Here They Are...

The Olivas Brothers...

Halloween 2008

Indy Jones

Scary Pumpkin

Happy Pumpkin

Lil' Stinker

Alley Cat


The First House!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Halloween 2007...

Here they are, my four boys, trick-or-treating on Halloween last year.







Another year, and another child later, they have changed! Check back tomorrow to see what they dressed up as this year!!!

Get Yourself Caught Up...

...With the happenings at our house.



Evan taped his face. And I wonder why there's a constant shortage of office supplies in this house.


Jack had a long day. The kid can sleep anywhere...and in any position.


Logan's #1 mission is seeking trouble. Just look at his face. Need I say more?


Our Entomologist in training, Luke, popped up in the kitchen window to show me his latest find.


Wes started smiling. Is there anything better?

Happy Monday!!!

My Not-So-Perfect House...

When we first moved into this house, Evan was two years old. Within our first week of living here, he found a pencil lying around and created a masterpiece on our staircase banister and spindles. I remember calling my Mom and telling her, and the first thing she said was, "Don't wash it off, leave it as long as you can." Every time I passed by his artwork, it brought a smile to my face. When it came time to wash it off (only because I needed to repaint the staircase), it brought tears to my eyes. If only I could have preserved it somehow, and placed it back exactly how it was. I was raised in a 'not-so-perfect' house. (This is not to be confused with a messy house.) A not-so-perfect home is the best kind in the world. You'll find artwork on the walls. Not gallery artwork, but work done by an artist who is still in grade school, and who hung his art with half a roll of scotch tape. You'll find books in every corner and on every shelf. You'll see toys, shoes, coats, backpacks, games, and other unmistakable signs of children. If you're lucky enough, you may even find a fingerprint on the wall. As I sit here writing this, I am looking around our house and these are the things I see. This is what makes me happy. Every fingerprint on my wall has a story to tell. Which one of my boys left it there? As I wash them off, I wonder...what was on their hand? Chocolate? Paint? Toothpaste? Call me crazy, but I love finding fingerprints. I remember target shooting in our basement when Declan and I were probably 4 and 6 years old. Declan's BB missed the target (he's never been as good a shot as I), and went straight into our newly finished wall. My parents gave Dec a pencil and told him to sign his name by his shot. On the wall, Dec drew a picture of 'Castle Greyskull' and signed his name. It stayed on our wall for years. There was also the time when my Dad was painting the interior of our house. Dad let us put our hands in the paint and make hand prints on our wall. These are the memories that rise up above the rest. I can only hope that I am creating the same environment for my boys. Their bedroom is one of my favorite places in our whole house. Even at their young ages, they are creating their own space. I love how Evan has used several rolls of tape to stick his posters on the walls near his bed. I love how he has more than 30 books on his bunk. I love that Jack sleeps with more than 20 stuffed animals. I love how Luke keeps things simple. One bunny is enough for him. I love the artwork on our walls. I love that someone stuck stickers all over my kitchen drawers. I love that no matter how hard I try, I can't keep my black appliances hand print-free. I love how our refrigerator doors are full of pictures of family and friends. These are the things that make me smile. I hope when guests enter our not-so-perfect home, they smile too.

Leaves (part two)

"I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air."

Nathaniel Hawthorne

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RY RY!!!

Congratulations on turning two, now the fun begins!! Give Mommy and Daddy the full meaning of two, little man! We love you so much.
Love,

Auntie Amy, Uncle Derek, Evan, Luke, Jack, Logan & Wes

PS-Please forgive our late wishes..:)

California Fun!

We came....We Saw.....We partied!

We met your new neighbors...hope they still like you.

We threw up in your car...hope you got the smell out.




We rubbed your child's new stuffed animal on our naked bum, and you let us keep it! (sorry, no picture for this - use your imagination)

We had a wonderful time, and we thank you, Dec and Lorie, for your hospitality!

So Big!!!

Happy 2-Month Birthday, Baby Wes!!!

Monday Makes Us Sleepy...

