Flashback Friday "Halloween" Edition

On this day last year we were "trick or treating" as a family of five (with one on the way!) -- We had a rotten little witch, an adorable Draculaura, and a pokey puppy. This year, our littles are going as the cast of Frozen (we've got Elsa, Anna, Olaf & Sven) -- it's crazy how quickly time flies and how many things can change in 365 days. 

The weather this year is supposed to be pretty terrible for being outside, but we're going to do our best and make the most of things! We've got an evening of movies, pumpkins, popcorn and cookies (and hopefully the spoils of candy!) lined up for when we make it home. 

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Halloween -- or as someone on Facebook said the other day, Elsaween (seriously, I can't wait to see how many Frozen costumes are out there this year!) 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

"Realness"

Tomorrow, Toby's monthly update post will be published.

 

And then after that, I think I'm going to take a hiatus -- definitely from blogging, maybe from all social media (although giving up my Facebook and Instagram will be hard) -- I just feel a need to pull back and reconnect.

 

Reconnect with myself and my family and my priorities. It's a struggle, and it's a part of our society these days -- everyone is so connected with the online world instantly, but are we really connecting to each other?

 

It's a question I think a lot of us are asking ourselves these days -- though if you're like me, you're not quite sure what the first step to regaining some of that "realness" should be.

 

For me, I'm just going to back away for the time being. I'd like to do a cold turkey month-long exodus. Just step away and see what else shines through.

 

You never know what's waiting on the other side of the closed door -- and if you never open it, the possibilities will forever be a mystery.

 

Mystery be damned, I want to know what's on the other side of that door.

Birdie

On Saturday we added another blip to the crazy stream that is our lives: we got a dog!

We rescued this little girl, Birdie, from a local shelter + it was love at first sight. She's around 1.5 years old + they believe she's a Blue Heeler/Australian Shepherd mix. She really is the sweetest little pup you could ever hope to meet!

I still can't believe we somehow talked Justin into owning a dog again (we had to rehome our last two dogs a few years back after they attacked our neighbor's dog) -- so even though we've brought Birdie home and plan on having her for years to come, I'm still holding my breath a little + I get worried she'll run off or get picked up or something drastic like that.

But so far, she's a dream + she doesn't bark, doesn't jump or do anything excessively annoying like that with either us or the kids. She hasn't tried to wander off and hasn't been down near the road by our house.

The only negative? She is determined to escape every kennel we put her in. She managed to escape two different kennels three different times! Each time though, she just comes right back to our front porch, to her little spot in the corner.

 

I am so glad we got a family dog, and I'm so glad we found her when we did. She is perfect --in my eyes-- and even though it's another level of crazy added to our days, I wouldn't have it any other way!

 

She's just one more baby to love :)

Hiatus..es..sss

Sometimes life just gets too busy to "be". 

There's not much time left to dedicate to blogging or tweeting or facebook-ing. With four kids, there's rarely time for any of it, let alone all of it. And that's OK. Life ebbs and flows, and sometimes the stars align and things get done when they're supposed to, the way they're supposed to. And sometimes they don't.

Sometimes all I have are grainy iPad photos of our "moments" -- and sure, I could just give up on it all and walk away from my blog. But I freaking love this space. 

I would have forgotten *so* much without these stories here. And maybe that means I'm supposed to forget. Not every day needs documenting. 

But why not? Who says they don't need to be? Aren't worth the time/effort? 

These are the only days I get, this is my life, one and only.

All of these boring, grainy, miniscule little moments will pass me by, and one day, I'll be left with nothing but my memories. And I want to remember as many as I can; and if I need help, have a little place to help jostle those memories back into my mind. 

So even if the breaks are long, the spaces between grow wider, the days roll by in silence. I'm still here. Still living. Still making memories. Of my own, precious to me. And as always, this space is mine 'til the end of time, and I'll never regret putting a memory here. Never.

Mighty, Little RJ*

 What I wouldn't give to spend ten minutes inside this little gal's head >> she is quite the talker these days! 

Justin made the comment he'd like to know all the things she doesn't say -- but I don't think she ever has a thought to cross her mind that doesn't leave her lips! 

She has a million and one questions a day, repeats herself unnecessarily, and can drive a good preacher to cuss with her pestering. But that little voice is so sweet, it's hard to stay too mad at her for too long. 

When babies are teeny, you dream of them being able to talk to you, if for no other reason than to tell you when they're hurting >> Rhealen tells you everything: when she's hungry, when she's tired, when she wants something, when she poops, when her siblings are being naughty. The girl tells all! 

