UPDATES

So far 2008 has brought a whole lot with it. Maxwell has been working hard at learning to walk he has taken a couple steps in a row and will stand up from the floor by himself. I don't think this is intentional however, but he is determined to out do those sisters and brother and walk before the usual 13 months of age. He also has six teeth, and boy he knows how to use them...currently he is trying to bite my toes as I type. He has also slept a little more about the last 5 nights only getting up 1 or 2 times before midnight and then sleeping until 5:30-6ish, and I have been sleeping at least that much too. I normal continue to get up at the times the kids get up once they start sleeping more, but not this time I slept strait last night from 12:30 to 5:50. Max has also learned to play peek-a-boo and talk on the phone...everything is a phone and I believe he is trying to say hello. He makes the same caveman sound as hello when he picks up an object and puts it to his ear its so cute. He also cries mamamamamamamamama when he wants me, but I don't know if that is intentional either. I think they might be just noises of madness.
I'm ready to open windows and get out of the house in some warm sunshine. We have taken random kids to the doctor on Dec. 16th, 24th, 31st and now I've still got 3 hackers and snotty noses.They are also very ready to get outside, and have been keeping me on my toes cleaning up after all the new things Santa brought. Thank goodness he brought a few new movies for quite times too!
So ABOUT the rest of the kids.. My first born baby is turning 6 next Monday. I can't believe 6 years has gone by so fast when the last 6 months seems to be taking a lifetime. He is really excited for another birthday and this will be his first birthday party with friends from school. We are taking 8, 5 and 6 year olds bowling on Sunday for an hour and a half and then having family over later for cake and ice cream... which reminds me I need to go get that taken care of its Tuesday already?
The girls are sure taking after each other. Hannah is teaching my impressionable 2 year old everything she knows about being sneaky and getting into things. She has been a big help though since Max has been born and Parker has gone to school she is assuming the big sister role nicely although still acting as the middle child a lot too.
Caedy is getting big she is saying new phrases everyday. Her favorites are very matter-of-fact statements with big words like actually, yesterday, and anything we repeat that sounds interesting.
As for the hubby he is "working hard for the money"! Hasn't bothered me much that he is gone long hours I'd just really like to be closer to him so when he can get away it doesn't take him as long to get here and I don't worry about him driving being so worn out. Plus a little more room for the kids wouldn't upset me at all!
I've planned a little rejuvenating get-a-way for us for Valentines day with no kids. I think it'll be fun, he's not so sure, but my goal is to change his mind by the time the trip has ended! I'll blog all about it when we get back.

Peek-a-boo

Parker got to take a trip w/ Grandpa and Grandma to toys-r-us and spend his gift card.

This is my baby sister w/ Caedence ... they are both growing up fast!

I will not...

Well Jan. 15th and I'm finally getting back around to writing down my resolutions. So here it is I resolve not to focus on my weight... I want to lose it, but I do not want to make it my soul purpose of 2008. I've been exercising on one of those Tony Little Gazelle's I didn't weigh myself immediately prior and I haven't since I started so I don't know if its working, but I have managed to do it every night since I got it that's 5 night and it was even over the weekend. I got up to 30 minutes last night and let me tell ya 5 night in a row is more then I've ever exercised consecutively in my life at least on purpose. I just pray (seriously) that I see a difference. I've changed my eating habits some. I eat smaller portions and I haven't had a second helping of dinner in at least a week, which is good for me I must say. I've also only had about a 3rd of my usual serving of ice cream at night. So I have resolved to not make it my soul purpose in 2008 to lose weight, but I guess you could say I have resolved to make a life style change in hopes that it helps me feel better. Once spring starts I plan to get out a lot more with the kids and make sure that we go outside at least once a day provided our wonderful Indiana weather allows. Now onto the updates...

Happy New Year!

I resolve to write about my resolutions at a later date. Not much new to tell right now. We made it through Christmas and the kids got waaay too much as usual and now its 2008! I can't believe it. I also can't believe that we were all so worried about going from 1999 to 2000 and its 8 years later. I can't believe I am married with 4 kids and I can't believe that I am not in bed right now. So like I said more on all that to come!

The Company Christmas Party

We went to Nate's first company Christmas party on Saturday... it was interesting to say the least. I am not sure what I expected, but we had a good time being together without the kids. Nate's mom watched them for us and took some pictures while we were gone. Of course Max got sick or started to show signs of being sick while we were gone and we got a big snow storm. Here are a few pictures from the weekend...

Nate and I before the party

The kids

Sick Maxwell w/ sissy

Nate getting ready to shovel some snow

I'm MAD at you!

The other night oh... about the middle of last week, it had been a very long day and my husband had already worked 3 very long days and wasn't home yet so needless to say I had about half a nerve left and all 4 kids were on it. I was screaming and yelling because Caedy had pinched her finger very badly it was bleeding all over, Max was screaming because he was tired and hungry, and no one could seem to help me get anything for Caedence's finger. So finally Parker was looking for something and not going at the pace I felt needed in the heat of it all, and I yelled at him to get out of the way, he got mad and went to his room. EVENTUALLY I got Caedy quite enough to be able to get Max a bottle, take off my pants,(somewhere in there Caedy had wet her diaper for the last time and while sitting my lap it had soaked through her clothes and mine), sat down to feed him, of course the door bell rang (me w/ no pants and a baby in hand sleeping) I had the kids peek out to see who it was and luckily it was just the neighbor bringing back a borrowed tool. After all the excitement was over and things were calm... my five year old comes out of his room looking like this....

He told me he was mad at me for yelling at him! I hope this isn't how he views me (especially the mustache part)! Thank goodness for comic relief!

Just like an Everingham

It finally happened Max's first tooth broke through.. I've been waiting and waiting. He is almost 8 months and I knew it had to be soon. I almost didn't notice it though because in true Everingham fashion even at 8 months old my kid had to do it different then all the other babies. He is getting a top tooth first. I know its possible to go that way and just because the majority of kids get their bottom teeth first doesn't mean its the only way, but seriously he's been such a good baby and pretty textbook that I guess he had to do something different.

Home Alone....

Well its been over 48 hours since Nate left to go to the National Missionary Convention in Ohio with his brothers. He's been having a good time as far as I can tell and its awesome that he gets to spend some quality time with Ron and Randy, but you know what that means... it means I get to be home alone with the kids. They have actually been ok a little nitpicking at each other, but that's pretty normal. I hadn't prepared myself very well for this trip. Usually it takes at least a week of me reminding myself to line up some help and find ways to get away from the kids for a few hours, but this time all of the sudden it was here, and he was off. His Mom had taken vacation to be with Ron while he was home so she has been of some help, but I have to share her with my other sister-in-law too which is fine, but something I am not use to doing so its been a little bit of adjustment to not be able to have her whenever I want. It would be great if Carly and I lived closer together so we could help each other out more often, but for now that isn't an option.
So here it is Saturday afternoon. The littlest kids are napping and Hannah and I are watching Scooby Doo, while Parker is off to see the Argos Dragons and their first scrimmage of the season with Grandma. I'm sure we will make it through until Monday morning, but let me tell ya...I am SO thankful I am not a single Mom. I don't know how they do it. I do know I need a break though. I planted this idea in the head of my Sister-in-law in AZ (aka Ron's wife) that when the boys get done doing what they do that we 3 girls need to meet somewhere between there and here and have a little weekend getaway of our own.
Also, having this time to myself makes me always realize how much I do love my husband. Its kinda like that song by Chicago "Everybody needs a little time away...I heard ya say, from each other. Even lovers need a holiday far away from the ones that they love"... Its so true we all need some time away to really appreciate what we have, although I do wish it was me getting to go away a little more often I am glad that we can have these times to gain perspective again and appreciate what we have and be grateful of what we've been blessed with. So here's to another day..."I think I can I think I can"!

Exhaustion...

Its been 7 months, 2 weeks and 4 days exactly since my son was born. I was pregnant for 9 months before that...and 6 of them were extremely uncomfortable enough that I got up at least once, but more like twice a night. So added up I have not gotten a full nights sleep for 13 months 2 weeks and 4 days!! And to top it all off I am getting up more now with my son then I was when he came home from the hospital. Uggggh. I'm so tired I can't see strait!!

