Mother's Day

a little love from Max

from my friend Weston

sweet words from sweet Ruth

my babies' birthstones (from oldest to youngest) on a beautiful ring

So blessed to be the mom of these amazing kiddos!

Help me with the happy

As you know, we are Disney bound in a few weeks. And, y'all. I am completely overwhelmed. Several people have told me that planning is half the fun. And that makes me a little worried about the whole trip, because I am not finding the planning part all that fun. I'm finding it rather maddening. Since it's my first (and probably my last) time to go, I have no idea what to expect in terms of lines or crowds or how long it takes to get from one end of a park to another (or anything else, for that matter). I mean, is it even possible to meet Mary Poppins in UK at 1:00 and Mulan in China at 2:00? Of course, there are millions of people on the worldwide web expressing their opinions about must-dos and definitely-avoids, but they are all over the board. And, frankly, some of it doesn't sound like "Happiest Place on Earth" type stuff. ("30 minute lines for bathrooms"). Not to mention, I can't really make Disney planning into my full-time job. (And, of course, I didn't start 6 months ahead of time, as has been suggested as the best course of action in various places on the Internet). Pretty much everyone says, "Don't go without a plan," but they fail to actually give me a plan. I am using the Disney planning tool, but what I really want is for someone else to tell me exactly what I should do, how much time it should take and, basically, give me an exact plan for my exact family that will actually work, without anyone in the group getting overstimulated or overtired and going into meltdown mode. I mean, really, is that too much to ask?! Almost everyone we talk to and most of the things we read online indicate that people LOVE this as a family vacation, so I'm hopeful that we will find that to be the case as well. If you've done this before, don't hesitate to send some encouragement my way. And, if you've got a fool-proof plan that will work for my family, you'll become my new best friend.

Enchanted Silence

I opened my eyes at 6:51 this morning, feeling cursed to have missed those extra minutes of sleep before the 7:00 alarm. But, then, another feeling took over: the feeling that an enchantment of a different sort was at work. It was a feeling that made me wonder if I was even in my own house. For all the world, what it seemed like was absolute silence. And, it wasn't just the morning fog in my head. It actually was completely noiseless in the house. Even the annoying birds that linger in the tree outside our bedroom window had ceased their morning chatter. At once, this new sensation made me feel exhilarated and uncomfortable. I hated to put my feet on the floor, for fear of breaking whatever spell had been cast upon our home. But, the treadmill beckoned, and I could not refuse its summons again. So, I got myself up and reluctantly made my way upstairs, knowing that those precious silent moments, which seemed so out of place here, were now in serious jeopardy. For close to 30 minutes, the quietude was only interrupted by the sound of the fans blowing, my feet rhythmically hitting the treadmill and my labored breathing, evidence of the workout neglect that has been taking place recently. Just as I finished up my two-mile run and began my cool down, there was an insignificant clattering of dishes in the kitchen, and I thought surely things had returned to normal. But, then, no other sound followed. No crashing or banging or arguing or rustling or whining. Not even the sound of juice being spilled all over the floor. The silence resumed, and it was consummate. The oddness of this unusual situation now seemed to outweigh the novelty of it. I wondered if it would all go away when I walked down the stairs. Much to my relief, it remained intact. I found only one other being milling around--another as entranced by the quiet and concerned with maintaining it as myself. It was this one who had produced the minor sound I had heard earlier. We sat for a few minutes across the dining room table from one another, exchanging hushed morning greetings and pleasantries, but keeping our interactions to a minimum so as not to pollute the perfect soundlessness that seemed to be penetrating our home. Eventually, I made my way to the shower, as the silence lingered. It wasn't until almost 9:00 that other life forms started appearing and a buzz began around the house. Even then, heck, even now, it remained and remains at a reasonable decibel level, which is utterly amazing, given the inhabitants of this house. This is mainly due to the fact that most of the children have been outdoors since breakfast. But it still feels like an enchanted sort of day, and who knows if I should ever be so lucky as to encounter another one like it.

