11-28-2017, Day 1, The morning we left to go back to Alabama, Twinkle found Rebecca at Ahna and Grumps’ house! She flew in on her very own duck! After Rebecca found her elf at Anna and Grumps's house, the others began looking for theirs. After not finding them in Alabama or the car, I heard them speculating when we stopped. They ran to wake up their daddy when we arrived home just shy of midnight, but as they headed back through the living room to bed, they were excited to find their elves and reindeer with a matching banner.


12-11-2017, Day 14 Twinkle magically appeared in her sleeping bag here in the hotel room soon after Rebecca drifted off to sleep. Grumps is wondering how difficult it must be to sleep when one can’t ever close one’s eyes. Thankfully, the hotel does not charge extra when an elf stays in the room. Also, happening tonight was the "Elf Ball Pit ~ Elves only!" The angel seems a bit annoyed that she wasn't invited.





12-12-2017, Day 15, The elves are reunited, and they have brought the kids a gingerbread village kit to celebrate. They also are surprising them by bringing a Elfkin (that's what they call a baby elf) from the North Pole Nursery. The letter reads...

December 12, 2017
Dear Britt, Ruth, and Rebecca,
Merry Christmas! We brought you two surprises today. First, we brought you a little gingerbread village kit. We thought you might have fun with your family each making your own.
We also got special permission from Mrs. Claus to bring an Elfkin (that’s what you call a baby elf) for you to see. Katherine isn’t big enough for an elf yet, maybe she will be next year, and maybe this little Elfkin will be big enough next year to be her elf. She doesn’t have any magic of her own yet, so she can’t fly back to the North Pole Nursery. We’ll take her home tonight, but we thought you might like to meet her. Remember be very quiet today, babies need the quiet to sleep, because they grow when they are asleep.
Have fun today!
Love,
~Mistletoe, Jingle, and Twinkle~

12-13-2017, Day 16, The elves were thwarted in their planned activities because Britt unexpectedly lost a tooth today. The Tooth Fairy must have felt that their constant smiles and refusal to look her in the eyes meant that they had guilty consciouses. Her letter reads...

December 12, 2017
Dear Britt,
Nice little tooth, you had for me tonight. I caught these three shifty looking critters sneaking around. They say they know y'all, but I think they look like a bunch of thieves. So, I tied them up for you.
Your welcome,
Love,
Fen Willowglimmer
Your friendly tooth faerie
PS - Stop losing teeth with Grumps. He asks for too much money.

12-14-2017, Day 17, I guess I wasn't the only one who went out and admired the meteor shower after all. Mistletoe got out Britt's telescope. He had a good vantage to observe not just the Geminoids, but also the rocket launch. Rocket control was carried out by Jingle. Twinkle on her first space walk reportedly said, "And that's one very small step for elf, one giant leap for elf-kind."





12-15-2017, Day 18, Tonight the elves discovered that there is really no good way to build an igloo out of styrofoam packing peanuts. So instead they made and hung 15 paper snowflakes around the living room. Mistletoe and Jingle were just snipping away. Twinkle was gathering up the trash.














12-16-2017, Day 19, Guess the elves got tired of hearing me say clean up your room. I appreciate the effort, but I doubt this will keep them in their rooms till they are cleaned correctly. And they are hanging out at the bottom to watch for trespassing.















12-17-2017, Day 20, The elves contributed some leaves to our Thankful Tree. Mistletoe wrote while the girls sat with Santa and dictated. "We are thankful for Britt, Ruth, Rebecca, and Katherine... We are also thankful for hot chocolate, candy canes, and cookies. - Mistletoe, Jingle, and Twinkle"


12-18-2017, Day 21, The elves heard we were baking and decided to sneak themselves a couple of cookies. Jingle stealing cookies while Mistletoe and Twinkle plot. I know they are up to something.


12-19-2017, Day 22, The Gingerbread men heard how the elves got into the cookies and went on the offensive tonight. Ninja bread men that is... The girls can't bear to watch Mistletoe get pummeled, he stinks at fight as much as Britt does. Ha!


