What We're Eating: Oatmeal Edition

Well.  The kids started school this week.  And this year, we as a family have decided to try them all (minus Jonah) in school.  And so far, they each have been loving it.  Thank you, Lord.  Which means, for the first time in several years, I actually have just one at home with me during the days.  It's odd.  And delightful.  And weird.  And wonderful.  Oddly delightful while simultaneously being wonderfully weird.

So I'm just getting back into the groove of hanging with a two-year-old and deciding how we want to spend this gift of time we've got together.  I'm excited about it.  Plus, he's going down for two-hour naps before we go to pick the others up from school, so there's that gift, too.

Except for this week, it's been grocery shopping and errand running every day.  But I'm going to try very hard not to let that happen to too many of our days.

I also got to thinking, what with all this time on my hands, that I'd like to start a new section on this blog.  Except I don't know how to add a new section.  So that part will be forthcoming.  And I want to call it something super clever and exciting.  Except all I can think of is "What We're Eating."  And I'd like to take pretty pictures of, you know, what we're eating.  Except I have five (okay six, because I tend to get the grumpiest of all when hungry) clamoring mouths to feed and we ain't got time to wait around for mommy to take pretty food pictures and also it's usually dark by the time dinner rolls out on our table.  So it's mostly going to be pictures from my phone.  Boo.

Wow, the more I talk about it, the more enticing it's becoming, eh?  I'm adding this section to try and compile food pics, ideas, and recipes in one place for those times I'm in a cooking rut or I forget that great meal we had never to be made again because I tend to be forgetful like that, and to simply share what food things have been working for our family.  I'm hoping it becomes something helpful to you, too!

That is, if I don't completely forget about it by next week.  Ha.

So for this first What We're Eating (WWE) installment, I bring you [drumroll please]...

DIY OATMEAL PACKETS!

[insert trumpet fanfare]

I came across this post and decided to throw some together since Phil has been buying oatmeal containers to eat at work in the morning.  I figured it would end up being cheaper and I could throw in some healthy add-ins at the same time.

To start...

The add-ins (just what I had already at home).  Will be getting more stuff to try new combos soon.

Once it's all thrown together... ta da!

Or the baggie version.

Could even make a cute gift idea, maybe?

And here's a handy dandy printable recipe!  But I won't tell you how long it took me to figure out how to do this.  Heh.

Summer Cuts

Ever feel generally overwhelmed by life?  None of it is anything life-changingly major, but more like what feels like hundreds of little things pressing down on you so that you can't decide which thing to take care of or where to start or when?

That's where I've been these last few weeks of summer.  Trying to get to most of the items on the "Summer To Do List" and hoping the kids won't remember the things we didn't get to in the midst of making mostly fun memories.  All the while knowing which kid will remember that we didn't get to her summer scrapbook project.  And being unable to shake that overwhelmed feeling off.

Because school will be starting next week and I'm completely not ready to let three of them go.  But on the flip side, I'm completely looking forward to hanging with #4 and seeing life through his two-year-old lens.  I think I need that.

But most of all, needing to give it all to the Lord and asking for wisdom to know what's really important and what can be set aside without guilt or fear.  And trying my darnedest to not take it all back up again as though I can handle it all myself.

In any case, it is high time I get back to trying to get caught up here on the ol' blog.  And if you've been with me for any amount of time, you know it's really just never gonna happen.  :p

So at the start of summer, the girls asked if they could get their hair cut.  We had let it grow and grow ever since the haircutting fiasco of 2011 and apparently they decided it was time.  The sooner the better, they said.  But, we still had to wait for a day when Phil could stay home with the boys so that we could scoot over to the salon.

Because as God is my witness, I will never cut girls' hair again.

Okay, maybe a tad dramatic, but fool me twice?  No way, Jose.  Also, I no longer have the postpartum hazy delirium to blame things on.  (Btw, these pictures are straight off my cell phone.  Just because overwhelmed, remember?)

So the day finally came in mid-July when I could take the girls for haircuts.  I called Roselle, my favorite hair person EVER, in the morning and asked if she could squeeze us in that day.  Because I just don't have it in me anymore to call a week or even a few days in advance.  Without missing a beat, she said yes and see you in a few hours.  But when we got there for our appointed appointment, lo and behold, the salon was closed and dark!

Did I get the wrong day?  Did I completely misunderstand?  This is unfortunately completely within my realm of possibility these days, so I thought I really had heard wrong.  And I was just about ready to burst my girls' bubble of happiness when Roselle pulled up behind us!

She was closed that day, but opened her shop just for us!

See?  Favorite hair person EVER.

The girls thought it was pretty darn special to have the salon all to ourselves.  Truth be told, I did too.

The obligatory before shot, front.

The obligatory before shot, back.