Sweet Summertime

Our kids worked really hard this school year, and they met their goal to finish at the end of last week. The PSIA state meet marked the end of the school year, and yesterday was our first day of summer break. Fortunately for us, the weather has decided to be absolutely gorgeous this week, so the kids are spending most of their waking hours outside. Consequently, Jeff and I could no longer keep Ruth's special birthday present a secret. We pulled the new bike out of the attic and presented her with it today. This is a pretty big deal because all of Ruth's previous bikes have been garage sale bargains. Not only is this one brand-spanking new, it is also officially an "adult" bike. Ruth is very proud of her new ride, and she and the boys had a great time cruising up and down the driveway. I foresee many more hours of bike riding in their futures. In my mind, summertime and bicycles are deeply entwined, and I hope my kids can make as many happy summer memories riding their bikes as I did.

My Sweet Little Bitty Claycito:

You are "tchoo," which is really unbelievable! You are my baby. My last baby. And, you are tiny. So, in my mind, you are little. But, in reality, you are becoming a big boy in so many ways. You haven't been sleeping in a crib for a couple of months. You rarely sit in a high chair or drink from a sippy cup. You can express yourself so clearly these days and have recently learned your colors. And, just this week, you became very interested in using the potty, so you have been wearing training pants during the day, instead of regular diapers, and you've been doing a great job of keeping them mostly dry. You love the flushing part and, of course, the treat that follows a successful trip to the restroom. When I let myself, I can see you are truly getting big!

You are just the sweetest little thing, and you bring so much joy to our household! (And, frankly, outside our household, as well)! You give away hugs and kisses freely, and you are often content to snuggle in someone's lap for longish periods of time. And, you are maybe the smiliest baby I've ever seen. You can certainly light up a room!

When you are tired, you are more than happy to go to bed, as long as you have your "friends" and you get to say "noit, noit" to everyone. There is a whole multitude of stuffed critters and "blanks" (blankets) who attend you at bedtime, but you have two special friends that you ask for by name and cry for if they are unavailable. And, though they are two separate friends, you often call them by one name: Ooshybear. (Translated, that's "Fish" [who is really a dolphin] and "Bear"). It is really sweet to see you love on them. 

That's Bear in the lower left-hand corner
and Oosh's blue tail sticking up

It is also sweet how you love on your siblings. You think the world of them and want to be involved in whatever it is they are doing. You don't know you are little and sometimes get frustrated when they do things that are beyond what you are capable of. You adore them all but are especially fond of Max. He is also especially fond of you, and you two are great buddies. You spend most of your days not far from each other's sides. I pray you will always enjoy each other the way you do now. 

You love balls, and one of your first words was "hut-hut." You would say this when you wanted someone to catch the ball you were about to launch. You also think I am hiding "balls" in my shirt (in the chest area), which has produced a few awkward but hilarious moments in the last few months. 

You are a big fan of Elmo. And, you like to stack things up and pour liquids from one container to another. You also love hammers, which you call "barns," because Grandpa has a hammer for you to play with in his barn. You are enamored with Grandpa's black truck, and you think every red car is Mimi's. You like animals and usually call them by their sounds. The cutest are pigs and monkeys, but the one we probably get the biggest kick out of is when you call chicken that we eat "bawk-bawk." You are fascinated with the cows and calfs that frequently stop by the house. And, they seem fairly fascinated with you as well. 

sweet babies

You enjoy bath time and like to play and splash. But, when I pour water on your head, you sit perfectly still, with your hands in your lap, and look straight down at your belly. After your bath, I wrap you up in a towel and then turn to face the mirror. You always point and say "Momma baby," when you catch the reflection. It melts my heart. Every. Single. Time. Then, we brush your teeth, while you say, "AHHH; EEEE."

You always enjoy getting dressed and will point out that you need "bits" (pants) and "auks" (socks), and you know shoes are required to go "out-ide." If the shoes can't be found in your room, you are always quick to assume they are in the van. This is because you cannot sit in the van for more than five minutes without shucking shoes and socks. I have finally learned to just leave them off of you until we arrive at our destination. You also enjoy wearing hats and other family members' shoes that are way too big. And very often you can be found carry around a "boom" (gun).

