Winter Break Adventure

For the first time in a long time, there is sweet silence in my home.

All I can hear is the gentle whir of the washing machine. Winter break has come and gone and I have reclaimed my free-day Friday. Although I do believe there is a conspiracy that is stretching winter break a little more each year, we actually had a great one. This week has been tough getting back in the swing of school and work and routine, but today I've found some peace. And with that... time to blog! Today I'd like to share an adventure from our break.

Before the kids stepped onto school campuses for the first time this calendar year, we wanted a little family fun. We originally planned to catch a movie last Saturday, but Jonathan flipped the script by suggesting a Hot Springs day. The kids voted Mid-America Museum and off we went. The last time the five of us visited the museum, Nora was weeks old. I carried a diaper bag that was beyond regulation size and we had two strollers. This trip was much easier.

Nora had never truly experienced a museum before, so it was fun watching through her eyes. She bounced from exhibit to exhibit and her overuse of "so cool" made her seem older than four. Highlights included the permanent shadow poses, shrinking beside a mastodon skeleton, bravely testing electric currents, and trying to get plastic balls through a water maze. We probably even learned a thing or two.

It was surreal that both Nathan and Owen were reading the instructions and descriptions to us. And before too long, Nora will join them. All three kids crowded around a microscope, watching the tiny rocks become fossils before their eyes. They explored and we watched. Yeah, it was just basically the opposite of that 2013 visit.

In my last post I listed family adventure as one of my goals for 2018 and I think we're off to a great start. As the kids grow older and get involved in more activities and our jobs start to evolve, I know how important this will be. I can already feel time slipping faster that I want it to, but all we can do is make the most of it.

... Which is why today I am doing nothing. :)

Happy Friday, friends! Have some fun this weekend. You deserve it.

Bauer Bunch Best Of {2017}

The sparkling juice is on ice {right beside the hard stuff}, and we're ready to ring it in!

My family is more than ready to welcome 2018. While most of that eagerness comes from getting to stay up four hours past bedtime, we all love a good start. I adore the feeling that comes with tossing a calendar into the trash and cracking open a fresh one. The Christmas decor is being boxed up as I type and we'll tidy this place until the fizzy drinks flow.

I like to take "clean slate" as literal as possible.

We are busy packing and storing 2017, but I do enjoy a good glance backward. Per the tradition I created for myself several years ago, the last blog post of each year is dedicated to a Top Ten list of my favorite posts. This year I decided to go beyond my favorite experiences or journal-style entries. We shared some great memories, but the blog entries I've included below are my favorite pieces of writing. The following words mean the most to me and I suppose that's okay since I made the rules. Throughout 2017 I tried to let my voice come out more in my writing, and I plan to amp that up in 2018. Heck, I'll even make it an official resolution.

Here's to reliving the good memories, reconciling with the bad, and allowing both to propel us forward. Cheers, y'all!
{Click the title or the photo to link to each full post.}

My Home
I am from piles of laundry and forgotten toys, from discarded school papers gleaming with praise and little pink shoes left in the hallway. I am from the ordinary house at the end of the row, nestled in the quiet cow pastures. From the yellow door that welcomes visitors and chickens that do the same.

Tomatoes
You know how they always tell you to write what you know? Well at this particular juncture in my life... I know tomatoes. As the heat index dwindled from triple digits to still-sweltering doubles yesterday, I stepped outside wearing my pickin' apron. The weekend was full of fun away from home, so it had been a few days since I'd explored. I started picking.

Their Faces
I snapped the photo above yesterday afternoon at the request of my sister-in-law. She painted these pieces for me several years ago, and may or may not be working on another set for someone else. She wanted a reminder of them, so I happily obliged. Once I shared it with her, I returned them to my bedroom wall. I didn't think anything of it until this morning when I was scrolling through my phone photos and these three images caught my eye.

