Annual Halloween Crafty Family Heritage Month Time Festival Gathering

Yesterday Susan Mom and Norman all had the day off and since they all work Halloween, we decided to get together and let the kids wear their cool costumes, and do crafts. It was a fun time! My mom was really motivated to do this cat pumpkin project that she saw on a magazine, and she was able to get most of the supplies at the good old dollar store (Dollar Tree to be specific...we don't like Dollar General, we do have standards.)  I think she did a very good job and it's cool to see her in her craft mode. I did one of the pumpkins, the kids mostly watched and played with/colored these foam animals I bought at the dollar store. Norman actually carved his first pumpkin, and did a good job! Then Susan decided to color a pumpkin on Frankie, and I colored a pumpkin on her booty. I'm sure John already knows my family is crazy, but he's entertained :) He took the pictures. Then we had pizza some candy and called it a night. Enjoy all the pictures!

 These are their awesome costumes on sale for $14 and $19 at costco. I thought they were pretty well made for the price.

 My cute little pirate--got the mustache, eyepatch and earring at Dollar tree :)

 My little mermaid. Always posing...

 She's got my big cheeks...I can kinda see myself as a kid in her in this pic no?

 Waiting for grandma to arrive with all the crafts.

 Pretty cool huh? 

 Hey, this drawing Susan did is an improvement to what my belly has looked like...for the past 3 yrs.

 The proud mother!

 I took a million of these shots, because Olivia was too good to look at the camera..booger.

Norman didn't even trace this.. Pretty cool--and he didn't even want to do it at first :)

While I hope the kids get to go trick or treating, I am hoping Frankie comes asap! It's raining today...thats supposed to help with labor...come on!

38 wks...come on now

I really thought Frankie would be here by now, but maybe he will make his arrival on Halloween :)

Doctor (and I) can feel the Frankie's hard head right in there, but my cervix is only 3 cm. Need to take more night walks!

I had my 38 wk appt yesterday and was only 3 cm. Which could mean anything is still possible, but I expected to be in 'active labor' (which starts at 4 cm) since I was with L & O for about a week before suddenly popping them out. I was having a lot of braxton hicks (irregular contractions/cramping/tightening) with some twinges of sharp pains a few nights ago, but it stopped. I know his head is very low and putting lots of pressure on my bladder. When the dr measured my belly, he said 'baby is growing' but yet I haven't gained in 3 weeks, in fact I lost a pound this week. (Small victory I can celebrate lol--I was a little bigger and more swollen with L & O). I also found out they hadn't officially scheduled/confirmed my induction date at the hospital, which I guess is busy lately and their soonest availability to induce me will be next thursday NOv 7th, which is my bro James' bday. I am hoping to go into labor naturally before then though....mainly because of my impatience, but also because I am kinda wierded out by pitocin starting contractions...
Here's a diagram of stations and dilation etc...

Anyway, I've been distracting myself from all that by doing my puzzle projects. Lucas and I have quiet puzzle time while we listen to music...while Olivia continues to talk about whatever forever, and try to get credit and applause for every action she does. Or annoy Lucas is heavily focused on his puzzle. He was doing so well, we decided to buy him a big puzzle...550 pieces! And he sorted the outer pieces and began putting it together all by himself...he is adamant that he wants to do it alone :)

The house next door is being built pretty quickly, but we are so tired of hearing all the banging and mexican music blasting all day..and we have no light on that side of the house now coming through the windows since the lots are so close to each other :( I hope they finish soon so the construction debris is cleaned up etc...and because my dogs never shut up when they are out now...I am secretly hoping the construction guys get tired of hearing is and shoot their nail guns at my dogs...just kidding...but yeah Tyrone never stops.

View from my balcony.