12-20-2017, Day 23, And after their trouble the last two nights, they decided to just make their own little elf cookies. They are complete with icing and sprinkles.














12-21-2017, Day 24, It appears that the elves have found my stash of post it notes.  As they have decorated my front porch with them.



12-22-2017, Day 25, The elves are finishing up a round of golf. It seems Twinkle has landed in a sand trap.

12-24, Christmas Eve, 7 months old

Katherine,

On Sunday you were 7 months old, how very fast this month has flown.  Hopefully I'll get back on track with your birthday post now that the holidays are past.  You have been a delight to watch this month.  You have enjoyed the Christmas lights and ornaments and most especially the bows.  You have enjoyed laying under the tree looking up into it.  You have also spent alot of time pulling off two of my ornaments in particular to play with, and taking all the bows of packages.  You have figured out how to rip off the paper, but you only really want to take off the bows and play with them.

12-6, Shiny bows!

You are crawling with some speed now, even if half the time or better you are still doing that funny sitting crawl.   The one where you crawl a few steps, then sit to the side, and then get on all fours and sit to the other side, to inch along that way.  So, your most frequent destinations are the tree or me.  You are also pulling up now, tonight you even pulled up and tried to step along the foot rest, you even managed to take 2 steps, before you fell back down.  Your persistence doesn't seem to be dampened at all by your frequent falls.  You are continually bumping your head on the floor, the furniture, or just rolling off.  You rarely cry, but are quickly trying again.

12-21, Busy pulling up while Daddy plays Nintendo.

 Your babbling has increased this month.  You still are very quiet during the day, it almost seems like you spend much of your time listening to all the talking that goes on around you.  But when it is quiet, in the evening, or to your Daddy's great impatience, during preaching, you begin to talk.  I'm hearing more and more consonant sounds -  I have even heard mama in a string of other sounds a few times.  Therefore, your siblings have decided that hi and Momma are your first words, even though you don't know what they mean or say them on purpose.

12-9, Baby's first Christmas

You have begun to show a clear preference for me as well.  You are still a very happy child, and content to be hold and piddled over by pretty much anyone.  But, more and more frequently, if I am in the room, even when you aren't hungry or sleepy, you want me to hold you and not Daddy or your siblings.  Infact, it's gotten down right difficult to sit next to your Daddy and work on anything when he is holding you, because you seem to think that's an invitation to crawl out of his lap and into mine.

12-19, Playing with Britt and Ruth.

Your routine has been all kinds of messed up every since the week before we left for Alabama, so I'm eager to get you back into a routine, next week after New Years.  You are down to one nap a day, on average, only a late one in the early evening, but then you want to stay up half the night.  You only seem to be sleeping through the night at the moment after I nurse you to sleep and lay you down two or three times, and we have to leave the closet light on and the mobile running all night.

11-30, Whatcha doing Ruth?

I'm feeling a little bit better about my supply though, after yesterday.  While we were at Disney you nursed, who knows how many times, but you didn't have food or formula, and did fine, and slept through the night last night.  You have tried bananas, applesauce, pears, strawberries, squash, green beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, grits and creamed corn so far.  Sweet potatoes remain your favorite by far.  Grits and creamed corn you haven't liked as well, though I suspect it's mostly because the texture is so different.  I didn't puree those things.  I'm hoping to go through the rest of my list in the next few weeks, so that we can start doing more table like food.

12-20, I just swapped out the 3-6 month clothes for 6-9 months.

You remain a very observant child, an incredibly happy baby.  Even at the doctor's office.  You were 15 lbs even on the 1st, and you only cried a moment with your shots, and then rewarded the nurse with a teary eyed smile.  You had the flu last week as well, and you were still so happy and content, despite a runny nose and fever.  Your personality is unlike any of your siblings, and we enjoy watching you grow into the person you will become.  We all love you so much, Little Love, and that's just what you are - a little bitty person full of and lavished with so much love from so many.

