Filling In The Cracks

All of our children are big eaters, but they are just lately growing into BIG big eaters - which means their size = greater volume in food consumption which = more $ per grocery shopping trip.
Not to mention lots and lots of servings (seconds, thirds, and sometimes fourths and fifths!), plus cutting into little pieces for the smaller big eaters.
All this takes up the time I could be joining my family for the meal.

One tried and true success I've had, I like to call: Filling in the Cracks.

When I shop for groceries, I stock up on baby carrots, apples, bananas, and any other low cost, healthy-ish food item that I can buy in large quantity.

Then, I ration the main course ie. each child gets one whole peanut butter and jam sandwich at lunch time.
After they have eaten their allotment, they may fill in the cracks with as many carrots (or fill in the blank) as they like, until they are completely full.

I like this method because I don't fix sandwich after sandwich after sandwich... and if they are eating just to eat, I soon find out because they won't go for carrots at that point.
If they ARE still hungry after their main serving of food, they happily chomp away at the healthy "crack filler-upper" food until every last crack is full!

For all you with expertise I would sure like to hear other food ideas for filling in the cracks of many big eaters.
Lead me to your site if you don't comment here!

(Click HERE for more Help for Growing Families)

Outtakes

Dozens and dozens and dozens of pictures, and this is what the majority of them look like!
(pretty fun actually)

Very true to life, and it's a shame not to post some of the outtakes of our photo shoots, since THIS IS LIFE! Isn't it silly when we see a great Christmas picture of some family or other, and actually BELIEVE that was the only shot they took?!!!

















These guys are hilarious! Hope your Christmas is full and blessed... and full of great family pictures!

Getting into the Christmas Spirit, and Curing Cabin Fever

Yesterday morning at twelve P.M. (because that's what the morning stretched into), we all loaded up (in two vehicles) and drove to a quaint little town to play!













The sun which had been tantalizing us through the blinds, disappeared once we went out, but besides being rather COLD, that didn't stop us from having a lovely time.






















First we squeezed into a crowded little Pizza shop for lunch















































Then we walked,




























































































And played
































and sat (I don't think I sat quite enough!)




























and played some more before loading up and returning home.





































































































I was pretty wiped out after this outing, but it was worth it - just wonderful to get out of the house!
It really was a lovely, lovely day:-)

Baby Scents

I pulled this fuzzy little ball over on my lap this morning after Daddy placed her on the bed beside me. Burying my nose in her neck I was taken by the familiar smell of baby.

This morning it was banana and Cheerios, but what about the aroma of grahm cracker?
There are other baby scents of course, some not so lovely, but my favorite of all-time is the newly bathed baby smell.
This one I haven't sniffed for a while, but hope to this evening:-)

At present there are seven smallish children picking up a sea of legos so both our families can leave the house to enjoy the sun-drenched December day we see peeking in through the blinds.
I'm hoping we'll run off a ton of steam, enjoy each other's company,take some pictures, spend a teensie weensie bit of money, and then come home to crash!

I'll let you know how it all plays out!!:-)

New Shoes

Tell me these aren't the cutest little pair of Robeez you've ever seen!

Gramsie got these for Miss Carolina's birthday.
We ordered a couple sizes larger than her foot now (since we were splurging), and Carolina shows no signs of walking any time soon. I think she may break the record for child who waits the longest to walk in our family. The record is fifteen months. Carolina is thirteen months, but doesn't even crawl yet! I don't know about her. I have to tell you though, that not having her mobile has made my life easier by extreme degree's lately!!

I'll just count my blessings:-)

Boys and Blood

Where there are boys there is bound to be some blood.
Thankfully it's been ONLY boys who have sported the blood, and thankfully the wounds haven't been worthy of much more than due recognition!















The trampoline has been a big hit on sunny days. Susanna and sometimes Olivia and Isabella have been frequent participants in the games and shenanigans that the boys invent, but this trampoline has also been the cause of some of the recent bloodshed around here.
(Sorry, no pictures;-))























For instance, Zack ran in the other day calling for me with animation:
"Mom, MOM! Clay has a bloody nose and it's bleeding ALL OVER THE PLACE!"

As you might imagine, I am not moving too fast right now, so calmly said:
"Zack. Get him some tissue out of the bathroom."

Zack: "But MOM! Blood is going everywhere..."

