School Pictures

Oh the dreaded school pictures.  Everyone has at least one school picture that they would like to hide and never see again.  I think all of mine should have been destroyed!!!!  If only the kids would understand that these pictures last forever in the history books of each family, traded like baseball cards to Aunts, Uncles, Grandmas and friends. 

Tuesday was Rachael's picture day.  We spent Monday night going through clothes to pick out a shirt that didn't clash or blend in with the background.  But the shirt also had to be loose enough that it didn't bother her "bra strap", if you read the earlier blog you know that Rachael does not go without her bikini top.  Finally we found a cute navy top that was big enough that didn't bother her but tied in the back so it didn't look too big. 

Then I had to take her to the store to get some "jello" for her bangs because one of the girls at school told her that she used it in her hair to keep her bangs on the side.  When we got home of course we had to try it out.  As I figured, it stayed in place for a total of five minutes before they fell. 

Tuesday morning came and as all families are it was crazy trying to get out the door on time.  Even though I had laid out everyone's clothes the night before, Rachael decided at the last minute that she didn't like her shirt.  I walked in the living room and she had on her big red shirt from the YMCA t-ball team she was on for a total of two practices.  The shirt could fit me.  I yanked it off of her and told her to get in the car she could take her pictures naked but she was not wearing that shirt.  (I put it in her backpack to change into after the pictures.)  She finally decided to wear her Brat Dolls shirt.  Then we put her jello in her hair and got it fixed over to the side and out the door we finally went.  Of course her hair was down before we went the whole mile and a half to school.

Jake is having a hard time giving up his summer clothes.  He thinks it should still be warm enough to wear his shorts and t-shirts.  He strongly dislikes long sleeves and long pants.  He is so thin that is is very hard to find pants that don't fall off of his nonexistant hips.  Thank God for adjustable waist bands.

The Names We Choose

When Kenny and I decided to have a child it was partly to fill a void left by the loss of both of our fathers and Jesse all within six months.  So I wanted to pay tribute to the ones lost in our lives by naming our children after them.  When we found out we were having a girl it took us a  while to decide what to name her.  She is the only girl on my side of the family and there is about ten years between Karlisa and Rachael on Kenny's side.  There were alot of suggestions from both Grandma's. Mom wanted us to name her Cooper. Kenny wanted to name her Sarah Lee.  I said no way too many jokes with that one.  But I did want to use Lee in her name.  My dad's name was Myron Dale, Kenny's dad was named Marvin Lee.  Not to much to work with there for a girls name.  We searched through books but couldn't come up with anything.  I love working on geneaology and had been working on Marvin's ancestors and had found Rachael McGehee in his line.  I have always liked the name Rachael.  So that was decided to be the first name but how are we going to use our father's names?  Rachael Lee? Rachael Dale? How about Lee-Dale?  I thought we should combine the names Dale + Lee.  Rachael Dalee.  Kenny didn't like it at first but he has came to love it. 

Jacob was easier for me.  Marvin nicknamed his son, Karl, Jake when he was young.  Karl was killed by a drunk driver along with his wife in 1992.  When Kenny and I was married, He along with Karl, Marvin, and Kim, ran Jake's Lawn and Recreation.  So that was an easy decision for me.  Jacob Lee.

Now Jeremy is expecting his first child in December and they are naming her Graclynn Alexandra.  Jesse's middle name was Alexander.  If our children live up to their names they will be exceptionally brilliant people.  They are already proving that with the things they come up with.

Children are Strange Creatures

Every since Rachael was big enough to dress herself she has had a strange habit.  First it started with a little black and white checked bikini.  She wore it constantly!  Especially the top, she called it her bra.  I could barely get it off of her to wash it.  It was a size two but she wore it until she was 4.  It was replaced by white wife beaters.  I had bought some for Jake and Rachael took them over not wearing any other shirt but that.  I bought enough of those to last until wash day.  Those were finally replaced this spring  by a yellow and orange bikini.  Again another bra.  Again I could't get it off of her long enough to wash it.  I found another one just like it toward the end of summer on clearance and bought it so I could wash one while she wore the other.  She didn't like the new one, it was too tight.  So I have to wash it while she is taking a bath and dry it while she is sleeping so it will be ready for her when she wakes up.  When she takes it off to take a bath she hides the top under the edge of the sink cabinet so it wont get lost in with the dirty laundry.

Now she is in to wearing oversized shirts so they don't "bother the strap on her bikini (bra) top".

