The Dreaded Day

Well, it finally happened.  You know....the day you always dread as a mom.  The day you hope will never come.  The day you know will make you cry.  But you know that it's inevitable.  It's bound to happen....sooner or later.  And for me, this day came on Tuesday after eating lunch with the kids.

I was saying my goodbyes...hugs and kisses all around.  I bent down to hug my 2nd grader...in which, he did return the hug.  But, when I turned to kiss him....he all the sudden became too cool to kiss his mom in front of his friends.  Just like that.  His desire to appear "cool" in front of all the other 7 year olds sitting at his table overtook his desire to kiss the person who gave him life....who walked around for TWO WEEKS having constant contractions and dilated to 4 cm.  The person who would give up her life for him.  His coolness was much more important.  His independence was much higher on his list of priorities.

So I guess this is now how it will be.  Hugs, but no kisses (well, at least not in front of his friends). 

Please, God, please....let me hold on to their innocence just a little bit longer. 

5 Days and Counting....

I distinctly remember posting something on my Facebook page at the end of May or beginning of June something about how I was so ready for my kids to be home for the summer.  Let's just say....I'm officially past that point.  Like, a month past that point.  I'm ready for them to go back....and they're ready to be back.  So come on Monday!!!!  You can NOT get here soon enough.

Now, the past three years, I've cried on the first day of school.  When Benjamin started Pre-K....when he started Kindergarten...and when Madilyn started Pre-K.  Well, Madilyn starts Kindergarten this year and Jacob starts Pre-K.  And, of course, Benjamin starts 2nd grade (his last year at the Elementary school....unless they decide to move 3rd grade to the Elementary School...which is a possibility).  And, I have to say....I'm not sad.  Well, I guess there is a LITTLE sadness that comes over me every now and then....but then they all start fighting over the piece of string they found on the floor, and my sadness suddenly disappears and is no more. 

I hate to say this....but I'm actually quite happy.  Noah will be the only one at home.  I haven't ever just had one at home with me....EVER.  When Benjamin was a baby and the only child, I worked full-time while Lou and I both were going to Seminary.  So he stayed with Daddy part-time and went to daycare part-time.  This only having one kid at home with me is going to be a new experience.  And one I am VERY much looking forward to. 

Does anyone realize how quickly I will be able to run errands?  How I will be able to fix lunch in about 2.5 seconds instead of 25 minutes?  How quiet my afternoon will be since the one I have at home still takes 3-4 hour naps....EVERYDAY?

Whatever will I do with my time?  Maybe the boxes of pictures I have, or the flash drive full of digital pictures I have, will actually get put in a scrapbook.  Or maybe, just maybe, Lou and I can have lunch dates. 

The possibilities are endless.....

Sorry, I got distracted for about 5 minutes dreaming up all the possibilities.  Anyways, only 5 more days until a new "normal" settles upon my days.  And after a busy, but fun, summer, I can hardly wait to spend my days with my favorite 20 month old on this planet. 

Only 5 more days.....

I think I can.  I think I can.  I think I can.

Ten Years

Alot can happen in 10 years!  Here's what the past ten years has looked like for us Ellerbrooks:

We started on this adventure called, "marriage"; moved ourselves and all of our belongings to a place where we had never even visited before that was 1200+ miles away from home and family; we both started graduate school at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY; we got pregnant with our first baby; we had to move to a different apartment so we would have room for said baby; we studied, wrote papers, and read more pages week to week than I had read my entire life; Benjamin was born; we continued with school; we moved AGAIN b/c free housing became available; our Benjamin grew by leaps and bounds before our very eyes; we became pregnant with our second baby; we crammed a ton of hours into two semesters so we could move back "home"; Madilyn was born...with some health issues; we stressed, dealt with, and conquered health issues...or so we thought; we almost lost Madilyn during a hospital stay for one of these health issues; she bounced back quickly; we finished our last semester; Lou received a call for his first appointment; he graduated from seminary; we moved to Amherst, TX; Lou started his job as a pastor; we found out we were pregnant with our third baby; I cried for weeks; after the shock wears off and we get use to the idea, we get excited about this third baby; I continue with my last class online; I finish this class; Lou's ministry continues; I graduate; Benjamin and Madilyn adjust to the move and new location very well; Jacob is born; we continue to be busy with church and kids; Benjamin starts Preschool and then Pre-K; we get another call....to move to Clyde; Benjamin, Madilyn, and Jacob continue to fill our hearts with much joy and laughter; we find out we're pregnant with our fourth baby; I cry...again...for weeks; we get excited about new baby; we move to Clyde; Lou starts his ministry there; Benjamin starts Kindergarten; I continue to enjoy getting to stay home with the kids; Noah is born; we have a couple of brief health complications with him that puts him back in the hospital when he's only a few days old; he recovers quickly; we continue ministry in Clyde; Soccer, Gymnastics, School, MOPS, and Church fill our time; Benjamin starts 1st grade; Madilyn starts Pre-K; Soccer, Ballet, School, MOPS, and Church fill our time; I get to enjoy Jacob and Noah by themselves; Benjamin asks Jesus into his heart (one of the most precious moments I have had as a mom so far); school lets out for the summer; we enjoy our first vacation as a family of 6; and we are now preparing for Benjamin, Madilyn, AND Jacob to be in school this coming year...meaning I will only have ONE kid at home; I'm still trying to get my head around the fact that 3 out of 4 of our kids will be in school.  This past year, Benjamin turned 7, Madilyn turned 5, Jacob turned 4, and Noah turned 1.

