spring fever

He's ready!

Good hit Bubs!!
Do you know how hard it is to take a photo while throwing the ball...

We think Baseball is going to be his 2nd love.
Any guesses on his first?

Oooo LaLa! It stands!

I am SO looking forward to Spring with all the warm weather we have had! It has been very nice here. We have enjoyed lots of trips to the park and tons of backyard play. We have even found a very nice "new-to-us" park by Hannah's school. It has swings, so naturally we like it a little more. Here are some takes from our baseball practice. Bubs is quite good at hitting the ball. I didn't even have the T out.

10 Months

Happy 10 Months MiriLou!!

roller skating

I totally forgot to post these. We went roller skating with Hannah's school about 3 weeks ago. We almost didn't go b/c we weren't sure how the kids would do. But alas the super cheap price got us. It was $3 for Hannah, parents and siblings were free, and $1 for skates. If we had gone as a family by ourselves it would cost over $27. We had a BLAST!! The kids each loved it SO much that they cried when we left. We had to carry Bubby out b/c he was crying. (screaming)

Hannah was her typical self. VERY cautious, not willing to take risks, go at a turtle pace. She ended up being able to let go of Dan by the end of the night. We ended up leaving early b/c she had fallen (again) and told us she hurt her wrist. NOTE: she was moving it and putting pressure on it on the bench she was sitting on while telling us this!!!!!! (I wonder if she even realized it) But still, due to her crying and making a huge scene about it, we left. At one point Dan had told her if she could go around by herself one time he would give her a dollar. She actually did it too.

Bubs on the other hand....was a maniac! He LOVED skating. He, true to his nature(all boy) went at it with full force. I only let go of him once though, and he did fall. I just wanted to see if he could do it. The kid doesn't know what fear is. He'll be the one speed skating by the time he is in K.

MiriLou had fun too! She sat by our shoes chewing on them. We won't be able to take her with us next time though, b/c she crawls now and that would just be a disaster:)

Hannah's school has the best PTA in town. They have a skating party the last Monday of every month!!! They also have other activities during the month as well. They have rented out the Y next Sunday evening (why on a Sunday? No clue). And in March they have rented out the science center for a whole evening!!! The flyer said that for a family of 4, it would normally cost $55. Being the cheapest parents ever, this is our kind of family outing!

at home

I always thought when Hannah started school that we would be less busy and that I would have more time. I schemed up all kinds of projects for myself. I envisioned having friends over for lunch twice weekly, running errands, make phone calls ect. But it seems to me, now that she has been in school for a few weeks, I don't have any time at all!! I drop her off and come back by 9am, but I end up playing with Calvin and doing laundry. Then we run a short errand and its lunch or the baby needs a bottle. Then after lunch they both take naps and it is time to go get Hannah! Here are a few picture of the younger ones. Calvin still misses Hannah a lot when she is at school, but he isn't as whinny now. He knows we go get her when he wakes up.

Hannah's Valentines Day party

I can't seem to locate a picture of Hannah making her Valentines. She has these really cool ones that my mom sent her to glue together. We stuffed them with chocolate, and she took them to school. They had bags hanging along the chalk board to stuff them into. Here she is making a heart dog as homework.


Ummm...not impressed with Hannah's party. I'm not sure if it is just me, or the fact that when I throw a party everyone has fun, or my expectations were a little to high for a classroom of 24 1st graders. Anywho- Hannah had fun and that is all that matters.

The kids ate pizza and carrots and grapes. Followed by sugar cookies and ice cream. I guess you could say that the high light was when one boy decided to shake 1/2 a bottle of red sprinkles on his pizza and eat it. Then...you could say that the rest of the high light included all the rest of the kids doing it as well. This was followed by a "fun" game a math bingo, and opening their bags of Valentines. The Valentines consisted of pure sugar and enough suckers to last the rest of the year:) All this took place in a 2 hour slot. I could have had the party in 30 minutes! But I guess you could say thats your tax dollars at work!



Her teacher has the room decorated really cute! There are stations for reading, math and computer. You just feel at home when you are there. In the above picture, her teacher is the one in black with the heart necklace. She is a very nice woman. we have really enjoyed her as Hannah's teacher. We will get to meet her more in the parent teacher conference this Thursday!!