Jake has his little quirks to.  His is with food and drink.  He hates his food dipped in any type of sauce or ketchup.  He does NOT like ice in his drinks.  The first thing he says in the morning is "Mom I want a sippy cup and a lid with coffee."  or he wants a "sippy cup and a lid with tea and no ice."

Kraftfoods.com Dinner Recipes

Kraftfoods.com Dinner Recipes

Facebook | My Photos - summer09

Facebook My Photos - summer09 It's strange having such a wide gap in ages. Jeremy is jealous because we treat these two different than we did him and Jesse. It's because we're older and our hearing is getting worse. Our paitience has grown tremendously since the younger days.

Where's Jake?

Morning times at our house are like millions of other families who have children.  Usually the kids wake us up before the alarm.  A few days ago Rachael came in to "snuggle" before it was time to get up.  After she got comfortable she asked where Jake was.  I asked her what she meant that he was in his bed.  "No he's not" she said.  I went down to get him up thinking he probably just crawled down to the foot of the bed under the covers as he has done in the past.  I walked in his room saying good morning but there was no reply.  I looked up at the head of the bed, no Jake, I pulled the cover's back to the foot, no Jake.  Jake has a Sleep number mattress on his bed and they are not very heavy because they are filled with air.  Sometimes, because Jake likes to sleep next to the wall, he gets between the mattress and wall and sleeps.  I climbed up on the bed and checked between the wall and mattress, no Jake.  By this time I was starting to get a little worried.  It's not like Jake to go anywhere by himself, even in another room.  I checked the bathroom at the end of the hall calling his name the whole time, no Jake.  Rachael's room, no Jake.  As I started back up the hall panic starting to grow, I noticed small movement in Jakes room.  I stopped and peered in as a disgruntled Jake crawled out from between the mattress and box springs with a look on his face like "What the ...., I'm trying to sleep!"

Bedtime Troubles

We made the mistake of letting the children sleep with us when they were babies.  It was so much easier then.  Their bedrooms were on the other end of the trailer so not only could we not hear them if they cried in the night, it was like navigating a mine field of toys in the dark to get to them. 
They are not the easiest things to share a bed with.  First of all we had to go through the nightly fighting of who got to sleep next to mommy because daddy wouldn't snuggle with them, or he would tell them scary stories, or he would stick their feet over the edge of the bed so the monster under the bed could get them.
Rachael had to sleep with my arm under her.  Jake wanted his back rubbed. 
Jake would start out laying like the rest of us but often times Kenny or I would wake up with his toes in our nose or Jake rutting our pillows into the floor.  He would often fall out of bed.  There is nothing like waking up in the middle of the night seeing stars after one of the kids socked you in the eye in their sleep.
We tried to carry them to their rooms after they fell asleep but it seemed that they would beat us back to our own bed.
As the kids got older and we were sleep deprived we (Kenny) decided it was time to get them in their own beds. A couple of weeks ago, when school started, we started working on getting them used to the idea of sleeping by theirselves.  The first night Kenny took Rach to her room while I took Jake to his.  The first hour we spent listening to Rachael scream and cry because she wanted her mom.  After I got Jake to sleep I went to my room and shut the door.  A little later Kenny came in.  I had assumed that Rachael was asleep but Kenny left her in her room and told her she could go to Jakes room but she couldn't come to ours.
After a few nights of this and laying in bed with them until they went to sleep, one night I went to bed and left Kenny to put the kids to bed.  He came in our room and laid down.  A little later we heard tiny footsteps come to our door then turn around and leave.  We thought it was a little strange but didn't go check on them. 
A couple of days later their grandma came over to visit and she told us that Rachael had come over to visit and was bragging that they were sleeping in their own bed.  Rach said that the night before Kenny had put them to bed and Jake was crying for his mommy so he got up and went to the bedroom door but couldn't get in so he went back and got in bed with Rachael and said " Rachaeld, daddy's got the door locked.  We're doomed now."
We are now able to put them to bed with hugs and kisses and leave without any major meltdowns.

"Kids Say the Darndest Things"

I have often said that children are a gift from god---a gag gift. That was as I was raising my two stepsons and now that I have two of my own I have found that it is so true. They keep us laughing every day as they come up with new things to say.

When my nephews were younger I kept a diary of the things they would say because they would come up with such funny things. Our family delighted in sharing the latest comments from each of the boys.

Now that mine are old enough to think and imagine for themselves I thought I'd better write their thoughts and sayings down so I don't forget, Rachael says because I'm "losing my mind".