Just the Kids

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Update on the Kids

It has been way too long since I have posted. I blame it on being pregnant and having toddlers and teenagers. I have been pretty tired and lazy lately. Things have been going well here in the Ragle home. I can't believe that we are already into March. Time goes so quick. I thought that I would give a quick update on the kids.

Nathan- Nathan turned 14 in November. He is now old enough for Stake Dances. When I was dropping him off at one last week I thought to myself, "Wasn't I just going to these dances?" He is looking forward to attending High School next year and wants to sign up for sports. He is now taller than me and did not listen when I told him he was not to get any taller.

Myranda- Myranda will turn 14 on Monday the 9th. She also did not listen and is taller than me. She is still really involved in the choir program at school. When she got home today she informed me that she was chosen to sing a solo in the upcoming performance. She likes school- especially the social aspect. She is getting into boys and I am not ready for that.

Susie- Susie turned 13 in January. She is doing very well in school and made honor roll. She really likes Young Womens. She is my great little helper with the boys. I think she is counting down the days until next year when she can have a year off of attending school with her sister.

Matthew- Matthew is enjoying being a Weblo Scout. Lately he has enjoyed playing the Play Station and riding his scooter. He also loves to play with the little boys. Today he watched Lucas while Jackson and I took a nice long nap.

Lucas- Lucas turned 3 in February. He is getting smarter each day. He loves to play games and put together puzzles. He can count and is beginning to recognize written numbers.

Jackson- Jackson 1s 16 months and keeps me on my toes. I can't believe how different he is from Lucas. We call him Action Jackson. He is lucky that he has the best smile and the cutest dimples or he might be in the naughty spot more often. Jackson gets to go to nursery because I am in there and he LOVES it.

Baby & Me- I am now 21 weeks pregnant with a girl. Things have been going good. The not so fun symptoms are coming on earlier in this pregnancy. Only 18 more weeks of dealing with sciatic nerve pain and heartburn. It is so worth it. I can't wait to meet her.

Big News!

Our family will be getting a little bigger in July. I am pregnant with child #7 and am due on my birthday, July 16th. This was unexpected but we are happy with the news. I NEVER thought I would have a big family. There was a family in our last ward that had 7 kids and I thought that was a rather large family. I remember being in their home and wondering how they did it. Well, now I will be living in their shoes. We have a few things to figure out with our car and sleeping arrangements but I know it will all work out. What makes me the most nervous is not having 3 in diapers 3 and under but having to raise 3 teenagers at the same time again.

Shopping is Done

I am so relived to be done with all of my Christmas shopping and after everything is wrapped I can sit back and really enjoy the holiday season. On the evening of Black Friday I was watching the news and so surprised at the way people act as they are shopping. 3 years ago I decided to simplify the gift giving in our family. We have a large family and are slowly running out of room. Plus the kids really don't need all that stuff that usually just sits there after the excitement is over. This will be the 3rd year that my kids will get 3 gifts from us. We use a guideline based on the gifts that Christ received from the Wise Men. They get a garment-clothing (gold) gift, a fun (frankincense) gift, and a mentally stimulating(myrr) gift, such as a book or puzzle. Santa also gets them 1 gift. I have found that this has made my shopping for them more meaningful. In years passed I was always worried about making sure everything was even and just ended up buying more and more. The first year I started this I had a few people chuckle at me and wish me luck saying their kids would not be happy to only get 3 gifts. My kids responded well and I hope our tradition lasts through their childhood. Last year I started having the kids draw names so that they were able to buy a gift for a sibling. This worked well and we will do this again this year.

Mama Mia

Our family enjoys listening to ABBA. After the movie Mama Mia came out I was able to get the soundtrack free from CVS. We have listened to it in the car a few times. The other day I was running errands with Lucas and Jackson and I was listening to talk radio. Jackson became cranky and Lucas started chanting "Mama Mia, Mama Mia". So I turned on the CD and looked behind me at the boys and got big smiles and Jackson began rocking out. That little boy LOVES music. We listened to the songs Mama Mia and Dancing Queen over and over until we got home and they were so happy. When I asked Lucas if he was a dancing queen, he said no that JJ was. He may not be a queen but he sure enjoys dancing.

Scarred & A Little Smarter

I didn't baby proof the house until we had child #5. I thought my older kids were smart enough to know better. When Lucas was born I made sure that I had all of the outlets covered up and we have never had a problem. Well, last Sunday at church Matthew decided that instead of listening to his primary teacher he would stick a bobby pin in the outlet. There was a loud pop and a flame feel to the floor. Then his class could smell his burning flesh. He now has 3rd degree burns on his thumb and index fingers. He will have nice scars on his fingers for the rest of his life and I hope he has learned a valuable lesson.

Happy First Birthday Jackson James

Wow! A year goes by so fast. It is hard to believe that a year ago today I was at the hospital having Jackson. He weighed 6 pounds 9 ounces and was the cutest thing ever and still is. Jackson was a very cranky newborn, but now he is just the happiest kid ever. He is usually all smiles. We often call him "Action Jackson" because he just loves to play and is always on the go. He puts up with his bully brother Lucas but gets back at him when he is asleep. If Lucas falls asleep on the couch or in the car, Jackson will pull his hair. Jackson is an excellent eater. He can use some help in sleeping through the night but that is slowly improving. It is so amazing how much a little one grows and develops in the first year of life. Happy birthday Jackson James!

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