I love you,
Momma

12-22, Night baby girl.

Dear Abigail,

Another Christmas rolls around without you.  I can't help but think each year about now, that we should be preparing to celebrate your birthday.  I had hopes maybe you'd be born before Christmas, but I was also tickled with the idea that you were to be born on your Mister's 60th birthday.

Our plans for Christmas this year were to take the family to Disney World for the day.  A few months ago, I looked at Gary and said for what we typically spend on Christmas, we could almost buy 5 tickets to Disney for Christmas day.  After mulling it over a bit, Gary liked the idea.  I could just see in my mind, their excitement as we made the drive into Orlando early Monday morning, as they tried to figure out where we were going.  The disbelief as we passed those power poles in the shape of giant mouse ears.

Britt is nearly to the age, where he won't have that child like belief.  That imagination where all possibilities are true.  He still lives in the world where no matter the odds, the Avengers will save the day.  That Christmas elves are real.  That he might could get a letter inviting him to Hogwarts when he turns 11.  I wanted to have a Disney trip, where I could see them all believe in that magic together.  And of course, I know what he will enjoy.  He'll want to meet Eugene and Prince Philip.  He'll be amazed with Tomorrowland.  I know what Ruth will enjoy.  She's her Daddy's daughter, a total roller coaster junkie.  She'll be in amazement to meet Tinkerbell and watch Cinderella's castle turn into Elsa's after dark.  I know what Rebecca will enjoy.  She'll want to meet Ariel and Rapunzel.  She'll be jealous that she doesn't get to ride the big coasters.  I even know by now some of what will amuse Katherine.  She'll like the music and want to grin at everyone she sees.  She studies the world and does it with great joy.  But what about you.  What would the 2 year old you, that I'm missing, what would you like.  Would you like demur Sleeping Beauty, or the rowdy Mulan?  Would you be anxious to met your hero, or shy of them?  Would you clamor to ride all the rides, or would you just want to watch all the excitement around you?  What would you think of the parade and the fireworks?  The kids will all be taking money from the grandparents.  I am willing to bet our entire savings account that Britt will come home with a sword, but what would have been your pick?

Alas though, Christmas may have to be postponed, as the flu has invaded the house.  In that I'm glad that you aren't here to suffer it.  Katherine seemed to not be affected at all.  If it hadn't been for a positive flu test, I wouldn't have thought she had it.  Ruth seems to be miserable though, and even though we don't know for a fact that it's the flu and not one of the other bugs going around, we are treating it as if it is.

Most of the time, these days I can accept that you aren't here and won't ever be.  I can accept that there is only one ornament for you, while your siblings get new ones each year to add to the collection.  I can accept that on Christmas morning, their stockings will be full while your's remains so empty.  There are still moments that the utter injustice of losing a child is overwhelming.  But I can be amazed and thankful that you are with the Son of God, the Prince of Peace, the one we are celebrating.  There are fleeting moments that I feel connected, that we are sharing something at the same moment.  Imagining you there in Heaven with Jesus because of the work he accomplished, while we sit here together celebrating that he was not only willing, but did come into the world and do that work.  That is one of those moments.

We love and miss you so much,
And we long for the day that our faith will be sight,
You are never forgotten, dear daughter,

Love, Momma

  

I decided to do something a little different with our schooling this year.  First, I decided to start back later, taking a real summer break.  This was mostly done since we had a new baby in the house, but also because we were planning several summer trips, and wanted to be able to just relax and enjoy them before we started back.  Next, I decided to pre-plan our weeks and approximate days.  I've never done this, I'm one that once I have a plan, I feel the need to stick to it, no matter how poorly it's working for us.  Finally, I worked up a schedule for our actual day, three of them actually, since we have some days that look different from the rest.
I have to say as Term 1, comes to a close today, that it's gone great.  We logged 77 days, 13 weeks of school, doing 6 days a week.  The only thing we didn't do was I initially planned for us to school next week as well, but we aren't since the Grandparents and Great-Grands are coming for a visit.  Term 2 and 3, won't be as intensive.  They will be only 10 and 9 weeks, and I won't plan school on Saturdays once Gary gets his Saturdays back to spend with us instead of at the farm.

