Cupid's Cuties

This year, I decided to host a little Valentine's Day party with some of our friends. Since Valentine's Day was on a Friday we got to enjoy our party on the actual day. We invited the Tims and Mashburns over for a homeschool Valentine's Day  party.

Miss Jess brought an extra visitor so we had 20 students total. The kids decorated boxes (the Mashburn kiddos get bonus points for the best boxes) and selected valentines. I talked to my kids and all the boys wanted to give out food related valentines. LOL

I was a bit of a lazy mom and didn't fill out the "to" portion of the cards. Since I have more non-readers that readers, I thought that would make things simpler for them. It proved to be a real time saver, and I'll continue to be lazy in the future.

The younger kids didn't really grasp the concept of giving out cards. In fact, a few tears were shed at the thought of giving away their sack of goodies. However, when the delivery of cards was complete there were lots of happy campers! I heard several discussions of having a party next year and schemers trying to develop a plan to pass out cards for lots of holidays. LOL

Candyce made handmade valentines that were super cute. Even though she gave my 8 children whistles, we're still friends. Haha! This little girl couldn't quite figure out what she was doing wrong. Unfortunately for me, her older siblings helped her out.

Delivering Love

I've mentioned before that we really enjoy visiting the nursing home with our 4-H group. Some of the homeschoolers of our club visit one of the nursing homes during the school day. The kids like making cards and visiting with the residents. Before we went for Valentine's Day, Henry said "I know when we go to the nursing home they gonna kiss me. They like to kiss me and hug me." Henry frequently finds himself on the receiving end of a smooch on the cheek. I love that he isn't bothered by it in the least.

The kids take a bit of a divide and conquer approach and travel down the halls. We're definitely "organized chaos" as getting preschoolers to do anything in a methodical manner is hard,  but we get the job done. 

This was Felicity's first trip and she and Liberty got lots of attention. The three of us often fell behind because residents and nurses alike wanted to see the babies. 

Towards the end of the visit at the first and largest nursing home, I let Liberty out of the stroller and she insisted on carrying a bag of cards like the big kids. The bag was nearly as tall as she is but she wouldn't allow anyone to assist her.

Later that afternoon, we met up with some more 4-H members and visited two more nursing homes. The other facilities are smaller and we get our visiting done much faster.

Bid Callers Anonymous

A few weeks ago we traveled north the the state auctioneer's convention. Daddy had a full day of classes on Friday so we headed to the WalMart visitor's center. The museum was really neat and contained strange returns, videos, a replica of Sam Walton's office and lots of memorabilia on the history of WalMart.  They also had Sam Walton's truck on display.

The kids all had great fun creating bar codes with their names. Of course, they couldn't leave Mommy and Daddy out and made one for us.

The main reason we attended the convention was to watch Daddy compete in the bid calling competition. The highlight for me, was that Daddy had to wear a suit. That doesn't happen often around here. In fact, we determined that it had been at least 12 years since he wore anything close to a suit (a tux for a wedding).

We had to arrive extra early so we got to practice being patient. I withheld the snacks, paper and pens until the competition started. We've attended two competitions (we missed one) where Unc competed and I knew we'd be in for a long night. The kids handled sitting, being quiet and a late supper really well.

Last year, Unc won the competition so he was the emcee this year.  Even though Daddy didn't win, it was neat to see them on stage together. He did, however, have the largest fan club!

Since we returned from the convention, I have three boys who are more determined than ever to become auctioneers. If it ever gets too quiet at your house, I'll lend you a boy who is desperately working on his tongue twisters and counting. Three at one time is a proving to be a bit much. :)

Being surrounded by four bid callers might just land me in a support group! Have you seen this commercial? This pretty much sums up what my afternoons have been like.

Felicity's Birth Announcment

I wish I could have mailed out another 50 of these! We had so many people we wanted to share our good news with but our friends list is longer than our budget. :) So please enjoy the digital version. 

Front

Inside top

Inside bottom

Back

Felicity Anne You Are SIX Weeks Old!

WOW! Six weeks!

You weigh 13 pounds and wear 0-3 month clothes!

You started smiling this week.

You are having a terrible time with reflux. We're giving you 0.5 ml of liquid Rolaids to help with the burning.

You celebrated your first Valentine's Day complete with a party with several friends.

Once we get you some relief from the reflux, you have slept a 6-7 hour stretch once a night.

You are a really good car rider. You attended the Arkansas Auctioneer's Convention and rode all the way across the state.

You made your first visit to the nursing home with the 4-H group. The residents and nurses all wanted to keep you there.

You are really good at going with the flow of our family. If I put you in the wrap, you're up for anything.

You still really like the swing. It's your favorite place to hang out during school.

You are such a sweet little girl and we're so blessed to have you.

Lilla Rose Valentine's Day Sale

Lilla Rose  has put all of their hearts items on sale! Just visit Lilla Rose to find a new hair accessory for your Valentine.

Felicity Anne You Are ONE Month Old!

 Every time we have a baby I always ask, "Why can't time more as quickly when you're pregnant as it does once the baby arrives?" and the last month has flown by at lightening speed!

You are changing so much everyday.

You wear 0-3 month clothes.

You weigh 12 lbs 2.6 oz.

You are 23 inches long.

Your head is 39.5 cm. You are growing way too fast for Mommy!

You really seem to like the swing and will often fall asleep in it. We put you in it in the afternoons.

Your hair seems to have a mind of it's own. The top is frequently standing straight up and the back sticks out from your head.

You nurse every 2-3 hours.

We're still working on your night sleep, it's not that great right now.

You survived your first ice storm. The electricity going out for 14 hours didn't bother you one bit!

The last week or two you have been spitting up more. I'm hopeful it's a passing phase.

During your awake periods you are very alert. You look around and have a very serious look. You stare very intently.

You are a very welcome addition to our family. Your brothers and sisters {especially Madisyn and Griffin} always want to hold you. Mary Claire is very protective and reminds everyone that "that's ours baby". No one will be walking off with you on her watch! Liberty isn't quite sure what to do with you, she very carefully pats your head or back but she hasn't figured out what your "purpose" is yet.