Stating the Obvious

Tonight, I was reviewing with the kids at scripture time the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Jonny and James made frowning faces when I asked how we were doing. Rachel was off changing her pajamas and Simon was playing with Kleenex.  Gary and Mia were not home.  Jonny gave his explanation of his response: 
Well, you see I have 4 brothers and sisters and only 2 parents.  That makes the kids out number the parents.  That makes it WAY too hard to do that. (that meaning love each other, I guess)

You aren't the only one feeling out numbered, buddy:) 

Catch Up

Well, every now and then, I think that I should get around to blogging.  Then I think to myself that no one reads blogs anymore and move on to something else.

Really though- I am not much for Facebooking. I like blogging.   I'll "like" stuff on facebook, but since I overheard the Relief Society presidency talking about how to use facebook to keep tabs on the sisters in the ward (this was in a previous ward) I got a little creeped out.  Not that I have secrets, it's just that words can be so easily misinterpreted online.

Mia was great in The Unsinkable Molly Brown.  She was a town child, a party child, and a life boat child.  She is getting to be quite the actress.  She made friends with the other kids in the cast and had a great time.  Gary did end up joining the cast at the last minute, to sing during intermission and also to play his clarinet in a party scene.

James and Jonny played flag football, for the San Francisco 49ers and the Pittsburgh Steelers respectively.  They learned a lot and had some great moments on the field.  James had a few turns at QB and Jonny pulled flags like crazy.  I was proud of them for doing their best. 

James got to lead the music at the church Christmas party- 5 hymns in front of the congregation of adults and kids- he did a super job.

James also got the part of Charlie Bucket in his school play Willy Wonka Jr.  The roles have been double cast, to give more opportunities for kids to participate.  He will have the part for 2 of the performances.  I am told he is known as "the Charlie Bucket that can sing."  and the other kid is "the Charlie Bucket that can act."   Umm- he can do both- but I think his nickname is more flattering somehow.  Come see him in March! 

Rachel learned to use the potty, so now we have none in diapers!  This is a huge moment in kiddodiddo history for sure!

Simon has settled down into kindergarten very nicely. I am grateful that he is enjoying making new friends and learning to read. 

Halloween was cute.  We had 2 ninjas, a pumpkin, a vampire, and the grim reaper.  I don't think I got any photos of that.  Sorry to you and me both. 

Rachel and I spent time this fall volunteering for the RNC making phone calls and eating elephant cookies.  But in reverse order- I listed her first as is grammatically correct, but she ate the cookies and I made the phone calls.  Disappointing election, but at least we did our best to get out the vote. 

Gary and I were very blessed to be able to take a trip to Hawaii in November.  It was an incredible time and if you want to see pictures, let me know and I will hook you up.  My favorite time was snorkeling in Hanuama Bay where I saw incredible tropical fish and even a sea turtle!  (you pronounce it Hu-now-ma Bay.  I tried to say it Ha-new-a-ma Bay, like the old Hawaiian dude in the welcome video, and everyone looked at me funny.  I guess you have to be an old Hawaiian dude to get away with saying it the old Hawaiian way:)

I managed to catch both the flu and strep throat last month and was most miserable for about a week- the doctor insisted that statistically I could not have both, so did not medicate me for both until the lab results came in- 4 days later.  Lucky me, to beat the odds.  Even luckier me that I am not allergic to penicillin.   I now have one more kid who is.  Poor thing caught strep throat last week and is now covered (literally) from head to toe in horrible, itching hives. Luckily she is now on the mend from both infirmities. 

Christmas was lovely.  The night before we acted out the Christmas story and Rachel got to be Mary.  She is still talking about how she got to do that all by herself.  She rode the donkey (rocking  horse) and held baby Jesus and watched over him in his manger (dolly cradle.)  James was the inn keeper, Jonny was the wise man, Mia and Simon were shepherds.  Gary was Joseph and I was the angel. That's the caption, in case I show a photo.  I know we took one.  

The first snow also came with Christmas.  The kids had fun running in and out throwing snowballs, etc.  Of course they had to warm up with hot chocolate too. Yum!

My favorite moment of all (recently) has to be when I was frantically making "hurry up ham" to feed the sister missionaries.  They were coming in 10 minutes and I spilled the package of egg noodles- main ingredient- all over the floor.  What a mess!  Before I could say a word my 2 children (who fight each other the most) grabbed the broom and dust pan and worked together peacefully while I scoured the cupboards for more noodles.  What a sight to warm my mother heart. 

Sending love to you all- and a promise to give more pictures and updates in the New Year!

Vote for Love of Country

We don't often blog about politics. But I love this country and my family, and this election is important, especially to my kids. Plus, this is too long for Facebook.

WARNING: FREE SPEECH

In 1980, the economy was a catastrophe, terrorists were having their way with Americans overseas, and Jimmy Carter asked for four more years. He was a good man, but he was a poor leader. Thankfully, most of our parents didn't gamble on the slim chance that he would suddenly become a good president. It wasn't revenge. It was just common sense. The result was an economic boom and the end of the Cold War.

Well, it's like 1980 again. The incumbent is a good and intelligent man but a poor leader and an unwise steward. He tells his supporters that "voting is the best revenge," like the world and our lives are some sort of B-movie and he's the star. Revenge against whom or what exactly?

