Transition

It's transition time here in the Stafford household. Hockey is over, religion is almost over, dance is over after today, and all we have this upcoming week is church on Wednesday. WOW! I have to show you a couple of pictures from this morning. While Kate and Olivia were playing "dance," I saw that Brady was dragged into the game. As soon as he could sit up, the kids have made him part of their make believe games. Too cute!

Kate had her spring dance show today. She has spent the last couple of weeks bellyaching about how she never wants to dance again. Today, in typical Kate fashion, she told me that she wished it wasn't over. I told her that I wasn't a bit surprised she said that! She will be back at it next year, and is doing a camp with some friends this summer too. Baseball starts for her in a few weeks, but I am not sure when. They haven't contacted Coach Stafford (ahem, not me) about that!

Olivia is signed up for dance next fall too. She still isn't sure about hockey, but right now I just want to enjoy spring. Fall and winter can take their dear, sweet time if you ask me.
Now on to other summer things to sign up (and pay!) for: camps, swimming, gymnastics (maybe), and art lessons (maybe).

Tonight Thad and Ryan are at the Fargo Force hockey game. The three little kids and I went to my sister's house. She hasn't blogged about it yet, but her husband left for ten weeks for guard training down in Mississippi. Keep her in your thoughts. I know she will do well staying sane, but it's not easy being a full-time working, full-time single parent, to three kids who literally go to daycare or school in three different locations.

What do you think?

Have you followed the Miss USA 'scandal' this week? If you haven't read or watched anything regarding this story, click here

I am curious as to what your opinion on this issue is. I will accept any and all opinions. The way I see it, one can view this issue in many different ways.

1. Agree with Miss California's answer and applaud her for sticking to her values.
2. Disagree with Miss California's answer and think she is horrible for feeling the way she does.
3. Think it's stupid that such a controversial question was posed where there is no right answer. Either way you are screwed. Some of America will be offended, some of America will be thrilled, and the rest of us will think it's unfair that she got asked that while others probably got to talk about world hunger and how horrible it is. That's not debatable is it?

Bet you can guess which one of those is my opinion?! What's yours?

Before you tell me your opinion, I get to share mine. You can't win arguments with people regarding politics, religion, abortion, and homosexuality. Am I forgetting any? Both sides feel passionately about their opinion. Many from both sides try to change other people's minds. Do people really think that they can shove enough of their own beliefs down other people's throats to get them to, say, change from liberal to conservative or pro-life to pro-choice? If someone disagrees with you does that make them wrong, dumb, uneducated, or inferior? Who is to say both sides don't have merit?

This is one of my pet peeves in life, fyi. (Like you couldn't guess) Just a little Thursday evening food for thought!

Love?

Kate was up bright and early this morning.  I had to leave by 7am, and before that she was dressed and ready to go. Why you ask? She couldn't wait to debut her brand new necklace (that she wore to bed too) that she received from her boyfriend.  It is a beaded necklace with the word LOVE.  Parker (our next door neighbor) made it especially for her. He told her that she couldn't get the gift unless she would be his boyfriend. Kate said yes immediately, because (in Kate's words), "he's cute." I bit my tongue from going into the whole, "you shouldn't love someone just based on how they look," because, let's face it, Kate is six.  I didn't develop most of my elementary & middle school crushes because of their mind.

Ryan dared her to call Parker last night and tell him that she loved him. I said that right now she could only love Brady, Ryan, Thad, and Grandpa.  Kate politely informed me that I am not the boss over who she loves.  

Needless to say, Kate is glowing. It makes me remember the first gift that I received from a boy...third grade...Ryan Gwaltney...light up rose at Skateland....AJ do you remember? Really though, I remember being shocked and touched that a boy would do that. I am certain that's how Kate feels too.

I won't burst Kate's bubble by warning her that ultimately boys will be boys. Once Ryan G. became my boyfriend in the fourth grade, he gave me a purple heart pen.  Later he dumped me and broke my pen!

I will post a picture later....

Here they are!

I was explaining tonight what I love about Ria's work (as if she needs more publicity!). Here is why: Many times I have had my kids' pictures taken and thought, "oh they are so much cuter in person, so much more adorable, so much sweeter, etc. That pose isn't really what they look like." I often say things like, "Kate or Olivia aren't that photogenic." When I look at my kids in the pictures she has done I think, "Yes, that is how my child really looks." "Nuff said."

Also, if you haven't dared to follow Stellan's story lately (I totally get not wanting to read about this poor baby), you wouldn't know that he is a) now in Boston, b) been featured twice more on the news down in the cities, c) has been vomiting up a lot of his meds lately (that breaks my heart for that poor baby, and d) that at FENWAY Park in Boston, on the big score board, it just read, "Welcome to Boston Stellan." Wow. I mean, wow. This mother and child are such an inspiration. I am reminded that money doesn't always have to matter. Time, work, and activities don't always have to matter. Family, our children, and God matter the most.