You are moved by music...literally. Whether we are in the grocery store (or other public place), the car or at home, if you hear music, you start dancing. You don't seem to prefer a particular genre, but will rock out to hymns, country, pop and elevator music with equal fervor. It's like you just can't help yourself. 

Clay, I cannot put into words what a joy you are to our family, and even to those who are not related. You are loved beyond what you can even imagine. And you are a blessing to all of us. And, even though you'll always be my "Little Bitty," you are getting big, and it's so fun to watch. Dad and I love you, and we are proud of you! Happy Second Birthday, Claycito!

With much love,

Mom

 P.S. Here are some pictures from your party:

                   

State

Last night, we celebrated Ruth's qualification for the PSIA State Meet with dinner at Medieval Times restaurant in Dallas, and a fun time was had by all! After dinner, we made our way over to Ft. Worth, where we spent the night, so we could be close to the TCU campus for the contests today. Ruth participated in the Spelling contest and the Vocabulary contest. She didn't place in Spelling, but she got 4th place in Vocabulary, which provided her with another medal for her collection. We are very proud of her!

The princes and princess of the house of Watts

cheering for the red and yellow knight

4th place in Vocabulary

Let's get this party started

Here's our party schedule for the month of May. It's completely ridiculous, and super-fun! I think I'm already starting to feel a little full!

• May 1--Jeff's half-birthday party at Double Horn Brewing
• May 2--CC's End-of-Year Celebration at our house with close to 60 people
• May3--Dinner at the restaurant of Ruth's choosing to celebrate being at the PSIA state meet
• May 4--State PSIA meet
• May 5--Clay's 2nd birthday, to be celebrated at home with a small gathering of family
• May 7--CC Challenge preview party
• May 10-11--Mini Watts family reunion at my in-laws'
• May 12--Mother's Day 
• May 18--Ruth's (non-themed, boys-included, super-big girl) birthday party with her friends
• May 25--Ruth's family birthday party
• May 26--Weston's half-birthday celebration 
• May 26-June 4--Disney World vacation
• May 29--Ruth's 11th birthday

Memory Master

Yesterday was "proof" day, and Ruth accomplished her goal of becoming a CC Memory Master! We are so very proud of all her hard work and wanted to share with you just a very small portion of what she memorized. For now, the only video I can get to load is of her singing the presidents, in order. 

Hammer Time

Grandpa bought hammers (or "barns," as Clay calls them) for each of the boys while we were in Austin on Saturday. And, today, they discovered an unused pallet out beside the trash cans. It was quite possibly the best day ever for three* little boys! They spent the better part of the day hammering on that pallet. And, best of all, I didn't have to get on to them, because it truly didn't matter if they smashed it up. Finally, their desire to destroy was not at odds with my desire to keep all of our property intact! I will definitely be on the lookout for another pallet (or a dozen) to have around for when this one gives up the ghost!

*Weston isn't pictured, because he slipped off before I got my camera out, but rest assured, he did his fair share of hammer swinging.

Eclectic Trip to Austin

We ventured into the big city today, and it was quite an eclectic trip. We began with a stop at Pottery Barn, so Jeff and I could take a closer look at a bed frame I saw and liked online. Then, we stopped by Tuesday Morning. From there, we located one of the few remaining Souper Salad restaurants in the area and stopped for some lunch. After that, we visited the Saxet gun show, an eclectic experience all it's own. From there, we made our afternoon Sonic stop, and I stepped out an ordered something other than my usual. My kids are dying to try the new peanut butter and bacon shake there, but we decided today wasn't going to be that day. Our next stop was Half-Price Books, where we acquired all the Star Wars movies, some required reading books for Ruth's CC Challenge class next year, and some fun reading for all. Then, there was a fabric store/thrift store/hardware store stop. And, we ended the day at the Hill Country Galleria, where we stopped for dinner at Iron Cactus. We also had an unplanned visit to Dick's Sporting Goods while we were at the Galleria to get Max a whole new set of wearable clothes after he slipped in a mud puddle and was covered head-to-toe in some very stinky mud.

