2008 is Almost Over

We have to sell soap tomorrow morning, so we're being very lazy and not staying up to celebrate New Year's. But while we're sitting here, I thought I'd share some of the children's highlights from 2008.

Brett: soap shows

Emery: selling soap

Indigo: selling soap

Emery: getting presents

Jim: Patriots/Giants superbowl

Indigo: getting presents

(OK, Jim is sensing that they're having short memories, so he's prompting them.)

Emery: having baby goats

Emery: going to Florida, my flower garden

Indigo: going to Florida

Emery: decorating the tree

Brett: our visit with Tyler, Michaela and Grandma, going to Holiday World

Colter: knowing that God is going to help Aunt Teri through her sickness

Brett: watching the soap business grow

Brett: getting a dishwasher

Emery: starting violin lessons

Brett: learning violin

Indigo: violin lessons

Brett: being a big sister to Indi and Jade

Colter: earning money from working hard

Brett: being kitchen manager

Indigo: being Grandma

Brett: potty training Indigo

Jim: fixing the Sprinter

Indigo: getting doll stuff

Emery: learning to read

Indigo: learning to read

Colter: getting new goats

Brett: loving school

Emery: getting silkies (a specific breed of chickens)

Colter: learning long division

Brett & Cole: Lord of the Rings

OK, I think that's enough for now. I want to go to sleep. Except that the children are telling me that I haven't said anything yet.

Hmmmm..... my favorite part of 2008 has definitely been not being pregnant or breastfeeding (for the first time in 12 years!)

Where Did We Get You?

Indigo is awake (convinced it is morning) and sitting here with Jim and me. She's being really cute. Jim was teasing her and asked her, "Where did we get you?"

Her response?

"From my bedroom."

Yep, she's a keeper. :)

PJ

Bragging

OK - normally I brag about my children. But tonight I have to brag about my website - www.goatmilkstuff.com

Last month I typed "goat milk soap" into the google search engine. Then I went searching for our website. I finally found us... on page 21. Not good.

Tonight I went searching for us again. Started on page 21 - went to page 17. Nothing. Went up to page 25. Nothing. Down to page 15 - oooh, there's my etsy webpage. Up to 30. Still nothing. Now I'm getting really bummed. Started going down again and finally found us. On PAGE 3!!! Near the top even. How cool is that!!!

Ok, just had to share. :)

PJ

What is THAT??

I was cleaning up the living room the other day and happened to flip up a couch cushion. Any guesses as to what I found?

Amongst all the crumbs and lint and crumbs and small toys and crumbs and pencils and crumbs and junk, was a half eaten popcorn ball. Yep. And it wasn't a small piece either.

So I told Fletcher to break out the shop vac. And he did. And went merrily on his way sucking up everything he could find.


Of course, I had to throw away the popcorn ball - it wouldn't fit in the hose. :)

PJ

Singing Christmas Carols

Last year we invited a bunch of friends over to sing Christmas carols. We had such a great time, we decided to turn it into an annual event.

Last year we just sang a capella. But this year it was a Christmas caroling "ho-down". We had such a blast. Brett and Emery had so much fun playing their fiddles. Emery told me later that it was much better to play the fiddle in front of people than it was to sing. "This way I don't have to look at all the people watching me, Mom. I just look at my violin."


At one point Emery (orange shirt) was standing between Starlit (green shirt) and Jasper (black t-shirt). Jim leaned over to me and whispered, "Emery looks like a hobbit."

The funniest part was that other than the normal ears and feet, he really did!

PJ

Oh Christmas Tree

Normally we go and chop down our own Christmas tree from our neighbor's woods. But it has been a rather busy December and a VERY wet one. So we decided we might be better served in just buying a tree this year.

We got really smart (it was bound to happen eventually) and got a small tree. It was the perfect height. The children were able to put the lights on it and decorate it all by themselves!

When we picked up the tree, we decided to try to get it into the sprinter with us (rather than having to go home and get the pickup). Jade was not very enthusiastic about it and kept trying to get as far away as possible (which is hard to do when you're strapped into a car seat). But here is her best attempt:


I don't think she was very impressed by it. :)

PJ

Pants Trouble

One of the children has a little bit of trouble putting his pants on correctly. In this case he also forgot to put on underwear. I won't mention the culprit by name, but I will admit that it wasn't Cole, Emery, Fletcher or Greyden

I also won't post the picture of when he reached across the table for something and his body moved (but his pants didn't).

Aaaahhhh children. :)

PJ

One Slushy, Eight Children

How do you share a single slushy amongst these eight children?

Like this (note the anticipation and finger sucking going on):

Unfortunately, it's hard to get all 8 heads on the eight straws at the same time. This was about the best we could do:

They still enjoyed it! :)

PJ

My December

Wow, December is almost over. Sorry I didn't post very much, but I spent the entire month selling soap. And in my spare time I had eight children to raise. And a household to run. And a husband.

Oh, and I think there may have been a holiday in there somewhere. ;-)

It was a busy December. :)

PJ