Valentine's Day: Then + Now
Eleven years ago Jonathan and I celebrated our first Valentine's Day together. Sitting on the couch in a tiny one-room apartment that cost us less than $400 a month {you read that right}, I watched him cook in our meager kitchen. We were engaged and counting down to our June wedding, blissfully unaware of how easy life was.

She Is More
She's not just the fluff of blonde curls slicing through the breeze on the front yard swing. She's not just the comic relief when she hits her punch line just right. She's not just the stubborn mule who'd rather stand on the back porch from dusk to dawn than take her boots off outside. She's not just a pair of twinkly blue eyes that wash away the aforementioned scenario. She's not just a round face, short fingers, and a high-voltage smile.

The Seedling
Since the moment I ripped open this year's seed packets, I have watched. On a warm day when timing was right, we began. The seeds were put into place and watered, and our patience was tested. In the few weeks between that moment and today, I have noticed beauty in the waiting. I've also seen an incredible alignment between parenting and gardening.

Each of My Kids
Each of my kids can ride a bike. One has a hot pink flower helmet and training wheels, but she can match her brothers' pace. All of my kids can open the refrigerator door, grab a juice box, and poke in the straw without help. All of my kids can write their names and identify numbers and sit still for a whole feature film.

Always Be
Last week one of my youth group girls asked me a simple question. I was unloading my flute from its case to practice the music for our upcoming Stations of the Cross. Fun Fact: I saved for months to buy that very open-holed flute when I was 16 years old to upgrade from my standard version. It was my first eBay purchase.
{It might have been one of the original eBay purchases.}

Joy in the Mourning
There's always a bit of poetry that comes with this time of year. We watch the old turn over to new as winter threatens to leave and we bounce between short sleeves and warm coats. Buds wait patiently for the perfect temperature, and we teeter on the brink of two lives. While there's all sorts of metaphors and similes and I could weave into this time of year and this season of life, it's been a difficult few weeks.

To The Graduates
Tonight the Hope High School Class of 2017 will walk across a stage, shake a hand, and peace out. Some will leave the auditorium in tears, some will leave clueless about their next step, and some will hit those doors and never look back. Still, that school will always be their first chapter, no matter what waits in the next one. When thinking of all these teenagers making their great escape, ready or not, the thought that hits me the hardest is how old I am.

Merry Monday

My eyes blinked into the morning light on Christmas Day. Yes, you read that right: morning light.

For the first time in years, no child rushed into our bedroom on December 25 until after the sunrise. When I asked my husband what time it was as Owen impatiently shifted his weight from foot to foot, he told me 7:00. Seven?? If we had a rooster, he'd have crowed long ago. Parents across the country were already picking up wrapping paper and starting breakfast, some even going back to sleep. Heck, it even took a few minutes for the boys to rouse Nora enough to realize what day it was.

I think it was the combo of Christmas Vigil Mass, followed by an obsession with the Santa tracker app.

While there was a bit of discrepancy between me and Santa when it came to this year's nice list, everyone's stocking was full. Nathan was shocked to see a "stinking Nintendo Switch" in his pile, and had this face on, patiently waiting to get his mitts on it while his siblings finished first:

Nora was able to get the big, pink Hatchimal she requested first-hand from the big guy {he was shocked to find one on sale at Target just weeks before}. We were all excited to see what would happen, so we rubbed the egg. We carried the egg around. We shared pancakes with the egg. When it finally cracked, it revealed a surprise: twins! Had Jonathan and I looked, the packaging would have told us. More fun this way, really.

Owen's Santa present this year was a doozy. A parental-supervision-required doozy. Santa took it a step up from the Red Rider and got Owen a .22 rifle. We hooked him up with a camo jacket and camo boots and he was that much closer to his dream of a hunting trip with Dad. Once the floor was halfway clear of paper and the pancake dishes were in the sink, we trekked outside to test it.

{I'd leave out the part where I nailed the target on my first shot, but how else would you know I'm a dead-eye?}

Jonathan said Owen needs to work on his stance, but I was so impressed with the safety he showed. He took his listening very seriously and he was super proud to make the target spin several times. He's always been interested in hunting, so I can't wait to see what kind of adventures his dad takes him on this year.

---

We had such a blast emptying stockings with the kids this year. The night before, when we were waiting on Santa to arrive, Jonathan and I were talking about this being the most magical Christmas yet. Each kid is old enough to really get into it. Sure, they're excited about presents, but I love seeing this family unit growing its own traditions. Everyone lives for the family time. I mean, they were elated to wear matching pajamas and take self-timer photos on the living room floor.

It reminds me of Christmas mornings when I was a kid, and I pray that I'm using these years to instill the same magical memories my parents made for me. I had frequent flashbacks of me and my brother while sitting on the couch watching my own children, so I hope I'm doing it right.

I think the best Christmas parallel I saw this year, though, was a pew full of family at Mass. As I listened to the parish sing of all being calm and bright, I looked at my kids' faces. Our section was still and quiet, but the Holy Spirit sparked the air. Our priest read from the book of Matthew about the birth of Jesus Christ, when all was still and quiet, and the Holy Spirit lit into the night sky and shined in the heavens. When the Word became flesh. When a tiny baby was born and the world was changed forever.

It will always be fun to pile in the car and look at Christmas lights, to watch Elf six dozen times, and to delight in watching someone open the perfect gift, but I think my favorite Christmas tradition is to remember the first:

"All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us."

The Holiday Medley

Just five more sleeps 'til Christmas, friends, and things have been insane.

I'm pretty sure I only have three kids, but it feels like we've been to 17 Christmas parties. There's been a class party for all, a Cub Scouts party {did I mention Owen's a Tiger Scout? Give that an "Aww" for now and I'll have more later}, and Jonathan and I hosted one epic youth group party. That's technically only five and I was merely responsible for one of those, but my goodness I'm up to my ears in holiday cheer.

On top of the parties, we've been doing a lot of hustling and bustling to holiday performances. Owen sang his first-grade set no less than four different locations this year {whew!} and Nora entertained the masses at both a local nursing home and her preschool party. Before I get to those stories though, I'll start with Nathan.

If you've been with me for a while, you already know Nathan plays the piano {and if you've been paying attention, you know he plays the piano very well}. He's taken lessons for three years, and it's incredible how quickly he's learned. His teacher had so much faith in him at this year's Christmas recital that he not only opened the show with "Silent Night," he ended the entire recital with "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy," a performance that had every mom, dad, and grandparent asking about him afterward. Don't take my word for it, though. Watch his performances below:



Words cannot express how proud I am that Nathan has the dedication and motivation to enhance his talent. There's nothing like tackling a piece that looks like a foreign language at first glance. He may be naturally inclined toward music, but he puts in hard work to get it where he wants it. I am so impressed by him, and I can't wait to find out what he can play next season.

As for the little kids, their instrument of choice this year has been voice. He may not be the first to admit it, but Owen Bauer has the voice of an angel. Stop laughing, I'm serious. The primary music teacher produced a wonderful collection of songs from a rockin' reindeer melody to the gentle tones of "I Saw Three Ships." Owen's favorite was the latter. Again, I'm serious. Check him out:



He was so excited to don a button-up and fix his hair just right to join his buddies and let his voice soar. He told me he stayed focused as long as he completely forgot I was there and made zero eye contact with me. If that's what it takes, I'll never look at him again. {Small joke. Promise.}

This year was Nora's first time on the other side of the pint-sized program and she admitted to her nerves. There were so many words and hand motions she had to memorize, but she took the stage with the focus of a champ. Sure, it may look like she would rather not be there, but she's just making sure she hits every mark. And she does!



I hope your holiday season is going well and you're finding a bit of magic in what can be a hectic time. We have so much Christmas fun planned, and I am doing my best to will myself to let go of the stress and just bask in it. Here's hoping for success? Maybe I'll just run through these videos one more time to be on the safe side.

Happy Wednesday, y'all!

Day of Thanks

It's a great day to be grateful, isn't it?

While thankfulness shouldn't be reserved for just one in 365, today is the official holiday of turkey and thanks. Dressing and blessings. Eating and warm greetings. Gratitude and platitudes. {Okay, I'll stop.} Today families across the country are joining together to celebrate Thanksgiving in their own ways. And no matter whether you're gathering around the table at grandma's or at Cracker Barrel, this day is earmarked for appreciating the togetherness.

We have big plans today and it's almost time to get to it, but first I'd like to focus on our reasons for the season. I am thankful that I get to spend my holiday with a table full of some of my favorite relatives, and I'm also thankful that you're taking the time today to read my words. I don't say it enough, so thank you for thinking I am interesting enough to hold your attention. Holiday high-fives all around.

Now, you and I both know it wouldn't be a proper Bauer Family Thanksgiving post if I didn't share a little Q&A session, along with more of this year's family photos from Bright Images. Following are directly quoted answers to the timely question: "What are you thankful for?

Jonathan
Age: 34
Thankful For: "I am thankful for a love that’s never ceasing. I am thankful for a slightly slower life this year that let me soak up a little more time with my family. I am thankful for friends to bow my head with in the morning darkness, thanking God for His grace in our lives."

Jessica
Age: 33
Thankful For: "This year I am thankful for relationships. I am thankful to have beautiful relationships when it comes to my faith, both with God and with the people and places that deepen that connection. I am thankful to have an ever-changing relationship with my children. As they grow in what they need from me, they allow me room to do the same. Lastly I am thankful for the most important bond I have, with Jonathan. He gives me strength, courage, confidence, and purpose. And I sure do love him."

Nathan
Age: 10
Thankful For: "I am thankful for God and family because they help me get through life. I am also thankful for my iPod touch because I get to play games on it and talk to my friends. I am mainly thankful for Owen, though, because he's my only brother so he likes boy stuff and he's the one who likes to play with me the most."

Owen
Age: 6
Thankful For: "I’m thankful for God because He made us. I am thankful for Louis because he attacks bad bugs like mosquitoes and he eats mice and likes to play on the trampoline. And he purrs when I pet him. And I’m thankful for life because nature is beautiful and my life is fun."

Nora
Age: 4
Thankful For: "I'm thank you for God because I love Him because I love His heart. I’m thank you for {points to Owen} and {points to me} because y’all are so cute! I'm thank you for Daddy and Nathan because Dad calls me Fluffy and Nathan jumps on the trampoline with me. And I like the Christmas tree because it’s almost Christmas."




Check out last year's answers here,
the post from 2015 here,
the post from 2014 here,
the post from 2013 here,
the post from 2012 here,
and the post from 2011 here.


Enjoy your holiday, friends. Notice the faces around your table and count your blessings.
Happy Thanksgiving, from my family to yours!

Fright Night

I could tell you I didn't chase my breakfast with a Milky Way I found in the cup holder of my car...

But we would both know I'm lying.

It took more effort than normal for us to drag our feet to the floor this morning, and I know this is evidence of the dreaded Halloween hangover. While I did, in fact, treat mine with the hair of the {chocolate-covered} dog this morning, I'm already looking forward to spending the first night of November in a more low-key fashion. However, memories from the spookiest night of the year still dance in my head. Let's discuss, shall we?

The threat of Halloween rain loomed in the forecast so when the backpacks hit the floor yesterday afternoon, we rushed the kids into costume. This year's choices included everyone's favorite bookworm princess, Owen Bauer, star batter, and a throwback to the creepy masked murderer of my youth.

We started at both grandmas' houses and worked our way through the neighborhood between. Nora can be a bit timid, but I was impressed by how she opened up. With her yellow ballgown gathered in hand, she was the first to several doors. She eagerly shouted "Trick or Treat!" and was free with the manners and Halloween wishes. While we grinned back at all the little old ladies and young children smiling through their screen doors, the scary house was a different story. If you've read my Halloween posts in years past, you know the one. If not, I'll fill you in.

There's a doctor in my parents' neighborhood who can't end October without meeting his crying baby quota. He rigs up a sound system into which he shrieks and cackles and screams before opening the door. Figures dance in the windows, lights flicker on and off, and children head for the hills. My own kids have fallen victim, but not this year, my friends. Oh, not this year.

Sitting on the good doctor's stoop was a dark figure slumped forward, hidden behind his hanging deadlocks. When kids approached, his hair parted to reveal a horrifying zombie face, complete with a dangling eyeball. Nathan pulled his Scream mask into place and his brother walked up right beside him. They returned safe, proud, and richer in candy. Nora didn't want to even see this house, but her FOMO kicked in fast. She’d only go up if Jonathan would carry her, though. As she watched the scary guy fill her bucket, he looked at her and said:

”Whoa, that's a big dad you've got there!”

And that was one of my daughter's top Halloween moments: When she learned that spooks are completely powerless when she is in her Daddy's arms.

Once the damage was done and the pumpkins were heavy, we made it back to Nana and Grampa's house to check out the candy. This year's haul featured enough chocolate to make it my way and an emoji ring from the dentist down the street. We enjoyed homemade veggie soup and watched Nora scramble from the table with every doorbell ring. Still dressed like a princess, she floated across the kitchen screeching at my dad to detain the trick-or-treaters for her. I think she had just as much fun greeting as she did gathering.

We had a great night and we now have enough candy to last us all winter... or at least 'til Thanksgiving?

How was your Halloween? Do you have a trademarked Scary House in your 'hood?

Fireside Chats

I saw no less than six Facebook photos and/or videos of crackling fires Friday night.

{My husband included.}

Arkansas decided to jump from summer to winter this weekend, so we marked Friday night as a good time to break in the fire pit. The weather was perfect and the kids were excited to bundle up and enjoy the crisp air {except for when that crisp air shifted and blew smoke into their faces}. Still, they persevered.

Once we finished our supper, Jonathan took the kids outside to gather sticks and teach fire safety to the chickens. The sun was setting and an eerie warm glow covered everything. I was watching the colors dance on my family through the kitchen window when Jonathan sent me a rather urgent "come here" signal. I went to see why they would possibly need my help, but I was stopped in my tracks by the sunset. Streaks of pink and blue created an alien sky and my children danced beneath it. I stared for a minute, then did my best to catch it:

The pink faded to night in a matter of minutes, so we loaded our marshmallow sticks. Although my family is very into the idea of s'mores, Nathan and I are the only ones who will actually consume them. That doesn't stop everyone from making them, though... and we dined like kings. Once we had our fill, we settled in for spooky stories. It was Hallo-Weekend, after all.

The moon peered through the dark clouds and the kids were quick to scan both sky and ground with every rustling noise. Although each story started once upon a time and ended happily every after, the distance between kids and parents shortened with every tale. After a particularly harrowing story that Nora herself told about sleeping in beds that came to life, she was ready to close up shop. We assured her the stories she knows she made up aren't real and we put the s'more ingredients away until next time.

We had a very busy weekend, but I'm so glad we kicked it off with a little family time. I love the traditions I see forming among our party of five. Even if we set up camp just ten steps behind our house and we don't all appreciate the gooey goodness of outside dessert, I wouldn't trade that night for the world. It was all about slowing down, enjoying each other, and welcoming the new season.

I'm looking forward to more of that as our seasons continue to turn.

{Three kids. Three marshmallows. Guess which one's on fire and win a prize!}
Happy Monday, y'all. What did you do this weekend?

