After the kids were sent to bed tonight, I heard heartbroken crying coming from the boys’ room. I went in there to find Elijah lying face down in the floor, sobbing his heart out into a wadded up blanket.

“What’s wrong, Elijah?” I asked.

“Kyra won’t sleep with us.” he cried.

My kids each have their own beds, but, generally speaking, they all sleep somewhere all together. Like puppies…all in a pile. Kyra occasionally breaks away from her brothers and insists on sleeping alone. Sometimes the boys don’t mind, but sometimes they do.

I told Elijah I was sorry, and he cried himself to sleep.

It was sad.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything of substance here. We have been sick. The kids were sick for three weeks straight. I don’t even want to talk about it, though. I’m just glad it’s over.

I thought I’d write a little update post for all of the family types that care about such things.

Chris has had a few interesting things going on. Our church recently voted to pursue his ordination. Hopefully, sometime this month or next, Chris will be getting ordained. The church also made him a deacon, so, along with all of his new deacon responsibilities like serving communion and going to meetings, we also get to laugh harder about the “deacon’s kids” jokes. Or am I the only one who thinks that’s fun? Chris finished his MA with his seminary a while back, and so he is currently putting together his packet for the Army. Hopefully, within a couple months, he will finally be an Army Chaplain.

Rachel, who has recently began referring to herself in the third person, has not been doing much of anything. After recuperating from her surgery, she spent several weeks cleaning up poop and vomit. That took up most of her spare time. She has also been reading books, taking naps, and attending a new Bible study with Chris and some friends.

Kyra just finished up second grade half a year early. We are very proud of her. She is reading like a champ, and is doing pretty well in all her subjects. She is her mama’s right hand woman, and helps a lot around the house. She is especially helpful with taking care of her baby sister. She has decided that she is going to be a missionary when she grows up, and often refers to her future plans. I’m kind of convinced she will actually do it. She solicited a rather large sum of money out of her father to donate to the relief effort in Haiti the other day, and that is a very good skill for a missionary to have. Kyra makes friends very easily with random kids on the playground, and within the first five minutes of conversation she will have asked the kid if they are saved.

Elijah is working hard at kindergarten. He struggles with not getting frustrated at his mother for not moving at the pace he could move at. He’s very smart, and could be finished with the kindergarten curriculum by now if I weren’t such a slacker. Between the baby, the surgery, and the sickness, we’re just getting by with kindergarten. He is doing very well at it, though. He spends most of his days running up and down the hallway, jumping, making sound effects, and force choking invisible opponents. He also recently lost his first tooth.

Owen spends most of his time personifying awesomeness. He is the most hilarious kid I’ve ever met. He is incredibly mischievous, and he keeps us in stitches. He’s really rather rotten, but we love him.

Abby Jo has had a lot going on lately. She got two top teeth a few weeks ago, bringing her to a total of four teeth. She took her first steps yesterday, and I’m sure she’ll be walking soon. She loves her brothers and sister, and follows them around. She loves to play with them, and they are usually pretty good at letting her hang with them in their rooms. She can say “DaDa”, “Mama”, and “Yayuh” (Kyra). She’s great fun. She likes to point, clap, and laugh when someone else laughs. She is obsessed with all things electronic and spends a good portion of each day trying to get laptops, iPhones, playstation controllers, and remotes.

That’s about it for now. I doubt y’all could handle much more excitement without getting jealous, anyway.

“Cleaning is nothing but losing energy.” – Elijah

This whole parenting gig just keeps getting better and better. Not only are my children beautiful, hilarious prodigies, but they are very tech savvy as well. This provides me with lots of entertainment. I decided to share the most recent chat conversation held between me in the living room and Kyra on the computer in my bedroom.

Kyra: Hay

Me: Hey.

Kyra: what are you doing

Me: reading blogs

What are you doing?

Kyra: allmost going to get on your blog!

Me:

Kyra:

left a comment on your blog!

Me: thanks!

It’s bedtime now.

You need to get off the computer and go to bed.

You can read for a while if you want to.

Kyra: do you want me to tell the boy’s?:)

Me: yes

Kyra: Owen say’s no! Elijah say’s he want’s to sleep in your room can He? I think it’s a no!

Me: no

Kyra:  Elijah say’s your fired!

August 28, 2009 was a big day for Chris. He graduated from Chaplain Basic Officer Leadership Course, which finished up his chaplain training, at the Chaplain School at Fort Jackson, SC. The kids and I were so proud of him. Here are some photos and videos from our day. (I was having trouble with my camera, and I didn’t get videos of the last two platoons, including Chris’, singing their division songs, nor a photo of Chris walking across the stage.)

Christopher before the ceremony.

This is me with Mrs. Diann Hart, a chaplain’s wife that I got to know a little bit during my time at the Spouses’ Seminar. She, along with her two daughters, babysat all four of our children during the banquet.

This is me with Mrs. Teresa Boone, the wife of the Commandant. I enjoyed getting to know her at the seminar.

The whole family.

This is us with Chris’ mom, Velvet.

Me and Christopher

Daddy and his boys.

Daddy and his girls.

Daddy and all of his young’uns.

I love you, Christopher, and I’m very proud of you. I’m so glad you’re home!

This is what happened when I left Elijah to feed Abby Jo her cereal.

Since Chris has been gone to Fort Jackson since early July, the kids and I made the trip to South Carolina to see him this weekend. The drive wasn’t too bad. The kids were mostly good, and Abby never really cried…only fussed till her big sister put her paci in. I was making good time until Elijah needed an unplanned bathroom stop, and then all the kids had to go. Then, not longer after that stop, Kyra said, “Owen has something yucky on his shirt and pants.” I turned to look, and saw that Owen had thrown up on himself. I was on the phone with Chris at the time, and said, “Great! Owen threw up.” When he heard me say this, Owen immediately started crying. It was quite a ways to the next exit, and Owen fell asleep while I was driving. This prompted a phone discussion with Amy on whether or not it made me a bad mom if I kept on driving while Owen was covered in puke, since he went to sleep and it didn’t smell that bad. I drove a while, but then I started smelling it so I stopped and cleaned him up. (This retelling reminded me that his pukey clothes are still in the van tied up in a little, scented, blue, plastic bag. I think I’ll be tossing that!)

Besides that and a homicidal truck driver who tried to run me off the road, it was an uneventful trip. We made it to Fort Jackson, and got to see Daddy. He was out in the parking lot of the hotel waiting on us. The kids were ecstatic to see him, and I think he felt the same about seeing us. We really miss him when he’s not home!

We went to Outback right away, and then came back to the hotel. Chris had to stay up late working on homework for CHBOLC. He didn’t get in bed till after midnight, and then had to get up at four for PT.

On Friday, we hung around the hotel until he got off, and then went to Applebees and to Walmart to buy swim stuff for the kids since I didn’t bring theirs. Chris went to sleep pretty early since he only got four hours sleep. On Saturday, we went to the zoo here in Columbia which was pretty fun. I’ll have to add pictures of that later, since they’re all on Chris’ computer. We ate at Maurice’s BBQ, which was kind of interesting but good, and then came back to the hotel. Chris took the three big kids swimming, and Abby Jo and I took a long nap. That was about it for Saturday. Today, we went to IHOP for breakfast, and then went to the Sesquintennial State Park and then to see G-Force at the movies. After the movie, we went to Rita’s Frozen Custard, and enjoyed some Italian ices and frozen custard. It was absolutely delicious! Today is the only day I took photos on my iPhone, so I can add the pics from today. Enjoy!

Waiting for IHOP is not much fun…but worth it!

This is at the park, where it was crazy hot…like around 98, I think. This isn’t the best photo, but I added it because I love Abby Jo’s expression. She looks like, “You call this fun?!?”

Elijah at the park.