And, now, today, we celebrate 10 years as a family.  It's been a tough ride at times...but it's been a fun one.  I look forward to what the next 10 years will hold with my five favorite people in this world.

Celebrating Daddy

Today, I am celebrating!  Lou made it home safe and sound from his 9 day jaunt to Wyoming.  Single-momming it for those 9 days was extremely exhausting.  One adult...four kids.  I was outnumbered, to say the least.  And while Benjamin did spend six of those days in Lubbock with Nana and Papa, I did have an extra kid during the day since I keep another girl, who is Benjamin's age, while her parents work. 

I had been dreading these 9 days for months!  And I mean MONTHS!!!!  Lou has travelled many times before, but this was the longest he has been away.  So when he left at 6 a.m. last Saturday morning, I started counting down the hours.  Some days went by very quickly, while others seemed to drag.  But, we made it!  Daddy made it home...Mommy survived the "masses" alone. 

I do have to say that I'm pretty proud of myself.  The house was cleaned, yard was mowed, dinner cooked EVERY single night (and not just chicken nuggets or fish sticks...but we're talking healthy cooking here), kitchen sink managed to stay dish-free, kids were fed, bathed, and clothed everyday, laundry was.....well, at least, some of it got done.  And I did it all by myself.   I did my best to keep the kids entertained...we went out to breakfast one morning, went to a friend's house to have dinner with some friends, went to Movie Night at the church, went to the movies one morning, went to Story Hour at the Library, went to McDonald's to play with some friends one evening, and, of course, visited Sonic for a Raspberry Tea a couple of times in there, too.  We, also, had a trip to the swimming pool planned and a picnic lunch at the park planned, but the weather caused us to cancel those plans.  But that's ok...we still managed to have fun.  And, best of all....we all SURVIVED!  I didn't kill any kids (although I did put Jacob out on the back porch...in the rain...a few times for arguing with me) and my kids didn't suffer too bad from my lack of patience and my sheer exhaustion.

And after all is said and done, and Lou made it home safely, I just have one thing to say.....Thank you, Jesus, for a husband who does all he does to help out around here!!!  Not only does he work hard at work, he works hard at home.  And, this Mommy, is so grateful for all he does.  Because he is so very missed when he is gone.

I can remember my dad travelling some when I was growing up.  And I know it was often stressful for my mom when he was gone.  I remember one time in particular, he got back in town one evening as we were eating our weekly dinner at church before youth and Bible study started.  So he just met us at the church.  I remember him walking in and giving us all hugs and kisses and my mom crying.  When asked why she was crying, she replied with something like, "I am NOT cut out to do this all by myself."  I know exactly what she meant.  Four kids are hard to handle day in and day out with NO break (might have been a little easier if it had been during school time).  And trying to manage the household on top of handling kids.  So needless to say, we felt it was important to celebrate Daddy coming home.

So Benjamin and Madilyn took it upon themselves to make Daddy "Welcome Home, Daddy" banners and hang them in a couple of doorways in the house.  They, also, wanted to bake him a cake.  So they helped me make Daddy a strawberry cake.  All day they kept talking about our "celebration". 

And celebrate, we did!!!!!  I am so very glad to have Benjamin home (he was greatly missed, too!) and so very glad to have Lou home.  Our family seems "whole" again.  We are soaking up as much of Daddy as we can and are so glad he had a good time on his trip, but are even more glad he's back with us!

A Look Into Our Trip to the Fort Worth Zoo

Animals, Animals, and More Animals

***WARNING:  THIS IS A LOOOOOONNNNGGGG POST.  BLEEDING RETINAS ARE A POSSIBILITY SO PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION***

Let me tell you, it's a good thing my kids like animals, well at least from a distance.  Because we spent a lot of time while on our vacation talking about them, looking at them, reading about them, pointing at them, feeding them, smelling them, eating amonst them, trying to keep them from eating our hands off, and even having them attempt to join us in our air-conditioned vehicle.  It was quite an adventure....our first "real" vacation as a family of six.  And we had a blast!

We left on Monday (well, I should say "a" Monday, because it has been almost two weeks now).  Got to my sister, Rachel's house in Fort Worth, and started our week out by going to downtown Fort Worth.  We ate lunch down there and then proceeded to take our kids to what has become a very special place to Lou and I, The Fort Worth Water Gardens.  Now to most, it may just seem like a bunch of water fountains, shallow pools, and waterfalls.  But to us, it's where many special memories have been made as a couple.  So we thought it would be fun to take the kids and share with them.  They absolutely loved it!  It was so hot, we almost melted...but it was worth it to see their excitement as our memories there have now expanded to ones we can share as a family.  Lou, also, had the opportunity to share a bit of his unwavering and never-ending compassion to a homeless man we encountered.  You can read his story here. 