 It's so exciting to think she'll be turning three in just a few short weeks >> these past three years have flown by, and while she's hasn't grown that much in stature, her brain (and heart) sure have grown by leaps and bounds. She amazes me daily with that intelligent (and sassy) little mouth! 

Trouble Doubled {R+J}

These two, my little blonde bombshells, are quite the pair >> they are trouble doubled, fire and gasoline, push and pull. One starts the other going, and then they're off together, loud little voices and big footed stomps through the house. 

They are always into something together. They are always fighting over the same thing. They are always laughing at each other. Being the middle two and only nineteen months apart seems to serve them well. Jaxon is almost as big as Rhealen, and I get the feeling if things continue as they are, he'll be bigger than her by the end of the summer. He is a bruiser in demeanor and strength; she is burly in personality and spunk. Her heart matches his head, if that makes any sense :) 

I love this duo, as trying as they are, and I'm so glad they're partners in crime. At least they're never in trouble alone! 

Some < Others

Some nights, I "fail"* at being a good mother.

Some nights my kids eat cereal. Some nights homework doesn't get done. Some nights they go to bed with dirty faces wearing the day's dirty clothes.

Some nights the house is left in a worse mess than the night before. 

Some nights the laundry is piled four feet deep. Some nights the dirty dishes don't even make it to the sink.

Some nights there are fights. There are stories that don't get read to babies. There are kisses that go unkissed. There is anger and hurt and tears.

Some nights there is nothing to do but hide and cry in the bedroom. Don't let them see your tears of frustration and anger.

Some nights there are tired bodies bumping into each other in crowded hallways. There are words spit with venom. There are "I hate yous" and "I really hate yous". 

Some nights are, for lack of a better word, complete and total shit.

But, for every one of those "some nights", there are other nights.

Other nights dinner is done and done right and done on time. There are full bellies and warm bodies.

Other nights homework is finished and books are read. There are clean jammies and freshly washed faces. 

Other nights the laundry gets (mostly) caught up and the dishwasher is loaded. The house gets straightened.

Other nights there is kissing and hugging and loving. There are moments hidden from little eyes and extra "I love yous" and moments for momma and poppa.

Other nights, in fact most nights, are divine in their simplicity and imperfection. Other nights are the norm and the good and the reason we can make it through some nights that are hard.

Tonight, I am my grateful for the nights when I don't "fail"* at motherhood. I live through the some nights so I can love the others.

*None of us really fail at this motherhood thing; we're all bumbling fools just doing our best to keep our little humans alive!*

Parenting Tidbits (!!)

People tend to think that just because I'm a mother of four, I must have this parenting stuff figured out.

even Toby is skeptical of my parenting skills :)

Let me be the first to say, NO, I don't. I'm not even sure what all of this "parenting stuff" is some days. Every child is different (even within the same family) and every parent is different (Justin and I certainly have our own sytles!) and there are a million and one factors that go into any given moment of parenting.

But just for fun, I'll share a few little tidbits of what I've learned after 6+ years of parenting -- if nothing else, I think it'll be fun to look back on this post another six years from now. I'm sure I will laugh at myself a little, and hopefully, I will be able to see my growth as a parent from this day to that one.

