Weather Woes . . .

It should be against the law to have 90 degree weather in October.

There should also be a law against having outdoor weddings in 90 degree weather.

There should also be a law against having family pictures in the park in 90 degree weather.

Sigh . . .

So, yes . . . Aaron's cousin Warren got married yesterday. His mom was really wanting to get some family pictures taken that day, so she hired a photographer and made plans for us to all meet at Laumeier sculpture park at 1:00 - yes, a half and hour past the beginning of nap time and in 90 degree weather. : )
So we scampered around, got dresses on, hair curled, make-up on, etc . . . Thankfully, we put Julie down at 10:30 hoping to get a bit of a nap out of her, and she actually slept. Praise the Lord for that!!! When we arrived at 1:00 we started taking smaller family pictures, saving the big huge picture for 1:50, when the Bride and Groom were supposed to arrive. "Supposed to arrive" is the key phrase there. It was almost 2:30 by the time they got there - I can't imagine why they were late - something about a busy wedding day . . . yeah yeah . . . Really it was no big deal except for the aforementioned 90 degree weather. It was awfully nice of them to take the time out to come . . . and 90 degrees feels a lot worse when you're wearing a tux! Really the kids ran and played, the adults visited (and took pictures) and we managed all of this without even losing a kid in the fountain.

From the time the Bride and Groom arrived pictures took about 10 minutes and we raced off to unload our children. We sat at my parents' house for about 15 minutes (during which time we nearly fell asleep) and then off to the wedding. By this time I'm feeling like I haven't slept in days.

The wedding was gorgeous. It was in the Bride's parents' back yard and it looked like a picture out of a magazine. I would love to have a yard like that! (Sadly, I took no pictures of the wedding - I know, 100 pictures in one weekend and not a single one of the wedding! Go figure.)The reception was also right in a field adjacent to their yard. Dinner was yummy and it was nice to be able to visit with family. By 7:00 the mosquitoes were out in full force (a problem that wouldn't typically be an issue for an October wedding) and we were exhausted. We went out with Aaron's older brother and his wife for a bit and then headed home. An early end to a long day.

Field Trip!

On the way home from Lydia's house Thursday night we decided that we needed to make some changes in our Friday plans. Ordinarily we would leave the house at 9:00 to go to Bible Study and then to soccer, getting home at about 2:00. Then our sitters would show up at 6:30 for us to go to a parenting class that we're a part of on Friday nights. Time for a change of plans . . .
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Realizing that the kids would be with a sitter Friday night and then be at my parents house overnight on Saturday - we thought it would be nice to actually see them some this weekend! (Novel concept, I know!) Aaron decided to take a vacation day so we could just chill out in the morning and spend some time together.
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During our leisurely time at home I picked up our Missouri Conservationist Magazine that we had just gotten in the mail and read an article about Powder Valley (a local conservation center). It seemed like a fun (and free) morning out, so we decided to make an impromptu "field trip." We really had a good time (and of course, took many pictures!)
Stopping to take pictures on our hike
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Meg found this frog puppet that she really took a liking to - here she is peaking through a little window in the kids interactive center.


Now we see all 4 heads!

I love taking close-up shots of my kids outdoors - sometimes I'm even lucky enough to get a framer!

Unfortunately, Julie was completely unwilling to cooperate with the camera. Let's see, could that have anything to do with the fact that she was up until 10:00 the night before? Nahhh . . .

Meeting the Great-Grandparents

I have been married to Aaron Patton for 8 1/2 years now, and up until this weekend I had only met his paternal grandparents once. They live in Arizona and don't travel much. The first time I met them, Emma was 1 and Ali was 2 (you can imagine how vividly they remember that). So, we were all excited to see them this weekend.

On Thursday night we all (meaning my family and Aaron's parents) went over to his sister's house for dinner. It was nice b/c the kids could scamper off and play together, just leaving Julie and Bailey to enjoy plenty of grand-parental (is that a word?) attention. Bailey is still just a teeny little peanut and enjoyed her time snuggling in Great-grandma's arms while Julie jumped around like the little kangaroo that she is and enjoyed making everyone laugh (and putting everyone's shoes on the stairs!)

We were able to get some pictures of Great Grandma and Grandpa with all of the Great Grandkids! It could be years before we get another opportunity, so we took plenty!

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Ali and Emma circled like vultures to get their hands on that baby! Actually, I should give them more credit . . . they were very respectful of Great-Grandma's rare opportunity to snuggle a little one, but they were itchin' to get their hands on little Bailey . . . and honestly, who can blame them?

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UNFORTUNATELY, the kids were all up until 10:00 that night! Not a good way to start a weekend like this! The good news is that they all did a good job and they all had a blast!

A Picture-ful Weekend!

So, I officially took over 100 pictures this weekend! Crazy!

We (obviously) had a lot going on this weekend. It was one of those weekends with lots of fun things going on . . . but having to cram them all into just a few days and adding in a bit of sleep depravation made it feel almost unbearable! We had Great-grandparents in town, a wedding, a "field trip" . . . several posts to come, and no, I won't be posting all 100 pictures!

Toothless Wonder

Ali officially lost her first top tooth last night. I'm feeling sadness mingled with a sense of "it's about time!" Her tooth has been loose for a while now, and the new tooth was causing the baby tooth to stick out at a wierd angle . . . my adorable little girl had this ridiculous bubba tooth! : ) So yes, I'm glad it's gone, but now we enter to "big tooth stage." I need to get some pictures taken before she has this big crooked tooth (yes, it's coming in crooked) right in the middle of her smile. Her other top tooth is also loose, so we could very possibly have a toothless Christmas!

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I must mention that Ali was a champ with this one. Yesterday she basically decided that she wanted her tooth out sooner rather than later and went to town wiggling it. It went from fairly loose to gone in just a few short hours - and she was the one who pulled it out!

Meeting Our New Cousin

The girls are all healthy now (finally!) and were able to make a trip to see little Bailey this afternoon. They were all enamoured with her!

And to think that she was once my baby!


Such a big girl!


Meg was probably the most fascinated of the 4. She kept sticking her head in everytime we were trying to get a picture and at one point exclaimed that "She's beautiful!"


And to think that she is my baby!

A Much-Needed Day Off!

I feel like my entire body has just been put through the ringer! We have just had an exhausting weekend . . . complete with Columbus presentations, kids with fevers (Emma's was gone on Saturday morning, but Meg and Julie have gotten them as well), Dr. Appts (check-ups) for the 2 little ones, a new Baby Niece and all the fun that comes with that (shopping, hospital visit, etc . . . ). My Dad was admitted to the hospital on Saturday evening. It looks like he has a gall stone and pancreatitis. Then yesterday Aaron was gone all day - he went to Kansas City for a spur-of-the-moment Chiefs-Vikings game (I say spur-of-the-moment b/c Mike was the one who was supposed to go - but I guess having a baby 4 weeks early messed with those plans!) He came home last night at about 9:00 to a rather messy home and his wife vegging in the bathtub!

So, yesterday afternoon I decided that today was going to be a school holiday! Ahhh . . . the beauty of homeschooling! Before school started, I planned 6 weeks worth of lessons. Well, last week was week #6, and here I am needing to plan again. Science and history are planned for the next 5 weeks, but I haven't touched Language Arts, Math or Art. I was planning to do all of that this past week, but that didn't happen. Then I planned to do it this weekend . . . nice idea! So here I am today : ) We had a nice leisurely morning (Usually we start school at 8:00, no questions asked) This was a nice change of pace. So, I have just put the kids into roomtime and it's time to get out the Math books. Here goes . . .

Sweet Little Girl . . .

Today we welcomed a new niece/cousin into our family . . .

Bailey Nicole Thebeau

September 22 - 12:25pm

5 lbs 6oz 19 inches long

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She was 4 weeks early and was C-sectioned due to some health concerns with Lydia (who, for those of you that don't know, is Aaron's sister). So, she is a little peanut, but is doing great.

All About Christopher Columbus

Alison and Emma

Jonah and Karis

Last night we had our first school "event." The kids have been learning about Christopher Columbus (My friend Amber's kids as well), so we decided to put on a Columbus presentation night. We invited Grandparents and local Grandparent-figures (as the Alligood kids have no grandparents living locally) and each kid gave their presentation. Of course all 4 put together took maybe 10 minutes . . . but their audience was watching through rose-colored glasses. As far as they were concerned, their presentations were well researched, thorough and informative. Really, they were completely adorable. It was cute to see what stood out to each kid. It was also funny to me how nervous they were. Poor Emma kept telling me how she was scared, her tummy hurt, she didn't want to eat, etc . . . Well, just as people were pouring into our home I felt her and knew that something was wrong. I took her temperature and sure enough . . . 103 degree fever! But the show must go on. She was a champ and did a great job. Ali, Emma and Karis each made a poster to go along with their presentation, while Jonah made a Lego model of the Santa Maria.

We also had a display table showing off some of the work they have done. The kids were all proud of their stuff, but were really more interested in the cat!

Problem Solved!

Well, we have managed to fix our litter box problem. Praise the Lord for that! We started out just adding some baking soda - I know that baking soda is known for it's odor controlling abilities, but I was shocked! It really made a huge difference. We also moved the litter box into the laundry room, which is in the basement as well, but is a bigger room and also has the dehumidifier in it. Lastly, we bought an Oust room deodorizer. I love Oust for taking care of odor problems and this thing is just a little diffuser style thingy that cost $3.00. It has very little scent to it, but it really helps. This morning I came downstairs and actually thought the basement smelled nice. I'm thrilled!

Litter Box Woes . . .

Dear Abby-

So, it's a good thing that Polly is sweetest little critter ever! Her litter box is about to freak me out! We have it in our basement in the bathroom and it is making our entire basement stink! (And our basement is where we have school - so we spend a lot of time down there!!) We are currently using Tidy Cat litter for Small Spaces and Multiple Cats (For one teeny little kitten!) - It's what my friend Amber uses and I've never smelled anything in her home. I think that part of the problem is the fact that our basement tends to be rather damp (We always have a dehumidifier running) I'm sure that's just compounding the problem. I have been emptying the litter box daily but that doesn't seem to matter, Ugh! Any suggestions?

Sincerely,
Stinky in St. Louis

Life with Polly

We have all fallen in love with our little Polly. She is such a sweetie. So far she is really very friendly and we're hoping she stays that way . . . that's the problem with cats . . . you never know whether you're getting a friendly one or not! Obviously, she gets loads of attention. It's not uncommon for her to run and hide when all four girls are around (and let's face it - who could blame her! - Especially when Meg and Julie start jumping!) but she's getting braver when it comes to that.

Right now, Julie has very little interest in her - in fact, she still calls her a "goggy" or a puppy. She'll get it eventually! : ) If she sees Polly she says "Hi goggy" and will sometimes walk up and pet her, but that's really it.

Meg would hold the cat all day long if I'd let her. She likes to hold her tight so she can't get away . . . we've been working on that with all three of them. The first time I told Meg to let her go b/c she wanted to get down, Meg picked her up by her neck to put her on the ground. When I saw her I said "Oh Meg! No! You don't hold her by her neck! Put her down!" Well, apparently I startled her. She sat there frozen with poor Polly dangling by her neck. She was rescued quickly and no harm was done.

Emma . . . my pathetic little Emma! She tends to be my . . . hmmm . . . how should I say it? My "intense" child. She has a hard time laughing at herself, gets her feelings hurt way too easily and takes life way too seriously. She has taken it personally any time Polly has scratched her, sometimes resulting in tears. (Not b/c it hurts, but b/c her feelings are hurt) Oh Emma! She's learning. When she's not bossing her to death she thinks Polly is wonderful and can't get enough of her.

Ali is pretty mellow with Polly . . . that's no shocker. She is learning the art of letting Polly come to her - realizing that the best way to get a cat's attention is to ignore it. She has drawn many pictures of Polly with hearts and stars and flowers and curly-girly handwriting. She cracks me up!

Polly experienced her first real bath on Sunday. The girls were in the tub and curiosity nearly drowned the cat. She jumped up on the edge of the tub to check it out and fell right in. She scrambled her way out (Scratching Emma in the process and, of course, hurting her feelings!) She was a pretty pathetic looking creature!