Yummy! Sugar:)

Calvin's Valentines Day party

Here is one excited boy! He is stuffing his bags for the Valentines day party. He put 2 kisses and 1 bar in each bag, then stuffed a card in. To say that he was proud is an understatement. It was all he talked about that day.

Crafts at the party.

Bracelet making

All the decorated bags.

Calvin's bag after he decorated it.

Calvin stuffing his Valentines in a bag.

Everyone stuffing Valentines in bags!

Happy Valentines Day from everyone!!
Here are all the kids that were able to make it this year. Due to sickness, school, and several new babies, our attendence was low.

Crazy face!

Here he is sporting my Valentines Day pin. I have had this pin since I was a kid(!) He loved wearing it.

an amazing story

Over the past 5 1/2 years that we have been at our church there have been amazing answers to prayers. This may be one of the BEST ones yet. The struggles we have seen this family go through are intense, but God is perfect and so is his timing. We are SO excited to be apart of their lives as friends and through prayer.

There story here:



http://samandlindsaycrosby.blogspot.com/2011/02/beginning.html#comment-form

Congratulations Sam and Lindsay!!!
Love,
the Diffeys

scratch that...

a big negative to the previous post. ML went in this morning for a double ear infection...Calvin was great in the office this time, so the trip was easy.

she's on the mend

I am much better!! Thanks for praying for me:) My cough is still lingering, but my temp is back to normal and I am starting to eat again. Love you - ML


*Side note: ML had a minor case of RSV. According to friends and TV, there are SO many babies with RSV right now, Kosair had to set up tents outside of the ER to accommodate them!

on second thought...

in case the previous post made you think less of my little angel. Isn't he the cutest?



ok...well, maybe when he isn't harassing little sister.

yesterday

6am: out of bed and headed to shower...nope, wait there is the "sick-didn't-sleep-all-night" baby. feed her first. put on clothes. do some chores. check e-mail ect...

7:30am: no shower. Get girl and boy up. feed them, dress them ect.

8:30am: take girl to school. Promise to come eat lunch with her. Call Pediatrician. They can see sick baby at 11. Sounds good. That gives me 1 hour 10 min to make it to the school.

Play BB with boy, watch PBS Kids, do laundry, make some phone calls.

11am: go to pediatrician. wait. see nurse. wait even longer. keep boy happy. wait more. keep boy in examining room(he figured out how to leave). wait. wait. Go to nurses station to get boy a sticker. He wears "sticker #1" proudly. wait. See Dr. and find out baby has RSV/bronchitis.

11:41am: boy throw nasty temper tantrum and gets another "pity sticker #2" from nurses station...mama trys to get him to come back in room. wait more.

11:46am(and yes Mama was watching the clock): Dr wants to do breathing treatments. wait. Boy throws 2 stickers in trash. do breathing treatments. wait. wait...

12:05pm: baby and boy are crying (can mama cry too?)

12:10pm: breathing treatment done. boy still crying. in room now b/c Dr. he saw Tuesday walked by and talked to him(scared of another exam, he reluctantly came back in room) *side note: he was seen for an ear infection Tuesday.

12:30pm: Boy receives a sucker and sticker #3. Dr. spends a good 3 min taking off plastic that was stuck on it. He licks it once and tells her its gross and then throws it on floor in front of her!!!!!!!! Baby asleep. Boy crying.

12:35pm: sign away life to buy $300 treatment machine (please let the insurance cover this!)

12:50pm: load everyone in van and call husband. no answer.

1:05pm: get home. take 2 sleeping babies and put them in bed. Call school to have note delivered to girl that mama is sorry she missed lunch.

do more laundry, check e-mail, clean, enjoy a bowl of ice cream...ect

2:20pm: receive call from school. Girl has slammed finger in bathroom stall. May die...but mama doesn't need to come.

3:15pm: take babies to Wal-greens to get prescription for breathing treatments.

3:45pm: pick up girl. finger is just fine, although nails need to be trimmed. cute band aid.

4pm: pick up script

4:10pm: give treatment to baby.

help girl with homework. play more BB with boy, who is still grumpy.