Hot, little Abby Jo after having her diaper changed on a picnic table. She was still smiling, even though she was sooo over the whole thing.

Kyra sitting pretty in the shade.

Chris at the park, with Elijah in the background.

At Rita’s, they promised me happiness. I love the sign in the upper right that tells you where to order happiness. They came through. We were happy!

Kyra got some sort of strawberry flavor of Italian ice.

Owen and I had passion fruit.

After everyone ate their individual treats, Daddy went and ordered us all a large chocolate vanilla twist custard to share. We were very excited!

Ready? Set? Go!!!

Kyra, Elijah, and Owen performing Little Red Riding Hood!

Today has lasted forever. Well, actually, I just looked at the time and today has turned into tomorrow. I feel like I’ve done nothing at all today. I have spent most of it right here on this couch.

I woke up around eight this morning with a little girl who was not going back to sleep. I woke up exhausted. I had spent the night with a sick little boy and a sick’ish little girl. Owen has been sick for days…cough, congestion, and low grade fevers, and Abby Jo has a congested nose. They were both in bed with me. Owen mostly slept, but did so fitfully at times, due to his coughing. Abby Jo didn’t sleep well at all. Poor baby couldn’t breathe well because she was so congested, but when I suctioned her nose with the nasal aspirator she would wake up. Once I would finally get her to sleep, I would drift off for a while, only to wake again when she got too stuffy again. It was not a good night of sleep at all.

After a night like that, I was up long enough to change her diaper, check my email, nurse her, and make Owen a doctor’s appointment. Then, I sent Elijah after a pillow and blanket for me, and settled in right here on the couch for a nap. I woke up at one o’clock, left Kyra in charge of her sister, and went to take a shower. Half way through my shower, Kyra came and reported that she was “going through the list…I put a blanket over her to see if she was too cold, but she didn’t stop crying. So, I unbuttoned her sleeper to see if she was too warm, but she didn’t stop crying. She might be hungry, but I can’t feed her. She needs you. I checked in her diaper and saw poop, so I thinks he needs her diaper changed, too.” I’m sure you probably heard the frustrated sigh that I sighed. I told her to go wake up her daddy, and I’d be out in a minute. When I emerged from the bathroom dripping and wrapped in a towel, I found Abby Jo, not in the care of her daddy (who was still sleeping), but being crooned to by her big sister who was quite deftly changing her diaper. Kyra was doing a good job with the diaper, but Abby was having a meltdown. I finished up the diaper changing, wiped Abby’s nose, and scooped her up. I barely put her down for the rest of the day.

Abby was so worked up that, even after I nursed her, she began crying the moment I put her down. She didn’t want Chris or Kyra to hold her at all. She was only quiet if I held her. I talked Chris into taking Owen to the doctor, since Abby was so upset, and went and sat with her on the couch. I’ve been here all day. I didn’t even manage to eat for the first time until three in the afternoon. Abby obviously felt bad, but I wasn’t sure what was wrong with her. After two terrible diapers, I assumed her belly hurt.

Chris brought Owen home after a doctor’s visit that included chest x-rays, with a diagnosis of an ear infection and some antibiotics. Thankfully, he didn’t have pneumonia. He’s quite miserable, though, and cries over the least little thing. He’s sleeping in his daddy’s arms on the couch right now.

The entire day, I held Abby. She cried a lot, even when I was holding her. There were times when she seemed to be feeling better, and she smiled and cooed at me as she snuggled in my arms. She would go to sleep, but, as soon as I tried to lay her in her basket, she would wake up and cry. I resigned myself to a day full of nothingness, and just held her. She’s finally sleeping in her basket for the last fifteen minutes. That’s the longest I’ve went without holding her all day. I am tired.

As frustrating as it is to not get anything done and as tiring as it is to try to soothe a fussy infant all day, there were moments when I would look down at this breathtakingly beautiful baby in my arms and just be overwhelmed with love…staggered at the truth that this tiny, perfect little human is mine. Mine.

It’s all worth it.