Updates and such

They play, they eat, they sleep, they talk, they run, they get bigger.

I'm talking about the children, aka. the main purpose for this blog.  It's a pretty busy life when you have a lot of kids. Haha.  A lot of kids.  Listen to me.  5 kids is not a lot of kids.  20 kids is a lot of kids. At least, I think so. But still, life is busy.  So I suppose I should update on how everyone is doing.

 Laney will be 13 next month.  I will officially have a teenager.  Which means I will officially be needing medication.  More medication.  I'm totally kidding because Laney is the kind of daughter I could have only dreamed about.  She held a 4.0 all through out her first year of middle school, and she was in 2 honors courses (science and math, of all things).  She is super funny (she gets it from me...no, seriously), she loves drawing, listening to music, Ninja Turtles, and our dog Layla - whom she calls Linda.  I don't know. Sometimes it's best not to ask questions.  She is almost as tall as me, and she's buying clothes from Delia's and Rue 21 instead of Children's Place and Gymboree.  She's now at that age where we can have full on conversations about serious things and we can talk about life issues.  But we can also still be silly and talk in different voices to each other and say weird sayings to each other that make people around us think we should be in a mental facility together. My sweet girl is growing up, and while it's sad to think about, it's also fun to watch. She's beginning to realize who she really is and what her dreams and aspirations are.  She's almost a teenager.

Chloe is 10.  Chloe is a pixie.  She's always had a little pixie voice that everyone loves.  She's the silliest, quirkiest, most random person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.  She does and says the funniest things.  Right now, she's into My Little Pony, drawing, ice skating (she takes lessons and she's doing great), and taking over the responsibility of being the sole disturber of peace among her little brothers.  Specifically Isaac.  She will be in middle school next month.  She is one of the youngest in her class, but she has a huge personality.  She is not shy by any stretch of the imagination.  She has a tender heart for anyone that is hurting or has a disability. She is one of the only friends that this little special needs girl in her class has.  Chloe would tell me that she didn't understand why other kids made fun of this little girl and didn't want to be her friend.  She wanted to be her friend anyway.  She will be starting middle school this year, and she's so excited about it.  She has a beautiful heart and a beautiful voice.  I begged her to take voice lessons in middle school, but she chose percussion instead.  She is my baby girl and she'll always be my baby girl.  She makes me smile every day.

 Elijah is 8.  Oh my.  Where do I start?  I prayed for this child.  When I found out that I was carrying a 3rd child, I begged God to give me a little boy.  He answered my prayers in a big way.  I got a little boy that has an imagination like none other.  I got a little boy who loves Hot Wheels, Legos, Monster Trucks, and dogs.  He is the epitome of a boy.  He's very curious and very smart,and he figures things out quickly (like his daddy).  He has the greatest laugh of all time and he laughs at everything.  I'm talking, belly laugh, rolling on the floor.  At the weirdest things. I've figured out the quirky things that he thinks are funny and I'll always show it to him, just to get a laugh out of him.  His laugh is one of my most favorite sounds in the world.  It's contagious.  He's been taking ice skating lessons and he's picked it up like, um...crazy fast.  No, really...he has no fear on the ice and he learns a skill after practicing it, like, twice.  He will be starting the class "Hockey in focus" in just another month or so, and he'll probably be ready to go pro here in a few months. :)  He tries to push the boundaries every once in a while, but he's a great kid.  Elijah is like no other person on this planet. I know, none of us are, but Eli...he has something about him.  I can't wait to see how God uses him.  My little boy, the one I always wanted.  He's my dream come true.

 Isaac is 6.  My snuggle bug.  Oh how I love my little hairy bear.  He was my surprise.  I was so hoping for another little boy when he was born and God delivered yet again.  Right now, he's into Ninja Turtles, Stitch, and Perry the Platypus.  He is the cuddliest, squishiest, most sensitive boy I know.  He's a little bit of a sour patch kid, too.  He has a temper that gets fired up in a split second.  If you've offended him, you better watch out.  He has muscles and he's not afraid to use them.  But what he lacks in self control, he makes up in love.  He loves like it's what he was put on earth to do.  He will tell me that he loves me, but that he loves God the most...then I'm next.  He's so smart.  He will be in 1st grade next year, which means that he just completed kindergarten.  He loved it...at first.  The last couple months of school were rough for him.  He got strep throat right after Christmas break and had to miss quite a few days of school.  I don't know if he just got used to being at home or what, but he would cry almost every day and say that he missed his family.  It broke my heart to think that he was so sad there, but he got it turned around and closed out the school year with a happy heart. :)  He is my humble bumble, my chub cub, my soggy boy, and the greatest surprise of my life.

 Jett is 4.  The baby.  The last piece of the puzzle.  He knows this.  He knows that he's the last baby that will ever come out of my womb, and he uses it to his advantage.  Oh yes, he knows how to work that whole "baby of the family" role really well.  And he's only 4.  He still has one more year at home with me before he starts school and I couldn't be happier about that.  Maybe the reason I give into him so often is because he stole my heart the minute I saw him.  He's my only boy with blue eyes.  I love them.  He has the cutest teeth and smile that I've ever seen, and he makes the goofiest faces I've ever seen. He loves to make people laugh and he's good at it.  He's been trying to read...he can sound out words, and he can't wait to go to school like his siblings.  He loves his big brothers. Right now, Jett is into pretty much whatever they're into.  He annoys them, but it's because sometimes they leave him out because he's being mean, and he's being mean because they're leaving him out.  It's a vicious cycle.  I know it'll get better when they're all older.  He just wants to be like them, but he doesn't yet know that he's pretty awesome just being himself.  He is my Roo (I'm Kanga), and he'll be my baby forever.

 Mike and I are just hangin' out, watching and trying to keep some sort of control of the mayhem.  It's awesome being married to my best friend.  I love that guy more today than I ever have.  Every day, I love him more.  He's still in school while working full time and he's getting amazing grades in everything...he's pretty much a rock star.  I'm planning on taking some online classes towards getting my nursing degree starting some time early next year.  When Jett starts kindergarten, I will start going full time.  So it's gonna be busy for the next 5 years, but I know it will go by fast.  Everything does when you have kids. 

So there it is.  That's what's up in our family lately.