I know you are all now feeling like I just made you look at a hundred pictures of my newborn, but, what can I say?! We don't get out much, so this qualifies as high entertainment. Plus, I thought a blog post about our fun day in Austin was better than no blog post at all. Having now been subjected to it, you may choose to disagree.

A little chair repair

Recently a tiny terrorist toddler got his hands on an ink pen and went to work redesigning some of the surfaces of our home. One of the places hardest hit was Dad's Chair. This chair is just about the same age as Ruth, and it's been through some stuff, but the pen marks just really wrecked the appearance for me. My first attempt at cleaning up left an even more noticeable eyesore. Jeff told me to call a professional upholstery cleaner. But, unwilling to part with the cash that would require, my brain began to churn and I remembered something that completely justified all those hours brief moments I've spent pinning stuff on Pinterst. I had pinned a step-by-step tutorial from this blog on cleaning mircofiber furniture (which, if I'm honest, I figured I'd never get around to trying, like most of my pins). But the ink everywhere and water ring on the arm were driving me nuts, so I didn't think it could hurt anything to give it a shot. And, wasn't I pleasantly surprised that it not only got the ink out, it also got some of the other icky off! It doesn't look brand new, but it does look a heck of a lot better. And, I think with another round of scrubbing, the look will be further improved. It couldn't have been simpler. All I needed was rubbing alcohol, a spray bottle, a scrubby sponge and a bristle brush.

pen marks all over the seat
(this is only a small portion of the markings)

my first attempt at clean-up just made things worse

no pen marks and no water marks

24 weeks gone in a flash

Today was our last CC class day for this school year, which is absolutely unbelievable to me! It seems like just yesterday I was trembling in my boots, wondering if I had bitten off more than I could chew with this director gig. But, it has been an amazing year! I have thoroughly enjoyed watching our students and parents grow in friendships and knowledge. And I have relished being in a leadership position within this wonderful community, which has stretched me in some very good ways! I just can't believe we've come to the end of our 24 weeks. It went by so incredibly quickly! My kids and I are already looking forward to the next school year!

In the afternoon Essentials class, the kids read a big research paper they wrote during the year, dressed up as characters from Ancient History. Ruth was Cleopatra. After they read, we had snacks and the kids got to "shop" for prizes. It was a very fun way to end the year!

Immeasurably More

Yesterday morning, my dad had a pretty severe heart attack while on a business trip in Amarillo. This morning, we hopped up and hit the road for Amarillo so we could spend a few days with my parents. On the way, we had some car trouble and ended up leaving our van at the Honda dealership in Burleson, renting another van and going ahead with the trip as planned. This is not a complainer post, though. What I want to convey is that in the midst of some difficulty, we have received blessings above and beyond what we could have even thought to pray for.

First of all, my dad drove to Amarillo by himself and stayed in a hotel room by himself, but he had his heart attack in the lobby of the hotel, where someone was immediately able to start CPR on him, which certainly saved his life.

For us, this happened at a time when our schedules were relatively free of any pressing matters, which made it easy for us to come, and also gave us an opportunity to stop by my parents house to pick up a few things for them.

While we were at their house, the trash truck came, which allowed us to take their garbage cans back to the house so they don't remain at the street while my parents are away.

When our engine light started flashing and we realized there was a pretty serious problem with the van, we pulled off the freeway to try to look up a nearby mechanic. That exit dumped us right at the entrance to the Honda dealership, so we pulled right on in to the service center.

Once inside the building, we realized we were actually at "Honda Wonderland." There was a top-notch playroom, a spacious waiting area, a complete Starbucksesque coffee bar, and a gift shop. And as if that wasn't enough, they were having a special event on site, and they had bouncy houses set up and were dishing up free hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and bottled water. Our kids thought we were on a special vacation!

