…because Tommy keeps discovering new ones that he hasn’t read yet! Apparently moving the chapter book shelves into his room was not my most efficient move ever. But really, how can you complain about a young lad reading Encyclopedia Brown?!
Unpacking the kid chapter books is going slowly…
Dec 21st, 2015 by ECM
Meals of Champions
Dec 19th, 2015 by ECM
Nothing to eat until we found the (chocolate chip) granola we’d been planning to give as Christmas presents.
Since then, we’ve had KFC, McDonalds, and Sharky’s. Trying desperately to get the kitchen unpacked enough to buy some real food and start cooking again asap!
Goodbye, Eveningside Drive
Dec 16th, 2015 by ECM
Four and a half years here–hard to believe. When we moved in, I was just starting to figure out the manual settings on my camera, Tommy was drinking out of a sippy cup, Susie was a newborn, and Elizabeth had all her teeth (for a few days, at least). And we’re moving out today.
Matching Missing Teeth
Dec 13th, 2015 by ECM
As of today, both Tommy and Elizabeth are missing their bottom left lateral incisors. I find their matching smiles hilarious, given their 27 month age difference. (And actually, Tommy is missing all four of his lateral incisors. The braces should help make room for the top ones to come in, but we’ll just say it’s a good thing it’s not corn on the cob season…)
And not to be outdone, we must remember that the little girls are often matching, too…
The Willetts will love this.
Dec 11th, 2015 by ECM
Two roasted chickens, all dark meat gone, and 2 1/2 breasts leftover. Aren’t you glad I married a dark meat eater?!
Christmas Programs
Dec 10th, 2015 by ECM
On Sunday, the children sang a couple of the scripture memory verses they’re learning in kid worship time to help get us thinking about advent. Susie is in front on the right of this picture, wearing a white sweater and purple skirt. Note how our kids are in the racial minority at our church. I think it’s awesome.
Then today, Susie’s class sang Christmas carols (she’s all the way over to the left in a pair of white leggings that she got when Janie was a baby) and the homeschoolers put on a play about the real meaning of Christmas, written by one of the junior high kids. Tommy was a drummer boy (and said his line, “He is the Alpha and Omega,” loud and clear), and Elizabeth was in the choir for the Christmas carols. You can see how she rocks the jean skirt and tennis shoes look.
I will make it work.
Dec 9th, 2015 by ECM
Throbbing post-crying headache this afternoon after looking at the fully renovated condo for the first time. I don’t know if I want to remember how depressed I’m feeling today about what we just bought this morning, so I won’t type out all my thoughts other than once I stopped sobbing to my mom over the phone, the kids and I drove to the paint store to get samples for redoing the 20 foot wall in our living room. One lesson that I’ll be reminded of every day we live in the new place: professional decorators are not worth the money, particularly if they are color blind as apparently ours was. I hope the chick who made the decision to put this awful brownish carpet with these gray walls in every single bedroom was paid by Pepperdine, not by us.
No motivation to pack. Just want to curl up in a fetal position and sleep. Got to remember that the kids are all healthy and I’ve managed to be content in ugly homes before. I cried almost as hard when I saw the dump we’re currently living in for the first time, and we have happy memories in this house.
The Beach Photo Shoot
Dec 9th, 2015 by ECM
If you saw on facebook, we had a photo shoot a couple weeks ago, and Janie was in full-out Terrible Twos the whole time. I’ve got to go through all the pictures, but for now, this one captures these four so perfectly.
Garage Sale
Dec 7th, 2015 by ECM
Saturday’s garage sale was more successful than my last one: I made $85 this time. Then I entered all of our baby clothes into Turbo Tax, bagged them up, and hauled five trash bags full down to goodwill. It was harder than I thought to say goodbye to some of my favorites! Need to haul off a bunch more tomorrow, in between talking to moving company reps and going to the bank and doing school and ballet and several other things…
Normal Evening Activities
Dec 3rd, 2015 by ECM
Just another normal evening Chez Muller–girls dancing to Pandora songs, Derek lounging, and Tommy at the table drawing.