The girls shifted their beds around so that the Playroom is now the sleeping quarters for Kimberly, Jaquline, and Jillian and the Barracks is sleeping quarters for Christina, Becky, and Primrose. This shift was so that the barbies, legos, and small toys like polly pockets and art stuff could be in the Playroom while the Barracks holds all of the toddler toys that cannot fit in a child’s mouth.
They are planning for Thea to be running around already. (Mommy is not ready just yet!I plan on being in Baby Stage a little longer!)
Lucas was bunking with Christina. But then we got a toddler bed! It needed some repair (but a few wooden dowels and extra bolts made a solid fix!) and we had to dig around for toddler bed sheets, but now Lucas has a big boy bed!
Sheba thinks this is her spot to share with Lucas.
Lucas was so excited to have his Star Wars blanket on his very own big boy bed! Last year, he didn’t want anything to do with a special trundle bed so we gave it away.
As we grow, sometimes the things we brushed away turn into the things we love ~ strange thoughts, I know. But that’s what goes through my head when I watch my little love snuggle into his big boy bed under his blanket; he has grown just a little more independent.
Not only did our little Thea officially turn two months old on Easter, but neither Louis nor I was working, neither of us was tired, and we had the whole weekend to ourselves!
Baby Thea dressed up (minus her cute socks and shoes) in her Easter dress from Aunt Becca & sister-cousin Anastasia!
Louis and the girls dyed eggs – our brown and pink eggs made some unique color experiments and tasty “angel eggs.” (Grandma Joanne started that; she redeemed the deviled eggs so they are “angel eggs” now.)
Louis was waking me up almost every night in the week before Easter as he excitedly told me about the newest item he got for the girls’ baskets – crazy plastic grass, cool candy, a bag of change for the plastic eggs and such.
We love family time! On Easter, we got up early, went to church, and talked all about the first Easter Sunday and Jaquline decided we had to watch a Jesus story movie – “The Greatest Story Ever Told” is the go-to for us. About lunchtime, we snacked on angel eggs and fruit while Louis crafted an amazing ham – this would be early dinner.
And… Egg hunt. The girls learned that Spring Egg Hunts were a result of people letting their hens and ducks out to range in the spring grass and then having to find their eggs for food – young children were tasked for this job and finding the eggs meant the end of winter harshness and the beginning of spring’s bounty.
But for us, Easter Egg Hunt means “see who can hide it best” (for the hiders, adults and teens) and “see who can find the hardest eggs” (for the younger ones). Kimberly decided she is still a youngling for Easter and joined the hunt as a hunter!
Becky took some pictures.
Christina’s hardest eggs were teal, Becky’s were green, and I hid the hard-boiled ones. Mine I wanted found quickly, so most were just rolled in the patches of clover so their stickers showed.
Down to four remaining eggs… One Teal, one Green, and two Boiled! Mom ended up winning with the “hardest” egg being inches from the walkway in plain sight!
Becky made up some adorable pictures with the baskets. Check this link to see her Guinea Pigs in the Easter Basket pictures!
Have you ever wondered if your kid was the only one who chose kitchen tools over toys?
March 4, 2019
Toys Versus Kitchen Tools
Have you ever thought it was just your kid?
…You know, when you have hundreds of dollars worth of toys for them to play with yet they would rather grab every plastic container, metal pot, and baking tin and beat it like a drum set with two plastic implements of some kind. (Spatula and cake server anyone?)
Nope.
It’s not just your kid.
Seriously, I promise. I’ve actually studied it.
In my very scientific study, conducted over almost two full decades, with dozens of children unknowingly participating, I have come to the conclusion that a mismatched set of plasticware, baking tins, and cooking pots serves as a more desirable toy than the newest Duplo set – to everyone under the age of five… maybe take that limit up to eight or nine if they are entertaining a younger cousin, sibling, or playmate.
Ready for some proof happening as I type?
…here is the playroom.
…and here is the front room (my kitchen and front room are divided by the couch Becky is sitting on – my photographer didn’t get the kitchen scene).
