WE ARE STILL HERE!!

Easter 2008

Playing in the Snow at Grammy's

Sorry for the long lapse in blogging. This has been a very hard winter and beginning of spring for me. Not for anyone else in the house but for the MOM. I have been sick since Christmas. I had a severe case of pink eye that last 10 days and turned into a sinus infection and ear infection, then a stomach virus, the flu, sinus stuff and then shingles. All the while trying to work, keep up with the kids and the house. I've been trying to chill out on things I can do nothing about and learn to live with whatever gets done. I'll try to fill you in on the 4-5 months.


Mark: Mark began working in Little Rock at Altell in December. He really likes the company and the people he works with but no so fond of the drive everyday. He is also selling insurance and loves helping people in this way.


Cristy: Besides being sick forEVER, I've been teaching school (ready for that to be over) and am looking for new opportunites for next fall. I have a couple of possiblities but am spending time praying that God leads me where he wants me. Other than work, I had a great spring EBay and consignment season. The best ever. If you know me very well you know how much I love when this time rolls around each spring and fall. I love making money on my kids clothes and being able to clothe them the way I like for much less. This year I made $1,000 between consigning and Ebay. I love it!! I will admit it is getting more expensive to buy their clothes since they are getting into bigger sizes.


Blake: Mark picked the kids up from school one day and Blake's teacher said he was having trouble seeing the board. I took him to the eye doctor, he put the letters up and asked him if he could see line 2 or 3, Blake hesitated for a while and then the Dr. asked if he could see the first letter, Blake exclaimed an E!! The poor boy has been blind. He is near-sighted and has an astigmatism (Anna Kate is far sighted with an astigmatism). Once we got his glasses, he just kept going on and on about how clear everything was and how he could read the signs on stores, poor baby. He is still doing great in school. He and Claire both LOVE to read. He is also playing baseball for the first time this spring. They have had 2 practices and games should start in a couple of weeks. He's excited and so are we. He has never shown any interest in sports so we are interested to see how he likes it.

Uncle Time and Blake four-wheelin' in the snow

Claire: Loving to read is an understatement for this child. Punishment for her is grounding her from her books. She loves the Beverly Cleary books, the Box Car Children, American Girl books, mysteries, just about anything. She also played basketball this winter and was really pretty good. She had never played before but picked it up pretty easily. In the last game she scored 12-14 points (1/2 of the team's total) and was really good on defense. We always felt sorry for the girl who she guarded because she stuck to them like glue and stayed in their face. She loves school and has a best little girl friend named Mezthely. They are so cute together. Mezthely is teaching Claire Spanish and they try to expand their English vocabulary with big words like famished and devour, etc... It so funny. Their teacher loves it. I hope they can stay good friends. Mezthely's mom does not speak English well and at times makes our communication kind of hard. But it is getting better and they are such sweet friends.

Scarlett Leckie, Claire, and Maggie Collins

(Maggie's mom Beth Howard Collins and I were good friends in college and she was even a bridesmaid in our wedding. How fun for our girls to play B-ball together)

Claire and Mezthely

While I was typing this blog I looked outside and was this: Claire sitting under her favorite tree drawing. I love living in the country and her love of the outdoors. She has always wanted to be outside exploring or just sitting under a tree.

Anna Kate: DRAMA QUEEN!!! Would anyone have guessed??? She doesn't stop talking unless she is asleep and everything is in extremes. She wears me out but is absolutely hysterical. Lots of tears can be shed in a day over such things as her wardrobe, her hair, not wanting to wear her glasses because she's not as cute... real important things. She is beginning to have a hard time being the one left behind. Blake and Claire are still really close and like to do 8 year old things and sometimes that doesn't include little sis. Up till this year, they all pretty much did the same stuff but we've seen a bigger divide this year. She is so ready to read. She gets Claire's books and pretends to read. Which drives Claire crazy. "Mom you know she's really NOT reading that!" Anna Kate rebuffs "Yes I am, you just can hear me, its all in my mind!" I'm sure it is. That is my goal this summer is to have her reading well. She's doing great on her sight words and can read simple sentences, just not what Blake and Clarie are reading. It's so hard being the baby. I keep telling her one day she'll be glad she's the youngest.. but for now it's no fun.

This shows you a little of her crazy personality. She and Blake are more alike than any other combination of the three. And boy do they fight. But they are also the funniest, the talkers and the dramatic. Claire's too self concious to be too crazy.

Hunting egss on Easter. She is really sweet and tenderhearted and still has to climb in my lap every night before bedtime and cuddle. Can't imagine life without her.

Consider yourself caught up for now. I'm sure with the end of school and baseball starting up there will be more activities and hopefully more time for mom to blog. Until then..... Have a great day from the Farley's!!