When the diagnostics were done on the van and we knew we would have to leave it, we started looking around for a rental vehicle that could accommodate all of us. There were none to be found. Then, randomly another person working at the dealership mentioned that someone had just turned in a mini van. It was reserved for us, and someone from Enterprise was sent to pick us up. I went to the car rental place, which was only about 3 miles away and very easy to get to, while Jeff stayed at the carnival dealership with the kids.

I arrived at the rental place at 11:50 and discovered they closed for the day at 12. I also found out that the only reason there was a van available was that someone had cancelled their reservation at the last minute. Finally, the contract allowed for both Jeff and I to be drivers, rather than just me, like we thought it would be.

We were able to get everything transferred from our van to the rental and be on our way fairly quickly. And then, 3 out of the 4 children fell asleep. The other one followed suit a little later. And even when they were awake, they were very well-behaved, even without a DVD player to keep them entertained.

We arrived in Amarillo just a couple of hours later than originally expected, and we got a room at a hotel less than a mile from the hospital, with an indoor pool.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory...  for ever and ever! Amen." (Eph. 3:20)

Truly, "His strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor. 12:9).

Testing. Testing.

Today was the first day of our yearly SAT-10 (grade-level) testing. It was Weston's first time to participate and my first time to proctor. The kids were totally calm, but I was a nervous wreck. Thankfully, the day went well and the kids felt good about their tests. Weston's comment was "it was a really long, but really fun day." I guess he'll be glad to know we get to do it again tomorrow!

After a fun morning of testing, Ruth spent the afternoon...testing. She is trying for a CC honor called Memory Masters, in which the students memorize the entire school year's worth of material and then prove their knowledge through four "proofs:" 2 parent proofs (or 1 parent and another adult, if one parent is also a tutor or director), 1 tutor proof and 1 director proof. For the first three proofs the student must go through every piece of material, which takes about an hour and a half to complete. The fourth proof is simply a spot check and takes about 20 minutes to complete. A few mistakes are allowed in the first proof, fewer in the second and none in the third and fourth. A child who completes all these steps is considered a "Memory Master" and is recognized and rewarded on the local CC campus at the End-of-Year celebration. This was Ruth's second proof, and she made it through without a single mistake! This year's memory work includes 161 events and people in a chronological timeline; the 44 U.S. presidents; 24 History sentences detailing events from Ancient History; 120 locations and geographic features in Africa, Europe and the "Old World;" 24 Science facts, including the classifications of living things and each continent's highest mountain; 5 Latin noun endings and their singular and plural declensions; English grammar facts, including 53 prepositions, 23 helping verbs and 12 linking verbs; Multiplication facts up to 15 x 15, common squares and cubes, and basic geometry formulas and unit conversions. That's over 400 pieces of memorized information! Her last two proofs will be within the next two weeks, and we feel fairly confident she will reach her goal of becoming a Memory Master. 

Regardless of the final outcome, we are so proud of both Ruth and Weston for all the hard work they have put in this year at home/school and at CC!

Airing my dirty laundry

Y'all. The last couple of weeks the laundry has totally gotten away from me. And, at this point, I'm not sure if I'll ever recover. I am able to get everything washed and dried just fine, but the folding and putting away keep getting shuffled to the bottom of the to-do list, while the bench and counter in the laundry room keep collecting the clean garments and linens, and the inhabitants of this house keep making early-morning hunting trips to that room. Frankly, I have no motivation to try to complete this unfulfilling chore. Clothes folded only end up unfolded in the first search for what to wear. Or scattered to the furthest reaches of bedrooms and bathrooms. Or dirty. Again. The level of Mt. Laundry has just about reached the level of my insanity, though, so something must be done. So, I'm clearing my schedule for tomorrow, and I'm going in. If I don't make it out alive, know that I did, in fact, die in vain. I'm thinking perhaps it's time to revamp the whole laundry system, so feel free to share your tried-and-true tips. Or, just chime in with your own story of laundry gone amuck. (Of course, I will recognize that these stories are completely fabricated just to make me feel better, because I KNOW none of you would ever let your laundry get out of hand!)

