Preschool Picking - Apples, not Noses

Goings on in the Goat Barn

Doesn't this poor goat look exactly like we ladies feel when we're ready to pop? Sorry for the extreme details but it is what it is. We're all putting odds on whether this mom has twins, triplets, or quadruplets in her. Ava's rooting for quadruplets since she really thinks she was put here on this farm to bottle feed a baby something.

Now if we all just slimmed down like this mama did right away. Although I might not recommend her methods - we're treating the whole herd for coccidiosis right now.

Meet Wattles. I've never seen a baby born with wattles on it before so it got a name. If you don't know what that it, google it - wattles on goats - and you'll never be able to say my blog didn't teach you something useful.

Lias is finally old enough to interact with the goat babies and isn't quite sure how to take it.

But who can resist such cuteness?

Nathan's even turning into a masterful goat herder and baby catcher, although he is a little jumpy around them.

And why do I always get the cute pictures of these hooligans in the goat barn? Not quite wall worthy when they've got a goat baby in them but definitely blog worthy.

Happy Birthday to the Cutest. Baby. Ever.

Somewhere back in June, sandwiched in between Ava and Nathan's birthdays, Laurel's wedding, John's starting MBA school, and our week long trip to Kentucky, E-Lias turned 2.

We celebrated with an improptu dinner with -who else? - the Ryan boys.

We had quite the time blowing out candles, which was ironic cause this was the only party out of the three that the candles didn't get blown out by the wind.

Instead, it was 2 little overzealous 3 year-olds (ahem, Noah and Benjamin) that we were trying to shield the flames from this time.

Of course, Lias wanted nothing to do with the candles and very forcefully said, "NO MAMA, NO-NAH DOED IT" when I tried to encourage him to blow them out.

For months, Lias has referred to the entire Ryan family as No-nah, which we can only assume means Noah but in his mind encompasses the whole crew. Recently he's also expanded his vocabulary (which is actually huge, but basically no one but our family can understand it) to include "Ma-mee" (sounds just like Mommy but means Jayme). He uses this to reference any female mother figure (ie, babysitter, grandma, aunt, lady at the gym who helps him put on his shoes, etc). It's actually a very endearing thing, since everyone who watches him tells me sweetly that he called them Mommy the whole time. Too bad he really means Jayme, but hey, if it works to his advantage, then why not?

He got some great gifts, books, tractors, puzzles and bubbles. He also got the coolest cake (ok, not my finest but pretty decent for the 2 hour notice I had) and we all had a great time. Happy Birthday Baby - or "Bid Boouuy" (big boy) as he calls himself.

Cute boy

Just figured out a few actions on PSE and am excited. Finally!

A Day of Firsts

Tomorrow starts a day of first for all of us. We just got back from our one and only "family" vacation tonight at 7pm and jumped right into packing bags for school tomorrow.

Cause tomorrow each one of us will have a day of firsts - Ava starts 1st grade, Nathan has his 1st day of preschool, Lias will go to daycare for his 1st time and I have my 1st day of nursing school. Technically, John started his 1st day of his new school, the Duke Fuqua (I still don't know how to say that without sounding weird) School of Business, in June but we'll still count him in our day of first.

We're not quite sure what the heck were doing over here. But this year should be interesting, or at least crazy busy, and I just wanted to record my thoughts as we jump into it. I'm scared for the kids, nervous that I'll ignore the kids, excited to start learning again, disappointed that our summer came and went without half the stuff I thought we needed to do, sad that my days won't be spent lazing around the house with the kids, and anxious that we'll all fall apart if we keep up this crazy schedule. I know change can be a good thing, but I find that often times, even if I initiated it, I still resist it and when it finally starts to feel comfortable, it usually changes again.

