He’s doing great, eating like a champ and is very contented and laid back.  Not quite sure who he looks like…kinda’ a cross between Josiah and Darius maybe. 

Chloe found a pretty round one and Darius was immediately drawn to the strange white ones that were there.

We spent quite a bit of time choosing “the biggest one”(of course!) for Josiah.  He really wanted a huge one and we looked at quite a few before finding one that didn’t have any bad spots or holes anywhere on them.  He wants to make it into pumpkin pie, and I told him it would probably make about 10 pumpkin pies, so he’s pretty excited about that!

This is Chloe today after she told me she wants Princess Leia hair.  She was laughing so hard after I created this!  I think I have to work on my hairdressing technique.  The kids decided she looked more like a cow with horns than Princess Leia!

Last Wednesday, for a variety of reasons, we decided to put Josiah in school.  Mostly because I haven’t had the energy to do a very good job homeschooling this year, and with a new baby on his way in a few weeks, that’s not likely to improve anytime soon.

He’s adapted very well, looks forward to his 2 PE days each week, aced his first spelling test(”the words were SOOO easy, Mommy!”) LOL, and is excited to have his first hot lunch today.  He tells me there ARE healthy things that the “cookers” make there.  It’s not all pizza and burgers apparently.  :)  We’ve enjoyed seeing his new independence, but it’s been kinda’ sad too.  Change is always so hard.

Pregnancy survival skill: How to get out of a soft chair

Put your feet flat on the floor and bend from the hips. Push on the armrests with your hands! Use your stomach muscles. If upward motion is still elusive, pick up your magazine and yell for more mint-chip ice cream. (Standing up is totally overrated anyway.)

Tonight at least I was happy to claim them.  They were all freshly bathed and in their pajamas goofing around in the living room before bed.  I just had to take some pictures.  Before we know it, I’m sure, times like this will be a distant memory.

“Mommy, I wish you would have one so baby Shiloh could taste it.  I bet he would like to have some!”

:)  So Sweet!

The neatest houseboat community we’ve ever seen, on Lake Union!

My cutie pie showing off his missing tooth.

Baby B was so cute all bundled up.  She seemed very comfortable and contented despite barely being able to move!

All the kids loved to sit up front with Uncle D.  Here is Darius fitting in a much needed nap.  Later, on the way back, they all took turns driving and scaring Mommy in the back seat.  Josiah made big “S” curves in the water, and Chloe turned us in a fast circle.  Uncle D had to slow us right down as we bounced over our own wake on that one!

Overall, it was such a great time!  A once in “longtime” thing for us.  Hmmmm…maybe we should get a boat…? 

School started with some fun stuff like finding a surprise gift to start the learning out on the right foot.  :)  Josiah’s was an analog watch to help him practice telling time, and Chloe’s was some PINK(!!!) lotion.

We also hung a birdfeeder outside the kitchen window.  Hopefully we’ll have lots of fun visitors to watch and learn about this winter.  So far we’ve seen a few chickadees, but they’re pretty timid.  The level of seed is going down though, so I know they’re feeding when we’re not around, maybe early in the morning.

Another highlight is my “secret surprise box” on top of the cupboard.  The kids work towards goals that I set and then are awarded with a prize when they reach the goal.  The one we’re working on right now is the books of the New Testament in the correct order.  They’ve almost got it down(thanks to the song!  ).

The kids building a teepee in the field behind our house.  Being busy with “school” for most of the day sure helps them make good use of their free time.

A foster home for critters.  In the last few days we’ve had a garter snake and then a tree frog take up residence temporarily.  They were released back into the wild after displaying a distinct “failure to thrive.”  LOL

Watching the frog.

Another project that’s taken center stage recently.  Under Daddy’s direction, we’ve all had fun getting this set up and choosing fish and plants for it.

One of the bristlenose catfish up close.  These are so fun to watch…they are constantly scrubbing algae off of every surface and they play fight with each other(at least that’s what it looks like).

Daddy and Josiah have also set up this outdoor pond out of the abandoned sand box.  This kinda’ happened by accident when we noticed the sandbox had water sitting in it and lots of mosquito larvae(!!!).  We threw in some white cloud fish that weren’t doing too well in the indoor tank and they’ve since been eating the mosquito larvae and have also started breeding.  At last check there were 40 or 50 baby fish in there.  I didn’t even try to get a picture of them since they are hard to even see with the naked eye - they are so miniscule!  The filter is set up against a rock to create a kind of waterfall effect.  There’s also some water plants thrown in there loose to provide some cover for the fish.

One of my “nesting”(?) projects.  I brought all of our ministry books downstairs to the living room.

And the kids’ books also…and while I was at it, reorganized the furniture.  This is now our “fish couch”…it faces the fish tank.

A quilt in progress for little Shiloh.  BTW: for those of you that think Shiloh is primarily a girl’s name, check out this site (thanks Chatty!) and go to the ratings section for Shiloh.  It’s only become a girl’s name since Angelina Jolie used it for her daughter.

LOL  My ongoing project.  To be completed when we’re at home with the Lord. 

Hmmm…this post is really boring…I need to find some cute kid pictures to finish up with.

Josiah holding a bunny at the fair.

Oh well…they can’t all be good-looking.  This one’s really sweet and charming though…REALLY!!

Before:

After: