True, oh so true!

I found these quotes on a flyer that was mailed to my house. It was like winning the jackpot!

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Trying to dress an active little one is like trying to thread a sewing machine while it's running.

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Children really brighten a household; they never turn off any lights.

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Children can tell you that the sole purpose of a middle name is so they can tell when they're really in trouble.

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Two things small kids will share willingly; communicable diseases and their mother's age.

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Cleaning your house while your kids are home is like trying to shovel the driveway during a snowstorm.

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and finally last, but certainly not least...

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Shouting to make your kids obey is like using the horn to steer your car, and you get about the same results.

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I hope you all enjoy these as much as I do.

Happy Birthday Levi!

Happy 1st Birthday Levi!Everyone was super excited for Levi's party. Or maybe they were just super excited to eat the delicious cake.
Five children later I've realized that I can make a cake that I want to eat for their 1st birthday. We certainly have enough funfetti cakes for all of the rest of the self-picked cakes. Levi's cake is red velvet cherry torte. Delicious!

Levi got a little excited. As you can see by his red hand. He couldn't hide the evidence.

Heaven!

Double Heaven!

I'm not sure why he dumped out the cake and decided to lick the bowl instead.

Levi's favorite present of the night: a balloon

Everyone wanted to help unwrap the presents. Hunter really thought it was his birthday.

Levi perfecting the art of unwrapping presents with his teeth.

Levi and his new set of bibs. What a happy boy!

Shaving Cream up the Wazoo

Ella-marie and Hunter absolutely adore playing in shaving cream...and I felt that I had the patience today to let them. That means it's a really good day. I had to take pictures because they were having such a great time and were so cute with shaving cream in every nook and cranny.

Happiness is as close as a can of shaving cream!Ella-marie wanted to make sure that I took a picture of her so that she could tell Helen how much fun it is to play with shaving cream, so that Helen could tell her mama and talk her into it. (That would be you, Michelle)

I guess I forgot to specify to Hunter that he was to ONLY play on the table. He really got into the body painting this time. Silly me for forgetting such an important point. Next time I'll just strip him down and not care.

As an ending note, my children smell very manly and my table and chairs are now sparkling clean (shaving cream is an excellent cleaner)! Spencer certainly will be surprised when he gets home and smells those masculine little children! It's always a fun time at the Finch house!

Trauma!

I really try so very hard to keep all of my children alive and well. And this week I didn't do the best job. I had pulled Hunter out of the van and then came around to the other side to pull Levi out. I was holding Levi, face out, in my left arm and figured I could slide the door closed. Ha. That's a joke! Hunter had come around the back of the van and tried to "help" me close the door by putting his hand around the back of the door. As I was trying to shoo Hunter away and keep his hand out of the door, I accidently closed the door on Levi's hand!! What? How in the world did that happen? Hunter had grabbed the back of the door, and Levi grabbed the front of door. I really tried so hard, why can't I win?

Levi's fingers are all still attached, just a nice shade of olive green. Poor little guy. I hope he forgives me someday.

"All I want for Christmas..."

Corbin lost his second front top tooth this week. He has really enjoyed singing "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth!" And whilst Corbin has been losing his teeth, Levi has been growing his with a vengence. Unfortunately, I tried to take a picture of him smiling, and he decided to climb up on me and eat the camera instead. He definately has more teeth on top, trust me, I know. I've felt them bite me...hard. Our loving nursing time is going to be kaput real quick here. Good thing he turns 1 next month.

And I suppose that everyone else was feeling left out and so I had to take pictures of everyone else as well. Look at your own risk. I guess their personalities have really shone through this time.
Miles "The ladies' man" Finch

Ella-marie "Crazy woman" Finch

Hunter "You don't want to mess with me!" Finch

Levi "Cutest bug in the world" Finch

Happy back to School!

It's that time of year again! Miles and Corbin are officially

back in school and I only have three at home with me!

Perhaps I'm the only one with this problem, but I noticed on the first full day of school, Ella-marie and Hunter managed to fight and make as much noise as all of the children put together.

Isn't that a law of physics?

Perhaps, gases expanding to fill the void left when others leave the area? Doesn't that sound right? So then I ask you...how do two little (3 if you include the shrieking mimi Levi) manage to fight as much as everyone put together, and have the volume of everyone shrieking at the same time? It just doesn't seem possible. And yet, if you come visit my house, you will see (and hear) that it is, in fact, quite possible. On a happier note, here is Miles all ready and raring to go to

Mrs. Dowdell's Kindergarten class.

Corbin is super excited to be in Mrs. Simoson's 1st grade class.

(I think that Hunter wants to go to school too!)

Have you ever seen happier boys on the first day of school?

It's so hard to be famous!

Well, my sisters and Spencer and I and our youngest children are famous now. Michelle sent pictures to the Tough Traveler website and they posted the pictures from our camping trip. If you would like to see them, click the link below.
http://www.toughtraveler.com/photos.asp

or if that doesn't work, go to www.toughtraveler.com click on photo album, and we are first on the list.

Go Michelle!