Author: kdorminy

In an effort to NOT take a nap and wake up groggy for a church meeting, I have decided to post some pictures from a fun lunch today.  (Thank you, Coleen and Mandy for cleaning half of the kitchen up…it was so easy for me to finish up!!!)  The Verners, The Thrashers and The Cross’ all came over for lunch after church.

The Verner family have three kids–Rachel, Ashley and Jacob

The Thrasher family has two kids–Anna and Jackson

The Cross family has two kids–Carter and Carson

All together there were 8 adults and 10 kids!  It was so fun.  The kids had pizza while the adults ate baked potato soup, salad, and corn muffins.  Brownies and ice cream were for dessert.  The kids all played well together and it is always nice to talk to other adults!  We only had one MAJOR CRAZY MOMENT small issue, but all was well, and we can all say that the Lord is our Protector.  Moving on.

Here are some pictures from the afternoon:

Above you see Jackson pushing the stroller (he has an older sister, too!), Carter and Rachel looking like they are about to knock each other out with the sticks, Carson standing there needing to go to the potty, and then Ashley, Ruby, and Jacob, whom you can barely see….Mack and Anna And Molly were not in on this pic

Jacob Verner…how cute is he?!

Ruby and Ashley

Carson—only a real man can ride a pink scooter and wear a pink helmet.  Safety first, that is what I always say.

Anna and Molly.  These girls were too cute together.  I think they could come up with a very sneaky plan one day, so we better keep a close eye out on these two!

Here we have Micheal Verner with his son, Jacob.  Also, there is Josh with Mack.  This is so neat because Mike and Josh grew up together…they went to nursery together!!!  Long time friends.   Maybe Jacob and Mack can be buds since they both have two older sisters…they will need some guy time.

And this is Mandy with Jackson.  He was trying to get away, but she caught him!

We are always so glad to have people over and enjoy a meal together.  Josh and I are blessed to have so many friends at church, especially.  We love spending time with them and getting to know them better.

Now let me go find something else to keep me awake for another 20 minutes.  I hear the hum of Josh snoring…very tempting to go lie down, but I will not do it, cannot do it, won’t do it………….

Wow.  Josh and I were with the kids all day…that’s kind of how it works when you’re the parents, it seems.  Both of us like to be together, so we don’t take many opportunities to get away by ourself.  Even when Josh encourages me to go get a coffee in the evening I feel torn because #1-I want to have family time. #2- I like being with him. #3- I know how hard it can be by yourself with all three.  We both can handle them on our own, of course, but it is so nice when an extra set of hands are there to help!  And just having an adult to talk to makes a huge difference.  SO, today was filled with some fun times and some discipline times.  The children are having a hard time listening and obeying the first time.  My voice has been a little hoarse, and I think it has a lot to do with saying everything I say three or four or sixty-five times.  We started moving bedtime up by 10 minutes for each disobedient act that we KNOW they understand….like putting shoes in the bin at the back door or not putting the library books back in their bag, etc, etc.  It’s so funny because as Josh was telling them specifically about obeying the first time and how he only wants to help them and that is why there are consequences to disobedience, I cannot help but think of our Heavenly Father and how the discipline He sends my way is for my good.  The sooner I learn to embrace the consequence and change my behavior, the easier life will be!  I remember my mom telling me that I would have it so good if I would just do what I knew I was supposed to do.

Ruby is the one that has the least offenses, yet she is the one who shows the most remorse over any discipline.  Interesting.  Molly is starting to be more sorry for her bad behavior, and Mack, well……he is still so young….at least that is what I keep telling myself.

I am so thankful for a godly husband who leads so wonderfully, especially with our kids.  I am also thankful he gave the ok for some time away TOGETHER, alone.  We are going to make it our Christmas present to each other, hire Ms. Ashley for (hopefully) two nights and leave the kids with her with a pantry full of pizza, nuggets, and cookies!  They will have a blast, and we will, too!   And Ms. Ashley might appreciate some Christmas money.  Let me go email her……  Good night!

Mack was evidently confused, and who wouldn’t be in such chaos, that the whole time we were at CHUCK E. CHEESE’s, he kept calling the mouse MONKEY CHEESE.  The loud noise, the bright colors, the kids running everywhere, parents just wandering around—all of it could easily be confused with Monkey Joe’s.  Well, minus all the huge jumpy things.

We threw a party for Muhammed, a young boy here from Iraq having surgery on his leg to stretch his leg to be the same, or close to the same, length as his other leg.  He is so sweet.  His dad is so nice, too!  I asked Josh to find out when his birthday was.  We had no idea it was coming up within two weeks of when Josh asked.  Our friend, Ron, said Muhammed would love to go to Chuck E. Cheese’s.  Great!  We love that place….sort of.  BUT, it is the birthday boy’s decision!

As you can see, there was plenty of dancing going on.  Ruby really liked being in front of that camera.  Molly was busy keeping an eye out on when the big Chuck E. Cheese would be walking around.  She wanted to stay far, far away from him.

Ruby and Muhammed

Mack and Karissa sharing  this truck.

Mack And Chuck E.

Molly and a mechanical horse…let’s hope she never moves on to a mechanical bull in her life.   I would have gone wrong, very wrong somewhere.

Annie posing in the princess carriage!  She is very comfortable in there.

If this photo ever screamed for a caption, it would have to be:  “Please, dear goodness, put me back in the womb.  This is the craziest place ever!”

Muhammed and his friend and Chuck E.

There were many families from our SS class there with their kids.  There were other families there and the doctor and some nurses that have worked with Muhammed since he got here.  We are so thankful that the Lord brought this opportunity to us and allowed us to be a part of what He is already doing.

Ruby is having Pajama Day in her Kindergarten class, and she was sooooo excited about it!  She woke up extra early, took off her pajamas to put on her new pajamas!  I bought pajamas because I didn’t want her to go in a thin little Disney princess gown or in mis-matched pj’s.

Ruby’s daddy said, “Those don’t even look like pajamas!”  It isn’t bad that he said it, but that he said it in front of her!  I gave him THE LOOK.  Thankfully Ruby didn’t catch on to what he said, even though he said it every time he saw them and every time she talked about pajama day!  She got to bring her favorite stuffed animal (a tiny schnauzer dog that fit perfectly in a pocket in her back pack) and a favorite game (Bingo Bears).  She is going to have a great day!

Mack is having his own Pajama Day here at the house!

Happy Friday.

Ruby asked me to help her fill out her “Mystery Clubber” paper for Sparks.  She had to tell about herself….like her favorite color, favorite game, favorite school subject and favorite vacation, etc.  She said, “My favorite vacation is DOLLYWOOD.”  I looked at her and said, “But you’ve never been to Dollywood.”  Her response was just, “oh.”  Her favorite school subject was something that is not a school subject…though I cannot remember what it was she actually said.  Oh well.

Oftentimes I say to the girls, “When Mack goes to B-E-D, we will read books.”  (or have a snack or go outside or whatever)  Usually it is just to get them to stop asking for things and let me get one of these children down before I have to deal with the other two.  So yesterday Ruby was wanting something out of the pantry and she leaned over to whisper in my ear, “When Mack goes to B-I-N can I get a marshmallow?”  It was so funny.  I am not sure what a BIN for Mack would look like, but if it would keep him still and quiet, then I need to know more about the B-I-N.

We went to the Library today.  Today was story time.  We got there early so we could return our other books and pick out some new ones.  Ruby walks in and does just as she is supposed to…finds a book, sits on a couch and flips quietly through it.  Molly goes to the computers where I tell her several hundred times to get away from them b/c we didn’t come to the library to play on the computer.  She finally roams around and finds something to look at.  Mack, on the other hand, runs into the library yelling something along the lines on “woooo-hoooo.”  He also tries to get on the computers, then he proceeds to take book after book off the shelves with no intention of looking through them.  He stacks up checkers on a table only to knock them over and laugh ridiculously.  He still just does. not. get. it.  I got on to him one time and made him stay with me and sit by me in the book aisle.  He kept crying and saying, “I want Daddy.  I want Daddy.”  I started to join him in his cry for help, but I thought better of it.  Mack was also horrible in the grocery store as he sits halfway out of the car part of the cart.  He slides his hands on the floors as I push the cart.  That’s not dangerous—not to mention dirty!  Then, when I had my fill of all the morning brought my way, I told him to get out of the cart and get into the car.  “NO,”  he said.  Then he started honking the horn in the car part of the cart.  I pulled him out and planted his feet firmly on the concrete, pointed my finger in the direction he should go, and he didn’t go!!!!  I got a hold of him, put him in seat and buckled him in as tightly as he could be buckled.  He was whining and saying to me, “NOT NICE, Mama.  Not Nice!!!!!”