Aaron and I have enjoyed our evenings with her. She tends to be very playful and snuggly once the kiddos are in bed. It's sweet to have her climb up on my lap, snuggle up and take a nap. Our neighbor says she's "Andrea's cat." It's nice to have something in our household that prefers me . . . as the kids are all daddy's girls!

Our Newest Addition

A few days ago all 6 of us were walking out a Walmart and there was a girl there with a basket full of kittens. We oohed and ahhed and then left. We are currently renting and are not allowed to have pets, but those little cuties tugged at our heartstrings. Aaron and I chatted on the drive home (which is about 5 minutes) and thought maybe we should ask the Drewes (who are our landlords and church friends of ours) if we could have a kitten. We thought maybe they'd make an exception since they know us well. Aaron called them right away . . . they said a kitten is fine, but no dogs. Within 10 minutes we had the girls at Miss Sherry's house and Mommy and Daddy were heading out on a "date." Ali and Emma kind of grumbled to Miss Sherry, "I hope they're not getting ice cream without us!" They crack me up!


So we quick rushed back to Walmart, only to be disappointed. The kittens were not there anymore.


The next day we ended up contacting the Humane Society of Franklin County to inquire about the adoption process. I decided to take Ali out on a "date" and let her pick out the kitten, while Emma stayed home with Aaron and set up the litter box, etc . . . We wanted a young kitten and she had to be a girl (as my children would have no use for anything male!) Our eyes were quickly drawn to our little girly - Mommy monopolized the naming rights (purposely avoiding the "what should we call her" argument that I knew would ensue) and called her Polly. She is absolutely darling and seems to have taken a liking to her new home.


Emma knew that were were bringing home a kitten, but Meg did not. Here are all the kids crowding around her box as we opened it to Meg's confused exclamation of "It's a cat!"


Emma's first snuggles


Meg learning the ropes of how to hold a kitten

A Busy Weekend . . .

Jenny Schafer (formerly Lowe) is a college friend of ours who came with her husband (Kent) to spend the weekend with us. They recently finished language school with New Tribes Mission (Jenny finished in December, Kent in May) and were married in June. They are now preparing to go with New Tribes to Mozambique, Africa. There they hope to make their way to an unreached tribe, learn their language and bring the gospel to them. They will be coming back in October to speak at our Missions Conference and hope to head into the field in summer/fall 2008.

It was such a blessing to have them with us for the weekend! As I previously mentioned, the girls were all beside themselves anticipating their arrivial. It was really quite funny for me to watch them . . . they were so excited, but once the Schafer's arrived they (the girls) seemed a bit overwhelmed. After weeks of talking about how they would welcome them, they stepped back and looked nervous . . . Thankfully they warmed up gradually. Kent and Jenny spent plenty of time playing ball and reading to Julie (in response to "a wee, a wee!" trans: a read, a read!) All four enjoyed spending time with them and were sad to see them go.

Aaron and I really enjoyed our time with them as well. It was wild to hear about some of the training they have had and to think some of the experiences they could have as they go into the field. It's really mindboggling . . . the cultural obstacles they will have to overcome, not to mentions language barriers. When they leave the States they will first head to Brazil to learn Portuguese (which is the official language in Mozambique, though only about 30% of them speak it fluently). Then after immersing themselves in one language for a time, they will be off to Mozambique to learn another (and probably be exposed to many). It was awesome to see their heart for these people. We look forward to having them back in October.

While our weekend was great, it was also exhausting. We had two other families over to meet the Schafers, plus church on Sunday morning, not to mention the tasks of daily life. All 4 of us (adults) went to bed at 9:00 Saturday night and were still tired the next day : ) Pretty sad, I know! So, now I'm trying to jump back into my week . . . let's face it, I'd rather still be visiting with friends!

Preparing for Company

This past weekend we had some guests stay with us. The girls had been anticipating this for several weeks and were giddy and full of ideas on how to welcome them. Ali had many menu suggestions, including the lemonade seen here. Ali and Emma (and sometimes Meg) are at a point where they are really eager to help in the kitchen. (As you can imagine, it's a fun idea, but also tends to slow me down a lot.) They thoroughly enjoyed helping with the lemonade and were very proud to share it with our guests!