If I only try harder ...

I found Caloway in Claire's room the other night, digging through her books. He loves sitting and looking at the pictures, so I watched him for a second as he sifted through, and finally selected a Strawberry Shortcake book. He looked at it for a second, before finally opening it and tapping it against his head. He kept shoving his forehead into the book, again and again, saying, "I can't - I can't get in!" He was trying to get into the book! Over and over, he tried to go headfirst into the strawberry book, and kept saying, "Ohhh, it's not working! Let me in!" That was one of the funniest things I've ever seen him do. And since we all know what a sweet tooth this boy has, it was even cuter that the page he was trying to jump into was a page full of candy and sweets. How cool would it be if we could jump into our books like they do in Blue's Clues! I told Tim the story yesterday morning at breakfast, and Cam and Claire heard it too. Since then, they have been giving books to Caloway, and telling him to try and get in!

christmas program - hannah crawford elementary

Cameron and Claire had their school Christmas program on Thursday night, Dec. 6. They did such a great job! This was Claire's first school performance, and Cameron had a lead part in the 2nd grade program. Can I just say that my daughter is a star? She was on the front row, decked out in her cheetah prints and sparkles, singing and dancing, waving like crazy - you could hear her singing over every other kid! It was so funny to see her in her element, she LOVES to perform! Cameron did awesome on his part as Papa Bell, the father of a family of bells in a bell tower. :) He didn't miss a line, and we were so proud of his hard work! He doesn't really like being in front of a crowd, but he did GREAT! It was freezing cold that night, but we all had so much fun! I was so glad Cam and Claire ended up having their programs on the same night. This whole "two kids in school" thing is kinda wearing me out! Too much to remember, too many projects, and too much homework! Haha, it's only the beginning!

first snow

Our first snowfall of the season! We've had a few flurries the past 2 days, but this morning we woke up to a beautiful blanket of fluffy white snow. School was canceled, and Cam and Claire were begging to go outside. We had breakfast, and after a somewhat civil game of battleship, they trooped out into the backyard. Caloway is crying his eyes out - he doesn't have a snowsuit or boots yet! I might let him go out for a few minutes ... we are just so blessed to have this family! I can't begin to tell you how much I love my kids and my husband! I am so thankful for the peace and comfort that exists in our home - we're definitely not perfect, but we love each other fiercely. Tim's Aunt Pat asked Clairely at Thanksgiving what she wanted to be when she grew up, and Claire said, "Just like my mommy!" It can't get any better than that!

Fall has come!

Halloween has come and gone, and this morning we woke up to a little flurry of snow. I can't believe how cold it's gotten - cam and claire are starting to ask for their coats to be warmed in the dryer before they head outside for school. (are they spoiled or what??) Halloween was fun, we passed out candy on Sunday afternoon, and then the kids went trick or treating. Caloway wasn't feeling so hot for the Trunk or Treat at church, but as soon as he saw the bouncy slides and trampolines set up he went crazy. He's wanted to be a pirate for 2 months now, and he carries a hook with him everywhere he goes. He even sleeps with it! This picture is him jumping on our neighbor's trampoline, with the hook - we confiscated it right after the picture! He's been calling me "your highness mother" lately, I have NO idea where it came from. So I called him "Sir" the other day, and he said, "No, I'm not sir! I'm King! I'm King-God" - real nice! :)

if only you could feel how hot it was . . .

Apple Hill Orchard

You know, every year we try and try to get the kids out to go pumpkin and apple picking, and this year, we finally did it! And wouldn't you know, it was a record-breaking 90 degrees outside, the hottest October day Ohio has seen in twenty-some years. The first stop at the farm was an Indian teepee, with a fire smoldering outside the tent. The smoke from the fire just fizzled in the air, there wasn't even a slight breeze to waft it gently around. So after we gasped our way through the tent, we thought pony rides would be fun - well, who wouldn't want to ride a sweaty pony?? The bees and mosquitos were everywhere, we were all dripping, so after 30 minutes, we popped into the market to grab some apple cider donuts, the best dang twizzlers you've ever seen, and LEFT. We didn't even bother going through the orchard to grab apples, the kids were whining, sweating, crying and begging for more water! Great fall family fun! ha ha ;) Let me just say how incredible those little donuts were - I felt bad for the ladies behind the counter churning out those hot little treats - but they sure tasted great! I'm not even going to say who polished down half the bag . . .

am I that old?!

I was feeling pretty good the other day - I'd just gotten a new shirt, and Tim said it made me look like I was 24 again, in a good way ha ha! (Like that's such a long way from 29??) Anyway, we have a step stool for the kids in their bathroom, and it belonged to me when I was small. It has my name carved on the top, and it's all scuffed and scratched up from years of use. So Claire, who's beginning to learn to read in school, is reading all of the letters, and realizes that it says Rebekah. So she asks me if the step stool was mine, and I said yes, and told her the story of how I got it, thinking - this is such a nice, nostalgic moment for us! So as I walk away feeling all warm and fuzzy, I hear Claire say to herself, "Wow, this thing is REALLY old!" So much for feeling 24 again.

only the beginning ...