After spending much of the afternoon in the hot sun, we ended the day at Rachel's pool and with some awesome fajitas.

Tuesday, which had to be mine and Madilyn's favorite day, was spent at a waterpark.  We were really nervous about how the two of "US" were going to handle the four of "THEM".  Of course, Rachel, Jeremy, and Pacey (my 2-yr old niece) came with us.  But I was SHOCKED at how easy the kids were to keep track of.  I was just positive that Noah was going to be running all over the place and we were going to be taking turns chasing him.  But, as it turns out, Noah is terrified of the water.  And while he wasn't screaming when we got him in it, you couldn't have pried his hands from around my neck with the jaws of life.  He hung on for dear life.  So as long as he was holding on and could put his head on mine or Lou's shoulder, he was ok.  He didn't want to walk around the kiddie pools....didn't want to slide.  Just wanted Mommy or Daddy. 

As for the other three, Benjamin was the only one tall enough to ride a couple of the slides (besides the ones in the kid area), so him and I were able to sneak away a couple of times to do that.  The rest of the day we spent at the kiddie pools with all the water slides they could do, the wave pool, or the lazy river.  Benjamin and Madilyn were even able to be life-jacket-free for everything but the wave pool (even though they can't swim yet).  Finally, about 45 minutes before we left, Noah started walking around in the water and even splashing!!!  He spent over 6 hours attached to one of us and 45 minutes actually playing.  Before we knew it, it was 5 pm and we decided to head back to Rachel's for pizza, baths, and bedtime.

Wednesday was spent at the zoo...which is always fun.  Jacob and Noah hadn't been to the Fort Worth Zoo yet, so it was a fun "first" for the two of them.  It was extremely hot and humid (no surprise)...and I couldn't help but wish I was back at the waterpark almost the entire time we were at the zoo.  Of course, Benjamin was in heaven.  He loves anything animal, especially Wild Cats.  And a "first" for him was getting to see cheetahs "in real life". 

After a few hours of looking at all the animals (and trust me, Benjamin would not let us skip a single one) and our picnic lunch, we headed to Josh and Dianna's (my cousin and his wife, who happens to be one of my closest friends) house for the remaining two days.  It was so fun to let our kids play...they're always so excited to see their cousins.  In fact, when we asked Jacob before leaving on our vacation what part he was looking forward to the most, he would answer "Going to Brady's house."  Maybe we should have just dropped him off there on Monday.

Thursday ended up being full of shopping and we even managed to get some relaxing in there, as well.  Lou got his first IKEA experience (which he LOVED)....as well as his first Grapevine Mills experience.  It's a good thing I didn't take him to the American Girl store, too, like I had originally planned.  I think he might have been so overwhelmed, we might have had to call for some sort of intervention.  But he's a great sport, and really is not one of those husbands who can't stand to shop and you have to drag along.  He's pretty patient and even got to enjoy shopping for his own Father's Day gifts (new shorts, slacks, and a couple of shorts).  We ended Thursday at Rainforest Cafe...a "first" for all of us Ellerbrooks.  While the food was definitely lacking, the atmosphere was NOT.  The kids, of course, LOVED it!!!  I had forgotten my camera and tried to take some on my IPhone but it was so dark in there they didn't turn out.

On Friday, we got up, said our goodbyes to the Palmers, and headed to our last destination before heading home.  We took the kids to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose.  This ended up being the boys' favorite thing we did.  It's a "drive-thru" safari where you get to experience, feed, pet, and come in very close contact with all sorts of wildlife (mainly wildlife you'd find in Africa).  The trail is about 9.5 miles long and it took us about 4 hours to go through with a lunch break half-way through at the Cafe that is up on a hill overlooking the Wildlife Reserve.  It was so incredible.  We definitely can't wait to go back!

Are your retinas bleeding, yet?  Sorry....you can't say I didn't warn ya, though.  I know there is a lot in this post, but I use this blog to help document things the kids say or do or things we do as a family...for my sake.  So I wanted to make sure I got it all down before I forgot something.  I have many pictures from the zoo and Fossil Rim that I promise to post soon.  But seeing as it is 2 a.m. and I am suppose to teach Sunday School for our Elementary kids in the morning, I better get some sleep.  I promise to get pictures posted ASAP, though.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Conversation with my 4 year old after watching a documentary on Big Cats in Africa:

Me:  Jacob, are you my lion cub?

J:  No.

Me:  Are you my tiger cub?

J:  No.

Me:  Are you my cheetah cub?

J:  No, Mommy.  I'm human.

Me:  Oh, I see.  So you're my leopard cub, right?

J:  Nooooooo........I'm your Ja-CUB.

Where does he come up with this stuff?!!!?