• It's okay for your child to cry -- this is not a flag of support for the "cry it out" method. Just know that babies are just little human beings who experience a vast range of emotions, and unlike their older counterparts, babies cannot express their feelings any other way except to cry. And it's okay to let them. Run through your basic "Parenting 101" checklist (are they hungry? Wet? Sleepy?) and, if you come to the conclusion all of their needs have been met, just let them cry. There have been many times I've held a crying baby in my arms (while simultaneously throwing my hands up in the air!) because there's nothing left to do. I try to comfort them, tell them I love them, and just let them do their thing. We all need to just cry it out sometimes -- remember babies are no different (they're not crying just to frazzle your nerves, I promise!)
• A strong willed child, while exhausting, can make for a strong willed adult, which has the potential to be wonderful. I have a certain little daughter of mine who pushes the boundaries, has no problem expressing her opinion (rather loudly, I might add), and who will not budge on the smallest of things when it stands in the way of her personal convictions (as irrational as they may seem to me). I feel defeated when I'm not able to channel that determination into something productive with her, but my ultimate goal is to help her find her own restraints and then let her run wild when she can. I never fear that she'll be one to back down from any challenge or let someone walk all over her -- but I also want to make sure she isn't hiding behind that tough exterior. I know deep down she's just as soft and needy as the rest of us!
• The relationships between siblings has to be on organic one. I have such a heavy fear that my children will grow up and hate each other as adults. Their time together right now is so sweet and tender, the thought of them losing that among each other hurts my heart. Still, I try to let them figure out the dynamics of their relationships on their own. I have found that by letting them take the reins and work through their own little problems, they grow as individuals and as siblings -- that does mean things get a little loud sometimes, especially with the girls. A lot of times I'm tempted to step in and just separate them, but I try to remind them to not scream at each other, to use their words, to figure it out. And 99% of the time, they do, and it works. You can't force your kids to be best friends. You have to give them space to like each other, love each other, and at times, be disgusted with each other. Their relationships may be among little people, but it in no way means the relationship itself is little. 
• It really does take a village! This is one that is very specific to our lives and doesn't necessarily apply to everyone - some parents are just more comfortable keeping their kids closer to "home" and that's fine, too! For our family, we are so lucky to have dozens of hands in the fire helping us navigate life with four kids. We've got multi-generational grand-parents, dozens of cousins, aunts and uncles, friends and more who help us out and fill in the gaps. Our kids are (for the most part) very comfortable with other people and easy to adapt to new places and new faces. There's nothing wrong with accepting help (and offering help when you can!), no shame in letting your circle help shape the people your children will grow to be.

Parenting is hard work, folks -- don't ever let anyone try to trick you into thinking it's a "breeze". It's a heavy task, weighted with the outcome that one day you'll send a (hopefully) well-molded individual into the world. This individual will vote, form relationships, work, marry, raise children, help others. Or maybe they won't. It's one of those things we can't control as parents -- we have to let go eventually, one way or the other. 

But parenting is also fun. And rewarding. It's a very 50/50 state of being -- no, that's not true, either. Sometimes it's 70/30 and sometimes 100/0. There's not always an equal pull of give and take. 

My main point to all of this is: BE THE PARENT YOU WANT TO BE. You can read a million books (or blog posts like this one) or try to follow the example of those that have gone before you (not always a good/bad idea) -- but at the end of the day, you are your own person (shaped by your parents!) and you can choose the best way to raise your children. You really truly honestly do know best. 

This is real life...

I don't know who first said "after two or three, you don't notice any difference" but I'm calling bullshit on that! Having four is totally different than three! Let's just acknowledge that little fact first off.

Now, secondly, I'm working on finding a groove that fits for our family, and luckily for me, that includes coordinating with our amazing family and friends who help make life possible.

Yes, I'm sure Justin and I could do this on our own...but I'm so beyond grateful we don't have to. We are blessed beyond the stars to have such people in our lives that lovingly help.

I get a lot of comments in real life and online where people say "you have your hands full!" Or "bless your heart!" Or "I don't think I could handle four!" And at first, I nod my head in agreement - the initial shock of four kids is surprise! Shocking! And yes, my hands are full - but so is my heart...

And this is hard sometimes, yes, but it's what I was born to do - I was meant to have these four kids. I love them and like them and find myself in complete awe that I made these little people. Some days are longer than others, and sometimes there are tears from everyone (me included!) - but there is so much love.

So if and when you see me out with my little humans, please know I'm happy and I don't feel overwhelmed. I'm doing my best to be grateful, above everything else. I'm still settling into being a mother of four, but only on the outside. 

On the inside, I have been a mother of four my whole life. Now my home matches my heart, and everything feels complete. 

(And yes, in regards to the photo a above, I might be a little happier on the daily if showering found its way into my routine) 

lately

A good blogger would have posted an official Thanksgiving review post complete with lovely photos and tidbits of a glorious day. I am not a good blogger....obviously!

Our day was glorious, the food delicious, the family wonderful -- but I didn't take any photos. As goes of late, Justin and I are too busy taking turns stuffing our faces and chasing our kids to do much official photo-taking. It's something I want to remedy -- snap a picture (or maybe even two!) each holiday. 

We shall see...

Anyway, here's a generic "lately" post, which I haven't done in quite a while -- but something needs to go here, so here goes:

Our new Christmas tree! We upgraded this year and bought a 7.5 ft fancy KMart pre-lit monstrostiy - and I love it. This was taken pretty much straight out of the box before we fluffled any branches or added any ornaments. Still so pretty (and yes, I admit, this year I put up the tree two weeks before Thanksgiving - WHO AM I?!) 