I have to say this year has been our best so far.  I've not really written about it yet, but this year we've done some testing for the kids, and it's given me alot of insight into what will and won't work for them.  We are cycling once again through phonic sounds, and the kids reading continues to improve.  There are times were Ruth is pretty fluid with decent speed.  Britt's not there yet.  But he's been learning to play Zelda, and in order to know what to do next in the game, he has to read what the other characters are telling him.  I have made a strict rule of not allowing anyone to read it to him, and while it takes him a little time, he is getting better and better.  I'm excited to have just ordered most of our new school books for the year (thanks to Gary's November work bonus).  We have all but finished the spelling book I started at the beginning of the year, and I'm very much looking forward to working in All About Spelling, to reinforce the phonics lessons that we continually drill.  I'm also looking forward to starting our Handwriting Without Tears.  We're going to do a little print review with the old two, and then begin cursive after the new year.  Rebecca is going to be excited with some new workbooks as well, since she's blown through everything I could piece together around here.  All that is left to order is math books, since we are close to completing those as well.

There are days were the monotony of slugging through more school work is overwhelming.  There are days when I want to pull all of my hair out.  There are days were I envy those Moms that load all their heathens on the big yellow bus and wave merrily as they contemplate an entire day alone with a quiet house.  But it is also immensely rewarding, in a way I can't explain to see them as they discover new concepts:  as a math lesson that they have been fighting with suddenly makes since, when they realize that they have been reading the instructions on the video game for the last hour with no help at all and finally find pleasure in reading for themselves.  It gives structure to our days, by being ever new.  I have read that the days pass slowly but the years fly.  And as another year winds down, I'm struck again by the realization that I only have a limited amount of time with our children.  There are only 10 more Christmases with Britt before he is grown and off.  If we average a school year at 180 days, there are only 1,723 more days to teach him all those things I think are important.  What a momentous undertaking.

By popular request I thought I'd share some of our decorating photos.  Decorations went up here about a month ago now.  Since Rebecca got to stay over in Alabama, her conditions were that she got to help put up the Christmas tree here first, and that her elf would meet her in Alabama.  So, for once I decorated way ahead of Thanksgiving.  Something I never do.  I moved things around a bit this year.  Last year I set up our dining room table differently than I normally do, but this year I went back to my old standby.  Everything else I changed up.












Adding a new stocking to the fireplace this year.  I'm out of hooks for my sign.  I ended up taking some old shower curtain hooks and hanging them with that.  Gary keeps meaning to check at the shop on the farm and see if they have some scrap metal to bend me some hooks to match the dark metal that I have, but he's not gotten around to it yet.  I don't have the tree up by the fireplace this year, it's in the window.  Which of course meant I moved all the living room furniture around.  I miss actually looking out the window from my chair during the day, but I do like how it looks walking around the room, and it allowed me to keep our thankful tree up a while longer.














Instead of having the Christmas tree plug in to the outlet that the light switch works, I plugged in the Christmas lights that wrap around the fireplace.  Turned out nice.  Last year the elves brought the kids an elf door, and me they brought this cute little sign, so it's a new addition.


My manager isn't by the tv this year, but on the ledge between my window and living room.  I thought about getting a little creche from Walmart for it, but waited too long, because they are already out.  I'm still trying to decide if I'm brave enough to paint them.  I think they'd be so much prettier painted up.


If you are on facebook, you'll already know that the elves decorated the side door in our bedroom earlier in the week.  I think it turned out really nicely.  The kids have their trees up in there room, and we put the spinning light on the back porch, which they have been flipping on in the evenings when they play out there.  We've been out front a bit this week, so I'll share some outside pictures in another post some other time.  Merry Christmas!

