Sarah Kaitlyn Turner

After more than 37 hours of labor, Sarah Kaitlyn Turner joined our family last night. Here are the details and some pictures:

Date: October 30, 2009
Time: 11:57pm
Weight: 8 lbs. 0 oz.
Height: 20.5 in.
Head Circumference: 35 cm.
Location: Home (...and yes, it was planned that way)

Moments after Sarah was born.

About 45 minutes after Sarah was born.

Some pictures from the next morning...

Picture This

Emily in a white wedding dressup dress, Aubrey with a cape, and Nathan randomly in and out of the scene in everyday garb . . .
There has been lots of giggles and talking when I distinctly hear Aubrey exclaim,
"Ah, he's coming to ruin the wedding! Hurry let us get our guns!"

It's Not For Nothing!

So here is my latest reassurance that my children do retain some of the knowledge I attempt so desperately to impart. I lovingly refer to these occurrences as "homeschooling moments."

The girls were swinging wildly together, back and forth on the teeter-totter-swing as I hear

"Mom, we're going to outer space!"

"Great, where in outer space?"

"Oh, we're going to . . .what's the smallest planet? . . . oh, yeah, it's Pluto. We're going there to see if it really is a planet."

So, this lets me know that not only did Emily remember the smallest planet, but she also remembered that scientist have declared that it is no longer a planet. In my most enthusiastic voice, I request that they report what they find when they get back.

Aubrey declares that they are there.

Emily runs over and a says"We made it and Pluto is just fine!"

Priceless.

Playing in the Rain

The kids had been itching to go outside, so I decided it was fine, raining or not.

It was the most fun we've had in a long time.

The girls rode their bikes through the water in the pouring rain and Nathan alternated between scooting like Fred Flinstone on his tricycle and catching the water as it poured off the curb.

At first I was in a lawn chair under the garage, but when Nathan wandered to far from the house and would not return, I found myself chasing him in the rain. I thought to myself, "Hey, why not enjoy this time with my children." We had a blast splashing and stomping; thoroughly enjoying the reprieve from summer's heat, which still has a grip on us Texans.



A few quotable quotes from the event:



Emily: "Mom, I have to tell you a seceret . . .The more you do something you've never done before, the more you want to do it." (referring to playing in the rain)



Aubrey: "It's like I'm taking a shower, but this is the shower," as she looks up at the sky.



Emily trying to convince the world's tiniest frog to jump into her hand: "So, you don't want me to hold you? I'm okay with that." Then happily trots off to her bike.

Colorado Vacation

So with a whole week in Steam Boat Springs, Co, I think the only pictures we got were at the mini golf place. The camera battery was dead for our hike to a huge beautiful waterfall where we spent time playing with pebbles and sticking our toes in cold water. We went swimming pretty much everyday - it was cold, I kept wondering why we left Houston to go swimming. Here are some cute pictures of mini golf, bungie trampoline, and sifting for gems and shark teeth.

It's nice to have a big girl.

I've been thinking often how nice it is to have big kid around the house. So, Emily isn't' that old but she certainly is out of the toddler/preschool years.
She often does thing to help me or that she knows will make me happy.
She also dresses herself, buckles her own seat belt and can walk through a store without any major problems. She also tries very hard to help keep her younger siblings happy. Ah, I hope it's a taste of things to come for out family.

Today I really needed a nap, so I went to lay down while the girls finished lunch and Nathan napped. Shortly after Aubrey joined me in my bed. Apparently Nathan woke up without my noticing and Emily said that she spent most of the time that I was napping upstairs reading books to Nathan in his crib. I felt that I couldn't thank her enough, but the smile of satisfaction on her face was enough to know she was satisfied with herself.

Educational Quote

"Teach your scholar to observe the phenomena of nature; you will soon rouse his curiosity, but if you would have it grow, do not be in too great a hurry to satisfy this curiosity. Put the problems before him and let him solve them himself. Let him know nothing because you have told him, but because he has learnt it for himself. Let him not be taught science, let him discover it. If ever you substitute authority for reason he will cease to reason; he will be a mere plaything of other people's thoughts."
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau