I cry the day that I take the tree down!

I love that song! Its how I feel after Christmas. I love the holidays and I love all the beautiful decorations! It always makes me sad when its time to put them away. (That, and its a LOT of work). Think I am nuts if you like... but I have about fourteen totes of just Christmas decorations. And that's not counting my boxes of Christmas trees. Sheesh, I am nuts.

The kids have started attacking my "fancy' tree, so I guess its time to take everything down. But I am going to play Christmas music all day and burn my holiday candles to prolong the feeling. Enjoy the rest of your holiday!!!!

Christmas at our house

We had a wonderful Christmas! The kids(and dad) played all day with their gifts. Madi got a sewing machine and all the goodies that goes with. After learning how to use it she sat right down and made a pillow. Brooke got an art kit and spent the rest of the day painting and sketching. Madi had made her a cardboard horse to paint and it was Brooke's favorite gift.

Ben's was a chemistry set. Brett and Ben had a ball all day. A few things were set on fire and one or two explosions... they had a great time. Connor spent the day playing with his "new" train set. (recycled from Ben). It was a great day and all the hard work on gifts paid off.

The Reason for the Season

This last week my kids were sick. It had been a long week! There was lots of whining for Mom, cleaning up throw up, holding feverish snugglers, not much sleep, running up and down for juice and blankies, and lots of laundry. I had been on schedule with Christmas preparations until the untimely "plague."

I needed a break! I needed to do something that would stay DONE (not dishes, laundry or such). And I needed to do something that would help me get back into the Christmas season. I disappeared into the garage and this is what came out with me two hours later. It's in my front yard.

Merry Christmas! May we all remember the reason for the season!

Hacked

My husband laughs at my friends and my blogging habits. But I have noticed that he likes to read our family blog to see what crazy thing I've posted... and more often then not he gets a good laugh about it.

When I got on to try to post something this morning I notice that my blog had been hacked. My sweet husband must have got on last night to switch out all our old family photos for the new ones. Ha! he got caught blogging. (It'll take a while to live that down). but thanks Honey.

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

I love the Christmas season as much as any child. I still believe, and I still jump up and down when its time to pull out the sparkly ornaments and lights. I love sending and getting Christmas cards... I am just a little late this year. So, with the hopes of still getting some out, I wanted to send you all a little Christmas cheer from our family via the internet.

We found a wonderful friend to take some family pictures. This one was my favorite! We are loving life with our four children (and one on the way).

We hope you all enjoy the season and have a fantastic Christmas!

Where have YOU been?

Does anyone get tired of checking blogs when there are never new posts? Well, I have the most amazing excuse ever! I was in Europe with my husband for three weeks. Woo-Hoo!Brett had a business trip to Wales and I got to tag along. We spent two weeks in Wales while he lectured, ran over to England on the weekend and then took another week to see what we could see in Holland and France. So here is a flying look at a little bit of what we saw and did. Everything is out of order, oh well).
Palace of Versailles anyone? This place was HUGE beyond imagining! We were so tired of walking at the end of the day. The king would have needed his own zip code... the grounds went on and on and....

I'd hate to wash the windows!

Ironically the most expensive restaurant we ate in the whole trip was a converted barn at Versailles. Seriously... it still looked like a barn.

King Louis the XVI bed. Sheesh

Hall of mirrors. Wow, so much history happened here!

The Louvre was... wow! I had a hard time focusing on the art because the whole building was a work of art.

This guy just couldn't take the Louvre seriously.

Oh gosh! I was inside the Louvre!!!!!

A canal trip in Amsterdam with friends.

We took a ferry from England to Holland. It was like a small cruise ship. The closest I've come to a cruise.

While Brett was working I went to as many museums as I wanted. I LOVE history and Brett would rather take a nap than walk through a museum. I went to one that was an outdoor museum made up of Welsh buildings from all different eras.... from a castle to Celtic huts.

I loved the Welsh gardens! I could have just wandered in the gardens for hours.

