Isabella's 25!

Woo! Got busy and haven't had time to continue the 25, but here goes :)

25 Random things about Isabella Serenity Lynne

1* Of all 5 children, Isabella was the biggest weighing in at 9 pounds 6 ounces

2* She almost killed me! Literally! Due to complications during birth, I hemorrhaged and ended up needing a large blood transfusion. It was by the grace of God and a very good doctor that I survived. 3 Units later and I still needed more but would be okay on that.

3* Isabella was born May 15, 2007 and according to Baby Center, her name ranked #2 in the top baby girl names of 2007.

4* Regardless of what people assume, and my obsession with Twilight, Isabella is NOT named after Isabella Swan. I hadn't even heard of Twilight until the movie (Dec 2008), which sparked my interest in the books :)

5* Isabella is the only 1 of my 5 children with TWO middle names. She carries the middle name Lynne after my late mother, (Why do people say late? What are they late for? I guess everything if they are dead!) Rebecca Lynne. I wanted to honor her while also choosing a name to go with my other girls middle names which come from the my admiration of the Lord. While Serenity is not actually in the Bible, it refers to the Serenity Prayer.

6* Isabella is ridiculously smart. Sometimes I wonder if she is on a level we just don't get. She was ahead in everything language and critical thinking. She can remember almost everything, and knows so much!

7* Isabella is the only of my daughters, to be in the slightest, tom boyish. She even had a Thomas the Tank Engine party for her 3rd birthday! How many other girls have? lol!

8* Isabella's nickname is Bird. It started out by me calling her a little turkey when she was a newborn. Then it went to lil Turkey Bird, now just bird. lol.

9* Isabella is a Daddy's Girl. Oh how she loves her Daddy and oh how he loves her

10*Isabella Loves to sing, especially about Jesus! She is constantly singing songs she has learned at church. So sweet!

11* Isabella LOVES to love you! She never meets a stranger and loves to just climb up in your lap and give you hugs and talk to you. It is so cute!

12* Isabella has 2 of the cutest dimples. That was the first thing I noticed when she was born. I want to say she gets them from Daddy, but he only has 1, on one cheek and she has 2. So cute. Everybody comments on them.

13* Isabella loves to carry little trinkets and junk around in bags, purses, or even yes, wal-mart sacks! She loves purses the most but she will also use zip lock bags or empty candy containers etc. She puts little odd items in it, things we would probably throw away like tags to clothes, rocks, plastic ties, beads, buttons, and more. If we ever lose something we usually check her purse to see if it's in there. I have even found my debit card before, lol.

14* Isabella's favorite movie (also Olivia's) is Barbie and the Diamond Castle. They have seen it about 500 times and can sing all the songs and even recite the words. Yep. Oh Blaine and I can too :\ We are not proud lol

15* Isabella 's favorite food, Eggs! Scrambled though. She will eat them by the bowl full. I don't care much for eggs so if we have breakfast at say Hardees or McDonald's, I will get my egg on the side just t give to her!

16* Isabella also loves pancakes, but doesn't like syrup on them. She won't eat them unless they are plain.

17* Isabella looks just like her daddy! Even more so with her short hair cut she gave herself, but yes from day one, all I could see is Blaine.

18* Isabella is kinda bossy! LOL! She likes to tell you what she will do rather than do what you want her to. Maybe she is a future leader of America? Who knows!

19* Isabella would much rather sit with you and watch a grown up show than go watch cartoons. Often I will be watching a show and she is just sitting there all intrigued and stuff goes on like murder or guys blowing each other's face off, stuff I don't want her to see so I change the channel to cartoons and she gets upset about it. She's also very matter of fact about what is going on. Tonight she snuck up on me watching a scary movie and the girl had blood running down her face and I hear "That girl has blood on her head" I was like Woah! Where did you come from lol, I changed the channel and she cried.

20* Since you know Isabella isn't named after Isabella Swan, you should know she is sort of named off Isobel "Izzy" Stevens from Grey's Anatomy. One of my favorite shows! We planned on calling her Izzy. Guess it's too late now!

21* Isabella doesn't like dogs. She is scared of them.

22* Isabella picked up not 1, but TWO bad habits from Big Sister Kadence. She sucks her index and middle fingers and has a "blankie" its pink and soft on one side silky on the other. She also twirls her hair when relaxing. Just like Kadence, she will not go to bed without her blankie.

23* Isabella hates Western Sizzlin'! She will not eat any time we go there. Even if she hasn't ate all day she will piddle paddle around and push some food around on her plate but will not eat and will cry if we try to force her.

24* We tried for 9 months to get pregnant with Isabella, no luck. Then we decided to stop and for me to go to school. 2 weeks into school I couldn't stop crying over 7th Heaven and commercials. I asked my friend to bring me 2 tests, and yep I was pregnant already! Like I said, she is bossy! lol

25. I wanted to name Isabella "Rowan". Blaine hated it. HATED it. After Isabella was born we got tons of comments on her reddish hair. Later I found out the meaning of Rowan is Little Red Haired One....lol

Olivia's 25

Saw this cute thing on someone's blog where you post 25 random things about yourself. Since this is a family blog, I thought I would do a new one each day starting with the youngest :)

25 Random Things about Olivia Hope

1* Olivia, though 5th child, was the longest labor (18 hours) and most painful delivery (Stitches, ouch!)

