One More Advantage of Cloth Diapers

Yes, some cloth diapers are bulky...but they do make for a wide base to SIT UP!!!!!!!



At least until you fall over and land in your brother's lap.



"What, you want me to do this every day now?"

Way to go, Juney-pants!

Amazon Baby

I'd like to tell you that the proportions in these pictures are distorted, but, no, June is actually that big.

She turned 5 months last week. She's only 11 inches shorter than Owen, and she weighs 19 pounds. It's madness that she's almost half a year old, and I get a little misty thinking about it. So, I'll stuff that emotion and move on.



Owen missed school last Friday when his buddies were in town. His sweet teacher gave him his "make up" work on Monday. The letter of the week was "N", so he made a Fruit Loop necklace. He hates cereal, so there was no temptation to nibble.


Once we tried to put it on Owen's noggin...we realized that our necklace was more of a headband. Good thing the letter of this week is, in fact, "H".

Rock star headband. This is really the face he takes with every picture, but sometimes he gives me another pose after.

Try again, please.

The Three Amigos

Wendy came in from Abilene, Julie drove over from Dallas, and the three amigas were reunited...but this post (as most do) turns to our children.

The three amigos proud of the cars puzzle they built. As usual, Casen is holding something related to Buzz Lightyear, Owen is holding Spooky, and Ryan is ready for action.

3 cheers for lunch! Keaton liked standing at the table with the big boys, trying to mooch their food. Pardon my son's "see-food".

Prepare to zone out, I mean, enjoy the movie.

I'd love to show you all 6 kiddos together, but June and baby Chloe slept through the whole experience. Until our next get together...Great Wolf Lodge for the annual K/K/A holiday event.

Perks of Texas Living

Perks of Texas Living? BBQ, Blue Bell, and dinner with grandparents every Tuesday.


Michael's mom and her chubby grandchild #5

June: always entertained by facial hair


And Owen enjoying some Blue Bell ice cream. A definite craving when we lived in Fresno!

Before...

It's only been a month since we were placed as a CARES team for an apartment complex in Roanoke, but in that time, we've been doing events, meeting residents, and recuperating from illness (save Michael...maybe his height keeps him safe from the air-borne nastiness that Owen sneezes straight in my face).


What has not happened is decorating our apartment. I told Michael how badly I wanted this apartment to look more like our home instead of our temporary residence, and he has given it his full support. Lee and Michael painted accent walls in two rooms, and my dad built an awesome console for our new-to-us TV. Now, somehow I haven't quite made time to hang pictures and the like (you know, the kids and part-time job are taking up a teensy bit of my day).

But no more! We're having one building of our apartment complex in our home every month...and the first group comes in 1 week. So, here's the before...


Living room: Yep, that's a 3rd floor balcony. No more using the car to help Owen "give up" and give in to the nap...because then I have to carry 2 children up 3 flights of stairs. Bummer.

Dining nook next to kitchen. Kitchen table coming soon...eating off a clean shower curtain on the floor for one month...not good....shower curtain no longer clean.


View of entrance to the apartment:

I wish I could think of a good joke here. I know some of you enjoy potty humor.

Hey, it's a window in a bedroom. Actually the office/playroom. Owen and Juney-pants share a room.

Thrilling, no? So, wish me luck on wrapping it up.

"New" Activity Mat Review

Some people we know do product reviews on their blog...the following is proof that we don't need any fancy new gadgets at our house when Owen can just reinvent what we do have.


Elephant Activity Gym: not sold with "Bad" Spiderman (which was found under the couch at the apartment clubhouse...blech)


The wrench mobile is also not included.


And I think the pliers dangling over baby's head would lead to a product recall.



That being said, watching her brother work for 30 minutes in "her space" was the most entertaining part of the day for June.

All in a Day's Work

What have we been doing all day for the past few weeks?

Eating, drawing, tracing, coloring, puzzle building, lego building, cutting, singing, gluing, going to the park, bouncing at Leapin' Lizards, cooking, reading, pouting (mostly him, a little me), praying, bathing, sleeping (sometimes), racing, sorting, counting, dribbling, kicking, praising, cleaning, traveling, and more.

This week, add "tumbling" to the list. Owen is enrolled in his first organized sport, gymnastics. He's loving it!
Also add "butterfly watching". Bob Jones Nature Park in Southlake is free and fun. They even provided him with binoculars to use while we were walking the trails.

This is their compost bin, appropriately named "Darth Vader".

They have a pavillion to stop and eat at on the trail, so pack a lunch.

At the beginning, the trails are paved with pebbles, but then it's just cut through. This city kid will need a couple of rounds before he's ready for Camp Deer Run this summer. "I don't like these country sounds." I hope the cicadas weren't offended.



And our #1 activity has been to go to church and play on the playscape. This picture doesn't do this 2 story jungle gym justice (say that 3 times fast), but it's SAVING MY LIFE.

My friend Crystina and I were talking about how most blog posts are not diaries. That is, often, we do not write about our real day in all its details. The 1 hour tantrum complete with spit is reduced to a Facebook status that reads "Natalie McNeese Arnold is determined to be more determined than him" or something like that. Instead of the dirty details, I post "scrapbook worthy" pictures and antecdotes that I want to remember or share with others. The near-nervous breakdowns on Owen's part or mine are left by the wayside, perhaps as they should be.

But, in the spirit of transparency, let no one think it's always all smiles here. This is the first fall in 25 years that I have not been in a classroom, and that has been tough for me to accept. The Lord is doing a marvelous work in our family, but it is not without some heartache for me. Rest assured, though, there is much rejoicing too. I mean, seriously, with all the family and friends that love us from near and far, my life is good...even on the rough days.

PS: Be on the look out for an upcoming post regarding Michael's job and our housing situation! A couple more details to leave in His hands, and then I'll post it all. Keep prayin'!