Clairely has been sick for 3 days! She started feeling yucky on Saturday, and laid around, then on Sunday after lunch, she threw up. I made her lay down all day, and this morning she popped up and said she felt better, so I debated sending her to school today. She had chugged down a sippy cup full of milk (without my knowledge!) and as soon as she did, she started rolling around, sick, and then threw up again! Hopefully it was the milk made her sick, and not still the virus! There are 4 other people in this house that it could run through before we're done!! We've never gotten sick this early in the season, so I am praying it won't be like this all school year. Here we go again ...

Nani comes to visit!

My mom came and spent last week with our family - we loved having Nani home with us! Oh, and she did come to see baby Ava. :) Mom was such a huge help around the house, with laundry, school lunches, dinner, chasing Caloway, cleaning up after Caloway, FINDING Caloway, feeding Caloway (and that's a whole other issue we won't get into!). WE MISS YOU NANI!
I guess I never realized how much is on my plate on a daily basis until my mom came and shouldered some of that responsibility. I figured with 2 kids in school now, that my daily routine would slow down and I'd have more time on my hands ... wow, how wrong I was! I feel like things are just out of control, keeping up with homework assignments, making sure everyone is fed, clean underwear and socks are always in the drawers, bathrooms are clean, dishes are done, house is picked up ... and that's just the morning! Maybe I just need to get up even earlier - or maybe we need more organization. If there are any ideas, let me know! I have been feeling so overwhelmed. I don't even want to think about how I'd be feeling if I'd homeschooled this year!! Perhaps it's my perspective that's skewed.
We had a crazy weekend - on Sat night, Tim had the worst allergy/asthma attack he's had, and went to the ER. We don't know what triggered it, but it was awful. They got it under control, and he came home late, then had to get up Sun. morning, teach sunday school, lead worship and preach all in one morning! God really touched him though, and he made it through. He spoke about the kingdom of God and how we fit into His plan. It is so easy for us to pray for God to bless what we do, but we should really be asking Him if we could be a part of what He is blessing. All perspective - if we truly believed that Jesus and His Kingdom is a living, breathing entity that is in our world even right now, how would our prayers change? If Jesus is King even as we eat our breakfast, and shuttle our kids to school, how does that change us? Most of us don't really think we need a king. I've started reading (under duress, I admit at first) "This Beautiful Mess" by Rick McKinley. Tim forced me to! It's all about the Kingdom of God, and where that fits into our lives. Anyway, a really good book and some great thoughts on how unimportant some things are in our lives that we really waste a lot of time investing into and worrying over. Maybe I just need to concentrate on my kiddos and not worry if some things fall through the cracks?

the tooth fairy is getting old ...

Cameron lost another tooth last night - Mom and Dad are going broke! We put his tooth under his pillow last night, and Cameron was so excited, because he's been saving his "tooth fairy" money. Tim woke up early to head to the Y, so I reminded him to slip $1 under Cam's pillow before he woke up. Well, he got the dollar under the pillow just seconds before Cam popped up, and yanked his pillow up with a huge sigh of relief. "YES! I have $5 dollars now!" he shouted. As he was making his bed later, he found the little baggie with his tooth still inside! (way to go, DAD!) I had to quickly explain that the tooth fairy was pretty old, so she probably just forgot to grab the tooth; and Cameron said, "well, maybe it's because of the baggie - she couldn't get it open!" Yup - we'll go along with that! She's too old, small and weak to get the teeth out of the bag! Ha ha! So how does she carry all those dollars and quarters??!

cal's happy birthday

first day of school ... we really are excited!

first day of school!

Cameron and Claire went to school on Wednesday! Claire's first day of school - she started kindergarten this week! She was so excited to go, it was Cammy who was hesitant, but after he found all of his friends again at recess, he was fine. All-day kindergarten makes for a long day for a 6 year-old, but I'm sure Claire will adjust soon enough. Caloway is living it up at home, though! I caught him rooting around through Claire and Cam's toys yesterday morning! Ha ha - he's enjoying having the house to himself. It is so quiet, I miss having the chatter! Grocery shopping was enjoyable for the first time, maybe EVER! I can't believe we've got 2 kids in school, it's really making me feel old. Maybe it's time for another baby!?!? Tim???

caloway turns 3!

August is birthday madness for our family! Caloway turned 3 years old on the 17th! It is hard to believe our baby boy is so big. Caloway had a hard time waiting for his birthday to come while we celebrated Clairely's - he has to wait 24 hours, poor kid! He asked for chocolate cake, so that's what Mommy made. As soon as we got the cake ready on the counter, with candles waiting to be lit, the little birthday boy decided to climb up on the counter and lick the entire surface of the cake! We celebrated Incredibles-style and had a blast with Cally!
On a side note, about 2 weeks ago, we had a wedding at church, and Tim and I were responsible for some music and running the sound. Our 3 kiddos were in the nursery, and while I sat at the piano and watched the vows being recited, one of the aisle doors creaks open, and I see Cal's little head bobbing down the aisle, while he yells at the top of his lungs "Mama! I went poo poo! Mama! I went poo poo!" As he rounds the last pew at the front of the church, I realize that he is naked from the waist down, while he runs full-tilt to the piano, so proud of his potty milestone! AHHHH! We are just hoping we get a copy of the wedding video!

clairely turns 6!