To make room for the above-seen Christmas tree, we had to rearrange our living room a little -- Rhealen is very pleased with the new arrangement and has taken to sitting like this often. She's an odd ball, little thing.

He is THE cutest little thing in hats and beanies and toboggans, but he absolutely HATES wearing them - you have to tie them tight up under his chin and even then, he's figured out how to wiggle out of them. 

Oh, these two -- two of a kind, exactly alike, cut from the same cloth. You know the old sayings. They play better together than any daddy + daughter duo you've ever seen, but they also fight like cats and dogs. Living with the oldest one here has taught me a lot about how to raise the youngest one. Lord help me!

This is the "cake" I made for Thanksgiving dinner - and I use the term cake loosely, because it's more a chocolate catastrophe covered in Reece's Pieces. It worked, I guess. (I wouldn't know, I don't like chocolate!)

Cutie! And this one likes hats :)

Justin went out of town this past Saturday to visit some extended family, so while the Daddy was away -- Buddy got let in to play! Justin is very anti-dog-in-the-house (something about allergies! psh!) but we snuck in our favorite pooch for some kisses. It was a cold morning anyway! 

These two enjoy time spent in the kitchen with me - they'll gladly lick spoons and bowls and taste-test 'til they're stuffed. 

My sweet boy & me before the morning drop-off :) 

Aw Naw

I know it was just a couple weeks ago I shared some other country music videos -- but here I am again! Doing the same thing!

I know I've stated it before a million and one times, but I have really ecclectic mood swings when it comes to music. I like a lot of different genres and artists, and I'm really not very discriminatory when it comes to my musical preferences. If I like, I like it. I don't push the thought process too far beyond that.

And it seems to me I go through musical swings -- I'll be into country for awhile, then pop, then rock. And while I'm in the middle of those swings, I still listen to all the other genres out there. I never limit myself! 

And yes, right now I seem to be on a bit of a country upswing at the moment. Some of it, I'm really loving -- and some of it I'm really hating.

Chris Young is one of those artists I've been listening to a lot lately -- particularly this little twang filled ditty:

And while I adore "Aw Naw" I can't stand this one by Luke Bryan (which some people say is rather similar). 

Just, no. I guess there really is no rhyme or reason when it comes to my musical tastes. I just happen to like what I like. 

Any songs on your radar at the moment that you're loving? It doesn't have to be country, believe me, I'll listen to anything...once :)

The Crazy Side of My Brain

Can we talk for a minute? I've got some hair-brained thoughts bouncing around in my head right now, and while I know I'm being the most irrational thinker ever, I think it's worth discussing -- maybe you feel like this sometimes, too? Maybe you have experienced or are experiencing crazy brain (whether pregnancy related or not!) like me? 

Good, let's chat.

Let me start off by saying, my pregnant brain is one jealous bitch!!

My husband probably wouldn't want me talking about this, but only because it further perpetuates the idea that I'm psycho -- I'm sure he has enough of a time as it is explaining to others, "please just excuse my wife at the moment, she's kind of pregnant and kind of impossible" :)

With my first pregnancy, I was young and dumb enough as it were, but there was something about the chemical and hormonal imbalance that just drove me over the edge. Justin could be ten seconds late showing up somewhere, and I was instantly convinced he was CHEATING! LIAR! 

Hell hath no fury like a pregnant woman convinced her baby's daddy is an unfaithful liar! 

Of course, I feel pretty bad about the whole thing now -- I put Justin through a lot that first pregnancy and made things even harder than they had to be. I was a big pain in the ass, and I know it. And luckily, with the next two pregnancies that followed, I didn't really have any of those lingering insane thoughts. My levels must've been more on the balanced side, and I didn't spend a lot of time internally reminding myself that I'm married to a good man, a man that doesn't stray, a man that can be a few minutes late home from work and it doesn't have to equal him poking every pocket between here and there. 

With this pregnancy? The crazy lady has returned. Full force. 

I know he's not cheating. Well, I guess technically you never really know if a person is cheating or not -- but I honestly don't worry about my husband cheating. The perfectly rational side of me knows I have a good husband, a faithful man by my side who loves me and isn't going to step out on me (or his family). Believe me, I know this. 

It's my psycho hose-beast of a pregnant brain that doesn't quite grasp that concept. Case in point: I bumped into my husband at the gas station in town and my inner monologue started screaming, "WHAT THE EFF IS HE DOING HERE?!" 

"Umm...he's getting gas? It is a gas station, after all."