2* Olivia was born in 2008 and according to baby center, her name ranked #5 on the top baby girl names of 2008

3* Olivia was meant to be a 4th of July baby. Had she not been so stubborn...... (Yes I spent my 4th of July in labor, fun)

4* Olivia LOVES Olivia. Not herself, the PIG! She has several "Olivia" items and it's the cutest thing to hear her sing along with the theme song, which just so happens to be a chorus of "Olivias'"

5* Olivia's first words were "Shut Up" (I am not proud, but hey in a house full of kids you gotta get peace some how lol)

6* Olivia hates for you to brush her teeth. She wants to do it herself. We let her but only AFTER we do it, but almost 2 years later and she still struggles. We have to hold her down and do it lol. She's just "Independent". (or a brat)

7* Olivia does not like for people to take her picture. Including me. She gets very angry especially if you try to take more than 1. Most of my pictures over the past year of Olivia are of her making a mean face, or burying her face into her shoulder.

8* Olivia loves to dance! She doesn't care where she is, home, church, the middle of a restaurant (I am not exaggerating though I wish I was lol) - if music plays, she dances!

9* Olivia's original name was meant to be Elysia. Pronounced E-lease-E-uh. Not to be confused with the Spanish form of Alisha; Alicia. But that is just what happened. People thought we were saying Alicia, so even though her baby shower cake said "welcome baby Elysia" We couldn't imagine her as anyone but Olivia.

10* Olivia's nicknames are Wiffy, and Wiff, and Wiffles. Mostly Wiff. This is because when she was born, big sister Kadence who was only 3 called her "Owiffwia" lol. We just started calling her wiff after that for short.

11* Olivia's middle name is Hope. Because: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you HOPE and a future. " Jeremiah 29:11

12* Olivia used to eat cat litter. Not just any cat litter, out of the litter box cat litter. From the time she could crawl until just a few months ago. We did everything to keep her away but she always managed to get it if we turned our backs for a second. We gagged several times having to pluck cat clumps and turds from her hands, I even scrubbed her mouth with soap after thinking she would put the taste to the litter, but it didn't work. Oh I am gagging just thinking about it.

13* Olivia looks just like my mom! Oh her Nana would be so proud to see a mirror image. It breaks my heart they will never know each other. But God blessed me in that I get to see my mom in my daughter's face, every day!

14* Olivia LOVES shoes. She is always putting on everyone's shoes. Mine, daddy's, even Big sister's! She loves boots and heels especially. She just got a new pair from Children's Place and she LOVES them, even wore them to bed one night lol.

15* Speaking of Children's Place, Olivia HATES Children's Place. Every time we go to the mall, I have to stop and see whats new or on sale. Every time. And every time we stop, she screams, cries, and kicks trying to get out of the stroller and away from the store. She doesn't do it with any other store. Weird. lol!

16* One of Olivia's favorite snacks is bananas! If we go to sonic I will order just a banana for her because she loves them so much!

17* Olivia has a skin condition. I honestly cannot tell you if it's Eczema or Psoriasis. She got it from Blaine. Doctors have said different things, but both are very similar so its hard to tell. She gets red "rashes" and bumps, and sometimes even ring worm looking spots on her body. I hate it for her. And the medicine, yeah, there is no generic and its $200 a tube. (Donations? lol)

18* Olivia loves to sing "Clean up Clean up every body clean up" while she helps pick up her room or the living room. It's cute!

19* Olivia loves MoMo, aka Elmo! Then again what 2 year old doesn't?

20* Olivia gets upset if she doesn't get a bow in her hair when we are going somewhere. I admit this may be my fault lol.

21* Olivia LOVES pets! She loves all kinds of animals and is very curious to inspect them. We got her some fur real pets for Christmas (like zhu zhu pets) and she calls them her "googleiogooleigoos" lol.

22* Olivia is a bully. That's right. A Bully. Maybe not to other kids outside our family, but she loves to torture us. She will do anything to get a reaction from you. Turning the tv off, taking your food, pinching, hitting, throwing. She will even hit herself if it gets you to focus on her lol. I hope this is a 2 year old thing and not a product of "survival of the fittest" The youngest does always have to work harder lol.

23* Olivia got her ears pierced at 8 months old. She barely shed a tear. Daddy was too chicken to be there so I had to sneak off with her haha!

24* Olivia loves school! Even if she is in the worst of moods or the sickest of sicks, she is up and ready to get on that van and go to "chool" lol

25* Olivia is loud, obnoxious, annoying, pushy, bratty, and spoiled. But sometimes tender moments sneak up on you like when she pats your back in the mornings if you pick her up, or has her "pets" give you kisses, or tries to share her food (even the half chewed up kind) with you. All in all we LOVE our Little Miss O, and wouldn't trade her for the world. Maybe a million dollars, but not the world lol. Just kiddin!

