A new look...
For quite some time, Emma has wanted a new hairstyle.  I needed a haircut (it's been 4 months), so we went this morning to see my cousin Rachel at her salon.

 Before...

Very satisfied after...

Those curls are NATURAL!

She can't stop looking at herself...She was beautiful before the cut.  It's hard to improve on that, but wow!

TOTALLY COOL NEW PLAYGROUND! 
A few weeks ago, a new playground opened up.  The kids wanted to go, I decided the best time to go was during a schoolday, since the playground is across the street from an elementary school.  We went this past week and have made all kinds of plans for what we'll take the next time.  Erik and Doug loved the brand new basketball court, and I tried out the walking path with the stroller.

I wonder if I can get them to do their schoolwork at the playground...

Check out this insane rock-wall-twisty-climby-thing!  That's Ellie in the yellow shirt.

Emma loved this playground.  My high school freshman begged to know when we could go back...she loved these rings...they were all independently suspended...so they move when you climb on them.

Elisha has some interesting poses for the camera!

Everson enjoyed climbing on this 'rock'.  Good thing he thought to pack his army gear...he actually tried out his parachute!

Pictures of Baby Egan, Sir Poopypants, Egan-boy...3 1/2 months old

 Egan loves to suck on his fingers and hands, especially the little chubby part at the base of his thumb

 Everson thought that Egan needed to try on the Green Lantern mask...he makes a cute superhero!

 He is especially cute when his face is all wrinkly when he cries.  And oh, the size of his tears!

Just this week, Egan was introduced to the Bumbo.  What a great invention!  In no way is he strong enough to sit by himself, but this little rubber seat is so supportive.  Mr Egan can sit and enjoy his siblings and all their theatrics.  I'd give anything to know what he thinks of the insanity that goes on here!

Ellie is developing her own fashion style.  These ruffled leggings were begging for a matching top...and Emma's pincurls made for tight ringlet curls.  A little fashionista!

 This little cowboy can't resist a laid back pose for the camera...especially in his cowboy duds!

Elisha said, "Me too!"  Then turned around and struck this pose!  Yes, I DO have my hands full!

Come back soon for pictures of Egan!

Glimpses of October

                                                                                                                                                        

Everson and his best buddy David at the Wooly Bully

 Everson and his 2 best buddies, David and Sam...these boys were born within 6ish months of eachother, are homeschooled and go to the same church...thick as thieves!

Armstrong kids all "Texified"

(note Elisha's flip flops...after 2 weeks of intense boot-wearing, he seems to prefer his flip flops)

A cute,  but blurry closeup of Baby Egan.

WAR PAINTED FOR  A BALLET DRESS REHEARSAL, " A CLASSIC RENDEZVOUS" 

Ballet is a big part of Emma's life.

She will have 4 parts in the Nutcracker this year... all en pointe.

She seems especially excited about her role as the "Kissy Doll".

 This year she is teaching ballet classes at the San Angelo Civic Ballet too.

8 WEEKS OLD...
Mr Egan is such a joy.  He's plumping up.  Enjoys his bouncy seat.  He just might like the swing, if I can remember to get some batteries, that is.  The kids love holding him...except when he is crying.  Which tends to be often.  When he's not crying, though, he's a complete joy.  He's starting to smile and respond to us when we talk to him.  And when he crosses his eyes, the kids come unglued LOL  Oh, and he has started froth at the mouth and drool.  He's also stretching his nighttime sleep out to several hours.  Which makes this mommy very, very happy. 

National Museum Day
Yesterday was Free Day at the museums across the country.  We have 3 museums in town that participated.  Only 1 was interesting to my younger set...the TRAIN MUSEUM.

The Santa Fe Railroad ran right through our town and had a headquarters here for quite a time 'back in the day'.  The first floor had some great artifacts from original trains.  But upstairs...oh upstairs was where the fun was hiding!

The little kids had never seen so many train displays before.  At first, Elisha didn't know what to make of the trains and displays.  But after he realized he could look into buildings and see tiny people, he was hooked.  Ellie and Everson played I Spy with each display.  We had a blast!

 Outside, the kids could climb on actual engine cars and the caboose.  I went up with them...wowzers, those train conductors must have been skinny folk!  The kids can't wait to take Poppy to see the trains when they come back to see us this year.

WOOLY BULLY

For several months now, I have heard via my mother about a rodeo for children held monthly in our town's historic district.  My Great Uncle Polo has been telling her that we need to get "those boys of  Deja's" in the Wooly Bully.  Needless to say, it was NOT something I was going to do during The Summer of 2000 Degree Days, while pregnant.  It was supposed to be cooler yesterday, but ended up in the 90s.  I couldn't say no to this face...

Or this one...

My mom got the little boys all outfitted in cowboy gear.  We've lived here SIX years and our kids finally look the part ;-)  Erik and Ellie ended up getting boots too.  My mom followed a family tradition in getting the kids boots.  My great grandfather used to buy boots for my mom and her brothers.  My grandad (mom's dad) passed away this week at the age of 88 and in his memory, my mom bought boots for the kids.

