CR - AZY

So ever since Adelle turned 5 last week she does her own hair. Apparently now that she is 5 she doesn’t need me to do it anymore and when I asked her why she likes doing her own hair now she said, “because I don’t have to brush it when I do it I just put it in a ponytail.” So, I guess that makes sense. The girl wants long hair but doesn’t much prefer the hair brush. Ha.

Also, Adelle has been doing my hair (see picture above). It’s all fun and cute until I accidently forget it’s done and walk out of my house to public places (Braxton’s school). Thankfully school is now out and I don’t have to worry about that happening again for a while. I can’t wait until Adelle grows up and I can show her these pictures and logically explain to her why I didn’t want her to do my hair everyday. She asks me daily if she can do my hair and it’s so sweet…. but, come on. I’m not her peer and I just can’t pull off the 500 hair pretties like she can. Ask Gage!

Our garden is producing bountiful strawberries and they are so delicious. Every night I go out and pick a plate full and when the kids get up the next morning they gobble them all up. I didn’t think I had enough in our garden for jam so I made jam out of the ones my mom gave me but I don’t know, daily plates like this add up!

Jeff and I have been spending our evenings outside in the garden and it’s so wonderful. I love being outside at the end of the day. It’s relaxing to me to be barefoot, in my garden, picking something and having good conversation with my love.

So the Harry Potter thing around here has been taken to a new level. Really Brax, you want me to use my lip liner to draw another scar on your forehead?! This is Braxton’s new outfit and he and Adelle and Emmett have been playing Harry Potter. The ironic thing is that Adelle and Emmett have no idea what/who Harry Potter is except what Braxton tells them and they are all perfectly content playing like this for hours. I know, my house should be spotless, right.

No words for this one! Isn’t Gage just the cutest!! He has so much personality too and he just thinks he is everyone’s favorite.

And then today 10 of us crazies got out and about and went on a hike around Lake Whatcom. It was wet and rainy and we got completely soaked but it was fun and adventurous and got us all out of the house. That was what we were going for! My friend Allia and her four and me and my four were quite the team today!!

Life is fast, and wonderful. Today as I was driving home from the hike I looked to my right and I saw my 3 year old in nothing but his undies and his shirt. I told him he could take his pants and socks and shoes off when he got into the truck because they were soaking wet. I was thinking about how empowered I feel as a mother. The ability that I have to take care of all these little ones the way they need to be taken care of. It’s such a wonderful gift and talent that I have been developing for the last almost 8 years.

At the same time I am having these thoughts about my kids, I am also remembering riding in the back of my mom’s blue van coming home from multiple similar excursions. I can see myself, my sister and my brothers, the kids my mom cared for, all in the car. The snacks, the scenario, almost identical to the moment I am living with my own kids. It was crazy! I am a mom of 4 kids! CR-AZY!