a name for my daughter that she can be proud of saying when she is standing in front of a large auditorium of scholars defending her doctorate thesis, one that makes people think that this girl is not to be trifled with, and one that can be lovingly whispered to her by the man who will love and cherish her for all eternity. Oh, and if you really can't bear to use this name, the other reason I chose Harriet is because it has the most adorable nickname, which I will graciously allow others to use, but to me, my little girl will always be Harriet. The nickname is Hattie. So there. You have nothing to complain about now . . . tee hee!

Harriet from the book "Harriet, You''ll Drive Me WILD!" by Mem Fox

And now I am off. I am sure there is some list for me to create, something for me to organize, or someone who needs to be yelled at. Man, I really hope this frenzy ends soon. Pray for my family. 

p.s I also really like names that are not heard of often so if you are pregnant PLEASE do not even think of stealing my names. Seriously, I am in no mood to be trifled with . . . tee hee!

Our Back to School Feast

The first day of school has always been a big deal for us here at Shenanigans Inc., but over the past two years we have taken it up a notch.  What was once a simple cake and a belting out of  "Happy School Days to You" (sung to the tune of Happy Birthday) has become a full-blown feast thanks to one of my favourite bloggers Nie Nie.  She has the best ideas, and I love stealing them!

The first thing I had to do was figure out the evening's menu, and this took some time because I knew it had to be something special but also something that could be whipped up between our homeschool lessons and piano lessons.  Well, I did it, and, thankfully even though it was not lobster as Elliot had requested, the kids were thrilled.  Everything was made from scratch except for the mozzarella sticks, which I bought from M&M Meats.

The kids did not find out what I was making until they read their menus.

Then I had to come up with our theme for the year.  This year I chose a quotation from the book "Stand For Something" by Gordon B. Hinckley, one of the past presidents of our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

"Work is the miracle by which talent is brought to the surface and dreams

become reality . . . The process of stretching our minds and utilizing the skills of our hands lifts us from the stagnation of mediocrity.”

-President Gordan B. Hinckley

I chose this quotation because 1) I love the line: "stagnation of mediocrity".  Doesn't that just make you want to get up off the couch and do something with your life?  LOVE IT!  And 2) because Mr. Level-Headed and I always stress to our kids that God has blessed them each with unique talents and it is their responsibility to seek them out and to nurture them.  I also love how this quotation points out that talent is only part of the recipe, and that you need to work hard to get what you want in this life.  Dreams can come true if you are willing to put the work into it.  Yes, us Mormons do believe that life can be all sunshine and unicorns.  Aren't we annoying?  Tee hee!

Then I found some scriptures to enhance our theme.

“Neglect not the gift that is in thee . . .”

(1 Tim 4:14)

“For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.”

(D&C 46:11)

“Thou shalt not idle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury thy talent that it may not be known”

(D&C 60:13)

And proudly displayed it as our centre-piece.

Okay, do you love my candelabra or what?  Funny story:  When I was a little girl, I went on a shopping trip with my Allie (my mom's mom), and I begged her to buy this candelabra. She asked, "Krista, what am I ever going to do with it?".  To which, I responded: "Use it for our Christmas dinners, and when you die, give it to me because I really want it!".  As a testament of just how awesome my Allie was and how much she really loved me, she did buy it, and sure enough, when she passed away, it became mine.  Thanks, Allie!  I miss you.

Anyhoo (as I wipe away my tears . . . sorry about that) . . .

I also made smaller versions of our theme, laminated them, and gave one to each of the kids as keepsakes for the year.  I am such a geek! 

Although the theme is always my highlight of the evening, the kids' highlight was having their very own can of pop!

Even Zoe was excited for our feast to begin!

Beautiful like her mama . . . I can't stop myself!

Poor Avery was having a hard time waiting for Mr. Level-Headed to finally sit down and offer a blessing on our meal.

In spite of my countless attempts to make this a fancy affair with civilized discussion, there were plenty of shenanigans going on at the table

A little chicken drippings in one's hair never hurts . . .

What am I going to do with these two?!

Finally, it was time for dessert.  Zoe had made the cake the night before, and Avery decorated it.  I have the best kids!

Mmm  . . . rainbow cake.

Then Avery provided the accompaniment to "Happy School Days":

Really?  Is it too much to ask for just one night of civility?

tee hee!

Here's to another fantabulous school year from your friends at Shenanigans Inc.!

Happy school year to you . . . cha cha cha

Happy school year to you . . . cha cha cha

Happy school year

Happy school year

Happy school year to you  . . . cha cha cha!

Day One of our Homeschool Adventure

So, I am guessing you are all wondering how our first day of homeschooling went, and I am thrilled to announce it was awesome!  I am exhausted beyond belief, but I will be dragging my weary body into bed with the satisfication of knowing I did something huge today, and, boy, it feels good.  The anxiety, which has kept me up to all hours of the night for the past two weeks, has finally dissolved and has been replaced with a calm assurance that I made the right choice.  We have started down a brand new path in our life, and although it is going to be challenging, it promises to be exciting and fulfilling!

Here is our annual First-Day-of -School photo:

The first words out of Elliot's mouth this morning were: "Summer vacation went way too fast!".  As you can tell from his expression, he was less than impressed to be starting a brand new school year.  Initially, I was terrified that he was distraught over the fact that he had to stay home and be taught by his mama, but as we were heading downstairs to start our day, he looked at me and said "the only way this day could get any worse is if I had to go to school!".  Sheesh!  What a crank!

I love Avery's expression here!  And yes, he was wound up like this the entire day.  He is the most enthusiastic person I have ever met, and the easiest kid you could ever have to teach. 

I can't believe the difference a year makes:

Why did my baby girl have to grow up?  It is so unfair!

Beautiful just like her mama . . . tee hee!  She will love that :)

Here is Avery bidding Zoe farewell:

Avery reviewing his soft vowel sounds:

Some of our new words on the word wall:

And Elliot almost cracking a smile . . .

I have so much more to say about our day, but, unfortunately, my 4 am start has left me speechless.

Wish me luck on our first field trip of the year tomorrow.  We are going to check out John Hooper's sculptures at Market Square for art class.  Homeschooling rocks!!!