the newest addition to our family~

(Don't I wish!)

Unfortunately, not that addition. No, as if adding a seventh baby and gardening for the first time ever weren't enough for us to take on this spring, we decided it would be a good idea for us to get chickens.

Misti, stop laughing :o)

In the spirit of full disclosure, I will say the idea was initially mine, and then Glen took over. We were already building a large shed, so he just decided to make part of it a chicken house with outside access to a large chicken yard. We're not planning on letting them roam completely free as we have so many other animals (not the least of which is our super-hunter cat) that may just think we've opened the all you can eat chicken buffet :o)

Speaking of, the night before last, I was thankful for my husband, and his shotgun, as the hugest, most gigantic possum ever decided that the cat food on our porch was for him. Normally, we don't worry about possums too much, but this one was reminiscent of that horrible nasty animal on the Princess Bride. It was gross. And that is an understatement. It was at least two feet long and it's tail was so thick I don't even want to think about it. Not to mention we have new chicks. It was late, and Glen shot it in the bushes, so he left it until morning. Now, my husband is as much of a manly man as any guy, but he did not want to deal with it. It was in a hard to get to area that was going to require more physical contact than he really cared for.

No problem! Eight year old son to the rescue. After being properly bribed motivated the following morning with the promise of $5 for a very minimal amount of work, Caleb donned rubber gloves, picked it up by the tail, and deposited it across the drive into the woods. Glen was relieved. :o)

So anyway, back to the chickens. We go through at least $50 of eggs a month, so that, along with thinking it would be a good learning experience and responsibility for the kids, decided to get eight Rhode Island Red hens. No roosters for us. So far they are doing fabulously and living in a box in our school room. Glen is oddly attached to them, I think it has something to do with he's the one that actually went and met the guy we purchased them from and rode around with them in his van for the afternoon. (Every night after the kids are in bed, he goes into the school room and plays with them, but you didn't hear that from me.)

We thought about just getting some hens from my grandparents so they would go ahead and start providing eggs, but then we decided that maybe having them from chicks would cut down on the nervousness about being around grown chickens for the first time ever and that the chickens would be friendlier. You know, because I've been terrified ever since I was little about being pecked it's important that the kids are comfortable around them. Ahem. I think it was a good decision. I'm not completely sure on all the details, but I know we have one named Picky, one named Arrow, one named Violet, one named Chick-fil-a, and one named Godzilla. I don't think the others have names.

I'll keep you updated on any interesting news on the chicken front.

fourth folder fun~

A blogger friend, Christy, whom I hope to meet in real life one day, tagged me for a funny little post. Take the fourth photo folder on your computer, take the fourth photo from that folder, post it, and explain it.

Here you go....classic me ;o)

This was taken in 2007 May, when I was at the Kdg/1st grade Mother's Day Tea with Caleb who had just turned 7. I used to joke that if we continued going to New Song (the two day per week homeschool co-op we used to attend) that I would be attending the Mother's Day Tea something like 12 years in a row. And probably be pregnant at every other one ;o)

This is the year I was expecting Haven. I think in this photo, I was probably a week away from my due date (and unbenownst to me at the time, still three weeks away from his actual birth day.) It was a very funny May as there were tons of end of year things I was trying to arrange around having a baby. There was the Mother's Day Tea, end of year parties, field day, etc, etc. It eventually became quite comical. My aunt (who helps me a lot in the two weeks following my births) was finishing up her school year as a teacher, and it seemed like everyone had something going on. I kept getting requests to please have the baby by________ or just don't have him on _____ or ______. "Tuesday would be good, but not Monday or Wednesday. The weekend would be okay, but I would really prefer a weeknight." (Have you ever tried to arrange a home birth around your husband, the end of a school year, your mother in law, two sisters, and an aunt? Not to mention my midwife's family was in town. Gee whiz people, you either make it or you don't! ;o) Having previously had all early babies, and knowing May would be busy, I had my house completely cleaned and my freezer completely filled by the end of April, expecting another early baby. Well, Mr. Haven decided to overly accomodate everyone's schedules and not come until the very end of May, a full two weeks late.