"NO! THERE ARE FEMALES IN THIS VACINITY! HE'S CHEATING!"

"I'm pretty sure he's just paying for his gas but okay...."

"LOOK AT THAT GIRL! SHE'S A TOTAL SLUT! YOU KNOW HE'S CHEATING ON YOU WITH HER! HER OF ALL PEOPLE!"

"Hey, I like her! She was so sweet back in school..."

Do you see what my brain does? This is but a mere glimpse into my daily life -- seriously, my brain is so fucking weird sometimes, I need to be evaluated professionally. Studied, I need to be studied. I'm a therapist's best/worst dream. 

Anyone else have this problem? Do you struggle with your brain (pregnant or not) over completely irrational things like this? Please tell me I'm not alone when it comes to knowing better than the lies our brains try to tell us -- the really dumb, irrational, jealous-fueled lies! 

And for the record, my dear sweet husband was actually just buying some mozzarella sticks on his way home. 

OR SO HE SAID. 

Idling Thoughts

This is my 91st post this year - which is pretty pathetic compared to 2009 when I published a grand total of 279 blog posts. Ummm....I definitely don't think I'll be hitting that benchmark this year! For the most part, my post numbers have been declining steadily each year - and this year, they took a MAJOR drop. 

And that's okay. Life has been majorly busy this year, and if I'm being totally honest with myself, it's only going to get busier next year. And the year after that. I'm in this wonderful time of babies, and unfortunately, there have been a lot of things that have fallen by the wayside due to the demands having a family. 

I struggle almost daily with the guilt over being a terrible friend to my closest buddies. I rarely ever get to see them, fail miserably at calling or texting them, and pretty much just stink overall at being a friend. I want to be a good friend, and I hope my lady friends know I'm here for them even if I haven't been present every single day. 

I wish there were more hours in a day for time with my husband. Or even just time with my little family altogether. I wouldn't mind some "me" time, too. 

And we do carve out little spaces of time for these things. I'm not whining or complaining in the least, just recognizing that having a big family is demanding and time-consuming. I love it, I really truly do - things are always full and bustling and there's never a dull moment, it seems. In between the chaos, there are moments of peace + bliss, and I appreciate those moments 1,000x more than I ever did before there were three kids pulling at my pant-leg. 

This blog is precious to me - I love it dearly and hope to always have it be a placeholder in my life, a space for me to keep up with myself and my life. It's my online diary for the world to read, and while I don't share everything about my life, I share a great deal of it - a lot of things I would have forgotten about in natural time are preserved here forevermore. 

And while the stories may be fewer, and the spaces between those stories may get farther and farther apart, the point of it all is to keep writing, keep documenting the moments when I can. And knowing, I'll never regret one single post here, ever. 

What Southern girl doesn't relate to this? Our mommas (and especially our grand-mommas) definitely get a little shock and awe from how we handle things now vs then. 

I'm on a bit of a Miranda Lambert kick at the moment -- these two songs make me smile + cry respectively. 

Riding in the car the other evening with my kiddos, we listened to this song -- I found myself crying behind my sunglasses, pretty much yelling at Sidney, "you know it really does take all kinds of kinds, right?!?!" 

Crazy mom award, right here, ladies and gentlemen. 

Just keeping that Southern tradition going, I guess -- but I like to think it's got a little modern twist on it*

The More, The Merrier, and the More Absent-Minded

I remember the day I found out I was carrying my first little girl inside me -- I don't remember the exact date, but I remember the day. Visions of pink and frills and bows and princesses and all the things that make life wonderfully girly danced in my head. Mom and I went straight to the store and started buying pink! and purple! and little tutus! and socks with lace! 

And it was wonderful. 

I dreamed of a perfectly perfect princess themed nursery, and so we made it happen. Bright yellow walls. Princess border. Complete nursery set with sheets and pillows and a hanging quilt and the bumper -- all of it pink and princess and exactly how I planned.

I would sit in that nursery for hours. I sat in my pink and white glider reading or folding freshly Dreft-washed clothes. I rearranged furniture and added knick-knacks. I hung out in that nursery anticipating my little lady's arrival for what seems like endless days at a time. There was nothing to do but wait. Imagine and wait and try to be patient from week twenty to week thirty-nine (when she finally arrived)...

And now, three pregnancies away from that one, I sit back and laugh at myself. There really is nothing like the anticipation of your first child! 

Because as cliche as it is, after the first one gets here, you really don't have the same time (or energy) to daydream about the second. Of course, you still do, to some small degree. But it really is different than the first pregnancy. 