Now, on a lighter note, don't you blog friends worry. Olivia tinkled all over the floor at my grandma's tonight. She also showed Tami her recent bite mark, and while flashing Tami her chest she said, "don't look at my boobies." See? Somethings will never change in my world.

My sweet, sweet baby

I am swooning over my beautiful Brady whose sweetness was captured by my friend, the uber talented, Ria. Even though I expect her to blog him on her site ahem Ria, I want you to see them all too, since you are my trusted and dear friends.
Go to her website. It's on this page, to the right. Who am I kidding, you have all drooled many times over her work. Go to the "clients" section on her webpage, and the password is brady6mo. I hope it's okay that I do that, but I am just a mom who is proud of these pictures. Enjoy!

Easter

It was my Brady's first Easter! Sadly, I forgot the camera on the way to church. We were going directly to the Holiday Inn afterward, so I knew at that point that I screwed up. No pictures of all my kids dressed up. No picture of Brady in his adorable Pout argyle vest & cords. Bummer!

By the time we got home from dinner, Brady was hungry and tired, Olivia was tired, and Ryan and Kate wanted to play. 

So there you have it. Oops.

Why?

Why are kids so Jeckyll & Hyde?
Why does my daughter think that whining will actually get them ahead in life?
Why does my other daughter always talk so loudly the whole world can hear her?
Why are children not able to just go to bed early if they are tired rather than throw tantrums, cry, and wreak havoc over the entire house?
Why are there days (today) when I feel so frazzled by the time my children are in bed that I could scream?
Why do some children cry if they are scolded and others barely blink an eye if you really, really scold them?
Why is my child miserable because he hasn't yet started a new sport? Don't we all like a little break from constant activity?
Why haven't most children realized that if they just treat their parents & siblings kindly, life could be so much easier?
Why when I look at my baby do I feel so at peace? I know that in a year or two that he will exhibit many of the above behaviors that drive me insane.
Why are we all so....human?

How could I forget?

Prior to the flood, Kate was in the ice show. With all the chaos of the last two weeks, I forgot to post about it. The theme this year was "Lights, Cameras, Action!" Kate's group was High School Musical 3. She had a great time being in it. Last year after the ice show, she was revved up to be in skating again. The entire skating season was one big whine-fest for Kate. Like most kids, she likes to do the fun stuff but not have to work for it. She ended the season again this year excited, so I am unsure whether or not she will skate again. I hope she does!

The other big news is that Mr. Brady turned six months old yesterday!!!! Where oh where has the time gone? It really does seem like just a few weeks ago I was HUGELY pregnant, crankier than ever, and ready to pop. It seems like days ago that I delivered my little boy in (what seemed like) record time.

Brady is such a precious little guy. He smiles all the time (although I can't seem to catch it on camera), loves to touch your face when you hold him, is learning to sit up, and thoroughly enjoys his big brother and sisters. I worried a little that child number four wouldn't get as much love and attention as the others did. It's quite the opposite actually. He has five other people to constantly dote on him. The kids as such wonderful helpers. Olivia loves to play with him, Kate loves to hold him, and Ryan is a little daddy in the making. Is it always easy to get things in order? No, but having one child isn't necessarily simple either.

Brady has always preferred our bed to his crib at night (and during the day). Let's face it, he's a smart kid. We do have a cozy bed, and being close to loved ones is a good feeling. I am trying not to encourage him to take over our bed like Olivia, but I am also not going to forsake sleep every night either. He has been a horrible sleeper lately. The only thing that will soothe him at night is me...if you get my drift. I don't recall this with the others, but it is a pretty empowering feeling to be honest. Brady has been having cereal in the morning and a veggie in the late afternoon, so maybe food with substance will help. For the last two nights I haven't had a post-dinner cup of coffee. If he sleeps better, I will continue that.

I am still nursing Brady exclusively. This is a record for me. My supply has stayed up between blizzards, floods, and spring break...so in other words, school being out of session so often has been a personal blessing for me. How long do I plan to keep up with it? I have no answer for that, but truth be told, I am in no hurry to stop. This is it for me. I am choosing to savor it.

Time moves too quickly. Life has become a blur, but I am so, so, so happy to be able to share it with you all. Thank you for caring enough about my family to continue to read it.

I will sign off from this sappy post that tomorrow is a new day. Likely I will hear more off the wall things from my older children to blog about that. Actually I have some good ones, but they can wait.