I also forgot to blog about the bench we had made. I liked the company and the prices and stuff...but John and I were pretty perturbed that the guy that hauled it up the stairs and onto our balcony left a trail of scrapes in our walls, and black freaking paint in our brand new carpet that I couldn't quite get out...we are just now getting over it...try not to think about it and just enjoy the bench, since the company didn't offer to pay for repairs/cleaning...and just apologized. Anyway, I enjoy sitting here with the kids :)

  I finished my 2000 piece puzzle, and then got another 2000 piece and finished it--they are so big--the pictures don't show how large they really are. I like the landscape ones with water etc...I don't want a pic of times square or anything necessarily recognizable. Stores are actually pretty limited so I will start looking online soon. Not that I will have time for puzzle after Frankie comes lol. I was excited to glue and frame them for the wall, but didn't know exactly how to go about it. I read online about different cheap methods and picked up some mod podge at target. I had never used it before but followed the directions and it came out very pretty and glossy. Then I read a cheap way to frame them is to go to Home Depot and have them cut a piece of MDF board and miter some moulding for the frame..it was such a good idea! This guy Norman was awesome--cutting was free of course.

 I got boards and frame for both my 2000 puzzles, and then took the leftover board for Lucas to work on :) I used a spray adhesive to glue the mod-podged puzzle to the board, and have yet to get the wood glue to apply the frame, but this is what is will look like:

(it's very large, the puzzle dimensions are 38.5"x 26.5")

Well, I hope i'm blogging about my third birth story very soon...I'm sure everyone wants to read my long-winded detailed accounts haha.

37 weeks

I had my 37 wk appt yesterday morning. I am so ready to have Francis already; thankfully I haven't gained any weight in the past 2 weeks, but my skin on my belly is stretched so thin, that old stretch marks from the other pregnancies, actually tore in the shower...it stung! My back aches still. I have been taking night walks with the kids to look at Halloween decor, but also in the hopes that it will jumpstart labor.
   Anyway, the doctor said his head is still down (wasn't sure with how much he was moving around lately; usually I have a hard bulge on my right side of my belly, which I presume is his little butt. It was on the left yesterday morning. The doctor also checked my cervix, which he said is between 2-3 cm dilated. I know with L & O, I was dilated 4cm (which is considered active labor) for a few days and then boom, first strong contraction and I was too late for an epidural once, and almost with the next too, at 7 cm. I am trying to be very prepared for that trip to the hospital since it's further from us this time and we have 2 kids.
    John has installed all 3 carseats in our equinox, and it's a ridiculously tight fit...but it works. I have packed a hospital bag....a huge one lol. The doctor also moved my induction date tentatively to November 4th, which is the monday after next. It's 12 days away....I hope to have him naturally before then, but regardless, that means we will have little Frankie within the next 12 days! Although I am hoping to have him as early as tonight, there are a few birthdays he can land on that will make it fun: October 31st is Grandma Hodge's bday as well as our friend's Jim & Shawna's son Alex, November 4th is their other son Jacob's bday, and I think John's Aunt Pauline, and November 7th is my brother James' bday.

    After my appointment, Norman and the kids went with me to meet daddy at his work for lunch. He gave us a little tour of his office, and met more coworkers. I was imagining in the future, Norman possibly working there too!

Norman wondering why John is taking so long...he missed his text that we were there..

   Then we had lunch at their big cafeteria--sometimes too many choices. They had stir fry, and I had a salad and tried a tuna taco. The kids had pizza and fruit and then some dessert.

I figured I'd show how huge I am...37 weeks...come one baby Frankie!

   I am so grateful that John has a good job at a company like Denbury. And we are happy that we made the move from Houston to Dallas on such short notice. It felt right, and things have worked out well. Wouldn't have foreseen all the great things that we have been blessed with in the past year, but it's great to look back on all of them and give God the credit He deserves. From the fun I had making money playing music (something I never really thought i'd make myself try), to the new home purchase, to more family joining us in TX, to John's convenient job, to our homeschool endeavors, and of course to the surprise baby about to arrive! It's been a great year, and this Christmas I feel will be one of the best :)

Early Cold Tball Game

This weekend we had a double header, and it's actually pretty cold out now. Thankfully the sun was out, and we played on the grass since the field was muddy. Norman got his license (yay!) so he drove himself home from work and was awake enough to attend the game too. Lucas did well, except it still isn't a cohesive process for him; we are always all yelling, "drop the bat and run now! first base!" or, "throw the ball quickly to first base!" It's still cute to watch and I am sure he will be even better next year. He seems most interested in soccer now, so after Frankie arrives and things settle down, i'll look into the indoor soccer. Olivia enjoys dance, but it's very expensive for what it is, so I don't think we will be renewing this december. She is interested in gymnastics and I think she would do well in it.

