One Fish Two Fish

5.

Adysen, Happy Birthday sweet girl.  Four was a year of huge growth for you.  You learned so many things and grew up gobs and gobs.  You love to draw more than anything in the world and are such a wonderful sister to Kaitlyn and Colton.  You love chasing Colton around the house and making him laugh. You miss Kaitlyn horribly when she is at school and count down the hours until she gets off the school bus. You love to make others laugh and are one funny cookie. You are so excited to start Kindergarten and if I drop the ball on pre-kinder time one morning you take the initiative and get out your school folder by yourself.  You are reading up a storm and love math.  You are loyal, cuddly, and loving. You are beautful to the core.  I am so proud to be your mama and can't wait to see what '5' brings for you.  We love you oodles and oodles. 

Here is her '5' interview.

Best part of your day- opening my Lalaloopsy Mermaid Doll

Favorite food - pizza, Life cereal, and butter noodles.

Favorite book- "What Are You So Grumpy About?" by Tom Litchenheld

Favorite show - Octonauts

Best buddy - Teagie and Ashlee

Best boy buddy - Ajay

When I grow up I want to be...- working where you make food {chef}

Best part about being 5 - kindergarten

what does it feel like to be 5- it kinda feels like it is a big thing.

Favorite thing to do - go to Great Wolf Lodge or play with my sister

Favorite thing to play - soccer, because it is so fun, even if you lose it is still fun.

Favorite color- pink and purple

Favorite song - 'move it, move it'

I dont like - salad, it tastes like a leaf

What makes you mad - when someone isn't being nice to me.

What makes you happy- drawing

 

10 on 10 - February

Another month another 10 on 10. January flew by, its hard to believe we are already almost half way through February.  February is the start of birthday extravaganza around our household.  Adysen celebrates the big '5' in a couple of days, followed by Kaitlyn in mid March, Colton 10 days after her, and baby 'M' arriving sometime before, in between, or after all the birthday madness.  We have a lot to look forward to and 4 sweet babes to celebrate.

This month I procrasinated until the very last day and ended up documenting a day that happened to be filled with 3 feverish babes.  Our day mostly consisted of pajamas, bed head, and diapers, so this is about as real as it gets in the B household.  You have been warned. :)

morning bath. Bee Movie and sick eyes.  the wheels on the bus. hydration. new hide out. temperature check. pears for lunch.  Valentines Day prep. post dinner treat. book time with American Girl.

Please follow the circle of fellow momtographers and check out Jayme and her sweet family at http://twojsandab.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

 

32 weeks.

10 on 10 - January

Another month and another 10 on 10. I think I actually managed to squeeze a few more than 10 images in this month.  I captured a typical weekday in our household filled with routine, school time, and play.  Boy am I glad that January finally decided to show up.  Our lives feel like they are slowly getting back to a normal pace and we are back to enjoy the little things.

Please take the time to complete the circle of other wonderful momtographer-bloggers for some more 10 on 10 posts!

Check out Amy's 10 on 10 post on her blog 'Momologues' http://amebob.typepad.com/

early morning breakfast swiper. 

Before school playtime with big{est} sister.

Morning walk.

Laundry assistant.

Serious boy.

mid morning pick me up.

Imagination running rampant.

nursery prep.

puzzles.

chore time.

dinner toes.

 

52 - 2.

Challenge- capture grocery shopping in a photograph. 

As I left the grocery store tonight, over $200 dollars lighter, I was rushing thought the parking lot to get the van with three very hungry babes and proceeded to run over what I thought was a speed bump.  Nope, wrong.  No worries, it was just the box of 'Cutie Oranges' that I had just spent too much on.  Kaitlyn went chasing two run aways across the parking lot , picked them up, threw them in the cart and we continued to the van like nothing happened.  If you don't smile you will scream, right? Or in my hormonal case I might start crying...just maybe. 

Grocery shopping can be daunting. I do my best to set myself up for success.  Kids who have just had a snack, a very organized and categorized list, and lots of deep breaths.  I have abnormally well behaved children in the store who love to be helpers.  The girls help grab things off the shelves and even entertain their wiggly brother when needed without even being asked.  Even amongst all their wonderful help I am always relieved when I am leaving. 

...and lets just have a moment of honesty.  Every mom has been 'that' mom who's babe is tantruming, begging, holding themselves because they are going to wet their pants, or hiding under the wobbling cheese display in the dairy section...every mom.   Every mom has been 'that' mom who is giving their child the look of death as they beg one too many times for the box of Lucky Charms, grab everything within reach in the check out lane, or won't stop pushing buttons on the debit machine...every mom. And every mom has been 'that' mom who frantically rips open the box of crackers before they are paid for just so their child will stop crying for a moment...right? It's all about surival.  And I'm pretty sure this is what makes the task of grocery shopping so scary. As much success as you try to set yourself up for...the unkown can always happen...an usually does.  That is pretty much motherhood in a nutshell, though, isn't it?

Tonight as all three babes caught a quick ride on the cart it did come across my mind....wonder where I am going to fit a fourth?

