bigger hugs

I awoke this  morning with a smile in my heart and on my face.  My baby girl is 5 today.  I could hear her already running through the house making the precious beautiful “noise” that she makes.  It was 6:00 am.  usually my medicine doesn’t allow me to be awake yet, but I took it early last night hoping to be able to wake early, and Praise God it worked.  I got up and there before me was my beautiful child with a smile and a gleam that said, “well Mom, I’m 5 what do you think?

I gave her a huge hug and she just stood there in all her 5 year old proudness.  Then her Daddy came looking for a hug.  He asked for a hug from 4 year old Teagan.  We looked but couldn’t find her.  Daddy was “sad”.  Teagan in her delightful voice and personality says, “It’s ok Daddy cause I’m 5 now and bigger and stronger and can give you better hugs than just a 4 year old.”  What a precious gift.

Teagan Hope Anastasia Martin born at some point in the afternoon on March 11, 2005 weighing 8 pounds and a few ounces was just beautiful and with a head of black hair we knew that this child was already staking her claim and declaring her spot in our family.  Beautiful hope of the resurrection is the meaning of her name and she has on so many occasions been there to remind us of God gift of Hope and his love. 

So today celebrate with me the joy that is life.  The joy that is being 5.  The joy that is getting a princess leapster before 7 am on your 5th birthday.  I will selfishly and happily reserve the joy that can only be mine as her mother. 

Thank you God for Teagan.  Thank you for life, for hope and for birthdays.

Proud mom of Teagan and kri too and woj,

kt

eyes

Everyone know the secret of mothers.  We have eyes in the back of our heads.  They can’t be seen.  Then can’t be found.  But on the day that our children are born or adopted or put in our care we grow these special eyes. 

So this afternoon my kids were running around doing something, but I didn’t know what it was.  I couldn’t use the “back eyes”.  Know why?  Because Teagan kept coming up to the back of my head and using her tiny hands she was covering my “back eyes”.   I was trying with all my might to hold very still and not look because obviously it was important. 

I still don’t know what exactly they were doing, but I notice that the kitchen trashcan is very full and looks like the upstairs trash has been emptied into it.  Since we just had a little talk about working together to take care of the house, I”m wondering if my secret little helpers were busy being trashmen. 

I’m overwhelmed by whatever act of help they were offering, but I’m more moved and excited that Teagan had to cover my back eyes.  It brought a smile to my face and a joy to my heart that hasn’t been there in quite some time.

Thank you God for simple pleasures and special treasures like the belief of little children. 

Momofkrit and woj,

KT

observation

Yesterday My hubby and I helped out during the Sunday School program at church. We were with the 2nd - 5th graders and I made a few observations.

#Boys always migrate toward each other especially if there is a ball anywhere in the vicinity!
#Girls sit and talk and are constantly looking around to see who else is coming in and who might be looking at them.
#When sitting in a large group on the floor, girls always sit in the front.
#The boys group together in the back and find it impossible to keep their hands to themselves.
#Popcorn in a syrofoam cup is eaten politely by girls and then the cup is placed beside them till it is time to throw it away.
#Popcorn eaten by boys is consumed in massive handfuls or rather "drinkfuls" from the cup with the goal being to finish the snack so the cup can destroyed. Then the fun begins. The boys compete to see who can make the coolest weapon or cartoon character with the styrofoam cup pieces.

So I ask you, if that group had been a group of adults, would anything have been different?

The things that make you go hmmmm....

blessed to be momofkrit and woj,
KT

July 31 update

An overview of our life for the past few days:

Rhiannon has spent the week in MD with her cousin Aubrie. Although having a wonderful time, she announced last night, (THursday), that she would like to return home before Friday. You see, Friday night is her snuggle night with Mommy! :-) She has been promised a snuggle night whenever she returns...
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On Tuesday I took the 3 kids and drove down to school first thing in the morning. We were hoping to get some deals at the uniform resale. Alas, there was nothing left as we arrived 20 minutes after the start time. I drove home empty handed and feeling as though I had just wasted 2 hours. Later that afternoon I took the 3 kids and drove to West Chester for a dr. appt. After a little difficulty finding the building we arrived and went into the building. Upon finding suite 203, however, the door was locked. After several phone calls to find the dr number I called and was told that the appt was On Wednesday in Exton. I was a day early and at the wrong office. UGGGG....

We left again feeling a bit like we had wasted time so I decided to take the kids out for a treat. In the process I got lost in and around WC and when I finally did find a McDonald's there was a sign posted saying this: "No Loitering allowed. 20 Minutes allowed for dine-in customers." Alrighty then. KIDS: eat fast and don't dawdle cause we might get kicked out of here! :-) A few wrong turns on the way home and finally we arrive back at home sweet home 3 hours after we had departed. A 3 hour trip to McD eh?
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Wednesday we traveled to Exton at the right time on the right day and arrived at the right office on time! :-) Teagan was not much interested in being at this appointment and when the nurse suggested she sit in the big patient chair since she was the queen, she politely declined. Iain, however, asked if he could sit there. When the nurse playfully questioned him saying, Well are you a queen, Iain properly responded, NO, but I am a King! Suffice it to say, Iain occupied the chair for the remainder of the appointment.
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Yesterday I helped Kyle with his laundry. I folded 6 pair of Pj's, 3 pr pants, 8 pr shorts, 12 shirts, 2 pr sweatpants, and 1 pr underwear. hmmmm......
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As an update, Teagan is having her tonsils taken out on Tuesday morning. I have a dr appointment on Wednesday re: my shoulder. Only 3 weeks left till school starts. WOW....

