Sluggish Blog Posting

I have not been very bloggy lately. We've had lots of company, so some evenings I've been sociable and played games, and some evenings I have just buried myself in a book!  Either way, I haven't been on the computer.  Or if I have, I have been trolling through Facebook or other people's blogs, slack-jawed and half asleep!

This boy NEVER sleeps.  He can sure scrunch up his eyes, though.

Working up to a whistle.

A real whistle!  He's learned to whistle this past month, and he whistles constantly.  Sometimes I wonder if he would asphyxiate if he couldn't whistle.  He whistles as he runs up and down stairs, he whistles while he plays with cars, he whistles while he reads books.  I think he'll be impersonating birds before long.

While Grandma Marilyn was here, Cheyenne decided to make her a salad.  

She chopped all the vegetables herself.  Then she decided to cut up lemons to make lemonade for Daddy and Grandpa.  THAT did not go so well.  She sliced her left middle finger-- but at least she didn't sever two tendons and an artery like Aunt Lindsey just did to her left middle finger!

Marilyn and Dana left Friday after supper, and Mom, Olivia and Tori came a few hours later!  It didn't take long for Olivia to take my camera out to photograph our crabapple tree.

These photos are amazing when you enlarge them.  Quite the photographer!

Raindrops on blossoms...

Because raindrops are ALWAYS here!  

I love the rain dripping off last year's crabapple.

I usually try to take a family picture in front of the tree every year, but it poured steadily from the time the blossoms opened until they were gone.

But at least Olivia came...

And took Bokeh-Beautiful pictures!

Rilla doesn't mind the rain at all!  She trots out her raincoat and rubber boots and goes out in all weather.

Our little lilac is growing up!

Despite the fact that it poured the whole time they were here, it was awesome having some Vaughan females here. We went to JoAnn Fabrics Saturday morning, and I made four skirts that afternoon and evening.  I made ones for Rilla and Lily, and also some for Olivia and Tori.  They weren't a howling success-- you really do need a pattern once you get past the kid stage, but I had fun sewing.  It's gotten me all ambitious in the sewing department, we'll see how long that lasts!  For now, I'm stashing my sewing machine under the arm of the sofa, so it isn't inaccessible in Lincoln's closet while he's napping.  Maybe I'll actually get a couple things made!  If nothing else, I need to take in a bunch of Marilla's skirts, since she's a little hipless wonder like her sister.

Yesterday, I made a month's supply of spaghetti sauce.  Around noon, I noticed it wasn't as hot as it should be, so I cranked it up to high for a few hours.  Then I turned it back to low...  and continued about my day.  I did notice the clean metal pot that was sitting beside the Crock-Pot wasn't that hot when I went to put it away... but I still continued in blissful ignorance of the fact that I had been too dumb to plug the Crock-Pot in!  It wasn't until 5:00 in the afternoon that I finally realized it!

So, when I came down to breakfast this morning, Evan had helpfully left a little diagram to help me figure out supper tonight!  The end of the world everyone is twittering about might actually happen if Evan doesn't get his weekly spaghetti meal!

Right around the time I realized that my planned supper was a no-go, Evan called to say he wouldn't be home until seven.  Except for Wednesday nights, he hasn't been home before seven for two weeks now.  I looked around at my four hungry, fussy children-- and decided to wimp out.  I bundled them all in the van, and we drove to the Golden Arches for supper.  Not being a masochist, I didn't take them in.  We got our chicken nuggets in the drive-thru, then I pulled over and climbed in the back seat with the kids.  It works pretty nicely when they're all strapped in.  I may start bringing their carseats in for supper.  Then, we drove an extra four miles to the BIG (in comparison) library, and hung out there for close to an hour.  After checking out 44 books (for once, I'm not exaggerating!), we came home to a house with zero supper dishes-- and Daddy!

And now, I think it's time to get a novel and curl up on the couch.  Maybe I can even convince Evan to move himself out of the La-Z-Boy chair over to the sofa to sit beside me.  See what a hard life we lead?

A Busy Mother's Day

I had a lovely Mother's day today, even if it wasn't the traditional breakfast-in-bed, lounging around lazily kind of day. Very busy, but nice. Which pretty much encapsulates being a mother to four young squidlets!

We had company this weekend, so the kids have been spoiled with lots of attention.  Angela and Elliott hung out on the top of the swingset...

While Auntie and Lincoln chatted.

I love how Elliott is lounging in mid-air here.  Both Cheyenne and Marilla were very worried that he was going to fall off the top of this, so I had to reassure them that he was fairly safe-- if a bit silly!

Evan mowed the lawn for the first time this year on Friday night.  We were the last ones to mow in our neighborhood.  He still couldn't get into the very back of the yard, which still has standing water.

