How did THAT happen?

I have 4 kids?  How did THAT happen? Yes, I know how babies are made.   I remember the painful labors that put them in my arms.  Still,  4 little ones that call me mom is odd.  Mark's pregnancy and life has been backstage most times to my health.    He was 10 months old on Christmas Eve. 

 We had lit a fire, and were about to toast marshmallows.   I did photos with each kid in front of the fire.  Then a group shot.  I have photos from every Christmas at home like this. 

10 months after the labor and delivery of Mark, I saw this photo, and realized, with all my heart and mind, FOR THE FIRST TIME, that

I  REALLY  HAVE 4 CHILDREN!!! 

4 children call ME mom!   

(at the same time I was a bit sad.  I only have 4 children.  :(  Mom of more than 4 is not to be my calling.  The more I say it out loud, the more I hope to  come to accept it)

It really did happen!   I'm not just the babysitter! 

I finally remembered to post this photo because last week I had my second, "I really have 4 kids" moment.  It was when I gave all 4 insurance ID cards to the kid's chiropractor.  seeing all 4 lined up on the copier just hit it home. 

When did it hit you that you the parent of your children?  Or has it hit yet?

Ode to Stina, the best baby sister in the world

Stina, You rock.

I loved you so much when you were born. You were really MY baby, I just never told anyone. I was only ten, but I felt like your mom.  Until I left for  college.  Though I missed those fun tween and teen years, you have grown up to be a great sister. Even for being a little sister. 

Thanks for spending half of your college break with us.  You just proved even more how you, Stina, ROCK.

Not just cause you changed Mark’s soupy pants for a week. (hey, it got better a few hours before you left). Not just cause you watched the kids so we could sleep in. Not just cause you made dinner and fed the kids…then later listened to the tears and frustration from another of my doctor appointments.

Thanks for laughing with me.  Thanks for making me laugh.  And laugh and laugh.  And laugh again when I realized that I gave the neighbors (I blogged about) a Christmas card with our blog address on it.  Oops.  Hehe!

Glad you actually enjoyed the 5:30 am Christmas morning gift opening. Sorry Emily's tap dancing in the kitchen woke you up.  Sorry I kept calling you Emily.  Or Katelyn.  Or Julie/Liza/Annie. Sorry!

Thanks for being the photographer for Christmas, so I got to enjoy every moment of the kids opening and playing with their new toys.

Thanks for giving me a reason to watch Twilight movie again. And I’m really happy that you became a convert, once you gave me no option but to make you see the movie. I choose now to forget that you did want to see it, it makes me feel more powerful.   Thanks for getting it when I was so happy with my twilight keychain and hung it from my car mirror.

Thanks for saying, “it has to be done, it’s Christmas day and it’s snowing” when I wasn’t so sure I had the humph to get the kids nor myself layered up to go out. It was so beautiful out there, with those fat, fat flakes of snow (looked like the fake movie stuff) covering the last foot we had. Thanks for the snow fort that will remind me of you for weeks until it melts.

 

The hot chocolate was perfect. I forgot what to do next, while I sat in my wet pants snow covered boots . I was so cold and tired I didn’t think I could have a reason to get up again.   Then you said, "Now it's hot chocolate time."  That was some of the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had.

Thanks for saying “whatever” to meals, to activity, to lack of activity, to Grant and my argumentative style of conversation. “Whatever” CAN be a good word, really. Except when I really want your opinion on bread. What kind of break we buy for Christmas brunch really does matter.

Thanks for liking all your silly gifts. It was fun to shop for a college student. A flat of “cup-of-noodle”, some restaurant signs that would go great in any cool college student's apartment...or to use as a dating website photo.

Thanks for playing “Power Grid” with us….staying up late. I know it was long, but that second night when I won was so, so sweet. Now I’ve told you my secret stratagem, so I hope you win at Julie’s house.

Thanks for being bossed around by me, with no please and thank you’s as I asked for water or kid care. Thanks for watching Mark after he took his first steps. Thanks for not being the one he walked to first. I’m glad you’re forever in that memory of Mark’s first steps, on Christmas Eve, after Santa came…walking back and forth between us.

I know I’ll get post-happy-visit-disorder now that you are gone. But I hope by writing this, I’ll remember the good times.

And I will watch my back, since you haven’t gotten me back for throwing that snowball in your face. Sorry I laughed so hysterically that I might have wet myself, but it didn’t matter because my legs got weak.  And then I fell into the snow and laughed.  That was a great, great laugh. You were so sweet not to take revenge while I laid on the snow, face up, still laughing. It was a perfect shot for you, and you didn’t take it. Thanks.

Stina, you rock.   I'm so proud of you. Thanks for still being the kid I wished I had. 

Love, Rachel

I want to know if Santa is real....

Christmas Eve we left a treat for Santa. The kids came up with all the ideas. A glass of Rice Milk in a snowman glass, with some chocolate bark a friend gave us. (Emily got it all together) Alex roasted extra marshmallows over our Christmas Eve fire...then put them in a yellow bowl with a spoon. Emily wrote the note to Santa. She added something extra this year, all on her own.

This is 5:30 am. Yes. Blame the girl with the paper. She woke up EVERYONE, including the baby and Aunt Stina. Thanks Emily, for tap dancing in the kitchen after you woke up the kids.

When I took this photo, she was jumping up and down with enthusiasm. With a grin, she shouted, "He's real, he's real! Santa is real! He signed my paper! I knew it! I knew he was real!". So what does the purple paper say?

.

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"Dear Santa

Please draw a heart in the cerlce (circle) if you are alav (alive).

Love,

Alex, Emily, Y, Grant, Rachel" (I don't know why two kids were left out, or why the y)

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In the circle, Santa did more than draw a heart. In fancy handwriting that could only come from the old man in the north pole, it says,

"Emily, You are one Lovede Girl, Santa"

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I don't know if Lovede is the old North Pole word for loved, or if Santa was just really really tired by the time he got to our house. Emily didn't ask.

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Yes, Emily, Santa is real. And today Santa and Santa are really tired.