Thanks, buddy. That was really thoughtful of you. Being a week and a half overdue at field day was a blast ;o)

overheard at my house last night~

Caleb has been trying to gather supplies to make a volcano for the past few days. Tonight, he went to the basement to find something to put his creation on so that it wouldn't make a mess when it erupted :o)

He happened to find a very large piece of cardboard, one that Glen has just used as a dropcloth for something he was painting...

So he drags this cardboard upstairs, one side of it covered in paint, and promptly sets it down on the floor. A few minutes later, Glen is helping him with the volcano, and realizes that it's the cardboard he had just been using. Apparently, Caleb had just picked it up and neglected to notice the wet paint...

Glen: Caleb! Buddy, use your brain!

Ethan: Gee, Dad. He does use his brain. All the time. He just wasn't using very much of it right then.

my son, the superhero~

It was bound to happen sooner or later...our first "boy" injury. You know, the kind that falls under the "brave, but stupid" category and wins you the award of coolest boy around.

I remember reading Dr. Dobson's Bringing Up Boys soon after it came out. One phrase stuck out to me more than any other, and I've remembered it to this day.

"one of the scariest aspects of raising boys is their tendency to risk life and limb for no good reason...for parents whose families include one or more boys, the greatest challenge may just be keeping them alive through childhood."


I don't remember taking it quite as ominously as it sounds, it actually struck me as rather funny as I vividly remember lying on the couch reading it while Caleb was busily racing around the house flying cars off pieces of furniture as fast and as furious as he could.

Anyway, back to the story. Caleb, my oldest son, my right hand man, master hunter and creator/builder extraordinaire, decided it would be "cool" to jump off the roof. Really. I thought this kind of thing only happened on tv or in books.

We were all quite impressed at the time, and he casually remarked that his foot was kind of sore, but it was off to nap time, and he wasn't crying or anything. I called Glen, we had a good laugh (privately, of course, no use encouraging 3 year old copy cats), and off I went to sleep. Crisis averted.

Oh no. Later, swelling, bruising, tears. So off we went to the ER. One huge orothpaedic boot and a pair of crutches later, we are back at home. And he is thrilled that he has something for show and tell at Bethel on Tuesday. This experience has done nothing as far as life lessons are concerned except for reinforcing the "cool factor" and I am anticipating Anna will be pulling the same stunt in the near future as she has been wanting a "crutch worthy" injury for years. At least she's upfront about it :o) She has already informed me that the top of her closet would be an ideal place for storing the items once Caleb is finished with them.

So....

Parenting Tip #10

Alarms on the upstairs windows might be a worthwhile investment.

who needs a flyswatter~

Caleb (said in a whisper): Hey! Mom! Hand me the flyswatter, quick!

Me (obviously without thinking): You know, I've heard of boys that can catch flies with their hands. You sure you need the flyswatter?

Caleb: Really? Cool!

(insert sound of tip-toeing boy...smack!)

Caleb: Awesome! Uh, Mom, what should I do with it?

birthday boys~

There's Nothing Like A

First Birthday...

(Where did my cake smashing picture go???)

Can't forget Caleb :o)

caleb's birth story~

**I would love it if you would all share some of your birth stories,

whether by blogging or even in the comments.

I love birth stories.**

Fast forward one year since Anna's birth. (see Anna's Birth Story here.) We've sold our house in LaVergne, and bought a house in Madison closer to my family. (I grew up living next door to my grandmother, my two great-aunts, and my aunt, plus I'm very close to both my sisters, so living out in LaVergne in my first few months of motherhood and no longer working outside the home made for one depressed new mommy.)

I nursed Anna for 11 months, and then she suddenly weaned herself. I found out I was pregnant the day after she turned one. I was very excited. I knew he was a boy from day one. The big name debate was between Caleb and Christian. Glen thought Christian Rivers sounded like a church, so Caleb it was.