I was in heaven! It was like stepping back in time. I visited to anyone who would talk to me. My tours were way better than anyone else because I was visiting with all the curators.

Cardiff castle was unbelievable! So much history crammed into one area! The last Marquis to live in it made the walls a public bomb shelter during WWII. (I got to walk through them right after Veterans day. That was emotional!)

Oh man, that's me on top of a castle!

One Sunday we took a drive to the tiny market town where my man's family came from. This church was built in the mid1200's.

I have no idea why this is sideways... but who cares! I took that picture... which means that I was standing right in front of Big Ben. "squeal" (My son Ben thought that was the coolest name for a clock).
We walked by these two churches every day to Brett's office. They were so beautiful.
Sorry about the picture... I thought this was so funny. He's on his cell phone. Hee hee. That was only 1/4 of the pictures, but you get the idea. We had a great time but were so glad to get back to our kiddos. (That was hard to be gone so long). It was an adventure of a life time!

Helloooooo out there!

Hey everyone! I have missed blogging and all your comments! Things have been CrAzY around here. BUT... I just finished all the fam's Halloween get-ups and I can't wait to show you! What are we this year? Well here's a hint: It's a little Scooby and a little Doo... Trouble is there are only four of the cartoon gang and there are five of MY gang. So what the heck am I going to be?

Pictures coming soon! Have a happy day!

Skunks skin???

I was helping my four-year-old get dressed this morning. As I adjusted the elastic in the jeans (love those adjustable jeans!!!!) I asked if I had made them tight enough. He said: "Not yet. Mom, could you just make it as tight as a skunks skin?"

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This kid keeps me laughing and on my toes!

You know you're pregnant when...

Woo-hoo, I am ready to announce that there is another Bingham bun in the oven! I have been trying to think of fun ways to share with all of you and this is the best I could do:

YOU KNOW YOU'RE PREGO WHEN:

• Your favorite foods look nasty and the things you used to despise look delicious.
• You can't get enough of the said "previously nasty" food. (Who knew I would actually enjoy onion rings? It was a one time thing apparently. I think they are gross again).
• You feel like crawling in a hole with just the toilet for a friend.
• You can't walk by baby clothes with out saying "aaawwhh."
• Your house goes to pot because you are to tired/sick to clean at night.
• You feel like you are bursting with the BEST secret ever!

I could go on... but you get the point. Living in the community that we do, I get a mix of support for big families and gawking astonishment for my insanity. We are really excited and have waited a long time for this little gift from heaven. I am past the sickly stage and am on to the UGLY- "I don't fit in anything but am not big enough for prego clothes" stage. I guess that is the blessing and the curse of being tall and carrying inside... I don't look pregnant for a while, just overweight. Ug! So, with that said, you can understand why the blog post have been sporadic.

Chug-a-lug

I grew up with six brothers, so someone chugging out of the milk bottle was not an uncommon sight. Since my marriage, I have tried to re-humanize myself and have not drunk from the milk jug for many years. I have never seen my husband chug either. So with this in mind you will understand my surprise when I saw my two-year-old son chug like a pro this morning.

He was helping me set out breakfast by getting out all the cereal boxes. I told him we were having pancakes because there wasn't any milk. He told me that there was milk and opened the fridge. He pulled out the gallon that had about a fourth of a cup of milk left in it. He showed it to me, looked at the bottle, back at me... and then removed the lid, threw his head back and chugged. He glanced up at me to see if he was in trouble. I was standing there with my mouth open. (Not knowing whether to laugh or grab the camera first. I wish I had a picture to show you!) After a moments hesitation, he broke into a huge smile and said, "Yum!"

Does this kind of thing come ingrained with little boys... kind of like everything from sticks to spoons turns into a sword or gun when they get a hold of them?

Motherhood is not for sissies!

Today was yet another day that started with the tragedy of mom making children clean their room. They were awakened early enough to get the job done AND still have time to get ready for school. Of course the "cleaning time" was dawdled away and the "getting ready" time was fast disappearing.

