Category: Tessa

I’ve been neglecting this blog for a good long time, so I’m just going to jump right back in here and share a little about the few whose pictures I could grab today.

Tessa is getting busier by the day, she’s 10 (and three quarters!) and is such a joy. She helps around the house, cares for her siblings, reads and discusses books, enjoys fun movies, and even lets a little of the pre-teen surliness come through at times. She played volleyball this fall and was recently accepted to her school’s Honors Choir.

Max is a busy Lego fiend! When he is not masterminding a new lego creation, he is playing Lego Lord of the Rings on xBox. He’s recently become a pro at foosball, and loves to stay up late reading. He turned 8 at Christmas and is feeling much more grown up now.

Molly is three, which is the same this as saying that she is at the advanced level of being two. She is a feisty thing, willing to beat up either Lily or Max to get what she wants. She is a regular on the time-out bench. But when she turns on the charm, she is the sweetest little girl you ever met. She loves just as fiercely as she plays. She is smart as a whip too, Lily is teaching her how to sound out words and she recognizes most numbers.

Lily is 5 and sweet as can be. She has a tender heart and gets her feelings hurt easily. She is reading now and loves to write letters to people. She wants desperately to play piano like her big siblings. Lily has lots of friends and is always busy playing with her dolls.

Gus is trouble on wheels, only without the wheels. He is 14 months old and has figured out that if he makes a mess in one place, I have to clean it up and then he is free to get into something bigger in another place. If the dishwasher is open, he goes straight for the knives, if the bathroom door is open, he goes straight for the toilet, if the bunk bed ladder is left out, he climbs straight to the top. He eats lego bricks, throws food on the floor, and can melt your heart with one hippo-toothed smile. He loves to be held, even at his staggering 25 pounds. He knows lots of sign language but the only words he really uses are hot, turtle, and NO. He takes two twenty minute naps a day and wakes up almost every hour at night. And I still think he is the cutest, snuggliest baby boy ever.

Ben is 15 and getting a little bored with family life. He gets a little stir crazy at times even though he likes to have fun here with us. Old enough for big, complicated chores, he gets leaned on a little too much, but I am so grateful for his help. He’s in his third year of Latin and is always working on his music – at least when he isn’t watching netflix or playing xBox. He always has some fascinating new facts to share with us.

Paisley has been around the house more over the holidays and it has been nice to have her. She’s working full time (and then some!) at Lancome and that keeps her hopping! Today she grabbed a nap on the couch, yesterday she took the younger kids to the park for more than an hour!

James is 20 and still living at home. He’s working hard at a few jobs.  Right now he is working the sound for masses at our church and playing a few gigs around town. He recently got a truck and is enjoying having a little freedom without having to ask for rides.

Posy is 17 and in the middle of her senior year of high school. She is always busy. She volunteers with the youth group, works at Cousin’s subs on the weekend, and is trying to keep her grades up and apply for colleges.

Jay and I are just trying to keep everyone fed and clothed and out of trouble! This crew keeps us hopping!  Happy New Year!

I had so dreaded the summer.  We weren’t going to go anywhere, and my husband was going to be out of town a lot, so I was facing cabin fever with not much help with the little kids.  But oh my, was it different than I anticipated!  I set a flexible schedule for our days, with some planned time out of the house.  I structured my mornings around coffee and bible study and threw in a little exercise for good measure, and darn if it wasn’t about the best summer I have had yet.

And now it is over.  Back to school for most, first time to school for Lily, and days at home with just two babies for me.

Our transition into school was a bit tough this year. It was dragged out for three weeks.  The first week one school started.  The second week the other two schools started, but one had half days all week.  The third week all three schools were on normal schedules, but there were school meetings almost every night.  Now we should be on normal school time and we are adjusting as unsmoothly as we normally do.  The house is a mess, the toddlers are crabby, and the calendar changes faster than I can let everyone know.

Anyway, here is a brief update on the crew:

-Paisley: Working for Lancome and loving it!  She visits at least once a week just to spend some time with us.

-James: Working at Cousins Subs, running sound for masses at church, and playing music around town.  He’s a busy guy these days and he seems to be thriving.

– Posy: A senior this year!  She scaled back her work hours at Cousins Subs to the weekends so she can focus on her studies and college applications. She’s driving a long distance to school each day and still finding time to spend with the little girls for combing hair and doing nails.

– Ben: A Freshman in the same school as Posy.  He is thriving in his 3rd year of Latin, interested in his studies and facebook.

– Tessa: 5th grade sweetheart.  She can’t really be called one of the “Littles” any more in our household.  She is shouldering more responsibility around here and made the volleyball team at school.

– Max: 2nd grade!  Max would play piano 24 hours a day if we let him, stopping only for a break to watch America’s Funniest Home Videos.

– Lily: Kindergarten girl!  Lily is loving school and seems to be doing very well there.  Since she turns 5 this month, she will attend kindergarten at her preschool this year and then kindergarten at the older kids’ school next year.  I think it will work very well.

– Molly: Every bit a 2 year old.  Molly is still the family firecracker.  Most prone to scream in both happiness and distress, she lets you know how she feels.  She misses Lily and loves to “help” me around the house.

– Gus: 10 months, still not sleeping.  Gus is walking well and starting to pick up a word or two and some baby signs.  He doesn’t use them frequently though, so you always find yourself asking, “Did he just say…. ?”  He’s also huge (for a Groft baby), weighing in at 22 lbs.  We joke that God made him big to protect him from Molly, who only outweighs him by about 3 pounds and loves to sit on him.

– Jay: is working hard at both jobs, and praying for cooler weather.

And I am just trying to stay one step ahead of this crew and their needs, their meals, and their mess.

So Happy New (School) Year!  I hope it will be just as blessed as the summer was!