Homemade banana pudding!!!!

When I am having a bad day, nothing makes it better than a nice warm bowl of homemade banana pudding! I discovered this recipe online about 7 years ago. I don't make it often enough because Blaine hates bananas, and honestly it is tedious work. But when you put that first spoonful into your mouth, it's all worth it!

Now, each person can have their own way of doing it. The lady I got it from did it differently than I do. You just have to figure out what system works best for you.

Homemade Banana Pudding*
*Makes an 8x8 or 9x9 so if you have a lot to feed, double it and make it in a cake pan :)

Ingredients for Pudding:

1 box of Nilla Wafers

4 Egg Yolks

½ cup flour

1 cup of sugar

½ tsp. salt

2 cup of milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 TBS butter

Here is what I do first. In a small bowl, mix flour, sugar, and salt together. Mix it well. Set aside. Take a sauce pan and a large bowl and separate your eggs. If you don't know what this means, you crack the egg carefully, keeping the top shell, and drain the egg white into the bowl. Gently pour the yolk from shell to shell until the majority of the white is in the bowl. Put the yolk into the sauce pan. You do this for all 4 eggs.
Set whites aside. (This will be your meringue.)

Next I slice my bananas. The first lady said 4 to 5 RIPE (meaning it's best if they have the brown freckles on them) I use maybe 3? It is up to you. How ever many you like. I layer my pan with the wafers. Again it all depends on how you like them, then I top with a layer of bananas. You should still have plenty of bananas left over for the second layer.

Next, using a whisk, I beat my egg yolks, add my milk and vanilla, then the flour mixture I prepared earlier. Bring to low boil all while stirring constantly. Careful not to leave it, because it will thicken fast once heated. You will need the butter beside you while stirring. Once it starts to boil, add the butter. Keep stirring until it's thick as pudding. Remove from heat.

Now, pour over the layer of bananas and wafers, and repeat the layer. Set aside. This is when I pre-heat my oven to 350.

Now for the Meringue.

You will need

4 Egg Whites

5 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar

½ tsp Vanilla

Mix Egg whites on high speed. Once they start to fluff, add cream of tartar, and sugar one tsp at a time. Mix for about a year. (LOL) No really just mix until stiff. To test, take the beater and stick it down and pull up. If the whites "peak" or stick up, well it's ready! Then take a spoon and gently "fold in" the vanilla.

Completely cover pudding, and bake until meringue browns. Ready to eat. Can be refrigerated and reheated, but warning, the bananas are not pretty the next day lol. BUT they still taste great!!! Enjoy!

This weather is for the birds....

And I am by no means a bird.

A lot has been going on and really I just forget to post about it! I'm terrible I know. Most of you just have no idea what it is like having 4 (or 5) kids. It's utterly exhausting at times, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I do feel guilty though that sometimes there isn't enough time (or energy) to do all the things I want and need to do. For instance their baby books. Bryceton and Madison's are FULL of stuff. Kadence's is alright, Isabella, and Olivia, practically blank! (Sorry girls) Same for their scrap books. I used to love to make scrapbooks. Isabella and Olivia do not even have one. Time, money, energy, all went down the drain on that ship! Oh well I think this can be a scrap book of sorts for them. I mean, it's the best because time won't yellow it's pages, water or fire won't ruin the pictures. It's awesome!

So here in the Lott house, we just cannot catch a break! We all keep getting sick, staying sick, passing it around. This week all 4 kids have had fevers on and off. We have went through tons of motrin and pedialyte. I hate my babies being sick! They have just been burning up though. Some coughs, and few sneezes, and Bryceton had a stomach issue just once.

I know rest and time will take care of it I don't think it's anything worth antibiotics.

I started back to school, not online. I have went online the past year but now I am back in class. It's really weird because I am older, and I don't know anyone there, but I like it because I am actually doing work, listening to teachers, and soaking in something. Online, it was graded all about how many words your page was, even if it was clear you didn't have a clue what was going on, if it met the word requirement, it was good! I can honestly say, after 1 full year later, I have learned absolutely nothing from online school. I regret having wasted that year and that money. Oh well!

The kids are doing awesome in school. I'm really proud at their hard work and good grades :) I'm about to look into getting them involved in after school activities. It's so hard not knowing anything about this area or anyone around us to figure out what are options are. Kadence wants to take ballet or cheer and Bryceton wants boy scouts and basketball or football. I'm going to call the school next week and see what they can tell me.

Bryceton has his yearly orthodontist appointment coming up. I keep hoping the out come will change but I don't think it is going to. Looks like my little boy will be getting braces in a couple of years! Wow, little boy? I mean BIG boy! He is about to be 10 in March! Can you believe it? 10! Oh that makes me feel so old, lol

We got Little miss O a potty chair yesterday! She has absolutely refused to show any interest in it at all, but it's time to go ahead and nudge her in that direction. I would love for this house to be diaper free :) I'll let you know how that goes lol. Here are their school pictures :)