It's Monday. I have one million things to do before we leave for California on Thursday. Packing for 7, cleaning and keeping up with housework, grocery shopping, meal-making, tackling my pre-trip to do list. I woke up with a vengeance this morning. I was ready to face the world...and accomplish my chores. Where did the day go? At best, I've 'maintained' today. Nothing extracurricular has happened. But guess what DID happen? I managed to get 4 boys sleeping at the same time. Miracle....plain and simple. A definite first, and maybe a last. For now, everything else can wait. Mommy has quiet time! Here are the pictures to prove it....

*Trying my best to avoid waking Logan (my most sensitive sleeper), I opted NOT to take a picture of him sleeping. This one of him with his head stuck in Luke's butterfly net (taken Saturday) will suffice. No, that is not a smile, he's upset and crying. And, yes, Mommy had to take one picture before she rescued him.

My Son, The Blogger!

Evan has taken great interest in blogging ever since his class started their own blog. They take turns writing and posting to their school blog. He asked me if he could have his own blog - how cool is that? He picked out his title and wrote his first post before school this morning. His link is on my sidebar. I hope you read it often and enjoy his writing as much as I do!

Have a great weekend!!

Mommy Goes...Goth???

Want to go from being a natural blond all your life to a natural brunette? Have 5 kids. Childbirth comes with many permanent changes, but none as noticeable as what it does to your hair. With each pregnancy, my hair became darker, and darker, and darker. I came to the realization that I no longer had the money or time to stay blond. Being pregnant every year since 2000, except for 2002 (yes, that statistic IS correct), I haven't had much time to squeeze in a hair coloring. Now that my pregnancy days are over, I decided it was time to grab hold of my unruly locks and show them who's boss. It's nice to pretend you're in charge. So, no more rainbow of colors emerging from my scalp. I like to call my new color AUTUMN BROWN. Here are just a few of the comments I've heard from my adoring family....Bet you can't guess who said them!

'Wow....awesome! You look cool, Mommy!'

This child had no comment, but needed help picking his jaw off of the floor....

'Why your hair is black, Mommy?'

This child didn't even notice...or care...

'Are you going for a 'Goth' look? No matter what you do to your hair, I still love you'

What An Angel...

This is Jack. Sweet, precious boy.This is Jack when left within reach of a bottle of baby powder.

Any questions???

I had just given the boys haircuts earlier that day and forgot to bring the baby powder inside. (Back in the day when we could afford to take them to a salon to get a haircut, they used to always 'dust' their necks with powder to help with the itchiness of the hair. I'm not sure if it works, but it makes me feel professional, so I do it.) Lucky for me, this all took place outside on our deck.

The Gift Of Friendship...

Yesterday my doorbell rang. Must be UPS, FRED EX (as my children call it), or a solicitor, I thought. As I walked to the door, Wes in my arms drinking a bottle, and three munchkins trailing behind, I noticed a car parked in my driveway. Who could it be? I thought to myself. My kids weren't quite as discreet. 'WHO'S HERE, MOMMY? They shrieked. As I opened the door, I was happy to see my friend, Lucy, who lives three houses up the street. In her arms, she cradled a box with six cans of formula for baby Wes. Lucy's daughter (Luke's best friend!), had fallen earlier that day, and they were on their way home from a Dr's visit. While Lucy was checking to see if her child had a concussion, she was kind enough to ask if they happened to have any Nutramagin samples to spare. Yes, while there for her injured daughter, she thought of us. Lucy's thoughtfulness means the world, and it made me think how lucky I am to have a friend like Lucy. When we have a 'Mom's night' with the neighbors, Lucy will bake a gluten-free appetizer just so I can have something to munch on. She will grocery shop and bring a cookie home for just for me. She invites Luke over to play....may not seem like a big deal, unless you know Luke..:) Lucy is thoughtful, kind, funny, inspiring and selfless. She is the type of person that after spending time with, you feel refreshed. The $100 in free formula sitting on my kitchen counter does not make me feel fortunate. The true fortune comes in having a person like Lucy to call my friend. I want Lucy to know how much I appreciate her. She is an amazing person and I wouldn't trade her friendship for the world.

We're A Bunch Of Cry Babies...

This is how we feel when Daddy is out of town...