Oh my word.  This has been an exhausting Thursday.  I wanted it to be fun.  It wasn’t.  Oh well.  We’ll try again tomorrow.

It was most definitely the most gorgeous day we have had in a while.  The skies were clear and so very blue.  The sun was warm; the wind was blowing just enough to make it a perfect temperature.

Ruby had school all day.  Molly had her Art and Music class at church.  Mack and I went to Target to find Ruby pajamas for Friday–Pajama Day at her school!  How fun.  Mack and I really enjoy that little bit of time with just the two of us.  I told him the girls were going to school and it was our turn to just have Mack and Mama time.  He said, “Go to the sto’? (store)”  I guess we have a pattern here.  We have fun!

Today while I was starting dinner, I looked outside and saw the kids:

I didn’t know what they were doing at first…

Then, I saw that they were enjoying a magazine that Gran sends them each month.  They were so cute!!!  They enjoyed playing outside for a long time this evening.

As I was posting some of these random pictures, I was reminded of how messy my children’s hair always looks.  We have friends with girls that have straight hair and their hair usually looks just brushed–or at least tamed.  My girl’s hair is usually a bit frazzled looking.  I wash it and condition it and brush it and fix it!  I do.  I don’t know exactly what happens except that it just starts curling up and doing its own little thing.  Sunday morning when I was putting some mousse in Ruby’s hair to calm it down a bit, she asked, “Is this called Frizz Cream?”  I laughed and said, “It should be!”  They have many more mornings of dealing with “frizz cream,”  I’m afraid.

This past weekend my mom and dad came to visit us.  This was their first time to see the house since it was completed.  We had so much fun with them.  It was very nice to see them and have a relaxed weekend with them.  The kids had a lot of fun.  My parents are extremely generous with their money, especially towards us kids and the grandkids.  My dad bought us six rocking chairs for our porch!  They look great…I don’t have a picture to post because it rained most of the day yesterday, I didn’t think about it today, and now it is too dark to take a picture.  I will get one up later.  AND we shopped for some new living furniture.  All I wanted was a chair, but he ended up getting us a couch and chair.  It should be ordered early this week!  I can’t wait for it to get here.  We won’t even mention the cute outfits Ruby got or the bike basket or the calculator for Molly or the trucks for Mack.  Goodness gracious.  We are thankful for their generosity, for sure.  But we are also thankful that they stayed for three nights.  It was just nice to be with them.

My dad even got to go with Josh to “Pancakes with Papa” at Ruby’s school!  They all enjoyed that very much.  Ruby made a book for Josh .  She said that Josh has brown hair, greenish eyes and is 30 feet tall and weighs 30 pounds.  How cute.  She also said his favorite food is spaghetti, which it is not.  It is her favorite food though.  The best thing about her daddy is that “he lets me ride in his truck.”  Her favorite thing to do with her daddy is “go to the movie store.”

My parents and the kids and Josh hanging out on the front porch:

My mom was sneaking and letting Molly have a lot of the squirt icing!

Mom, Molly and Mack all made a cake together!

Mack was a good helper.

The men putting together the rocking chairs…all 6 of them!

Two bikes with baskets and bells!  Fun, fun.

Alrighty, it is late and Josh is rushing me to get off the computer.  Fun weekend with the family!  Hope your weekend was a good one, too.

Two weekends ago we had some friends, The Anderson Family and The Koester Family, over to eat Potato Soup, corn muffins and apple cake.  We all had a good time just hanging out.  We don’t have cable here at the house, so the guys were forced to hang out in the mud room so they can see the computer screen…where ESPN enabled them to watch the TN/FL game.  Poor guys.

They did talk and eat in the kitchen some, too.

The kids had a very fun time all playing together.  Mack stuck close by me because he was sick, though I didn’t know it at the time.

And I got a sweet picture of “baby Jack” and his mama, Deidre.  I am not saying that the Anderson Family is like the Dorminy Family, but IF they are, this may be one of the few pictures of Mama and kids or Mama period.  Josh likes to say, “You can either live life or take pictures of it.”  Isn’t that special?  So, our photo albums have very, very, very few pictures of me.  While I am not one to love having her picture made, I would like my kids to know what I looked like or just that I was there.  Josh said they would know I was there because who else would be taking the pictures?

“God is bigger than everything.  Even a buffalo.”

-Ruby Dorminy, age 5