first words

When you are the fourth in line, sometimes life is rough. 

Big brothers take your toys. 

Or big sister won't let you chew on her markers. 

But sometimes life is easy... too easy.  You never have to do much to get attention. 

After a year, you still don't feel the need for walking or talking because you have brothers and sister around 24/7 to bring you every toy or tell Mommy you need a snack. 

Until one night you're up a little late and something shiny catches your eye.  You point up at it, look over at Daddy and say "buffoon!!"

That's another rough thing about being number 4, sometimes boys have to play with princess 'buffoons'

Conversations with a 4 year old

On vacation, fixing a plate of pancakes for my boy~

Jadon: I want not too much peanut butter, but too much syrup.

Same vacation, early morning in the tent, looking up at the sky~

Jadon: Mom, look, the day is coming!

Later that same day, trying to get things packed up~

Me: Get away from the campsite and go play in the parking lot!

This morning, as I was getting ready for church~

Jadon: Mommy, do you know why we have 2 shoes?

Me: Why, JJ?

Jadon: Because we have 2 feet.

Gotta love that boy!

My life as a Circus

Life has a way of spiralling out of control every once in a while.  Take this week for example: my husband, a banker worked 16 hours yesterday.  SIXTEEN!! With hours like that, no one should ever make comments about him working "banker's hours." Anyway, this post is supposed to be about my circus life.  We're a little crazy around here.  Homeschooling, sick kids having chest xrays, Mom2Mom on Fridays, plus all the prep time, and redefining the term "banker's hours." So isn't it appropriate that this year our family Halloween theme was the Circus!

We even made a "Rodies' Big Top" trunk for Trunk or Treat this year.

My dear scruffy husband is certainly the ringleader for this crew.

Chloe kept reminding everyone that she was a "male" lion, because the females do not have manes.

Micah is definitely our "class clown" so I thought the costume was appropriate.

Jadon loved the elephant costume that we borrowed.  I heard a trumpetting elephant all week after this.

And, yes, that is my sick little man out in the cold.  Don't worry, we didn't stay long.  And he still managed to get well, despite the cold weather and all the sugar the other kids kept sneaking him.

Where did she go?

So this past month, I'm sure you've been wondering where we went.  I mean, there's no more softball, so surely we've been home enough to do some blogging.  Well, not exactly.  Since there is no softball, my dear husband has decided he needs to make up for it with fishing.  LOTS of fishing! Fishing for BIG fish!

So this is where we've been.  On this dock.

Fishing for these fish.

And this 34 lbs, bigger-than-my-now-4-year-old fish.

And this one, too.

Kevin said his dad tried to play it cool, but I think he was pretty pleased with the biggest-catch-of-his-life fish.  What do you think?

ONE!!

I know, I know, it's cliché.  But there is usually a reason for cliché.  I can't believe it's been a year already!  My little guy is growing up and entering that mystical time of toddlerhood. 

Zac has finally figured out how to crawl on his hands and knees rather than slither like a snake on his belly.  But the cake I made for his and Joshua's birthday party sure fit him well.

You know, they say (whoever "they" are) that later babies learn to walk and talk later.  In Zac's case that seems to apply as well, because there is never any shortage of brothers or sister or cousins to help him out.  He even has a cousin to share his birthday with!

What a blessing it is to watch this little one grow and to help him become the man that God wants him to be.  I pray we are up to the task.  Who knows, he might even become a football star! 

(But I think he'll have to stop chewing on the ball first.)



A Letter from my Baby Brother

I'm so proud of my baby brother.  The same little brother I used to pick on, and who pushed me down the stairs once.  The baby brother that was my best friend every time we moved in the middle of the summer, when there was no school to busy us or help us make new friends.  The baby brother who has no kids of his own, but loves mine with abandon and plays wiffle ball with them in his suit and tie. 

I got a message from him today and it was so moving, I called him up to ask him if I could share it with you.

everything is going well, and i'm happy to be useful, even though this situation is very strange. i feel like i have no experience and authority for getting things done, but people look at me as if i should be in charge. its so weird, but i guess its similar for other peace corps volunteers in the country.


we get treated with respect because people think we're rich and well educated. in comparison we are, but i don't feel like i have the capabilities to do some of the things they expect. its all so strange, but i guess i sometimes do. that's the reality of it.


we're here because we believe we can get things done, we don't settle, we don't quit, we show up and care and as long as we keep doing that we'll be somwhat effective.

He's such an awesome guy! I'm so proud of the sacrifice he's making to better our world.  I love him so much, even if he is a bit of a goofball.

It's Over!

Softball season is finally over for the year.  Despite many ups and downs this season, they ended on a really great note.  The Rodies ended the Sunday afternoon league in a 3 way tie for first, but somehow came out on top.  I have no idea how they figure it out, but I'm just excited for them!

We played the last game of the night, which always means we end up with a few short Rodies on the field after the game.

Girls too!

And even little Teegan!

The following week was the tournament for that league.  Apparently, our guys have never actually finished in first for both the season and the tournament.  This year they finally did it!  Of course, with a little more help from the fans!

No, she's not mine, but she's stinkin' CUTE!!

A couple of weeks ago, Kevin and I spent a few days with his sister's 4 kiddos while she and her hubby were out of town.  The thing is, Kevin and his brothers were playing in a softball tournament the same weekend.  My van only seats seven, that leaves no place for 3 of us.  So we divied up the munchkins, girls with Daddy/Uncle Kevin and boys with Mommy/Aunt Becca, and drove both our cars over to the tournament.  While we waited for the games to start, I took all 8 kids over to the really great playground.  I learned a couple of things while I was over there.


1.  Trying to count to 8 children when only one of them is still is quite a challenge.


and 2. Lydia...

likes to climb...

a lot!!

I don't think I realized she was actually trying to push Luke off the steps here.

The things cute 2 year olds get away with.  Maybe Aunt Becca should come out from behind that camera a little more. 

Dirty Baby

Zac still has an interesting little army crawl.  No hands and knees for this guy! It makes for a very dirty baby some days and Sunday was no exception. We were at a cookout with some old friends and Zac was insistent that he was going to play in the dirt.  So I let him. 

Crawling on the patio around the firepit is certainly an easy way to get covered in soot!

And a baby that slides along the grass, will never be clean!

Look at those little black feet!

Teeth!!

Isaac has had a rough couple of weeks.  Lots of crying, very little sleeping.  A month ago, he had just the very beginnings of 2 teeth.  Today, at eleven months old, he's working hard on number 7 and 8.  I'd be grumpy, too, if I had 6 teeth slice through my gums in just two weeks!  But they sure are cute!

Going to the Game!

Yesterday I was having camera withdrawals, so as we were headed out the door to yet another softball game I grabbed my bag, intent on actually using it this time. While there are some thrilling photos to be taken of the actual game, they require paying attention with your finger on the trigger for the entire game to get that split second shot and I just am not that dedicated.  And besides, I have 4 kids.  Enough said. So rather than show take a bunch of shots that all look like this

I took some photos of what the rest of us do while the Daddies play.

Zac has been showing off his beautiful new teeth.  He's very proud of them.

Aunt Megan brought jelly beans to hand out to the kiddos.

What else would Micah be doing?

Chloe has been learning to make friendship bracelets, so she's teaching the other kids.  That's right up her alley.

Last night was so humid, my glasses fogged up as soon as I opened the car door.  Jadon was dripping with sweat within minutes.

After a win, sometimes even a loss, we usually end up at Dairy Queen. The kids do a lot of begging and we usually cave.

Zac was pretty perturbed that he didn't have anything. But don't worry, little guy, Uncle Mark's got your back!