Would you like to bake cookies with Mrs. Claus?  Why or why not?

"I want to bake cookies with Mrs. Claus, because it would be a lot of fun.  I like baking and I could see the elves move at the North Pole.  I might even sing Jingle and Mistletoe and Twinkle move.  Maybe even Holly, Lilli's elf.  I could take video and show Britt, Rebecca, and Lilli.  I think there would be tons of snow there.  I think there is a sign that has a candy cane pole, and the sign is made of chocolate and it says "Welcome to the North Pole!"  I'm sure in the North Pole Factory there is lots of candy, and the elves are all making presents and wrapping them, and putting them in bags, so that the kids can't see what's in it till they unwrap it, after it's dropped off at their house.  Mrs. Claus probably makes cookies, close to Santa's factory where he has his ginormous list of who's bad and good.  I imagine her kitchen being like part of Santa's workshop.  She cooks his food because he's so busy seeing who's naughty and nice and working with the elves.  There are tons of little tables and chairs for all the elves.  She's a very good cook.  It's an important job, because she cooks for all the people in the North Pole, and there's lots of elves with Santa Claus.  She made gingerbread cookies with me, and chocolate chip, and Christmas tree cookies.  We even made some Candy Canes.  She melted some different kind of candy and shaped it like candy canes, and then when it got hard that's who she made candy canes.  And then Santa Claus finally found me and put me in a box.  He put me on his sleigh, and wrapped me up like a present.  He dropped me off under my tree.  It said, "For the Whole Family, From: Ho,Ho,Ho!"

Mrs. Claus and Ruth by the Candy Cane Welcome Sign. Painted and photographed by Ruth.

Describe your favorite toy or stuffed animal.

"Brock is a Brachiosaurus.  He has a remote control thing.  He can get on his two hind feet.  He can yawn and his eyes will open and close.  You can make his neck swing around and roar.  He has 32 spikes in all on his back and tail, and part of his head.  Some of his spikes can glow, I pretend that they are lava spikes and get as hot as lava.  I got him from Carousel Kids on a Sunday afternoon with my own money.  He was on sale, but I saved up money for him.  He is 55 years old.  He's pretty old isn't he?  I don't really know why he is my favorite.  He's one of my newest ones.  He's joined the Super Team.  I like to pretend that people don't call him a Brachiosaurus because of all of his spikes.  And since he tramples anything in his path when he is angry they call him a Wreak-a-saur.  Ruth nicknamed him Rock.  I can hardly put up with it.  He is almost as long as me, if the tip of his tail is touching the ground we are the same size.  He is also part Stegosaurus because he has spikes on it that he can attack with.  He has a son.  His son's name is Brachiosaurus.  Also, known as the famous saddle rider.  His rider is Little Britt."

Photo by Ruth.

11-24, Happy Half Birthday!

Dear Katherine,

I did good and took pictures on your half birthday, but failed to find time to sit down and write your birthday letter.  We had so much fun in Alabama but we were so busy.  So many things have happened, so much to record.  I don't think your looks have changed that much this month, but boy have you been ticking off the milestones.  You did wonderful with all the family and friends and traveling.  We celebrated your first Halloween and your first Thanksgiving.  You had your first plane flight -  you napped, ate, and smiled at everyone.  You felt the cold for the first time, you weren't wild about having the car seat covered, and you wouldn't leave your socks on, but it didn't seem to bother you.  And of course, you were happy to smile at everyone and sit with anyone who would hold you.  You also got to meet your Mallard cousin, on this trip.  That was fun.