A few "Life ruining" punishments were dished out and things still weren't done... that's when the daddy came up with a solution. He came to me first (bless his heart) to ask if I could handle the punishment. (Side note: it's really hard when the daddy dishes out a punishment and then goes to work... leaving mommy with the fun job of following through with whatever he has decreed. Arg! So I really appreciated my man thinking ahead on this one).

He asked me to let them go to school in their PJ's because they had used all their "getting ready time." I was horrified. First, because I knew how awful my girls would feel and the possible teasing they would get. And second, I was envisioning the things that teachers would think of ME as the mother. (Because, like it or not, it seems to reflect on the mother... not the father, when kids show up at school looking frumpy).

It took me a moment of agony to agree to his request. My only request: "Would you take them to school?" (Because I KNEW that my six-year-old would melt into a puddle of tears the minute she arrived at school and was forced to get out of the car in her pajamas. That would make me turn into mush and either the whole "punishment" would go down the drain or I would not be able to drive home because I would be in tears too).

Being a mean/good mom is so HARD!!! We all want our children to be happy and enjoy all of the delightful things life offers. But we are also responsible for these strong minded, determined, leaders of tomorrow... we have the privileged and trial of raising them to be good, kind, responsible people. The responsibility often rests heavy upon our shoulders as we try our best to set their feet on the paths of righteousness. So yes, its is true: Motherhood is not for sissies!

Oh, and you might like to know that the girls were able to get ready in an amazing record time of about ninety seconds. They went to school looking darling, I dropped them off feeling proud of them, AND their room is clean. Sigh... if only I knew for sure that this scene wouldn't be repeated later this week!

What to do with a day off???

I have recently started preschool for my four-year-old. It's wonderful! I trade with another mom. We teach twice a week at our home and then trade the next week. The BEST part of the deal is on the second day of preschool we also invite the younger (two-year-old) brothers. This means that once, every other week, I get two hours ALL TO MYSELF. The only problem is picking what to do with these coveted two hours!!!

I have lots of hobbies and projects that have been on the back burner for... how ever many years it's been since I have had more than one baby... All these things sound like so much fun to me... but which to choose and where to start? And in the end, I usually have spent my "day off" just wandering around wondering what wonderful thing I should do.

I told my husband this morning about my "day off" and asked in awe: What should I do?

Ben was in the room listening to our conversation. He said, "Mom, when do I get a day off?"

Peaceful Serenade

"Peaceful serenade" might not be the first thing the neighbors are thinking right now... but I am being serenaded and things are peaceful (as my two boys are well entertained). When was the last time you let your inner musical genius loose on a set of pot and pan drums?

Best fun of the morning!

I thought you DID something?

After coaching the other two soccer teams my kids are on, I was finishing up the third team's practice with a scrimmage. As I evaluated and shouted out encouragement from the side, I was talking with the other team's coach. He asked how long we'd lived here and what I did for a living. My answer: I'm a mom. (It's short, sweet, and all inclusive).

He paused for a moment and replied a little awkwardly "Oh, I thought you DID something."

I wasn't sure weather to fall down laughing or punch the guy. Fortunately, practice number three had just ended, dinner had to be made, kids needed help with homework, bath time, bed time, the house needed to be cleaned, laundry done, a lesson prepared, dishes to wash, passports to check, preschool to prep for, calls to make... just for starters. Maybe I should think about a job where I actually DID something. Hah!

My Shrinking Intellect

My family was parading toward the church a little late (do I have to say- as usual). As we hustled across the parking lot, the strap of my shoe slipped off. I asked for a "halt march" so I could fix my shoe.

Madi said, "Maybe your foot is shrinking." To which I smiled at my husband and said, "Nothing om me seems to be shrinking... except perhaps my intellect." Ben piped up, "Is your intellect the thing that holds your shoe on?"

Yes, that must be it.