Blessed to be momofkrit and woj,
kT

finding a sitter

One of my least favorite tasts as a mom is finding a babysitter. I have avoided this for most of my "mom life" by finding 1 wonderful person at a time to be our "nanny". At this point in time, however, we no longer need a "nanny" and so we are back to finding sitters.

This past weekend I was invited to go on a date with my husband and another couple. This offer brought 50% excitement and 50% dread. Yay, a date. Drag, a sitter. I don't mind having a sitter. I don't mind leaving my kids with a sitter. I just dislike the process of Finding a sitter.
After a few calls and no luck here is what happened:

"Kyle, please go and get my cell phone so I can think of someone to call to watch you kiddo's tonight."

Shortly thereafter I hear Kyle coming down the steps on my phone. "Yes, this is Kyle. Hi how are you? My mom is looking for a babysitter for tonight and I was wondering if you were free and if we could come to your house. Tacos? Perfect. Ok, well, here is my mom."

At this point I am standing in my kitchen in shock looking at my 9 year old son with disbelief and I could only ask 1 question: "WHO IS IT?"

"Oh, it is Barb Irwin, Mom." Barb Irwin? She is a wonderful lady from church who has helped me fix my screens and brought me meals when I was sick and 1 time even took 3 of my kids for the evening so I could rest. She has 4 kids of her own who are all in high school and college. Barb Irwin?

"Hi, Barb....Uh..how are you?"

At this point I hear Barb tell me about how nice and polite my son is and how she would love to have them over for dinner and she was planning to make them taco's one night this summer anyway and they don't have any plans and what time is good?

So my children went to Barb's house Saturday night. They took their bikes and their Pj's. They ate taco's, managed to convince Mr. and Mrs. Irwin to get their bikes down off the rack and ride with them, went out for ice cream and were all in Pj's mostly asleep on their bed when we returned from a wonderful date to pick them up.

The funny thing about this little story is that if Kyle had asked me, as he should have, to call Mrs. Irwin, I would certainly have said NO. We wouldn't want to impose on another family! However, my children had the time of their lives. This morning Teagan asked if she could go there again tonight.

So many thanks goes out to the Irwin's for loving our family and especially our kids. And much to my shock and inital horror, much thanks goes out to Kyle for taking care of finding a babysitter!

If you need help managing your household, let me know, I'll send Kyle over for a few hours! :-)

Blessed to be momofkrit and woj,
KT

(momofkrit - mom of Kyle, Rhia, Iain, and Teagan, and wife of Jamie(Aaron))

random

The rumors are true: I did in fact wake all my kids at 12:45 am Thursday morning and take them to the drive through of McDonalds. WHY??? Well because that is when it opened of course. It has been closed for rebuilding for several months and they did a "soft" opening from 1-5 before the official opening began at 5. For fun we went for fries. Fun Cheap memories.
The cost of fries? $5.24
The memories? priceless

Yesterday Rhia went to go outside to play and I called out, "Get your shoes". She said, "Oh, but mommy, I'm and Indian and they don't wear shoes." Looking at her in confusion, I realized she was wearing her Indian costume. My response? Oh, well, you are right. Ok, go and play.
How can you argue with history?

Today is Teagan's last day of her 1 and 1/2 long preschool adventure this year. WHat a blessing that has been for her. Because I was so sick a friend was able to enroll Teagan in preschool and she has gone 3 times a week and LOVES it. I'm not sure how we'll be able to send her next year, but boy has it been fun for her! She can write her name and loves that she has her own school.

Today just for fun I will be acquiring 2 additional dogs for a week. My mom and sisters are going on vacation together and I"m watching dogs. Should be fun here!

Other than that, we've been visiting the library every week and the Y every now and then and reading books together and practicing our laundry skills! :-)

Loving being able to be a mom again,
Momofkrit and woj,
KT

New Bible Story

"Teagan what was your Sunday School Lesson about today?"
Well, Mommy, is was about Saul and he was on a big boat.
"Are you sure it wasn't Paul"
Nope, Mommy actually it was Saul.
"Oh, OK and what happened to Saul/Paul?"
Well, actually he was on a big boat and it got broke and fell apart in the water. And all the people fell into the water and they all got into a whale. except Saul actually.

"OK, so your story was about Saul on a boat that crashed and all the people except Saul got into the belly of a whale?"
Yes, Mommy, that was my story.

Daddy - Teagan it was Saul and they landed on an island.

NO, Daddy they didn't for real!!!


This reminded me of the stories that my sister Erin used to after Sunday School. Stories about Noah playing with Gorilla's and Moses and the big boat etc. We all used to laugh and my Mom would patiently listen to her stories. I was my Mom today as the rest of the family kinda quietly chuckled.
Too cute.