Matchy-Matchy

Years ago, Ruth discovered some outfit in her closet that resembled an outfit in my closet. She was absolutely thrilled and couldn't wait for us to have a matching day. And, then, when the day came, she was even more thrilled. That's a quick way to a mom's heart, I can tell you. And, in a moment of prophetic clarity, I saw that those moments would be fleeting and that there would come a day when she would want to look like anyone but me. So, I decided right then and there that I would not force, but would completely embrace, every one of those opportunities until that sad day. That is why I own a pair of zebra-striped, cowboy-style rain boots. Oh, and because I'm cool. But, I digress. These days I feel like the dreaded fulfillment of the prophecy could be just around the corner, and I'm especially sensitive that every opportunity for us to go out all matchy-matchy could be the last. Which is why I put my non-island body into my island dress, even though it was too chilly to wear it to the ladies Bible study we were attending together this evening. And, why I had Jeff take our picture. I will definitely want to remember this sweet stage when it is no longer something to be grasped.

That time of year

Rock Stars

Jeff and I were invited to a benefit gala for the Phoenix Center tonight. The theme was "Rockin' the Ages," and everyone was to dress like a rock star. Our goal was to go as rock stars we could more or less make out of what we had on hand. Jeff picked Roy Orbison, who, in addition to being fairly easy to replicate, also has a special place in Jeff's heart, since they both called Wink, TX home during their early years. I decided to go with Bonnie Raitt, who was a real-life friend of Roy's. Here's how we turned out:

And here's what we were going for:

Fun Mom

I hate to admit it, but I am not one of those "fun moms." I don't do crafty things with my kids or make homemade, nutritious and exciting after-school snacks. I don't have a constant stream of play dates lined up, and I don't sit around playing board games with them everyday. I do occasionally pin something fun-momish on Pintrest, but my follow-through isn't so great. But, every once in a great while, I channel the fun mom I wish I was and come up with something that will hopefully be enough to keep the kids out of therapy when they are adults. (And, during those moments, I'm extremely glad I spent time pinning ideas on Pintrest.) So, today was a fun mom day. And, by that, I mean I told Ruth and Max (but not Weston, because he's away for the weekend) we could make dessert, and then I let Ruth browse my Pintrest "Sweet Tooth" board and pick out something we already had all the ingredients for. But, she picked something fun, and I oversaw the project and suggested the really amazing make-your-own-ice-cream-in-a-Ziploc-bag part. So, I'm going to go ahead and take some fun mom credit. We made ice cream sandwiches, which consisted of chocolate cake waffles and the aforementioned Ziploc bag ice cream. If you're in need of your own fun mom ideas, here's what you do:

Mix up a chocolate cake mix (or any flavor), according to the package directions. (We added chocolate chips, because, hello, fun!) Then, pour reasonable scoopfuls into your waffle maker, and cook it until it's done. Then, freeze the waffles for a while to firm them up. Be sure to let your kids lick the chocolate off the spatula and bowl, for full fun-mom points.

For the ice cream, pour 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 Tablespoon on sugar into a quart-sized Ziploc bag. (I actually quadrupled the recipe in the quart-sized bag to keep the bag usage to a minimum). Let most of the air out and put it into another quart-sized bag, again letting out most of the air. Then, put that whole package into a gallon-sized Ziploc, surround it with crushed ice, sprinkle in several tablespoons of salt, wrap it in a towel to keep your hands from freezing and shake the heck out of it. (This is the fun part!) After about 10 minutes, you'll have a nice little soft serve. You can stick it in the freezer for a while to make it firmer.

When you're ready, put some ice cream between two waffles and bask in your fun mom moment!

Flexing some serious ice cream muscle

Massaging the bag

Serious business

Enjoying the finished product

Reaping the benefits of Ruth and Max's labor

Baby Love