Do you see the children?
Just where are the children? Certainly NOT in the playroom with the actual toys.
So Becky is watching her algebra lecture videos while keeping an eye on Thea (in the bassinet), and Jillian, Mandy, Isaac, and JJ are bringing her “food” they “cooked” in the various kitchen tools. (The “food” is actually represented by alphabet refrigerator magnets – notice in the plastic containers.) Lucas, the other toddler in the house, is still “cooking” magnets in a cupcake tin just behind the bassinet.
In this one, my photographer thought he was going to play in the playroom, but no; JJ is taking three “hot wheels” back to the kitchen… he then served them to Becky while Mandy explained that they were “chicken nuggets.”
So, just to satisfy your curiosity: no, your kid isn’t the only one to spend hours playing with kitchen tools instead of his or her toys. Your kid is just being normal.
A meme shared by their uncle provides for a funny, entertaining morning!
March 2, 2019
Goofy Meme
One thing Christina and Becky like to do is look through my FaceBook feed.
Hilarious laughter exploded one morning as I showed them a meme one of my brothers shared:
Becky adds: “Me: Uncle Buddy, Uncle ChaCha, how did you get in my birth room?”
Kimberly, Jaquline, and Christina went into laughing debate over which of their uncles would fit which roles.
Christina and Becky decided this would be the most awesome thing to do after their first baby’s birth. Becky started talking about how it would be her and her husband mimicking this exchange.
I told them to do a ToyActs video play with it. (Don’t know if they will.)
This did turn the entire breakfast table and schoolroom into a discussion that led into movie/book differences, how nerdy our family is, a few recitations from the movie, and one of the girls looking at Thea and saying, “You’ll understand this soon enough.”
Their interactions certainly kept an amused smile (and a few chuckles) on mom’s face.
Behind the Picture: Thea and the Apple – Becky and her photography & funny snippets.
February 25, 2019
Behind the Picture! Thea and the Apple
Becky likes photography.
Becky has an interesting sense of humor. When she takes pictures on the play phone and sends it to me, I get this: (Thea is about an hour old)
Kimberly and Christina changed Thea, bundled her up, and as Kimberly is bringing her to me, I hear a singing voice: “We’re taking the baby to Isengard!” (I have no clue how I have the honor of being “Isengard,” but this was the look I got: )
In the first picture, Becky was trying to get good pictures of newborn Thea. Becky was making faces to get her attention, Lucas ran up with an apple in hand to “help,” and Becky ended up with a picture that had just the “wrong” angle – but it made a funny meme picture.
The girls are totally enjoying having a new baby sister – and Lucas loves being her “protector.” He told Louis he was “protecting Baby Thea from dog kisses, bad dinosaurs, and big sisters when they don’t listen.” (The last was likely because Jillian kept touching Thea’s head when we said not to touch her soft spot.)
I’m so blessed by their joy and love towards their new sister! Christina, who was worried about being “too much older” than the baby, can’t get enough time holding her! I am twelve years and eleven months older than my baby sister (she was also my parents’ seventh) – so I told Christina and Becky they both were older “big sisters” than I was. (15 yrs 4 mos & 13 yrs 4 mos, respectively) At this, Becky sends me a “wow” emoji though we are sitting at the same table! (She was supposed to be using the phone as a calculator.)
A birth story of our little angel (and a slideshow of proud siblings & family!)
February 22, 2019
The Story of Baby Thea
If you’ve been following my blog, you know I was growing my seventh little angel.
Today, I get to write the story of her arrival!
On February 19th, a beautiful Tuesday morning, my day started normally. During my 32 minute drive to work, the Baby started thinking there was not enough room and my body did the stretching contractions (Braxton-Hicks) that is very normal for me in the last month or two before birth. I didn’t think much of it, really. After my boss left for appointments, one of my office companions, Lily, a beautiful brown and white pittie belonging to my boss, started laying at my feet and wouldn’t let me go anywhere without her! This was a bit of a warning to me because Sheba (my Aussie mix) always does this to me when I’m in active labor. I left at one (normal time) to get to Christina and then my midwife appointment.