He was due on 1 May. That morning, I had a mother-daughter tea at my family's church. I almost won the youngest mom award, but my sweet friend Rachel beat me by a couple of months :o)

I had woken up that morning thinking my water was probably leaking. As with Anna, I had been 5cm for the past week or so. I knew if I called the doctor he would probably tell me to come into the hospital, and wanting to avoid an induction and get to experience the "I think it's time!" phenomenon, I decided to hold off on calling him. At least until after the tea. I mean, who can resist little sandwiches, fruit, and cake? I could have a baby later.

That afternoon I called the doctor. He told me to come on in and if I didn't go into labor by the following morning, I would need to be induced as my water would have been broken for over 24 hours. We got to the hospital and were met by the drill sergeant nurse. My doctor was on vacation, but the on-call came by and said he was fine with me having liquids until midnight. As soon as he left the room, she informed me she wasn't going to let me have anything. (I guess she didn't want to deal with a potentially throwing up patient. I am sooo glad I home birth now!)Not only was she a strict, by the book type, she also had just had a chemical peel, so she was the blistered drill sergeant. That was okay, we kept the lights off.

I really didn't want to be induced. My three regrets after having Anna were being induced, not getting to experience going into labor, and having an epidural. (No flames for women that have epidurals, it was just how I wanted to do things!)

Around 3am I realized (and it really was like an epiphany), "Hey! I'm having contractions that I'm noticing. I must be in labor!" I woke Glen up and told him. He went back to sleep. After a little while, they were getting more intense, so I woke up Glen and called her. She graciously got me a birthing ball that was quite nice. But alas, once again labor was hard, and not knowing how much longer it would last, I opted for the epidural.

Wouldn't you know, right after that, not thirty minutes, I was complete , and Caleb was born with a pushing stage so short I don't even remember it. He had meconium so they didn't hand him to me right away. I remember really noticing the cramping after he was born. I think one of the great benefits of being handed your baby immediately is that your focus is all on that new sweet little person and it helps you not notice the lovely afterbirth stuff.

Caleb Rivers was born around 6:20am, and Dr. Trabue (my fabulous ob that is still my backup doctor and referred me to my midwife, Susie) missed it by mere minutes.

We named our new little guy Caleb Rivers. He weighed 8#14oz. We went home a couple of days later and everything was great. Adjusting to number two was so much easier. And this time I avoided the whole well-baby check event at Vandy ;o)

happy birthday to caleb~

happy birthday to you,

you live in a zoo,

you look like a monkey,

but you smell kind of like coconut shampoo!

(in honor of caleb's all time favorite happy birthday song,

it was really only appropriate)

Happy Birthday, Bud!

I can't believe you're 8.

It's been so much fun watching you

grow into such a godly young man this year,

Dad and I are so, so proud of you.

May the Lord continue to bless you,

and may you know Him more,

and become more and more like Jesus.

We are so excited to watch you continue to

grow into the awesome man of God

He created you to be.

You are so cool,

and we love you more than we could ever tell you...

everything you ever wanted to know about caleb & moriah~

My sweet friend, Rachel, who is an amazing mom, tagged me to write 8 things about one of my children. I'm actually going to pick two, Caleb and Moriah, because you don't hear too much about them. Here we go...

Caleb~

1. Wants to be a farmer when he grows up.

2. Was born with a crooked thumb that was stuck in one position until one day when it popped and has been fine ever since.

3. Has an amazing ability to build anything he sets his mind to. A few weeks ago Haven was congested and my aunt mentioned we should find a way to elevate his bed. Caleb went to the computer, used Glen's architect program to design an incline thing, went to the basement and build a little incline out of 2x4s that worked perfectly! Did I mention he's a lot like his dad? :o)

4. Has a very sensitive spirit and will be the first to admit it to his family, albeit he would be pretty embarassed to admit it to anyone else. I write often about how Ethan is so outwardly affectionate, well, Caleb is more of a strong silent type. He can often be found giving me a sweet smile from across the room, or just coming up and putting his arm around me and giving me a kiss. :o)

5. Reminds me totally of Opie on Andy Griffifth and has since he was little. I can't watch an episode without feeling like I'm watching Caleb. Opie is also completely what I imagine my Dad looking like as a kid, therefore, Caleb kind of personifies what I imagine my Dad like as a kid.