One slice missing

A wise woman (my mother) once said:"When was the last time you looked at the refrigerator while sitting on the floor in front of it? "

Any of you who know my mother know how amazing she is... and those of you who don't are spared the jealousy of wishing she was your mom. She has always emphasized that we should look at the world through children's eyes on a regular basis. The fridge for instance looks HUGE and full of delicious and interesting things. Which explains my son's fascination for climbing on and "breaking in" all the time. Taking a look at the daddy in your home from their level makes you understand how they can get lost in a sea of legs and hug the wrong set of suit pants at church.

Well today the boys and I were making a cake... for company of course. I left the cake to cool on the counter like an idiot! I came in to find the inevitable: one whole side had been grabbed by the handful and stuffed into someones little mouth. (AGAIN... I know I wrote about this once before and you'd have though I learned my lesson. I'm a slow learner). It wasn't hard to locate the crumb covered culprit. His innocent face couldn't hide the chipmunk cheeks full of cake.

It was for company after all and I began to get a little @#$%&-y... but that passed quickly as I thought of what my mom always talked about. I mean, honestly, what would I do if someone set an aromatic golden cake right at my nose level? DUH! So I frosted it anyway... Maybe I'll have to eat a really big piece to cover the crumbled part. It might give it that nice "one slice missing look."

Surrender and Go To Bed!

At bedtime (when the kids are ready on time) we read to them or they can read to themselves or tell each other stories while they are in their beds. Last night, I read to them and tucked them in, the usual ten or so times. When I left them, they were told to stay in their beds and tell stories, sing or talk QUIETLY.

On one of the "re-tucking in and reminding the be quiet times," I ask Ben if he could PLEASE tell his story a little more quietly. He glanced down from his bunk bed with a look of pity at my motherly misunderstanding and lack of vision.

"Mom," he sighed with exasperation, "We are having a war."

"OK, but could you please have your war a little more quietly... it's time for bed."

I guess I failed to see that the hanger in his hand was really a bow and arrow... the bunk bed was a fortress, the tune he was singing at the top of his lungs was his war cry and Connor was the attacking foe. How could he possibly be quiet under the circumstances?

Laundry room surprises

Doing the laundry has its pros and cons.... one of the good things is the rule in my house that whatever money I find when doing the laundry, I get to keep. Unfortunately my grand total is about three cents. (Do you think things will get brighter for me when they get old enough to get a job?)

One of the not so great parts of being the family laundress is that I get all sorts of surprises in the wash.

Don't worry, its just a toy... one of those really squishy, real looking ones. This little guy was staring at me when I went to put the clothes in the dryer. He must have peeped out of a pocket during the wash cycle.

I've been finding more and more surprises in the wash lately. As my boys get to that "putting treasures in their pockets" stage, things have been getting exciting. I'm still waiting for the old classic: a frog to jump out of the the little boys pocket. Ben just discovered that one pair of his shorts has around fifteen pockets. What was I thinking when I bought those!? The last time I pulled them out of the hamper, they were so stuffed with treasures that I think they weighed more than he does.

What is the craziest thing you have been gifted with while doing laundry? Keep it clean please. hee hee.

Accessories and Froof

I am loving all the fun accessories and froof that I have seen on shirts lately. I have been dying to try some. So:

Brooke has these t-shirts...they are OK... but I had some fun dolling one of them up.

I added a tie in the back to fit it to her skinny little waist.

The tulle ruffle at her hip made her squeal. (I wanted to squeal too because I loved the way it turned out). The flower on the side of the collar was a compromise. She informed me very politely that if I sewed to the center front, that she wouldn't ever wear it. I'd made her hair accessory earlier... but it was perfect.

I found these shirts for a dollar so I bought one in every color. She asked if I could do the same thing to the others.... we might need to break it up. What fun froof have you seen lately?

Summer triumph!

My little four-year-old just passed the "swim test!" There are three very fun slides at our pool. But they end in 11 feet of water. So to go on the slides, you have to be able to tread water for 30 seconds and then swim across the pool and back. Then and only then, are you awarded the coveted hot orange bracelet of glory that entitles you to use the slides. (When Brooke earned her's, she wouldn't let me take it off for a week).