Me: "Zack - no buts. Get some tissue."

So Zack finally gathers the tissue and returns to the aid of his brother, bringing Dad with him to check for broken bones.
Clayton appeared soon after in all the glory of a blood splattered shirt, and I gave him the fore mentioned "due recognition". How exciting!!!

Mrs. Smith to me after: You should have heard yourself - my friend is SO COOL! You were all calm and like, "get your brother some tissue". I love it!

So that was MY son, but not a day later I was sitting at the kitchen table, and heard Mrs. Smith's second born son come into the house crying. His lip was bleeding pretty good, but Mrs. Smith says:

"Whoa... quick quick quick buddy - get over the sink. I don't want blood dripping on the floor."

(she really SAID that! I think she's the stuff legend mother's are made of)

Anyway, the fella bit all the way through his lip, mother was completely calm, and I think she succeeded in keeping the blood off the carpet! Who's friend is SO COOL?!

Now don't feel too bad. These guys love the attention and glory that blood brings with it, so once that's been satiated, they happily return to their play!

For the record, all the girls have gotten some hard knocks too, and haven't been cry-babies.
Theses kids have been the most awesome-est crew ever. So much for "cool friends", these two friends have the COOLEST CHILDREN EVER!!!
I love 'em all dearly:-)

Spoiled Rotten!

Here I am.

Alive.

And very well.

Holding the lovely flowers that my dear Mother-in-law sent!

She sent some to Mrs. Smith too:-)

Thank you dearest of Mother-in-laws-ever-to-grace-my-life!

(Note the matching pajama bottoms?)

Love you!!!

Yeeeee HAW!

Got that camera rolling again! Not so pleased with the pictures I took today - light was not so great, and the children looked like waifs from Oliver Twist. I do not feel compelled to journal their messy hair and pajama'd little bodies at threee in the afternoon!
Alas, here are a few picture's until the "better" are taken:-)



















The crew at the dinner table


















Boys and games! I love to see these guys learning games from each other - and continuing to play even when the lose (although they have all had their winning streak) Way to go, boys!!



















































Then there is just the usual cuteness:-)



















































More to come...

That Was a DATE?

I got the nicest date today with my husband ALONE! (gasp!)
I would not have ventured out just yet, but needed to get some blood work done.
That counts for a date in MY book!

One of the nurses I saw today asked how many pregnancies I've had (seven), and how many children I have living (five). Turning away from protocol for a moment, she asked the ages of my crew and if I had a picture of them.

Oh NO! My moment of glory - a chance to show off my absent children and NO PICTURE?!!

"7, 6, 4, 2, and 1" I told her "and I'm afraid I don't have a picture. I never go anywhere without my children! I suppose if I'm going to start, I'd better carry a picture of them for proof!"

AJ says we will promptly go back to taking them everywhere again. We like it better that way:-) But for today... we enjoyed a quiet lunch at Olive Garden (looked right past that pepperoncinni), and my Dearest bought me another battery charger for my camera battery which I have been sorely missing for a couple weeks. I am VERY excited about that, and you can expect to see pictures once again starting tomorrow!!!!!
What do you want to see pictures of? I'm happy to oblige:-)
Also, I'd love to hear what strange outings constitute a "date" with your beloved - TELL ALL!

Thank you each for your continued prayers. Thank you for your encouragements here and on my other blog. Thank you, brother for calling me today; Kelly, for YOUR call; Mrs. Smith for watching my hoodlums once again; and all you visitors to my blog who never say hello - your presence blesses me too!

All my heart,
Analene

My Job is Being Downsized

I don't know about all this "Husband changing all the diapers, and cooking a knock-out dinner, and getting all the children in jammies and tucked into bed for the night" junk.
He might not need me anymore, and that is just unacceptable!!

After all he just went through to keep me, and now this!

Thank you for your prayers for Carolina. I remembered to try juice.
Juice was the silver bullet! Apparently it was a compromise she was willing to make. For now.
Whatever works, I say! It's good to see her really hydrated again.

Now I'm off to chocolate rice crispies treats (did I mention "cookies" in the above rant about the guy who is replacing me?!)
Disgusting!!

So anyway, if I'm out of a job, I might as well enjoy the company of the cute guy who is taking over my position. He likes to cuddle up close for a good movie, and I can take that sort of thing.
I do what I can;-)

Life's pretty good over all!