Christina had been babysitting, finished some errands at the college so she would be ready for the summer semester, caught the bus to 207 (the road I take into town), and was waiting for me. Along the way, my midwife texted to reschedule the appointment to Thursday and I laughed during my voice-text because I was very tired and that worked great for me. I added, “or when Baby is ready,” as a joke because my babies have all come on or after the due date. Everyone had been rooting for a February birth since the official “due date” was February 24th, and except for Lucas, my wee ones were between 9 and 13 days “overdue” so I usually ignored the due date and just gave a general month (in this case, I’d been saying March).
I got Christina, teased her about driving (she’s recently received her learner’s permit), and we headed home. Sheba was acting odd, I was starving; Louis had made lasagna Monday so I ate a huge plate and took a short nap.
When I got to gym with Becky (her class is on Tuesday, the others are all Wednesday), the contractions were still there, but, like I said, that is normal for me. It had been happening off and on already for about a week and a half, so I just went about work because they were easy to ignore. Some friends and I chatted about babies as I was leaving, and someone said, “you know about your body by now, right?” I laughed, “each is different, but I’m still thinking March.”
Wow, was I wrong.
As Becky texted Christina and Louis to tell them we were off & headed to pick up Christina at CAP, Becky said, “Mom, I can’t drive us home, but if the baby keeps contracting like that, maybe Christina can.”
We laughed. Part of the driving restrictions on a learner’s permit forbid night driving for the first few months; but we always teased Christina that she’d have to drive home in the dark if I was in labor.
Home, I was starved, but my belly felt full after four strawberries. I took a shower and crashed. I kept waking up every couple hours, but I’m a light sleeper so that’s also normal. Each time, though, I noticed contractions. I’d check my phone just to see what time it was. Midnight. 1:40. 2:30. 3:50. At almost 4, I realized I was sweating and I decided to wait for fifteen minutes (so the water softener cycle was finished) and take a shower. The next glance at my watch showed 4:19. I took a shower and the first contraction after the water hit was very strong. I felt movement inside me. “Wow, you sure you’re ready?” I asked. I was sure that was just a fluke and usually the warm water calms contractions down. When the next two made my legs feel like jelly, I got out of the shower and crawled back into bed. The phone said 4:35. I wasn’t about to wake anyone or call Misti for three oddly strong contractions.
I tried to sleep. I had about two hours before I had to get ready for work.
At somewhere before 6am, I tried getting ready for work. I had to stop and breathe through contractions that were easy to time and I felt the baby moving slowly down inside of me. I was about to wake Louis but ended up stretching through a contraction. We have a mind link, I think. Louis woke up as I was stretching. He goes into mega cleaning and question mode. This is his serious mode. He has been through it enough to know we were going to have a baby this morning – or at least today. He told me to call Misti, he woke the kids up to help clean (normally, we clean before bed, but they had been in a non-cleaning mood the previous night), and directed the house with efficiency. I was restless, so kept walking around in between. Christina and Becky didn’t want to get out of bed. I went into the barracks to find out why not.
“Mom! You can’t have the baby in here!” Christina shrieked, covering her head.
“So, get up please and help Daddy with cleaning. Y’all should have done that last night. Once you finish, you can go back to bed, but he’s really stressing about the house and people coming so please help.”
No answer. I could feel another contraction creeping up. “Okay, you have about 20 seconds before I get another contraction and…”
Christina bolted, “MOM! I’m up! I’ll help Dad! GET CONTRACTIONS OUT OF MY ROOM!”
Becky was up too. Kimberly was definitely awake. Mission accomplished. I went back to the kitchen table. My “leave” alarm reminded me to text or call my boss. 6am though, I figured I should just text – plus I didn’t want to talk to anyone at the moment.
Misti showed up (can’t remember if the house was clean, but based on the voices and giggling and a movie being on, I’d guess it was straightened). Mom was on the way, she told us she had to be at one of my brother’s promotions at 8am. The girls had turned on “The Two Towers” and as Louis walked by during the Uruk-hai production scene and he ordered, “Turn that off, you can see a real birth soon enough.” I can’t remember if the result was “Wild Kratts” or “Dumbo” but there was something far less messy on the tv a minute later. (I did hear one of the teenagers or preteens quip, “Mom will sound like an orc.” Louis and I laughed. We’re nerds.)
By 8:30, I was immune to the world. I heard Misti’s voice, smelled Louis (I was leaning on him), and faintly heard background voices. I was focused on this job.
8:42am and our little one came into the world, veiled. Misti took the bag off and the Baby screamed to test the limit of her lungs! (We didn’t know Baby was a “she” just yet!) Baby opened her eyes fully and stared up at me. Then she screamed to rattle the roof again. The dogs were barking. We discovered our Baby was Thea!
Welcome to our crazy world, Theadora Taliesyn Tart. You are loved and cherished!
Theadora (after her great-grandfather Melvin Theodore Pearson) means “gifted by God” and Taliesyn (feminine form of your grandfather’s favorite character from a Celtic legend) means, “one with the shining brow, one who sings wisdom.” And Daddy chose the nickname “Thea” because he likes it. (Your uncle texted that he’d call you “3T” – yes, Daddy searched for two “T” names we both liked!) I kept both names the same length, since that’s what we’ve done – all of the children’s names have the same number of letters in the first name and middle name. Theadora 8 letters, Taliesyn 8 letters – told you we are nerds.
Mom (Grandma Joanne in the pictures) came back with a shower of baby girl goodies! (And, yes, this is why she’s in such cute clothes once we managed to get them on her!)
Theadora, I pray you always feel the love of your family as you wiggle your way up to adulthood. I pray you feel the warmth and see the light of God’s love reflected in the faces of your sisters and brother, mother and father, aunts and uncles, grandparents and cousins. We have accepted the honor of being your guides to lead you to Jesus, to raise you in love, and to give you room to find, develop, and follow the passion of life God has rooted within you. You are a daughter of God, a precious gift to us, and chosen to bring light through your smile.
Becky said I can’t post a baby story without her pictures! So here is a little slideshow:
Lucas kept trying to “pet” and “kiss” Baby TheaChristina & Thea (oldest & youngest)Lucas said “you are my love, Baby Thea!”Grandma Joanne & TheaChristina and Becky are already vying for who gets the babyKimberly and TheaJillian and TheaTheadora Taliesyn TartThis is Christina’s favorite from Thea’s birthdayJaquline and TheaBecky and TheaDaddy and TheaAunt Becca and TheaThea and Mommy
Why does she cry? Even she doesn’t know, but the right song or movie certainly can start it.
February 6, 2019
Songs and Movies…
It has almost been two months since my Daddy passed.
I can’t find it to cry, normally. If I think about crying, I remember how happy he is in heaven. Then crying feels selfish – because I know he was in pain every day here.
But sometimes, I can’t explain it. And it’s always a song or a movie. And even that doesn’t always make sense.
I was coming home from work one early afternoon and on comes “Small Town Southern Man.” No, that wasn’t my Daddy, but the core of the song “…He bowed his head to Jesus… always loved one woman, was proud of what he had… he said his greatest contribution was the ones he left behind…” Yes, that was my Daddy.
I was bawling when the next one happened to be “Love Without End, Amen” – which yes, didn’t need any alteration and went all the way to heaven. I’m glad my car has cruise control and I’ve been driving 207 for over 20 years.
A song. A movie. (okay, this one was crazy) Never saw it with my Daddy, but he had given it to us. Annapolis. A story of a determined young person getting to his goal – my Daddy liked stories with real character. At the end of the film, Louis comments, “I know why your Dad liked that one.” And that was it. Not that anyone else saw, but I ended up tearing up over the simple thought that I can’t ever discuss this film with Daddy. It had so many side stories and threads woven this way and that – prime film material for our long-drawn-out discussions.
Whenever something makes me want to cry, I remember the silliest of song lyrics/movie lines and it’s really odd that those four lines remind me of Daddy because he didn’t like that movie. (I’m not a fan or having that one on continual repeat, either.) “He lives in you.” And, yes, my mind sings it.
I’m thankful for memories. I’m thankful for times when I hear my Daddy in my siblings and children – just things he often said or quirky humorous lines. I almost cried when I first saw my little brother in his new glasses with the hat and stubbly beard – because if the beard were a bit longer, that is how I remember my Daddy (from when I was a toddler) and my little brother is a spitting image (face) of my Daddy.
I feel sad that Daddy won’t see Teddy or Thea (our Baby, named after his/her great-grandfather Pearson) but I know I’ll keep “Living the Legacy” (another song… yes) and just like the girls don’t “remember” their Great-Grandmother Jeanette yet they know her love and life through us, my children will know their Grandfather Pearson’s legacy because it’s in us – and my extension, also in them.
Cousin visits to our “mini-farm” aka place to get messy, play with animals, discover eggs hidden outside, and enjoy togetherness!
January 18, 2019
Cousin Visits!
My sister, brother, and their three little ones (Sister-Cousin and Brother-Cousins!) have moved back from Kansas!
They came out to our mini-farm (muddy spot with a pond, outside tank with tadpoles, indoor goldfish, foraging chickens, playful Guinea Pigs, cute fluffy bunny, and jumpy adult dogs who think they are 4 months old) over the weekend and the kids were totally excited!
This time, we had very few photographers snapping pictures because they were too busy playing with their cousins!
Lucas was so excited to share his green car (motorized car his Grandma Joanne bought him for his 2nd birthday) but the battery ran out too quickly – so he shared his Christmas bicycle and his train tracks. For him, those items are his dearest things in the world; train tracks, cars, his bicycle, and his green car.
“Baby JJ” – who isn’t a baby anymore! – and Lucas played train tracks for a bit. JJ liked the bicycle too. Outside JJ and Mandy wanted to see all the fluffy animals.
Anastasia helped show off Minuit, Kimberly’s little black Dwarf Holland Lop Bunny.
Little Minuit loves to eat carrot bits!
Mandy found Jaquline’s “hidden spot” in her bunkbed! (With big paper on the “wall.”)
Taylor and TobyMac did their popcorn jumps after the girls loaded them with Spanish Needles greens (chickens, bunnies, and Guinea Pigs love them before they turn to seed aka the needle part).
Above is the wildflower called Spanish Needle, a favorite food of many small animals.
Jillian showed off her Uncle Buddy knowledge by telling them that people can eat the wildflowers and leaves too. (Yes, but they are bitter unless cooked, and I hoped her younger cousins were distracted by the cuteness of the piggies and missed the “you can eat this weed” tidbit.)
We love cousin visits! It is always fun with family shares their time with each other.
Can our perception affect whether we interpret the same character trait as either positive or negative?
January 16, 2019
Determination versus Stubbornness
Your perception (how you look at something) certainly affects your outlook on things that come into your life.
For instance: you can see your child’s stubborn refusal to allow you to fasten their shoes as pure rebellion. (And it may well be.)
Or you can choose to think (as they fumble with the laces for the sixth time and you know their 3-year-old hands are not quite ready for tying shoelaces – but he just has to wear big sister’s purple shoes because they “fit better,” which they don’t) “Wow, he is determined to do it himself.”
Stubbornness versus determination.
Those two character traits really are the same thing, only when we choose to see something as determination, we see it in a positive light. When we choose to see something as stubbornness, we think of that action negatively.
Our perception of those character traits causes our outlook when we see them in use to either be positive or negative.
I wish I could say I always manage to see the positive, but unfortunately, no. On this occasion, I was in a hurry to get going and my first reaction was frustration at his stubbornness. I almost reacted with that first thought, but reconsidered as one shoe was flung from foot to shoe cubby.
“Is it too hard to tie?” I asked.
Lucas’ response when he can’t do something is to fume in silence and embarrassment.
“Maybe we should leave Jillian’s shoes so she can use them and use your brown boots instead.”
Lucas perked up; his “brown boots” are high-top (boots) sneakers with a camo strip and three strong Velcro closures. (I love that someone who studied burrs on his dog’s fur created Velcro!) Lucas knows he can put those shoes on himself.
“I put them on myself!” Lucas announced once his feet were shod.
Determination.
Someday, because of his determination, he will be putting on lace-up sneakers and tying them – hopefully, though, it will be another pair instead of big sister’s obviously feminine shoes.
Picture overload! My family’s Christmas party 2018.
December 22, 2018
Pearson Christmas Party
Imagine twelve adults and thirteen children racing around a beautifully decorated house and every single one of them is acting like they are somewhere in that magic child age around 5 to 8. That was our Christmas party this year. It was the best!
My amazing sister and brother hosted.
Katy is always ready for a picture!
Livy painting faces! Anastasia is concentrating on being very still. She was rewarded with a beautiful butterfly!
Jaquline got snowflakes to match her dress!
Mrs. Claus and helpers! Tina, Christina (Christy the elf), and Mandy (Elsa-elf!)
Liam was here, but jumped out of the way! Brother-cousin time L-to-R JJ, Lucas, Isaac
This video shows our baby sister’s personality – it matches the hat!
Group Selfie! Tina, Ray, Becca, Charles, Allison
The teenage grandchildren (Becky, 13, and Christina, 15)
Bouncy Hat plus Sherlock Pipe (both with accents…)
The pro (Aunt Becca) teaching JJ how to take a selfie… (He knows he’s adorable!)
Mom and the boys (silly faces): L-to-R Nathan, Ray, Tina, Charles, Louis, and Andy
Mom and the girls: L-to-R Mary, Kayla, Katy, Allison, Tina, Becca, and me.
We did not get a group picture, or a full cousin picture, because everyone was just having too much fun! The girls (my pictures come from Christina, Becky, and Kimberly) managed to get many active shots.
This was our first year without my Daddy. Katy and Andy had set up the layout so that he would have a comfy chair, a central view, close to food, close to everything in what Kimberly called “Santa Boompa’s throne.” (The chair with the footstool, Mom’s seat was supposed to be the matching one next to his.) From this view you could see Livy’s facepainting station (she is so talented), the Selfie station (which was hilarious), the “dance floor” (right in front – so much fun!), the food and beverage buffet area was to the left (easy access to refills and the silly shenanigans going on in there), and the covered porch area was just behind it (where not just the boys were showing off their strength… or trying to).
Even though he wasn’t there, I didn’t feel like Daddy was missing. I heard him in my brothers, Mom, and several of the children. I heard his laugh when the boys were showing off. I could hear him cheering each one on. I felt his smile as Anastasia passed out gifts for each of the sister- and brother-cousins. The little ones ran around giving drawings, toys, and hugs to each other and I felt him smile because he loved to give. I felt his heart as Kimberly reminded me she needed my phone to “take pictures and movies for Grandma,” because “Granddaddy always likes to get pictures for Grandma!”
My Daddy’s legacy lives as the humor and fun he always had rubbed off on us kids and our children. We love to see each other smile and laugh. We encourage each other. We share with each other. We love.
This makes me so happy I cried on the way home.
Daddy isn’t really gone. I miss him so bad; I miss being able to talk with him. No one listens to me chatter away about the story ideas I have like he did. Daddy didn’t seem to mind if it was the fifth – or fiftieth – time I told a cute something the kids did or a neat thing I learned; he never said “I’ve already heard that.” I miss that, yes.
But he’s here. I keep hearing the sing-song voice from the Disney cartoon: “he lives in you.”
Daddy lives in all 25 of us that were there (and the 4 who weren’t) in some way. His legacy is us.