Today was the last day of summer swim and the end of our family pass. Brett worked with Ben for a while today and Ben swam his little legs off... and he did it!!!!! The look on his face was priceless. He was so tired and smiling from ear to ear. I don't think he left the slides until they closed two hours later.

I have to admit, I loved the look of surprise on the life guards faces, each time they traded stations and saw this little tiny guy going on the slides.

So, we started out with the oldest being able to doggy paddle and the others knew how to sink. Now They all three can swim and dive well. Madi has learned three strokes and can swim pretty fast. This has been the best summer that I can remember. These may seem like small accomplishments... but we had such a blast doing it. I'm going to miss our care free days.

What's hiding under the bed?

I am one of those horribly mean moms that put their children through the grueling task of clean their own bedrooms. My oldest was breathing hard and looking at me with pitiful eyes after about ten minutes of cleaning her room.

The girls feigned disbelief when I crawled under their bed and shoved all the stuff they'd just "put away" back to their original place on the floor so they could start again.

But Ben was the best... after I asked him if his room was clean:

Ben: Yes, it's clean.

Mom: "Why don't we go and check your room first and then you can play."

Ben: "You don't need to check under the bed."

PAUSE....

Ben: "Actually, could you not check under the bed?"

Hmmmmm

Ironically two

Last week I told my sister-in-law that I seemed to have lucked out with my two-and-a-half-year-old. "I guess we skipped the terrible twos." I told her... Oh the irony!

As soon as we were home from our camping trip, Connor decided to mount a full on attack of any peace and serenity that I might have felt before. Raiding the pantry, fridge and freezer on a regular (every five minutes) basis is a must. Trails of crumbs and sticky substances have more than once led me to the guilty party.

Nothing of edible nature is safe... no matter how high I try to hide it. Tuesday I hosted a brunch and ten minutes before everyone arrived Connor was in the kitchen mutilating the cake and stuffing handfuls in his mouth as fast as he could. I had the intention to scold... but his chipmunk cheeks stuffed full of cake were just too funny. I asked him if he did it. He repentantly said yes. I asked him if it was good. His second "yes" was more enthusiastic and less repentant.

Playing with the toilet offers him endless entertainment. He thinks that everything in the house would benefit from a dip in those shining waters. I guess that is motivation enough to keep the toilets scrubbed and sparkling. I have spent more time following trails of toilet paper and re-rolling them than I care to tell.

He loves to spray his siblings with the spray bottles I use for ironing and doing the kids hair. Unfortunately, sometimes he chases them around spraying other bottles... like hairspray.

Most of his mischief is done when things are a little too quiet. But any of you who are acquainted with my youngest know that he is not the most talkative of the bunch and its hard to tell when he is just being quiet and when he is DOING while being quiet.

While writing this post I have had to stop and RUN to clean up/rescue him or his disasters no less than ten times. Not that any of this will come as a surprise to those of you who have raised or are raising children... and heaven knows that I shouldn't be surprised after doing this three other times. But I guess this "destruction mode" does catch me unaware each time. I mean they change from super-cute, sweet little things to.... well, messy, super-cute little things OVERNIGHT! I have to run... there is another disaster in progress. Hope "my suffering" at least makes you smile. Have a happy day!

All my little fish!

We've been at the pool almost every day this summer. Brett gets to come with us on his days off or in the evenings. The kids love it when their daddy can come!

Brooke has learned to swim and can now go down the big slides... which she is SO EXCITED about.

Madi wants to try out for swim team.

My little beach bunnies.

Ben and his diving stick. Those things have provided hours of fun.

Ben spends more time under the water than he does above it. He just comes up for air and then submerges again. (Sometimes it freaks me out when I am scanning the pool for him and can't see him right away).

Connor has no body fat to keep him warm... so he can handle about fifteen minutes in the water at a time. In between swims he likes to snuggle in his towel.

Hee hee! My little man and his goggles... he likes to wear them just like the big kids. It always makes me laugh.