Carver's Delight

I have to let y'all in on a little fall-time secret, so gather 'round.

If you don't buy the biggest carving pumpkins you can pull out of the pile, the carving process is enjoyable! Each year we've snagged three huge pumpkins for our kids, and each year they're done when they learn it takes hours to move from food to decoration. Last night we just let the kids carve the mini versions we picked up at the farm, and we were done before dark. And I don't have a case of carver's wrist today!

Perhaps the Jack-O-Lanterns' stature makes them less menacing, but the kids had time to pose for a picture, then chase each other around the backyard in costume. Common sense? Perhaps. Still a success. Pro tip: Get tiny pumpkins, get tiny orange saws, get a small bowl for the minimal pumpkin guts, and spend your evening with pizza and a movie.

Everyone designed their own: Nathan thought imitation was the sincerest form of flattery, Owen wanted his as goofy as possible, and Nora went with the old stand-by. Owen was the only one brave enough to touch the stringy guts, but everyone attempted a bit of the carving. This just meant Nora stabbing the pumpkin lid while I did the work, but she beamed with pride. We sat the jacks on the porch and gave the cat a stern lecture. To my surprise, they were in the same place this morning.

Our fall family merriment will continue into the weekend when we embrace the dropping temperatures in our backyard tonight, then send Nathan to his first costume party tomorrow {I won't make a big deal of it, promise}. After all that we'll be ready for a Trick-or-Treat Tuesday. You can see that two-thirds of my kids are ready, but Owen is still up in the air. He wouldn't commit to anything at the costume store, so he's going to make do with what we have. He could be anything from a cop to a skeleton to the ball player pictured above. Stay tuned!

Are you ready for Halloween or are you planning a last-minute scramble like Owen? Whatever you do, be careful. You never know what's lurking on the other side of the door...

{Please disregard the dirty windows and permanently glued Easter stickers. Yeah, mostly the Easter stickers.}

Happy Weekend, friends!

Behind the Grins

Warning: I'm going to do a bit of oversharing on today's blog post.

{Yes, even more than normal.}

For the second year in a row, Mandy with Bright Images corralled our bunch in a rustic setting and attempted to capture memories. We loved our family pictures last year, and we think this year's set is even better. Mandy is great with the kids and she can turn even the whiniest session into something you are proud to splatter across Facebook. Please reach out to her if you're in the southwest Arkansas area and tell her I sent you.

This particular "fall" photo shoot took place on a day that hit 90 degrees. Thankfully I knew this ahead of time so there was no sweater nor flannel involved. We also later learned that my poor daughter had a fever during the shoot, so if she looks a bit uncomfortable in the photos, there's a reason for it. Mom of the Year right here, folks.

Today's post does include a few sneaks from the completed session Mandy sent me the other day, but I thought I'd add an entertaining twist. I'm captioning a handful of photos with what we may have been thinking. Some of them were spoken word-for-word. I'll let you guess which.

Me: "Owen, stop trying to drag us down the path and try harder to pretend like you're full of joy!"
Jonathan: "I hope this is really the last one."
Nora: "I hate picture day."
Nathan: "I succeed at most things, including taking direction from photographers."

Boys: "Now, we're talking! Let's throw things!"
Nora: "I will not participate, but there's a very slight chance that I might think this is a little fun."
Arkansas: "The leaves sure are lovely fall shades of brown, dead, and crunchy this year."

Owen: "Is it time to play in the leaves yet?"

Nora: "I'll give you eyes, but you'll have to work a lot harder for smile."

Me: "I'm trying not to throw up and maintain an expression of marital bliss."
Jonathan: "Here, I'll spin you the other way to balance it."
Me: "Um... can we take some where I'm sitting now??"

Nathan: "We are hot."
Owen: "We are sweaty."
Jonathan: "And we still make it look good."

Everyone: "WE DID IT!! BRING IT ON, CHRISTMAS CARDS."

Happy Hump Day, y'all.