And by the time you get to your third pregnancy, well you can just forget it. 

Fourth? I'm pregnant? Is that what this is? 

Jaxon sleeps in a hand-me-down crib complete with hand-me-down bedding and blankets left over from his sisters. His room is not decorated. At all. There's zero thought to it, because who the hell has time to think about decorating the third kid's nursery?

And little Jameson? She's also going to sleep in a hand-me-down crib (one that Rhealen slept in, but was used even before Rhealen for other children in our circle of friends) -- luckily for her, she'll get to use her biggest sister's hand-me-down princess bedding, which Mom and I just unearthed by chance the other day cleaning out Sidney's room at Mom's house (where her original dream nursery was). 

Poor Rhealen never had crib bedding. Hell, she didn't get a crib until she was almost eight months old! 

It's just funny, as I get further and further away from the halfway point of this pregnancy (I'm 25+ weeks roughly) I find myself so uninterested in baby things. I want to get Jameson a new carseat (the only thing I ever insist on buying new for each of the kids!), but other than that? I've got the desire to do nothing else. I don't want to talk nursery decor or outfits or anything even remotely baby-related. 

Because truthfully? You don't need 99% of that bullshit. It's all a commercial craze to make first-time moms spend money hand over first for things their baby doesn't want, need or care about. 

But it was nice once upon a time -- back when I was newly pregnant. That state of bliss was truly special, and I try to recognize it for the amazing time it was back then, back when there were no other kiddos with demands on my time, and all I had to do was sit around lazily and daydream of the baby growing in my belly.

Because nowadays, in the immortal words of Kimberly "Sweet Brown" Wilkins, ain't nobody got time for that. 

Family Photos

Finally, we have some "family of five" photos....casual, unorganized, chaotic and un-styled -- we've been meaning to get professional photos done all summer, but with our business, this is the best we could do in a pinch. Pretty dang good if I do say so myself!! 

Can't wait to take photos again this time next year when little Jameson is with us!!

Thank you, Stephanie!! 

So.....

....it's Friday. And it's officially the weekend now. And I've managed to sneak a few moments almost every evening and actually blog regularly -- but since I have nothing real to say right now, let's just go with this video.



I have no idea what this is or what it's about -- it's one of those true blue WTF?! things, but I think you just have to roll with it.

Honestly, I can stop watching.

Happy weekending! 

I'm leading this post with a picture of this toilet -- a picture I've used a few times on the blog before, but my hope is that if you see the toilet, you'll be able to put two and two together that maybe this post will have a little TMI for you. Squeamish? Not into getting down and dirty regarding bodily functions? Afraid of pregnancy talk? Turn away now -- fair warning. I won't judge you, promise!

Rhealen Jo 2.3

Little by little, our pint-size powerhouse Rhealen Jo grows -- and what she lacks in physical growth, her emotional response and verbal activity growth more than make up for! 

She is the living, breathing, fiery embodiment of the "terrible" twos -- so much life and passion and temper and fire in this girl! When she's sweet, she melts my heart from my chest. And when she's mad, there is no safe place to hide. She's little but loud. She's reserved but rowdy -- when she wants to be. It's always amazing to me how gentile and sweet my children can be, how polite they are in public -- and then at home, it's an explosion of emotions. 

Which, of course, is fine, too.

I would much rather them put on their best faces and manners when they need to and let their hair down at home. Home is the safe place, the "no judgment", the freedom to be themselves. And Rhealen is definitely free in her own element.

She's a climber, an explorer -- it's nothing to find her perched on the back of the couch or loveseat, like an animal waiting to strike. She loves dogs, above all others, and identifies people based on the dog they're associated with. Gran has Rudie and Buddy Bob and Minnie Pearl. Sandy has Lala. Papaw has Buddy. Sammy has Octavious. And so on and so forth. 

In Rhealen's eyes, a person is only as good as their dog :)

She's something, that Rhealen Jo -- I don't think she quite understands there's yet another baby headed our way, and her world is going to be reshaped once again. She has the tendency to be on the stingy side with her affections, so I'm not too sure she's going to be too happy about another baby to kiss and cuddle and love anyway. 

Although, I have the sinking feeling that in a few years, this little queen bee is going to be giving the orders around the house and driving her minions (little brother + little sister) to do all her dirty work! 

She really is something, that RJ girl. 

Apropros for today, amIright?

Also: so random.

Sidenote: this isn't a real post. Or much of a real blog anymore.