5pm: start dinner

6pm: eat dinner, clean up dinner, play wii, mess with fussy baby

8pm: put boy and girl in bed.

mess with "sleepy/wont eat" baby until 10pm

mama: passed out!

9 mo and 1 week + a funny

MiriLou at 9 months and 1 week. (this is take 2) Her top 2 teeth are in now, and they are very big!

cute story:
background(Calvin went to the Dr this afternoon. He has an ear infection.)

Me: Bubby, tell Hanna about your Dr apt. Did she check your nose? Did she check your ears? Did she weigh you?

Hannah: Wait! Wait! Let me guess how much he weighs!!

me: OK

Hannah: 100lbs, 1000lbs

me: (trying not to laugh) Nope!!

Hannah: 80 (still her favorite number!!!! Like 4 years running)

Me: no, less. Keep in mind MiriLou is 21lbs ok.

Hannah: 30lbs

Me: 32! you were close...

Hannah: Oh, I thought he like over 100lbs. He's so chubby!

A day at the Zoo

This past Saturday was the ultimate Saturday for our kids. For starters they got to wear their pj's to Chick-Fil-A for a free breakfast. They were thrilled as they had never gone anywhere in their pj's before. Calvin was telling people all day that he went in his pj's. After breakfast we came back and put on party clothes. Then headed off to Birthday parties. Hannah to a princess party, and Calvin to a Toy Story party. Both enjoyed a great time with friends and lots of cake. Then as if that wasn't enough fun...due to a 50 degree day, I took them to the Zoo! by the time we got back home, ate dinner, took baths it was time to call it a day.

Hannah's wild ride

To say the least. Just when we have her figured out, she changes. I'll contribute this to her age.
Hannah never ceases to amaze me, good or bad. One day she loves something and then the next she hates it with a passion so fierce you want to remove your self from her presence.

Monday Hannah loved school. Tuesday morning she hated it and didn't want to go(hence the previous post) Tuesday some things happened and she swore she'd never go back...Wednesday they had a snow day and it was all tears! I kid you not. She was up at 730 crying over the fact that she had to stay home. Life was SO unfair. It was as if (in her little mind) that the supper-intendent had woke up that morning and said "I don't think Hannah should attend school today, I am going to cancel today". Never mind the snow on the ground or the fact that safety was an issue busing kids to school. She was very upset. Then by Thursday she was ready to go back. Today she happily bounced out of the van.

I went in yesterday and spoke with her teacher. I wanted to make sure Hannah was adjusting well and see if there was anything I should know about. The teacher said Hannah is an excellent reader and has made quit a few friends.

So to end, I guess we will just have to stay tuned to see if she had a great day or not. She has a fun-filled weekend ahead, so maybe that will help her to be in a positive mindset for Monday. Pray for her as we attempt to rear her in a Godly manner during this time. I feel like I am drowning some days with her. But just when I want to give up she somehow lets me see a glimpse of something to let me know a great person is hidden down inside...

The honeymoon is SO over!

Hannah doesn't like school anymore....I am trying not to laugh as I type this. This is so typical of her personality (Dan might add here "I wonder where she gets it") I guess I am partly to blame on this one. I tried my hardest last week to not say a word about what Calvin and I did while she was at school. I didn't mention anywhere we went, games we played, who we saw, what we ate ect.

Yesterday, after a 3 1/2 day weekend, I let my guard down (or in all reality simply forgot). I let Calvin hang up his pictures on the fridge and later in the evening when he asked if he could play wii "again" Hannah heard him. I think it clicked in her little head that life continues when she is gone. Something she had never thought of before. I really think she thought we didn't do anything while she was there...And then she got jealous again (one of the reasons she is in school in the first place) It doesn't help that when I dropped her off for school yesterday morning the little girl behind us was crying and didn't want to go to school.

This morning she woke up saying that her tummy hurt and that she had got MiriLou's cold. My guess is that she didn't want to miss anything at home and she has been seeing kids at school getting to stay at home when they were sick and thought she would give it a try!! You should have seen the look on her face when I told her she was fine and that she needed to get out of bed. Better luck next time girlfriend!!

On the brighter side of life...she scored a 100% on her spelling test yesterday(b/c of the snow day Friday). The word are VERY easy. The class work she is doing is stuff she did at the end of K.