Monday Randomness

TORI IS GROWING UP
Tori is starting to move around a lot. No more peacefully holding her. She is a wiggle worm! She is crawling and sitting and crawling again. Today she was on her knees in the crib, with her hands on the crib rails. She kept pulling herself up and then falling and hitting her head on the crib. I have no doubt that she will soon be standing up on her own.

ELLIE IS REWARDED
I don't know what I would do without Ellie during this deployment. She is my only help around the house. She has done a ton of babysitting Nick and helping around the house over the past few months. I decided that since I was putting so much responsibility on her, I would reward her with an ipod nano. She has been wanting one for quite some time (what kid doesn't?). They were out of green at Sam's Club, so she chose blue. I loaded it up last night with music and a movie. She is such a happy kid!! An ipod and her own room in one week. She can hardly contain her happiness :) She has already invited a friend over for a sleepover this weekend. She is excited that they can spend time in her room without being chased around the house by all of her siblings.

Ellie, the proud owner of an ipod :)

NICK IS BORED
We all have cabin fever, but Nick is the one that is having the hardest time burning off energy while being inside the house all day long. I have found that whenever he gets bored, he gets into trouble. When he's bored he: gets scissors out, climbs on things, draws on things, goes into his sisters' rooms, plays in the sink, etc. You get the picture. Keeping him busy is a full time job. I feel bad that I'm not spending enough actual time sitting with him.

I am considering taking him to preschool a few days a week next fall. We would get SO much more schoolwork done during the day. So much of my time is spent trying to keep him out of trouble. We'll see. I'm sure that by fall he will have matured much more also, so it might not be quite the issue that it is right now. He has changed remarkably in the 4 months since Andy has been gone, so I know that he might be a different little boy by September - one that doesn't get into quite as many things. I can dream, can't I?

He is currently covered in various bruises. He keeps running in the house - which results in him running INTO some piece of furniture or someone. I can't wait for summer, so that I can throw him in the backyard!!

Mischief in his eyes and bruises on his head. Maybe he should wear a helmet when he plays...

HOUSE REARRANGING
The majority of the house rearranging is done. The bedrooms are clean and orderly. I just need to buy a desk for Kate's room (if I can find one for a decent price!) and I think I will be done.

No more spacious playroom. It now has two beds in it. They still have room to play though and the castle which Andy built is still there :)

LEXIE'S QUESTIONING
I overheard the girls this morning:
Lexie: "How many days has it been?"
Kate: "How many days has it been since what?"
Lexie: "How many days has it been since we've been alive? 2 million? 3 million?"
Kate: "We haven't all been alive the same amount of days!"

Lexie is making a funny face as always!

WHAT WAS I THINKING??
Like my house isn't noisy enough with 5 little kids in it. I, for some crazy reason, decided that I would buy a karaoke machine for them. (It was really cheap on clearance at Wal-Mart). Let me tell you: none of them needed to be amplified. I am hoping that it breaks soon.....

SCARY MORNING
I have been worried having Nick and Lexie downstairs where I can't hear them well at night. I got a new baby monitor which I hooked up last night. I woke up this morning to the sound of a kid playing - and a man's voice. I JUMPED out of bed and ran downstairs, only to find Nick and Lexie sound asleep. No strange man in the house. Apparently I was eavesdropping on my neighbors, unbeknownst to me. I guess I will try changing the channels on it tonight...