Cheyenne's bouquet for me.

They don't last as picked flowers, but these sure were pretty for the first bit!

This girl's eyes will always be pretty.  I can see Evan's point when he complains that those eyes make it hard to discipline her!

And... my Mother's Day present!  Evan brought this home Saturday as "my" gift.  Funny thing is, it's a grill Evan has been hankering for over a year!  It's a combination charcoal and gas grill.

I wanted to take a family picture with my four kids this morning, but right before we left for meeting, Cheyenne decided she had to go to the bathroom, and Rilla and Elliott were bounding around doing their own thing.

So I got a picture of me with The Latest Addition.

Hard to believe he wasn't here last Mother's Day!

Finally corralled Marilla, but she was NOT in the mood for pictures.

And, we're up to three... but that's when Evan decided we needed to leave, and Cheyenne still hadn't appeared.  So no carefully posed picture... but at least I *have* four beautiful kids!

We had a nice big lunch after meeting this morning-- London Broil and potato packets on the grill, Farmer's salad and roasted broccoli.  By the time we did dishes, and I slipped in the required Sunday afternoon nap, it was time for our afternoon gospel meeting.  After meeting, Dana and Marilyn arrived, pizza in hand, so we had a nice easy supper and some nice visits.  Plus, I won the game of Progressive Rummy we played... but they all claim they were being nice to me for my mother's day gift!  :-)

Grandma Time, and Some Sewing Fun

May is continuing April's precedent of cold and rain. It's maddening that the kids can't play outside much, but we're all keeping busy nonetheless.

We did have a nice day when Grandma and Grandpa were out here last week. Here, all the kids were hanging out with Grandma in the "treehouse."

Rilla, hemmed in by Cheyenne's purse and book bag. Not her "bookbag" that she takes to school every day, but the bag she carts everywhere to hold her library books. The purse, of course, contains her library card.

In retrospect, I kind of doubt I brushed this poor child's hair this day.

Lincoln, enjoying the steering wheel.


Cheyenne holding Lincoln-- something she would do 24 hours a day, if we (or Lincoln!) would let her!

Smiley boy!

My pensive girl, with her stuffed dog doing a balance beam act.

Better light in this one. I'm never sure when my camera will use the light properly. Someday I'll learn to use it better.

This boy likes his daddy.

He looks like he has Cheyenne's dog hidden in that other hand.

Testing out our "new" deck furniture. Dana got a set second-hand, and spray-painted it for us so it looks brand new! Now if we could have some sun to enjoy it...

The only way Lincoln goes to sleep at night-- curled up on Evan's arm while Evan works (or plays) on the computer.

The kids were read approximately 362 books while Marilyn was here.

Of course, they read books even when no one is around. It was quiet one morning, so I peeked down into the family room to see what they were doing. They had made themselves nests, and were happily reading together!

Lincoln is exceptionally excited in this picture because he is getting to hold a red hair elastic in his left hand. Usually they get snatched away instantly, but I let him hold it to capture The Excitement on film!

This was Elliott's creation yesterday. I had sat down to sew that afternoon, and I must have been fairly distracted, because I didn't notice him assembling this Masterpiece of Mess, despite the fact I was sitting about five feet away! The stack of books in front was his desk-- I'm not sure what everything else served at, but believe me, this was all very carefully arranged! Then Heartless Mommy put it all away last night. Not that you could tell by looking at the house tonight. It looks like a bomb went off.

Cheyenne, looking somewhat evil, with Lincoln in her clutches.

I was taking a picture today for my not-quite-as-neglected-recipe blog today, and Rilla requested that I take a picture of her and Lincoln's lunch-- which consisted of Cheerios at that point. They were cute little Cheerio-eaters, though, so I obligingly took a picture.

And now, what I was sewing! This is Cheyenne trying it on last night with a very clash-y shirt, but she's proud of it!

And, a mysteriously blurry picture of her wearing it tonight, dressed for meeting.

I had so. much. fun. sewing this. It's called the Lazy Day Skirt pattern, and it's so drop-dead easy, I whipped three of them out in one child-filled afternoon! Cheyenne will get to match her cousins, Orianna and Breanna. As soon as I can get to the fabric store again, I might make one for Lily and Rilla. (Since it's hard to see, the pattern on the skirt is of strawberries and kiwis-- perfect for a little fruit fanatic whose favorite colors are red and green!)

Evan is off at the crack of dawn tomorrow, and he won't be back until Auntie and Angela join us for the weekend Friday afternoon. Considering the bombed house, I better get to bed so I can hit the ground running tomorrow! Hopefully my usual Single Mommy Fortitude will kick in to assist me!