     Here are some videos from the game. A few of the boys on the team are a year older and that year makes a big difference. This one kid throws the ball with such force and hits it well too! Fun to watch. And then little Lorelai makes it look so easy and fluid :) There are only a couple more games---and no, Lucas still doesn't have a uniform...:(

     Then we got a call that our recliner was ready to be picked up. We found a recliner at a good price at Ashley Furniture, and it's very comfortable! Looks nice too. I know it will come in handy when breastfeeding Frankie soon, so the rule is, whoever is holding Frankie, gets to sit in it :) For now, the kids checked it out for me, and passed out:

   My new extremely exciting hobby, is jigsaw puzzles. I did a 500 piece Christmas one from Hobby Lobby in one day, so we got a 1000 piece one of a landscape in Austria. Then Susan and I finished it and John went out and bought me a 2000 piece one of a pretty landscape in Italy. I am still working on it, but it's twice the size and has lots of water...so its gonna take some time :) I enjoy it though. John cross-stitches, while I my puzzle, and we listen to music while the kids play.

   On the baby front....I am anxious and ready for Frankie to be here already. My back aches (especially after sleeping in my bed...I think it's not firm enough...) my flat feet feel even flatter like I am wearing down the bones in my heel, and my heartburn..burns. My clothes barely fit. I am 37 weeks (considered full-term) tomorrow, then I have an appt on tuesday AM. I predict I am already about 4 cm dilated (which I was for a week or so with both L& O) so when I get my first bad contraction, I am going in....it's going to be hectic with Norman and Susan working nights, and L & O tagging along, and the hospital is further from us this time. I also go into labor in the wee hours of the morning, and get to the hospital to be told I am 7 cm etc..I pray it goes smoothly and safely....and preferably this month! I really hope he comes before Halloween...The full moon was friday though, so all I can do is wait...and do my pelvic circles lol..Lucas will join me and ask for a "looly loop" :)  That's about all the updates for now...hope for a more exciting one next!

Lucas Homeschool Update 10-2013

Here he is adding and reading:

He has good days and bad days, which basically are when he cries and whines out of frustration saying he doesn't like his brain etc...but eventually pulls through and is proud of himself. Very hard for both of us to have patience. I hope things get better by next fall, which is when he would start kindergarten...I would hate to think I am making it worse, or that he might do better in a classroom setting.

Busy Day

Yesterday was a busy day; we did school, but it has been a struggle with Lucas lately and I don't know why. Things that he was doing with ease, he now acts like a baby and cries about. So hard to keep him focused. But when I follow through with patience (I have to admit I was kind of mean at first), he eventually focuses and does it right and then is excited and proud and wants to keep going. 

Lucas finished all his phonics and math workbooks, so I made my own addition worksheet until we buy more. His problem now is that he considers himself above using his toy animals to add, and is too proud to go back to using them when he has trouble adding in his head. So when that happens, he likes to draw little 'oranges' next to the problems to add instead. 

 He learned a 'trick' to adding numbers with 2 digits; to block out one column with a notecard. He is still having trouble remembering that "18" is not "one-ty eight" and "22" is not "two-ty two," but is getting better.

 We are also starting to write little stories. I made a word list of common ones he will need to use, but he hasn't quite caught on to them yet.

 Then Olivia had her dance class, which grandma stayed with her for, since Lucas had an impromtu tball game at 6 to make up for a rainy day. They both did well!

 Olivia was proud of her sticker for being a good girl.

 Lucas still doesn't have a uniform...there are only 3 weeks left..and they still haven't taken pictures. Hopefully the next activity he chooses will be more organized. We are deciding between gymnastics and soccer.

 He hit the ball so well !

 Here's grandma and Olivia cheering for Lucas.

 Here's the tunnel they make at the end of the game.

 Overall a good day--and I'm thankful both activities are so close to our house!