I just read my post from exactly 1 year ago, about Ava starting kindergarten, and it made me bawl all over again. Except this time I'm not that sad for Ava's childhood to be gone, but nervous that maybe I'm ruining both Nathan's and Elias's too. Nathan is extremely anxious about most changes in his life, and while he loves the preschool he'll be going to, whenever I mention it he gets a scared look and tells me how much he doesn't like it because of ________ (fill in the blank for whatever Nathan has decided makes him nervous that day). Lias also loves it (we've been a few times with me hanging out with them), but he's the one I really feel the guilt for. He's the most easy going baby (we've lately been having a debate back and forth over if he's still a baby or a big boy - right now he'll tell me he's "mama's baby big boy") but I don't want to take advantage of his nature to force him into things I want him to do. This fall, my classes are only 2 mornings a week, so they'll only spend Tues and Thurs mornings, but I still wonder if that's too much.

But then I think about how much more balanced I feel this year, moving forward with this whole school thing, than I did a year and a half ago when I decided I had to start doing something or I would lose my mind. One evening class lead to another, until I realized I had all my prereqs done to get into nursing school. Then John decided it was time for an MBA and I realized I was off the hook for incubating a new baby for 2 years - exactly the time requirement for nursing school. I applied, halfway hoping to get turned down, and did - by 2 schools (UVA and another community college) I thought I'd get into, but then my 3rd option (and least stressful one) came through. So now we're going for it, with the understanding that my little ADN in Nursing from the local community college is the first to go by the wayside if things get too hard to handle. John's on board, I'm on board, I just hope the kids don't fall off the boat if it gets too choppy.

When I got my degree in Animal Science, I loved the reproduction side of things and I've always been fascinated with childbirth so I'm exploring nurse midwifery. To go anywhere in nursing, you have to start with an RN, so that's what I'll be studying for right now. I hope that once I have it, I'll be able to work a flexible few hours a week until my babies are all much bigger, then I can go back to school for the midwife thing. But really, who knows - I like to plan out my life but really I know I'm not the one in charge of it. I'm just trying to make sure that I remember that as I plow forward with this year.

Ahhhhhh...... here goes.....

If I'm ever tempted to leave John all alone again for a week...

Please remind me what happens...

John and I debated back and forth over whether we should get Ava a kitten or a pony for her birthday.

While I was in Florida, John took a trailer of goats to one of the largest livestock auctions in the East Coast. He assured me that the trailer came back empty.

He lied.

Just look at his face. It's not often you see a dada so excited to spoil his little girl (although we have made it clear to Ava that this is a FAMILY pony, not just her own).

So welcome Midnight, into our menagerie of chickens, kittens, goats, sheep, and whatever else Dada might happen to stumble across at an unbeatable price at the auction (FYI, this pony only cost $195 - dirt cheap in pony terms). She's actually a great little pony and seems to have been around the block with kids before. Ava can catch her and attempts to mount the pony by herself in the field, although the pony just walks away.

Yesterday was our 8th year anniversary, and for my present, John took all three little kids to the livestock auction an hour away. They ended up being gone for 7 hours, pure bliss to me as I cleaned the craft and junk rooms. Nathan told me that night at dinner that they had wanted to bring home a pig for me for our anniversary present, but luckily, John told them he thought that was just what Mama DIDN'T want. Thank goodness this time he really did bring home an empty trailer.

Ava's 6th Party

Ava turned 6 with a rocking pool/ocean/wet party theme. I love summer birthdays!

Ava Facts:

She's tall - the tallest in her class although one of the youngest. Ava's favorite things are ponies and cats and she's obsessed with stuffed animals. She has over 60 of them in her room and it's often hard to find her under them at night. She's an awesome babysitter and helper - the other day she got herself and the boys ready all ready for bed, including SHOWERS, teeth brushed and pajamas - entirely by herself! Wow! She loves nature and is a total tomboy, but cleans up pretty. We cut her hair again this summer since it's not so fun to have to fix your hair each day and fight snarls. She can out eat any of us in breakfast foods and she's obsessed with vanilla ice cream. She's awfully sweet and is always giving up whatever she has to make her little brothers happy. She's tenderhearted and doesn't like conflicts. She loves to draw and took art camp this summer. She has an incredible imagination and is constantly helping her animals while they're "giving birth." When she grows up she wants to be a veterinarian or a shelter owner. Oh, and she's lost 4 teeth - soon to be 5!