The Halloween Thing

So many people have asked me "What are your kids gonna be for Halloween?", or "Where are you taking the kids trick or treating at?" . Well due to not wanting to hurt peoples feelings and by all means not wanting people to think I am judging them this is my non-confrontational way of answering people's questions at least the ones that read my blog.
Its a church thing... Halloween originally is the celebration of when the veils between worlds are at their thinnest and spirits of the dead could pass between our world and theirs. People traditionally dressed up to scare the spirits away because it is said that the spirits of the dead were coming back to posses the living.
It is also said that the jack-o-lantern is a light to keep the spirit of an Irishman named Jack away, he fooled the Devil and made him mad so when he died the Devil turned him away from hell and he was so mean that he was turned away from Heaven as well. Upon leaving hell the Devil threw him a lump of burning coal so he could see. People use to put lumps of burning coal in turnips and placed them on their porches in hopes that when Jack came back he would take the light instead of bothering them. Americans have adapted this tradition and use pumpkins instead of turnips.
So there is a little Halloween history for you, and some explanation. If know me at all you know I believe in God and because of this I am not naive to evil which is why I choose not to celebrate it or teach my children to celebrate it. I have been up in the air about letting them go trick-or-treating because I know they will want to and "all their friends will be doing it", but for now I'm saying no, until they are able to fully understand why and stand firm in their beliefs, and I believe that it all starts at home. Children led by example, and I want my children to be strong leaders of their faith. Trust me it'd be a whole lot easier to say yes, and I have in the past I even went trick-or treating as a kid, and I am not condemning people that go or let their kids go. I just think people should be informed on what they are really celebrating.

The Evil Empire Strikes Again...

I am truly surprised that as much time as I spend at Wal-Mart I haven't had more trips to write about, that said I am sure there will be more to come. Today I took the kids shopping and since Parker had a half day I took ALL the kids shopping. It must have been "old persons day" today out in the Dunlap area ( I say this with the kindest of hearts I know someday I will be old too), but every person over 60 was out and today not unlike other days every one of them said something to me... "you've got your hands full (my personal favorite)", "are they all yours?", "wow, thats a load", I even got a new one today "are your girls twins?"and so on and so on. So besides that I went to Target to look for more of a selection of shower curtains then Wal-Mart they had nothing that excited me so I went to Wal-Mart for some storage solutions to the toys that are breeding in our home. They have what I want at the Wal-Mart 4 min from my house, but since I was on the other side of town and driving back to my side of town was sure to put the kids to sleep I thought I'd stop at the one I was near. Well after 20 minutes of holding what seemed to be the pee of the century and searching for what should have been easily found, we went to the restroom, oh yes, me the cart and 4 kids in the restroom, and then began the search again. The kids were getting cranky so I thought lets go look at some fun Christmas decor that really shouldn't be out on Oct. 23rd. We found a Santa that my MIL was telling us about, you know the kind that sings, well this one shakes its booty and sings "I like to move it, move it". Of course when you have a two year old they always pick up on the last couple of words so as my two year old is singing "move it, move it" we run into an older gentlemen who first very obviously counts my "load" and the gives me a look like "nice manners you teach your children". Shortly after this my 4yo screams "I HAVE A TATTOO, and you don't!". By now I am sure they have called child services at that Wal-mart on me so I won't be going back (with kids) anytime too soon. Well, I must get off the computer and back to my motherly duties my baby has found the cat's water bowl... oh joy!

Over half a year!

MAX IS 7 MONTHS OLD TODAY!! Over half a year as gone by with my baby! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. To get to this point in pregnancy it seems like it takes FOREVER!! He is really progressing fast too. He's been "real" crawling for about a week now, and on Friday he started pulling himself up onto his feet. He has also FINALLY started sitting up, and I didn't help he can do it all on his own! Yeah for Mom backing off for a little independence. Just two weeks ago he couldn't do any of this (except for just about crawling). I haven't gotten any pictures of him standing yet, mostly because when he is doing it I am sitting on the coach and he is trying to get me to hold him, but I will post them when I do. For now here is a picture from a couple weeks ago when he wasn't doing anything and I was praying he wouldn't fall face first off the pumpkin pallet (he did) notice to finally get a couple pictures I had to sit the pumpkin between his legs to hold him up. This is his "what the heck are these face".