 My giddy girl.

She actually has a bit of waviness in her hair.

While this one...

has completely stick-straight hair.  I had wanted to donate their hair to Locks of Love, but it turned out that it wasn't long enough to meet the length requirement.  Hopefully we'll be able to do it one day.

The big sis went first.

She kept up a steady stream of chit-chat.  A talent her sometimes-socially-awkward mom does not possess.

Meanwhile, the lil sis made herself comfy while awaiting her turn.

She was loving all the primping.

Ta-da!

Next came her turn.

She was also loving all the primping.

But was decidedly less chatty than her sister.  This is pretty much how I look when I'm getting my haircut, too.  Except only bigger.

And then she was done too!  Roselle went a bit edgier with her and gave her an A-line cut with bangs.  I think she was pleased.

The obligatory after shot, front.

The obligatory after shot, back.


Or, to put it more concisely...

They loved both their haircuts and Roselle and can't wait to go back!  So maybe, we'll make it sooner than two years before their next cut.  ;)

ADDENDUM: Okay, so I just realized after writing this whole thing that I actually did take the girls in for haircuts last year.  But it was only to get a couple inches cut.  Barely a trim, I'd say.  Hm.  Maybe I'm still in the postpartum hazy delirium, come to think of it.  Never you mind that my infant is now two and a half years old.  I think that's what they call semantics.  Maybe.

The Day She Turned Five

Like I said in the last post, we celebrated Lauren's fifth birthday a week before her actual birthday.  That's not to say we didn't do a little somethin' somethin' on her actual day, though.

So this is what she looked like on the actual day she turned five.  Not too much different than the week before, if you ask me.  She picked out what she wanted to wear on her big day.  Even though we stayed home for most of it.

This is what she looked like when she spotted her daddy once he came home from work.  Standing next to the table with her birthday cake and presents. (Quick aside- wherever Lauren is, her pillow is sure to be underfoot. Unless it's under her head.)

First a hug for her favorite guy in the whole wide world.  While eyeing her cake and presents.

I have no idea why he chose this as her birthday cake.  Other than it being the perfect size for the six of us.

This is when her daddy asked her how old she is now.

This is her watching her daddy's silly antics.

This is her enduring us singing to her.

And blow!

Last one!

Well, at least he picked pink icing for the writing.  Still, I'm a bit...  ???

Fielding requests for certain parts of her birthday bird cake.

One last look before...

it was time to dive in.

And because she only turns five once, we let her and her sibs have cake before dinner.  Dinner that night was at Chuck E. Cheese.  Her choice.


Happy birthday, my little love. 

Lauren turns 5!

Ahhhh!  So much to catch up on!  It's amazing how much fun can be packed into a summer when one isn't in the midst of moving or growing a baby or nursing a baby or some combination of the three.  It's been great, but uh, I could also use a teeny, tiny little break from all the fun-having to sleep for the next several weeks and it would all be even so much better...

Just sayin.

But fun waits for no man so onward we must go!

So last month, this girl went and turned into a five-year-old.

WAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!

*Ahem.  Excuse me.  Change is not my forte.*

And because she insisted on acknowledging her birthday instead of being content staying as a four-year-old, we brought her here.

She was excited.  I'm told birthdays can do that to a girl.  ;)

This lunch was all things sweet and girly.  She invited her big sister to come.  And the boys got to stay at a friend's house for the afternoon.  All were happy with this arrangement.

I brought the girls a little party favor to look through/work on while they ate.

She was in heaven.

The restaurant also had a party favor for them, too!

Seriously. Girl heaven.

A very lovely lunch for the four of us.  Six if you count their dolls.

Then out came her cake!

I guess that makes it official.  She's officially five now.  Actually, we took her out a week before her birthday because Phil had that day off.  So she was still four then.  But this all happened a month ago, so she really is officially five now.  Following me?

Either way, I'm not sure I'm into this whole Lauren-growing-up thing.

Because I would hang on to her little baby-ness and hug her and squeeze her and love her forever if I could.  I will love her forever but she may not let me hug her and squeeze her forever much longer.

And to that, I say, BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

But.  I'm willing to celebrate her turning five if it makes her this happy.  I guess.

And don't even get me started on how big and sweet and lovely my Allie-baby is now.  I just cannot even go there.

Daddy brought along a special birthday surprise for Lauren, too.  The whole set of Sugar Rush racers from Wreck It Ralph.

It was the perfect birthday lunch for this girl and her sister.

We even wore our matching mother-daughter-daughter pink shoes special for the occasion!

Happy, happy birthday darling daughter of mine.  You are completely precious to us and we thank God everyday for you.  Like I tell each of the kids, even when you're a hundred, you'll still always be my baby.  Love you, sweet girl.