For those of you wanting a Joshua picture - here it is. You may think "How cute! He's loving on a teddy bear." Remember now, he's autistic! He's been obsessed with stuffed animals lately because he likes to pluck off their "fur", throw it in the air, and watch it fall. At any given time our house looks like it's been invaded by dust bunnies (that's what the balls of faux fur resemble). You'd never find dust bunnies laying around my house (insert hysterical laughter).

*News Flash* Daniel rolled over from his back to his tummy this morning, and he has 2 bottom teeth!!! Keeping with tradition, I was clueless about the teeth up until the moment I was bitten. He was really fussy on Thursday, and was crying at the top of his lungs. I called Deren at work and he came home from work early when he heard Daniel screaming in the background. I was even going to take him to an urgent care clinic, but decided against it at the last minute. That would have been priceless - well, not actually - I would have spent $75 to have someone tell me he's teething. And I have how many kids???!! So for anyone out there inclined to think "Wow, she must be on top of her game with 5 kids" - think again, people! I'm as clueless as it gets!!!

Are you familiar with the skunk mating season?? We are now. Turns out, the little buggers go around repeatedly spraying to attract a mate. To make it even more personal, we had one doing it's mating ritual, I guess, right outside our house from about 1:30 - 4 am on Thursday. The smell was so strong it woke us up from sleep. My stomach was turning. Deren searched the backyard with a flashlight twice, looked under the cars, and searched the attic (yes, the smell was that strong). He figured if he did any more trolling around the house for the skunk a neighbor would either shoot him (this is Texas, you know) or call the police. So we all still smell a little skunky around here.. The smell woke Joshua up, too. So just about 4am when the smell started to abate, Joshua was in full manic giggle-screech-till the-whole-house-is-up mode. He went to sleep about 1/2 hour before the alarm was due to go off. I was talking to my neighbor later in the morning (she's the one who informed me of skunk mating season). She asked me if I kept him home to let him sleep. My response "Are you kidding?!" I was in quite a "skunky" mood myself, and took more than a little bit of glee waking him up for school. Needless to say, he slept 12+ hrs the following night.

Rachael has been in a skunky mood, too. She comes home from school with all her crafts and worksheets. Abby wants to look at the stuff. One day Rachael literally came in the door and kicked Abby before she made it a couple steps. And needless to say, many an art project has landed in the trash because of it. I almost felt a little twinge of guilt when I threw her horsey in the trash today, but she really sent Abby flying when Abby got ahold of it (sigh). Yesterday it was almost like a scene from the twilight zone. She came in the door "Hi Abby. Want this?" (gave Abby her art project). She helped me pick up, gave Abby hugs, helped Abby with lunch and gave her other toys. She was calling me "Ms. Mommy", giving me hugs and saying "You're so sweet, Mommy!" You see, we got a copy of a kids' bedding magazine the afternoon before, and it had a horse quilt and pillows in it. Oh yeah, she was buttering me up! She's since lost the catalog and was back to throwing punches and kicks today..

Looking back, I have to admit it was cool being "buttered up." In the soon-to-be 7 yrs of being a mommy, I've never had a child say anything in the ballpark of "You're so sweet, Mommy!" And I'm feeling more twinges of guilt about the horsey in the trash right now, but seeing as I have raw chicken and hamburger on top of it, I'll just have to live with my guilt.

Abby is getting around much better. She still has a limp, but she is trying her best to run full speed ahead. A neighbor a couple houses down has a beautiful yard, and has wildflowers in the spring. I asked the wife's permission to take some pictures with the girls. Another neighbor met me there today and helped try to keep the girls from picking every flower in sight - it was looking iffy for awhile - I thought I was going to be in real trouble. And, of course, the girls wouldn't smile for the camera, so I took a bunch of candid shots. When Deren got home Rachael told him "Say cheese for the camera, daddy!"

Joshua has had a big splinter in his hand all week. Deren and I looked it over this evening. It doesn't look infected, so we agreed to put it off until tomorrow. Oh man, is it ever going to be a nightmare getting that thing out. He won't let us near it. It takes the two of us to just get a glance at it. That boy, for all his smallness from lack of eating, has superhuman strength when he's riled up.

Jacob's birthday is next Wednesday. He's going to be 7 yrs old!! Happy Birthday to Jacob, Happpy Birthday to you.. Have no clue what to get him. He has lots of dvd's. They're exciting until he watches them a couple times, and then he's back at the computer hacking his way onto motion picture sights and watching trailers for horror movies. We have one of those internest security/blocking programs. We apparently need a different one, or something, because he gets around it all the time. He's gotten to where he won't walk to the bathroom at night without someone with him.

And on the 28th Mr. Daniel (aka cutie pie, momma's baby sweet boy, flirtie bird) will be 6 mos. Time is flying!

Deren and I are doing Weight Watchers. Actually, I am, so Deren's eating what I'm cooking. The thing is - he still snacks on candy throughout the day, eats larger portions, doesn't exercise, and he's losing the weight easier. What a man thing to do!!!!

We've been sick with a cold bug for the past couple weeks. Gee, how many times have I said that phrase in the past couple months?! Anyway, the kids aren't up all night coughing anymore, so that's definitely an improvement. They just have junk coming from their noses the whole day long.

I'm trying to figure out if Abby has OCD about spilling things - I mean, REALLY spilling things. If she's not spilling and making messes she's asleep. I thought I was being overly crabby today. Then Deren got home. After about 10 mins he was saying "Did she take a nap?! What's gotten into her today?!" So it wasn't just me..

Daniel will be 6 mos old on the 28th. 6 mos old!!!!!! My little baby isn't such a little baby! He's not rolling over - just occassionally gets stuck on his side. He doesn't like to sit upright too much. Oh well, he is not in a family of overachievers in the gross motor department.

The boys are going on a field trip to the Wiggly Play (center?) on Wednesday. I'm hoping they'll be healthy. Jacob was going to go on a field trip to the Dallas Aquarium with the first grade class last Wed but he was way too sick.

Here are some pics. When I was out running errands yesterday Deren played in the backyard with the kids. Jacob and Rachael were making nests for the dinosaurs and their eggs (rocks Deren found), and were feeding the dinosaurs leaves. Deren said it was soooooooooo fun to watch Jacob playing.