6. Could live outside and has an obsession with hunting, carving, climbing, digging, building, and all things boy related.

7. Had to endure being sent to co-op with Egyptian face paint on one day last year, only to discover that hey!...Mom got Egyptian day WRONG!! Poor guy, luckily it washed off easily :o) (In my defense, I do have to tell you it was his teacher's fault. The calendar clearly said it was Egyptian Day, and to this day I am not sure how all the other moms knew it was two days later. When he came home that day, the teacher had marked off Egyptian Day and drawn an arrow to Thursday. That was NOT done earlier, I had checked the calendar several times as I had preggo brain and wanted to avoid just such a scenario).

8. The kid can eat any entire footlong Subway sandwich by himself and still say he is hungry! We call him the "vaccum" :o) He will say he is done with dinner, but give him about 15 minutes and anything left sitting around is fair game. Seriously, what am I going to do when I have four of them, not to mention my girls can keep up with the boys' eating any day?!

bonus #9. Has a new found love of God's Word :o) He has been reading...yes, the Bible!!! Yay!


Moriah~

1. Has a small indention above her left ear that she was born with. The midwife was mystified. We later found out that in our extended family, Lori and Grant both also have this, but no one else that we know of.

2. Could eat macaroni and cheese for every meal and loves peanut m&ms.

3. Has this hilarious way of looking, for lack of a better way to describe it, weasle-ish when you ask her certain questions. She gets this very mischevious look on her face, wrinkles up her nose, and wrings her hands together while answering.

4. Is convinced that she is the queen and does, in fact, know everything. If you ask her a question, for example, how do you spell cat, she will say, "Well, you tell me, how do you spell cat? Do you know?" Once you answer her, she will act like the previous sentence never happened, and tell you, with all confidence, "You spell cat, c-a-t. See, I do know everything." It's quite a funny game we play.

5. Almost always beats everyone, hands down, at the slug bug game. You know where you try and find volkswagon beetles. And if on the rare occassion, you are beating her and announce "I have three, and you have none!" She will reply, with the same confidence mentioned in #4, "No you do not! I have three and you have zero!" Acting fully convinced that she is, in fact, winning. Another funny little game we play with her.

6. At family gatherings, can just as often be found playing with the bigger boys as she can her two girl cousins of her same age. I attribute this to her being born smack in the middle of four boys. She encompasses the best of both worlds. Fully girl in being obsessed with the purse she asked for at Christmas, complete with chapstick, keys, and inactivated cell phone that she charges periodically, as well as disappearing upstairs for hours playing house (along with somehow roping her brother into playing this with her and letting her be in charge even though he is older). She can just as easily be found attempting to get to the top of the tree with Caleb and playing Boxcar children way out in the woods, complete with tools, rope, slingshot, bow & arrows, etc. (think warrior princess).
We are really enjoying watching her personality blossom as she grows from toddler into little girl :o)

7. Is still a member of the pacifier club, although a secret member...shhh....

8. Refuses to wear dresses unless they are called long shirts. This is a great grief to me as I so enjoyed her first two years putting her in dresses over jeans complete with her long brown sweater coat...so cute! Hopefully she will grow out of it soon!

bonus #9. When I woke up one day last week, she was sitting at the table in her pajamas eating a bowl of cheerios, complete with pretending to read the back of the box and wearing... swimming goggles. She proceeded to look at me, smile, and while pointing at me with her two pointer fingers, said, "Hi toots!"


Okay, so I tag Jennifer at Homekeeping Heart (if you read this, not sure how much she keeps up, she's got quite the following over there...but I would like to hear about one of her little guys) and Wendy (I'd like to know more about Reanna!) I don't actually really know if many people read this at all, but if you do, I would love for you to leave me a comment and do a post with 8 fun things about at least one of your sweeties!

Happy Thursday!