Life moves on. 

I sat down and figured out kinda where we were at school.

I got discouraged when I asked my kids review questions of things we'd done in the past and realized they'd lost.

The reason for all of this?

Our evaluation is on Thursday.

I'm very comfy with the lady who is doing it. 

But I find myself wanting to push 9 months of education on them, and know I should NOT.

LOL

Ahh well, we all get stupid from time to time.

Its time to order some more math curriculum.  UGH!!!   There goes a LOT of money.  The good news is I will use the majority of it for all the kids, so its not as bad as it sounds, but its still $150.  I LOVE the curriculum.  We use moving with Math.  And its perfect for my kids.  Unfortunately its something you HAVE to have the teachers manuals for.   There is absolutely no getting around it. 

So UGH

This weeks photo challenge is Funny Faces.  I reallly wanted to get it together and take a picture of each of my children making funny faces.  I still might later.  But for now I have these to share.

My husband showing Zeria what it looks like when she poubts. 

A candid moment between brother & sister.  (they were unaware I had the camera out.)

My husband trying to lay like my daughter.    He doesn't do it nearly as graceful. 

My son expressing his opinion about posing for another picture.  And my "granny" pose.  I have NO idea why I'm looking over my glasses.  I'm sooo blinde without them. 

And Jeremiah less then happy about the mud. 

I was tagged by zincwhiskers. 

1. People who are tagged need to share seven random facts/habits about themselves on their own blog.
2. Include the rules.
3. Choose seven people to tag, include their names, and leave them a comment and tell them they've been tagged.

1.   I say I don't know why I'm so tired multiple times every day.  Rob always gives me this incredulous look, and points out how many kids I have.  I suppose I should take the hint, and accept permanent exhaustion.

2.  I can't travel without my camera.  I finally bought a big enough camera case that it's my purse, now I only have one bag to carry.  Its necessary to always have it, you never know when a picture's going to be missed.

3.  I dream of having another newborn, and then remember how tired I already am, and learn to be content.

4.  I still wonder if I made a mistake and should be on the Missionfield.  So does Rob.  The thing I hold dearest to me is a blessed native missionary named Charles who visited us from South Africa.  He assured us that our household would be a true miracle to any country in Africa, and WAS a mission field.  He gave both Rob and I great comfort.  I've know him since I was a kid.

5.  My happiest dreams are when I dream of swimming in tropical waters.  I've only done it once--when I was fifteen.  It was the most amazing thing I ever experienced.  Snorkelling with the fishes!

6.  I still stomp in mud puddles.  I hope I never stop.  There's something so satisfying watching them splash, and get me wet.

7.  I can't sleep with my toes trapped.  The first thing I do in a motel is undo the bedding so my feet can escape.  It drives Rob slightly crazy, but my toes are claustrophobic!

Okay I tag;  Whoever wants to do it.  And GrannyDee just to be ornrey. 

It looks like we actually have a regular babysitter again.  Rob and I had soooooo missed date night!  Last night we were utterly lazy.  We went to eat at Breakwater the restaurant all of two miles from here, which happens to serve delicious food.  Afterwards we drove about ten minutes, and then got out and laid on the beach cuddling, and watching the sky and waves for an hour.  I froze to death, so we finally had to leave, but it was veeeeery relaxing.  Next time we bring a blanket to throw over us, not just one under us.  LOL   While there I found a very nice crop of salmon berrys, so took a picture of them for Faith to see.   You can see how much they look like salmon eggs, thus the name.   Still not my favorite--but don't tell Rainee.

The wild roses are in bloom everywhere, and spectacular this year. 

This is the beach we laid on.  It was quiet, and peaceful.  We never saw a single person the whole time we were there.  After sitting at the beach we decided to drive further along the beach.  (With the heater on to warm up the icey me.)    About five minutes down the road we pulled over, and sat and looked at this view.

We pulled out the binoculars and each took a turn.  I found a seal on a rock waaaaaaay out there.   It was again quiet and peaceful.  Although one tourist did stop by for a moment and take a picture the same time I was.  It was too quiet actually, as I was breathing in the sights, I heard Rob snoring.  I began giggling and he woke up.   We decided we better drive again, as apparently he was BORED, or exhausted.  LOL

We drove all the way out to the "true" ocean, and just enjoyed watching the waves.

And then slowly meandered back home.  It was just relaxing, and a time to reconnect, and remember what we like to talk about and do without kids. 

I've been tagged, but I'll do that in another post. 

I'm happy to report there is a 11%  chance of rain today according to the weatherman.  And Seattle is 70 degrees and sunny.

Which of course means its raining cats & dogs here with no sign of letting up.

Hello yucky weekend. 

We had full intentions of camping this weekend.  Apparently not now. 

How's that for a miscellaneous title?   Points up and laughs.  This rather magestic fellow was watching us as we walked down the river.  He was content to watch until we all started splashing, and then decided he should leave.  It was a bummer, I was hoping to get a bit closer and take even better pictures.  Ahh well, another day.

I have an experiment going on in my sunroom.  And it looks like it might be succeeding.  Points to the next picture of the teensy baby tomatoes that are setting.  What is the adage about counting chickens before they hatch?  LOL

The tomato plants seem to really like my sunroom--which makes sense its basically just a big green house. 