52 - 1.

I am part of a photography group called Momtography.  We have started a new 52 week challenge.  Each week we will have a theme to capture through photography.  We are technically into week 2 now, and since I am just now getting around to completing my week one theme...well....you can see why I chose what I did.

This weeks theme is 'resolutions'.  Balance: it seems I am always struggling to find it and I often wonder if a mama is capable of achieving it?  Maybe lack of balance is the key to a happy home....

28 weeks

new year, big changes.

We rang in the new year quietly.  We stayed at home, rode the three wheelers, had a fire outside and roasted hot dogs, went to Rusty's for milk shakes and called it a night.  It was perfect. 

Looking back on an entire year is daunting and intmidating.  So much has happenend.  Kaitlyn became a first grader, Adysen learned to read while being homeschooled,  we got much needed answers regarding Colton's ventricals and seizures, Kaitlyn offered many unsolicited cuddles and loves,  our best friends moved to Seattle, the sale of our house finally went through, Colton learned to talk {and hasn't stopped since}, Adysen made me laugh thousands of times, I became a true farm wife and worked on my gardening and canning skills, we started several household projects {many remain unfinished}, the hubs built an awesome playhouse, we found out we were expecting Bjorklund babe #4.

Big changes are expected in 2012 in our family, the biggest being the addition of our little boy in 3 short months.  Boy am I glad to see the third trimester finally.  2012 will also give us a 7 year old, a 5 year old, and a 2 year old.  Adysen will be a kinder kiddo and Kaitlyn will be a second grade.  When Kaitlyn and Adysen were {almost} 2 and a newborn I was taking care of them with my husband in Iraq.  2012 will give us a repeat experience excpect with Colton being the two year old and baby Bjorklund being the newby but this time my hubby will be right by my side.  So grateful. We have big dreams for our 110+ year old farm house this year with several small projects that will give her a facelift and some finishing touches. 

We have so much to look forward to in 2012.  I look forward to being an 'in the moment' mama and wife and ignoring the distractions that keep me from doing so.  I look forward to coffee dates with good friends, trips to Seattle to see the Smith clan, finding the balance as a mama of 4, snowy days, camera time, the sweet smell of a newborn baby, a potty training toddler that communicates well beyond his years, living in the moment, watching my almost 5 year old turn into an independent, sweet, hilarious, and very smart little cookie, my almost 7 year old becoming a fantastic leader at home and at school, finding a church home for our family, and my hubby and I having some date time together....and, of course, so so much more.

sock party specaticular

We celebrated Christmas in a big way this last weekend.  The girls each had some friends over for their first annual Christmas Sock Party. There was a lot of screaming, squealing, and jumping up and down.  I am pretty sure when you are a girl in the age range of 4-7 that means it was a super successful party!

The girls were involved in the party preparation from start to finish.

-they handmade their invitiations {with a little help from me} and marched them to the post office for some stamps and to be hauled off snail mail style.

-they chose the activities that they wanted during the party. {Pin the nose in Rudolph, baby-food jar snow-globes, decorate Christmas cookies, candy cane reindeer, and of course a sock exchange}

- they helped make the decorations as well.  We kept it simple with a few pom poms {Martha Stewart style} a Christmas chain {made from the trashiest of gossip novels I own, "sTORI Telling". I decided I was too embarrassed to have it on my book shelf any longer} They topped off their decorations with some red polka-dots on twine.  It was perfect.

They each chose their closest of buddies to invite.  It ended up being the sweetest group of girls ranging from 4-7 years old and I am pretty sure each and every one of them had a blast. Each and every friend {but one who was soaking up some rays in Hawaii} was able to make it. 

We are hoping to make this party a yearly holiday tradition.  It will be so fun to see if this group of awesome girls become forever friends. 

10 on 10 December

I can't believe it is time for another 10 on 10. December is officially here and we are officially busy with December'ish stuff.  Mostly self imposed baking and crafting and I truly enjoy both.

  Winter time has officially hit the valley although snow has failed to make a permanent appearance.  The kids are ready with sleds and snow gear and the hubs has his snowmobile prepped, now it is just time to pull out a pocket full of patience and keep waiting.  

This is the first month that I have made a point of taking a picture every hour instead of just 10 pictures throughout the day.  I also tried not to lean on my kiddos for a picture and get creative with what I was seeing and doing that hour.

Life this week has been crazy.  It is recital week for the girls which means rehearsal every day this week in Wenatchee.  By the time the week is over I will have totalled 12 trips to Wenatchee.  We spent way too much time in the car and to prove it I now have Kids Bop Christmas memorized.  If I have to listen to that CD one more time I could lose every ounce of Christmas spirit I have. I'm kidding of course...maybe.

So here is what we were up to on this busy Friday...

morning run to drop off Kaitlyn.  Winter around us.  Handsome boy post first tear free hair cut.  Grumpy babes on a Costco run.  Last minute costume prep. Nap time dinner prep. Nursery building.  Squeezing in our Advent Calendar.  Late night curlers and Frosty the Snowman. Exhaustion.