August 2013

Salem is getting so big, she is now 8 months old and has become proficient at sitting up.

 Cheeks, just love em!

 Smiles

 Beautiful Baby

 I was trying to take Salem's picture sitting up and Aggie kept getting in front of me saying "Cheezzz".

 Shiloh was coordinating her outfit with the fan Mema and Papa got her from Spain.

 I asked the kids to go cheer Aggie up, I was cooking.  This is what they were doing, Hosea was hoping on his ball, Aggie loves this and Shiloh was letting her hop on herself.  Sweet little lady. And it worked. I find this scene often, but in different configurations, it almost always involves someone hoping, jumping or bouncing.

 We have accomplished 2 weeks of school!  Hosea is officially a kindergartener and Shiloh 2nd grader. So far we are all enjoying our new schedule, and chipping away at some great goals along the way.

 This is what our kitchen table looked like one day. I can't say it is a rare occurrence. It really captures this season of life for us. Note the portable Dvd player to distract Aggie while we attempt to get her to eat, the iPad, my laptop, mike's bible, Aggie's Mic-key connector, Salem's puffs, bill binder, random cup, 2 kids smoothies, and 2 baby trays (yellow and white). I think i see Shiloh's schedule cards too(no wonder she can never find them).  It is amazing we manage to eat 3 meals a day at this exact same location, I'm guessing this was a Sunday evening b/c of the smoothies? But may be not?

Classical Conversations End of Year Presentations

The children had an end of year presentation/ceremony and everyone did their timeline song together.  Each class had their own little separate topics also.  Please forgive the poor footage, i was nursing and videoing with one hand, high in the air trying to get around a head that was in front of me.  I ended up not being able to make it though the whole song because 1. my arm hurt. 2.  Salem was done eating and started to fuss. You may be asking where Mike was during this whole ordeal; he was wrestling with Aggie in the back.  She is uncharted parenting territory and we are fish out of water sometimes. Lord give us grace!!! Enjoy the videos.



Hosea doing Latin



Shiloh doing the President Song

Tour de Virus

It's been a while since I updated, with good reason.  We've had a little "tour de virus", we are visiting many places, most of which seem to be on the continent of Stomach. But a couple have had a nice long visit of Cough Congestion and Sinus. The duration of our travels have been a luxurious 2 months and counting..... as yet another one stopped off at Tummy Troubles just this evening.

All this sickness hasn't given us much to photograph, but some funny sleeping pictures.  We seem to be particularly amused at finding our children sleeping in interesting positions and places. Maybe you will chuckle too.
Note:  We don't have a picture of Shiloh, she doesn't sleep much in the day.  She does however like to sleep in a little later in the morning than the rest of us.

 Salem in bumbo

 She's just like the other Schloss babies, she likes her "silk"

 Aggie under the pillow

 Hosea on the living room floor

 Aggie in crib, with braces on, feet up

 Hosea on couch with grandpoo

 Salem.... so sweet

Hosea with cookie

Photo Shoot

Expressions................

The happy dream

 We get this one a lot

 See what I mean

Surprised!

Smile

Out

 I am forever trying to capture shots of all my people together, looking, and smiling.  I can tell it will be a life long mission as MY mother, and pretty much every mother I know desire the same thing.

So here's what I did get......

So pretty

Facebook Post

I wanted to archive this 15-30 min. segment of my morning. I elected to peck it out on FB yesterday while nursing, and decided today it was a memory worth saving. So here is some uncensored footage from the Schloss home.

"First morning with out the man home.... The little sister starts crying, i leave the school desk and big sister to her math. I take little sister to diaper before feeding........ ugg, not quick enough with clean pamper. I hear big bro yelling from living room "she knocked over your ice water".... I hear crunching between mid sisters teeth, she loves ice, even served on carpet. I strap little sis to wet table, retrieve towel to clean up ice platter, who knows what else is in my carpet? A least it's just water, right? Mid sister proceeds communicate her discontentment with my interrupting her snack with loud whales. What's this?????? Big sis running toward me with a ringing phone.... why did I push talk? Instinct i guess.? Having a conversation with with mid sis yelling in my lap, trying to get her braces off so I can put her down for morning nap. Phew convo. over, mid sis down, little sis still in puddle, belly not yet full and letting me know it. Finish feeding, go to put down for nap......ah man I forgot about that early morning blow out, must change crib sheets. Ok.. both little and mid are down for nap...... now...... to shower or to school? That is the question. Just a little something to laugh at."

Christmas 2012

Christmas Eve

 Hosea's gift to Shiloh

 Mema and Papa's gift to Aggie

 Mema and Papa's gift to Shiloh, a home-made america girl doll bed, which Jesse is borrowing.

 Hosea's Monster Truck

 Hosea's light saber

 Aggie looking cute

 Matching Night Cloths 

We were blessed with many things including having mom and dad with us this year. Thanks for waiting around with us for little Salem's arrival.

While we Wait

While we've been waiting for little Miss Salem to make her grand appearance we've kept ourselves busy, maybe too busy? Probably so.

 Me Ma has been dominating the kitchen.

 Grandma and Grandpooh were also in town this week for Mike's youngest brothers graduation from the Navy EOD program.

 The kids have enjoyed receiving bundles of gifts. 

 Hosea is ready for more nerf wars.

 Grandpooh likes a good war.

 My parents (mema and papa) are staying with us.  Grandma and Grandpooh rented a condo at Destin.  We went to see them on one of the more fair days. It was in the high 60's, so we scoped out the beach and then swam in the heated pool.  The grandparents enjoy visiting with one another.  Hard to believe we had a beach trip in December.

 Shelling with Papa.

 Uncle Aaron's graduation. Only 1/3 of the students that start the program complete it, so it has been a great accomplishment for him this past year.  We are all very proud of him!

 All who came to watch the ceremony.  Mike's Family.

Mike and I bought the children a new playground for Christmas and My dad has been working away at getting it together this week.  Now that Mike is off for the holiday he can help also.  Hosea has been helping all week, he is the little supervisor under the roof. 

I've also had some adventures of being the parent of a "special needs child", we always joke that we have a "special needs child", as our dietitian was so kind to inform me of it on our last visit.  As if I was not aware.  I thought "lady if there is anyone closely acquinted with this fact, it's me".  So in making light of that........ I've made some "special" phone calls trying to find a lab that will draw blood work and overnight it to two different locations, as a follow up for our positive genetics results, per her Dr's instructions.  After a couple hours on the phone, I found a lab that will draw it, but we will have to ship it ourselves.  So then I made some more "special" phone calls learning how to over night blood.  Then I went on a "special" scavenger hunt to find materials for this "special" shipping project.  After all the information and material was gathered for this "special" project, I turned it over to my man, since the lab work must be drawn on the 26th of December for it to make it's scheduled arrival on the 27th to it's destinations, I thought giving my current circumstances it was best in his hands. Oh.... unrelated, but also on the "special" spectrum, I made another series of phone calls to get some "special" medicine for my "special needs childs" g-tube infection.  I'm really glad I didn't have anything planned this week, so I could take care of all our "special needs". 

Random December Things

Shiloh reading in her car by the tree.

 Hosea "ready to go outside".  It's December and those are PJ's.

 Aggie standing up so big.

 Watching a meteor shower in the front yard at 1:45am. Hey if you're not sleeping, you just as well wake everyone else up.  The kids loved it.

 Piggy Tails

We like it when she laughs. 

Shiloh and Hosea Jam session.