11-17, First Plane Flight

You are sitting up with no problem now.  You can also go from tummy or back to sitting up, with some lightening fast reflexes.  You are completely getting your chest off the floor and are even crawling a little.  Though as Granddaddy said, you are mostly "crawfishing" or as your Daddy put it, "crab walking."  You are getting around but it is mostly an odd path that you take.  You move backward and sideways, but in a way to go forward.  You will get on all fours, rock till you face plant or edge forward a bit, then you will push up on your tip toes, and sit down to the side of where you were.  You then start over again.  All the time you are mostly moving forward, but by moving side ways.  One time you will sit on one side, the next time you will sit on the other side.  The zig zag path you move along, resembles the drunk Uncle in "It's a Wonderful Life" as he staggers off and into the trash cans.  I manged to get a little video of you doing it today.


Another first this month, was starting you on pureed food about a week before your 6 month birthday.  I have been making it with the Baby Bullet, that the Millers got for your baby shower.  It's been so easy this time around.  You have had bananas, sweet potatoes, applesauce, and squash so far.  All of which you seem to enjoy.  You weren't so sure about it at first, but now you eat anywhere from 2 to 4 oz of baby food in a sitting.  We almost always feed you in the evening, and then you get a bath, and I feed you to get you to go to sleep.  You didn't sleep real well in Alabama, but since coming home, you seem to be back to sleeping through the night.  Your Daddy thinks some of it was that you were growing and hungry, and that starting solids has helped that.  We are giving you either pumped milk or a bottle of formula once a day, most days now.  Not everyday but probably 5 days a week.  Only if we are having trouble getting you down at night, after I have fed you.  I've been a little concerned about supply, but at your doctor's appointment on Friday you were 15 lbs and 27 inches long, still right on your growth curve.

11-25, Your first Iron Bowl.  We won!

The high chair still seems to swallow you up, so I have a blanket rolled up in it.  You still like the swinger though we have to buckle you in it, because you will roll over and lay on your stomach if we don't watch it.  You don't particularly seem to like being in the bouncer now.  And you don't like to sit in the car seat if we aren't moving.  I've about quit carrying it in to restaurants.  It's getting too heavy, and you won't sit in it anyway.  You do like to sit in the Bumbo that you got for Christmas and play with your toys in the floor.

11-23, Napping with Ahna.

You have really found a love for toys this month.  You still like some of the same items as before.  But now you make a real effort to pick up things, move them from hand to hand, chew on everything you can get to your mouth, and try to go and get toys.  You love to "play" with your brother and sisters.  Britt and Ruth brought in some of Britt's transformers a couple of nights ago.  They were showing you how to transform them, and handing you the ones that don't come apart into little parts.  You were banging them, laughing, and chewing on them.  And when they decided to go, you seemed so disappointed to watch them leave.

11-16, Happy Baby

And did I mention chewing on toys?  You are very mouthy, far more than I recall the others being.  I'm a bit worried that you will be one that puts everything in your mouth, something the others really didn't do.  The two little teeth that were leaving a print when you bit down on my hand, aren't any longer, but your gums are swollen up again.  I don't know when you will ever cut these teeth for real, but I'll be glad of it, the grinding on me, and biting down might make you feel better, but I don't enjoy it.

11-24, Playing with the foxes on your feet.

You are also babbling more and more.  No real discernible consent sounds yet, though the kids keep insisting that you can say "hi".  When you are finished eating you often try to talk to me around whatever is in your mouth.  You blow bubble and babble and that's how I know you are finished.  I ask you for kisses, and you will often oblige me when I press my cheek up to your face.  You will generally start talking to anyone who talks to you and gives you a "break in the conversation."  You also still have the funniest laugh, and when we get to tickling you, you almost shriek with laughter which, of course, your Daddy can't stand, but I find adorable.

11-20, Sisters.  Ruth feeding you bananas.

More and more you want to face the world around you, and have to turn to see what you might be missing.  But, you are still a wonderful cuddler.  I enjoy holding your belly against my chest with your head against my neck and cheek, and rocking you in the evening.  I love the way your whispy hair smells after a bath.  I love the drool a bit less, but the kisses and singing I enjoy.  Little Love, you are such a delight.  We love you so much.

Love,
Momma

10-31, First Halloween.