My Kids, My Life

This is my scrapbook/ journal.  These are my thoughts. I've not been very good about keeping it updated lately, but I really want to.  I want to  jot a few thoughts about my kiddos.  I really hope that one day they understand how I feel about them.  They are my heart, and my life.  

Alexis-

I was cleaning the girl's bedroom a while back, de-cluttering and throwing away junk.  I found a notebook of Alexis' that I decided to skim through.  One page was written a few summers ago, it said: "When I'm nine months pregnant, I'm going to remember that  my mom did Girl's Day Camp for me when she was nine months pregnant."  I thought that was very sweet.  

She is doing very well in school.  She is starting to be embarrassed about being smart.  She told me that she doesn't like the way the kids treat her in school because of how smart she is.  It makes me sad.  She wants to hide her brilliance, and I'm afraid that she wants to appear mediocre.  I want her to excel. I want her to thrive.  I want her to feel good about making straight A's her entire school career thus far.  I want her to know that she is exceptional and I couldn't ask for a better daughter, and a better example to her younger brothers and sisters.  I am so glad that she is my first born.  She is fun to be around, and is starting to be a fun friend.  

Alexis recently completed a baby-sitting certification course.  She is certified in first-aid and CPR.  She has learned more than she thought she would need to know about caring for children.  I am excited for her to take this step and start making money, and learning how to properly manage her finances.  Steve is a great teacher.  He helps the kids set goals and reach them.  She has a financial goal and I'm pretty sure she will reach it.  Again, she is amazing to me.  I can hardly believe she came from my body.  

Tommy-

This boy is a creative, imaginative, temperamental child.  He can make up any thing to play, write or draw.  He is so fun.  He loves his brothers.  He loves his limited video game time.  He loves to read.  Right now he is reading The Hobbit.  He is taking his time because it has some hard language.  He really enjoys it though.  He wishes he could watch the LOTR movies, but we feel he needs to wait a while longer.  

Tommy is also exceptional in school.  It doesn't come as easy to him as it does for Alexis, but he puts in the effort and also makes straight A's.  He is currently studying at a 6-7th grade level, but is in fourth grade.  His teacher keeps him challenged.  

This kid won't stop dancing. At the beginning of December his class started to work on their song for the Winter Concert.  He and his friend wrote and choreographed the entire performance.  It was great.  The only down side is that he no longer walks anywhere, he dances.  I know I shouldn't be annoyed because he is so cute, but sometimes I have to remind him to walk.  He has danced into people and walls.  He cracks me up.  He is a funny kid.  He is very likable, and friendly.  He is still quite small for his age, but he doesn't let it bother him.  He is big for his age in so many other ways.  I love this boy.  I never thought I'd have a son, but I'm so glad to be blessed with three of them.  They are awesome.

Michael-

What can I say.  Michael is Michael.  He is more sensitive than I ever would have expected.  He is more attached to me that I would have expected.  He hates school more than I would have expected.  He hated going to church more than I would have expected.  He loves Burke more than I would have expected.  He loves all of his siblings.  He is very artistic.  He loves music.  He loves writing.  He loves creating.  He loves kissing my belly (when there's a baby in it).  He is my sweet heart.  

I've realized that he will never like going to school.  He doesn't love the social part like Tommy does.  He doesn't like being told what to do by someone who isn't his mom.  Once he is in class he does well and has also made straight A's.  He just does the work with a grudge, and drags it out as long as he can.  I'm teaching him that we have to do the things we have to do before we do the things we want to do.  He doesn't like the concept, but is doing better at homework time.  He would rather daydream and write.

He is a great helper.  He is a loving child.  He is makes my heart jump.  I love him so much.

Amy-

She is like sunshine in our home.  She wants to be like me when she grows up...for now.  She loves to help me in everything I do.  She wants to learn anything.  I had so much fun doing home school with her.  Now, she is at the same public school as the other kids.  She is really enjoying school.  Her favorite part is recess.  It was hard for me to let her go, but in the short run, it is a good plan.  She loves to play with her dolls.  She loves to play with her sister.  She loves to play with everyone.  She wants to learn to jump rope.  She loves to sing.  She is a good reader.  She is a happy girl.  She wants to have 11 kids or more.  She is excited for us to have another baby.  She is still in the princess stage and it is fun.  She is starting to like American Girl, thanks to Alexis.  She looks up to her big sister.  I love playing with her.  I love sitting with her while she does her homework.  

Amy has a great energy.  She gets excited about little things.  She loves her friends.  She wants her own garden, so I gave her some seeds, so that she can plant them in my garden that I haven't used in a while.  She spent two hours working in it, and had so much fun.  She pulled all the weeds, and raked and raked and raked.  She was so cute.  She planted about 30 sunflower seeds.  I hope they grow.

Burke-

He is growing so fast.  He is so fun.  He is so smart.  I really enjoy him and can't help but smile when I see him.  He is finally saying Mommy and Daddy.  He is taking a bit longer to talk than most of the other kids, but is pretty good at communicating.  He loves to sing.  He loves to read.  He loves to play.  He is funny.  He is loved by everyone.  He is very sweet, and has learned to say "I love you".  He is always hungry.  He has an amazing smile.  He is my little buddy.  He loves Buzz and Woody.  He is pretty much attached to my hip, even though he has been able to walk for about ten months.  He loves babies.  He loves baby dolls.  He has started to go to nursery.  He loves to help with the laundry, and earns money for his help.  He loves to play and dance.  He loves doing anything with the kids.  He is very good at folding hims arms for prayers.  Thankfully he is interested in the potty, and sits on it a few times a day.  He really doesn't do anything on it on purpose, but I'm just glad he isn't scared of it.  Hopefully he will be potty trained within the next year.  I am so happy to have him in our family.  We wouldn't be the same without him.  His words list up to now: Mommy, Daddy, cheetah, pizza, please, cheese, yeah, good job, cow, doggie.  His sounds list: pig, cow, rooster, wolf, sheep, baby, dog.  

Baby #6-

We are expecting our sixth baby at the end of April.  We are having a girl, and I am so excited.  

Because we are having a girl, it is my turn to choose a name.  It is much harder this time.  Steve puts so much time and thought into choosing the right names for the boys, that now I'm feeling a bit of pressure.  I have few names in mind, but I'm not sure if any of them are THE  name.  I love feeling her move inside me.  I think it is one of the best things on earth.  I love my growing belly.  I love the thought of having another baby to hold.  I am looking forward to welcoming her to our family in a few months.  I am going to have another unmedicated birth.  I did it that way with Burke, and wish I would have prepared myself to have all the kids that way. I hope she likes us.  The kids are really excited.  Michael is the most excited, and hugs and kisses her every chance he can.  Tommy is glad she's a girl because now we have 3 and 3.  He told me that he wanted a girl, because we had to have even sides.  

      I feel so blessed to be a part of this family.  I learn so much from my kids.  I am so grateful to be able to stay home with them and care for them.  I am so grateful for my husband who has made it possible for me to be a stay at home mom, and has provided the things we need for our growing family.  I admire and respect him so much, and am so happy that he chose me to be his eternal companion.