Anyhow, Everson AND Elisha participated in the Bully.  Stick Horse Barrel Racing, Boot Scramble, Steer Roping and Mutton Bustin.  Actually, Elisha just did Barrel Racing.  On a RED wooden horse.  He picked it out and watched it all afternoon until it was his turn.

 Love love love this picture of Ellie and her very cowbow looking little brother...he looks like he just stepped out of a PBR arena!

 My photo regret is not getting a picture of Mutton Bustin.  Basically, you but protective headgear and a hard vest on the kid, lay them down on top of a SHEEP and tell them to hold on for dear life while the sheep runs away.  Most kids only make it about 10 feet.  Everson's sheep fell down. 

The surprise of the day...Everson won the All-Around!  All the finalists won a belt buckle (Everson's dream!), and he won a trophy!  Just now he exclaimed, "I think I'm better at Mutton Bustin than basketball.  I wonder when the next rodeo is..."  Oh.  My.  Word...he's been bit by the West Texas Rodeo Bug...there is no antidote...  The sweet little girl is AnnMarie.  She's my cousin Tulisha's daughter.  This is Uncle Polo's granddaughter...I think he wants her to be a rodeo superstar ;-)  He also wants to wait a few years and get Everson to start riding broncs...help me.

 

ONE MONTH OLD
(and perhaps a bit colicky...a first for this momma)

Hard to take good pictures with a squirmy baby...and 4 older siblings surrounding you (the 5th was still eating)

We think he's a keeper!

Deja the Band Geek living vicariously through her children...
There, I've said it, I'm a Band Geek.  I played the oboe from 5th grade straight through college.  I loved playing my oboe.  Practicing...not so much.  But in the early years, I had to practice to learn what I was doing.  (And often heard the following comment from my father, "Keep it up and you'll send the Canadian Geese the wrong way" LOL)

In our homeschool, 2 years of Band is a requirement for graduation.  I love making the rules!  I think reading music is a life skill and the ability to make music with an instrument is priceless.  I'm glad my non-musical husband supports and encourages music in our home.

We have a little homeschool band, taught by a homeschool mom, Miss Lois. This year, Miss Lois has THREE Armstrongs in her band and lessons started on Wednesday.  And Miss Lois, bless her heart, offered to come to my house to teach the kids.  What an incredible blessing!  I don't have to pack up my crew of 6 and find something to do with the little boys during lessons.  Well, I DO have to keep them occupied, but it's much easier at home, and so much easier with a newborn.  Thank you Lois!

Emma has been playing French Horn for 2 years and this week, took on Double Horn (I didn't know such an animal existed).  Essentially, Emma can still read her music, but with this new instrument - which to the untrained eye looks just like a regular old single horn - she has to learn all new fingerings.  So in some ways, she's a beginner again.  I think her brain hurt after her lesson ;-)

Erik seemed somewhat reluctant about the whole music thing.  He really wants to play guitar and is going along with this 2 years requirement so he can move on to guitar.  But I think he's going to like saxaphone.  We were able to borrow an alto sax from my boss and it's silver, so it's really cool!  Erik was surprised at how heavy the sax was.

Ellie is the sweetest flute player on the face of the planet!  A friend from church, who happens to also be one of the girls' ballet teachers, loaned Ellie her flute.  We're on a trial basis with Ellie to make sure her mouth muscles can play the flute...it could be just the thing to strengthen those loosey goosey muscles of hers!

Love this picture of Emma and Egan!  I don't know who took it!

(Emma just informed me that Doug took the photo)

 Ellie continues to grow into a beautiful young lady. 

She just turned 11 on Sunday! 

Where does the time go?!

Yesterday morning, I went outside to check on the boys.  Erik had been working on basketball drills for quite a while and I had no idea what the little boys were up to. 

Then I noticed how they were dressed...pure coincidence!  That's where the similarities end...in the picture, Everson is holding his 468th lizard, and Elisha is holding stick #5842. 

And Erik...he had just put down his basketball.

When you pray for rain for months and months...and God sends the rain by the bucketful...
over 5" at our house Saturday morning...
Two little boys enjoyed the rain and the mud...

 Elisha is standing in a hole that the boys dug last year sometime.  Often, they fill it with water and play in the mud.  This time, God provided the water.  They were told by Emma that it was cold rain, so they opted for winter coats over their shorts and bare feet.  All Ellie could say was, "Oh great, now I'm going to have to wash those coats!"

 Doug caught Everson army crawling in the mud....These two boys are SO DIFFERENT from their big brother, Erik!

3 Days Old
(Note that my talents lie in areas other than photography...)

Egan has finer features than most of the other kids...we're thinking he's going to be a bit more like Everson.  But ask me again in a week and I might pick a different sibling.  Maybe we'll have a poll on the blog and you can tell us who he looks like...