Claire celebrated 6 years on the 16th! After 2 years of birthdays at the Carousel in Mansfield, we decided to have a birthday party at home! Let me just say that was so much more work than I thought it would be! We had such a great time, though, the girls all came and ran like crazy around the house and backyard, planted their own little flowers to take home, Caloway licked all the frosting off the cupcakes, and Tim saved the day with some seriously awesome face painting! I had tried painting by practicing on our kids a few days before the party and thought my hearts and suns came off pretty darn good! Tim came up with beautiful butterflies, kitties, puppies, and Cam ended up with a cobra and a Mario tat on his arm! Yay! Clairely also got her ears pierced, and she was so brave! She is such a big girl now, and getting ready for kindergarten in 3 days! Where did my baby go?!?!

backyard fun

Niagara Falls!

Our trip in July was to Saratoga Springs, New York for Aunt Steph's wedding! It was a long weekend, but we enjoyed spending time with all our family. We did a little mini golfing, sight-seeing, shopping and of course swimming! The wedding was absolutely beautiful - it was outside, and the buffet was incredible. Sushi bar, roast beef, pasta and all of these fancy little finger foods that I couldn't identify. I loaded up on what I thought was some alfredo dip, but after one bite, realized it was definitely NOT alfredo, but some kind of fiery horseradish. Gourmet food is definitely not what it seems :)
We did get to stop at Niagara Falls on the way home - it was incredible! Caloway kept talking about the "waterfall" for several days. The waterfall really freaks you out, as you lean over the railing, it is so powerful! We snapped a few pictures of the kids at the railing, but even that was nerve-wracking. Then we go in the gift shop and there's a huge display telling the story of an 8-year old boy who fell out of a boat, and got swept down the falls in the '60s and survived! There were pictures of the boy being rescued by the Maid of the Mist. I can't imagine plummeting over the falls! Cameron's eyes were big and round after we read him the story! You could see the wheels turning in his photographic little mind as he turned to look at the falls, and then back at the story. They should post that account at the railing so no one leans over too far!! It was a great trip!

goin' to grammy's

We spent Memorial Day in Indiana at grammy and grampy's house! Caloway loved going to the river! He woke me up early the first day, staring me down until I sleepily cracked an eye open, then said, "I frow rocks? I go river?" So down to the river all 3 of them went, in their pj's, to throw rocks in the river with grampy! We spent the rest of the day bike-riding, grilling out, and fishing with Uncle Mike. Cal had his very own toddler fishing pole which he refused to share with anyone, especially Claire, who had her eye on it. He carried it with him for the rest of the day! Claire and Cam got to ride the tandem bike with Grampy and so did Tim. The tandem bike with no brakes! It's a good thing we had helmets. We love summertime!

mystery carnival

Today we went to the mystery carnival at the library! The kids enjoyed bouncing, blowing massive bubbles, playing I Spy and watching a magic show put on by an 11 year old boy who was surprisingly good. All Caloway wanted to do was bounce and eat popcorn! It was great to get out, run into a few friends, and just enjoy being outside in this beautiful weather! I think that's one of the nicest things about being in a small town, you always run into somebody that you know either from school or church. We had fun!

daddy's baby

Claire had her 2nd dance recital a few weeks ago. We were so convinced that this would be her last year, but after seeing her up there, dancing away, I think we'll give it another year. She absolutely loves it, and does really well in class. She danced to "Sophisticated Baby" and wore a stunning ringpop wrapped in tinfoil for her diamond! When she first got her costume, she ran upstairs to try it on, and came back down all decked out in her fluff - the outfit was supposed to be a halter-style top, but she mistakenly took the neck hole for an arm hole, and looped herself scandalously into her costume! Thank goodness she didn't dress herself for the recital :) She got her very first rose from her daddy!

New way to keep connected

Welcome to the world of the Holmans! We hope this will be a great way for all of you to keep up with what we're doing, be able to see pictures of the kids, and hear all the memorable things they say every day. Just this afternoon, Cameron was taking buns out of the bag for lunch, and there was an ad for free Cedar Point tickets on the wrapper. He pulled it off, and wanted me to fill out the application so we could go to "Cheddar Point". I tried not to laugh too hard, so he corrected it by saying, "No, no, I mean Cheeder Point! Can we go to Cheeder Point, pleeease?" So much for phonics.
This picture was taken a few days ago, we are finally enjoying swimming weather! We are hoping Caloway won't remain translucent all summer.
I had a pampered chef party last week, and the consultant emailed me yesterday, thanking me for hosting, and complimented the house. She ended by saying that our home had "such a peaceful spirit there", and I couldn't have been blessed with a greater compliment.
Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Tim had taken the kids on a walk during the party? :) Nah. More later ...