The bushes are taking over the bench, but that's just fine with me.  I have full intentions of enjoying tomatoes in August!!

It was gorgeous sunny this morning, and icky raining this afternoon.   *growl*  We went to the beach and got a bit drizzled on.  Ahh well, the morning was glorious.  The kids and I went and hung down by the river just enjoying it.  They waded a bit, I threw rocks.  And Rainee, well she LOVES finding salmon berrys.

She refers to them as the free snack.  There not a particularly flavorful berry in my opinion.  The kids keep wanting to know if you can make salmon berry pie.  I looked online, and found a couple of nebulous recipes, but as I said there not very flavorful and it all sounds kinda nasty to me somehow.  But hey it entertains her by the hour getting the things.  I need to take a upclose picture of them at some point to show everybody, as for the next month it will be Rainee's daily entertainment.  And then we'll have blackberrys, and she'll switch loyaltys.  LOL

Yes that bank is high, yes she was making me nervous.  She actually ended up climbing up that dead tree and getting up on top for the few precious berrys that were there.  goofy child.

The river was very relaxing today.  I wasn't in a hurry to leave, and the kids were very mellow and undemanding.  Some days when i go down there I don't destress.  But today it was quite lovely.

Don't shriek.  I didn't do my hair, but there I am.   Kaylin insisted. 

And now I have both of the gardens in the two entrances to the front of my house looking splendid.    The rock garden which I shared awhile back, and my rose garden.  

As I stare at this picture, I think I might move my lighthouses around a bit, as there not quite the center of attention I was hoping for.  I can't quite decide.  LOL 

Anyhow for reasons unknown all they had on this side (the main entrance)  was these stupid slippery pavers.  The other side has a lovely concrete sidewalk.

Later this fall we are hoping to find the money to add concrete to this, leaving the rocks as a boundary.  But we will see.  In the meantime its wide enough for two of us to go down, and the rocks give it the lovely Cottage Garden feel that I crave.

The big bush on the wall is a jasmine.   I thought we'd killed it when we did our building project, but as you can see NOPE.  ITs very very healthy.  I need to get it a better trellis actually as its gotten too big for its current trellis.  I'm thinking of doing one out of sticks.  The issue of course is the wee little metal trellis the previous owner used is all tangled up in the jasmine, so I guess its gonna have to stay there.  Its not like you can see it, it's totally buried!

I spent today loving kids.  Holding a very whiny sick Jeremiah.  Tolerating a whiny sick Rainee.  She's sick enough to be whiny, but not sick enough to lay still--the worst combo.

In between times I stared blankly desperately storing energy, and weeded my front garden.  Its *almost* done.  I will take a picture of the front of my house to show you what we did over the weekend when its done.  Just a few buttercups.

This beauty is showing her face in that garden.  My roses don't like it here.  Several are coming up from the roots--but they are going to be spectacular in a wild sorta way so its okay.  This one is hardy whatever it is.  The previous landowner planted it.  The leaves aren't doing great, but they never do in the rainy lands, they just don't like it wet.  LOL  Can't say that I blame them. 

I have ONE rose that I planted still surviving, but its pathetic to say the least.  *growl*  Ah well, at least I have a couple that are kinda making it.

Yesterday I finally pruned out my snowball push.  It had a HUGE salmon berry bush all tangled into it.  Now the poor thing looks soooo scragly and wild.   When its done blooming I will prune it back, and see if I can't make it a bit purdier.

It was sunny today, but not super hot.  I was so tired that we ended up not going to the river.  My kids were tired as they only bugged once about it.  Hopefully it will be nice again tomorrow and we can go hang down there for awhile. 

Good morning.

Passing phantoms in the night.  I woke up, Rob headed to bed.  LOL  Its all good, I'll wake him at noon and he'll spend a hour conversing with us, and then head back to work for another 14 hour day.

UGH huh?

The good news is his job isn't physically demanding, just working with the morally challenged.

The girls (Kaylin and Rainee)  just received Christmas.  A HUGE bag of gently worn (looks like never worn)  BEAUTIFUL clothes.  The mom is a coworker of Robs, and her girls LOVE mine.  Anyhow HUGE bag of designer clothes.  Clothes I could NEVER afford to buy--nor would I spend my money that way. 

My kids are in heaven.  They each acquired at least 8 pairs of jeans, and probably 10 shirts.  Plus I put a beautiful dress away for Christmas for Rainee. 

I love hand-me-downs.  And so do my kids. 

Samuel's love language is touch.  His whole mood disinegrates if he isn't hugged, touched, or wrestled with.  I discovered this YEARS ago.  And have struggled to remember to give him what he needs.

One of the ways I do it is wrestle with him a lot.  He LOVES it.  He's always very gentle, and never hurts me.   We fake punch, or what not and it totally changes his mood, and his ability to function.

With the kids.

He's a BULLY.

Yesterday I was fake punching with him, and said,  "You know you are always so careful with me, I appreciate it that you don't hurt me."

He grinned and said.  "That's cause your the mom."

He learned a very long time ago, that it was against the rules to hurt me, and he honors it.

He honors it extremely well.  He hasn't broken it since before he was 2.

Soooo

what am I doing wrong that I can't teach him to leave his siblings alone?

I did something right in regards to me, now its time to figure out how to teach him to be gentle with others.

Thinking.