• Americans who owe $6,000,000,000,000 in new federal debt?
• 23,000,000 Americans who are looking for work?
• The heroes of Benghazi who tried to avert a crisis when pleas for help were rejected?
• The firearms provided by this president to Mexican drug dealers and used to kill innocent people?
• Our brave soldiers who continue to die in the Middle East in wars that were supposedly ended by fiat?

If your worldview boils down to revenge, I can't help you. But if you're a thoughtful voter, consider voting for a proven leader who understands the following:

• America is exceptional and can be a force for good in the world.
• Americans are good people who will voluntarily take care of themselves and each other if given the chance.
• The world is a dangerous place, full of people who hate us for our beliefs. In my view, you reject the haters, not our beliefs! (Apology tour?)
• You don't ignore the Constitution for convenience. (Fast and Furious?)
• The government serves the people, not the other way around.

I have said outside this blog that this is not the most important election of our lifetime. Thinking better, for my friends born after 1980, it just might be. Do we keep marching to the establishment drumbeat toward the well-lit 1,000-foot cliff that represents certain failure? Or do we try a new direction with someone who knows how to fix things and who cares about the original American ideals?

Vote well, my friends. Vote for love of country.

"In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children"

Chickens

This summer we had a pair of egg laying hens come to visit for the month of July.  We got them from RentACoop a nice little business that rents out chicken coops, hens and feed on a month to month basis, with an option to purchase. 
The kids were immediately drawn to the birds, with 2 year old Rachel introducing them to Daddy as "my chicken sisters."  Multiple chicken related names were tossed about, but the kiddodiddos quickly settled on Fred and George, after the Weasley twins from Harry Potter.  I was just as quick to point out that these were girls, not boys and insisted that they lengthen the names to make them more girly.  Fred and George morphed into Winifred and Georgina, but were seldom referred to by their longer names.  George was smaller and feisty, always giving a good chase for the kids.  Once Fred got to know us a bit, she would squat down and get ready to be picked up when we approached. 

Simon turned out to be the chicken master of the family.  At age 4, he was often seen running through the yard with a chicken under his arm, football style.  He chased them through the sprinkler a few times and he slid them down the slide once.  I only saw the end of the process (lots of desperate flapping) and discouraged him from doing it again.  He was always very careful to put them away when he came inside. 

Jonny (6) liked the thrill of the chase.  He invited a friend over one day saying "come on lets chase the chickens."   His friend readily agreed, but when Jonny was giving detailed instuctions on how to pick the birds up, his friend said "whoah.  I don't actually want to catch one.  I just want to chase."  I thought that was hilarious.  Jonny liked checking for eggs.  They each laid one per day.  Fred laid medium sized eggs and George  laid large ones.  Once he was peeking through a screen in the back of the coop and actually saw an egg coming out.  Exciting? Jonny liked to exclaim as he came inside after collecting "It's a two egg day!"

James (11) thought chickens were "awesome"  he did a fair amount of egg collecting and putting the chickens away at the end of the day.    He was comfortable handling the chickens although he didn't do it as nearly as much as the younger boys. 

Mia (9) didn't think the chickens were as good as a dog (what she really wants.)  She also resented them for pooping on her best friend  (the only casualty.)  She held them once or twice and collected eggs once or twice and helped pen them up during a storm.  She gets points for being a good sport for sure.

Rachel called them her chicken sisters at first and liked to be outside with them and share strawberries with them.  She got the clean ones from the patch, the birds got the buggy ones.  But then one day, she tripped when she was heading up to the top of the yard to see them and she blamed them for the accident.  (I was there, they were innocent.)  So then she said they were scary and stayed away. 

Gary, not an animal lover, did not seem to mind having the chickens around.  He helped move the coop into place and also helped drag the coop under cover in a Super Derechio or however you spell "land hurricane." He even picked up a chicken once and said it wasn't so bad.  He gets points for being a awesome husband and good sport about having animals on the property. 

I enjoyed having the chickens.  They were fun to watch from the window or the porch as they searched for bugs to eat.  They did that all day long, much to my delight.  There was a noticable decrease in ticks, spiders, gnats, bees, wasps and ants.  Only thing that didn't seem to decrease was mosquitoes.  They were soft to hold.  They reliably gave eggs.    They were quiet.  They encouraged the kids to spend time outside.    They were pretty low maintenance.  The coop needed moving every few days (to prevent poo build up/smells.)   It was on wheels so that was easy.  It needed scrubbing once a week, the kids helped with that, it was pretty funny watching them play rock/paper/scissors to see who had to scoop out the piece of poo they found.  James lost that one, but then used twigs as chopsticks to solve that problem.

I would have to say that having chickens was easier than I thought it would be and rewarding too.   I highly recommend the www.RentACoop.com experience.  Their chickens were incredibly gentle and friendly.  They tolerated lots of handling by the youngest kiddodiddos.  My friends who came to visit were amazed and said that the chickens they had as kids never would have tolerated handling like that.  These were just great birds.  If all chickens were this nice, I think more people would have them.    

Good Scout

James joined the Boy Scouts when he turned 11 years old and he is a forward thinking young man.  Tonight he proposed his Eagle Scout project (for those not in the know, google it, I am having a hard time coming up with an accurate 5 word description.)  His idea: installing dumb waiters in the homes of those who have not.  If your boy scout wants to steal the idea, let me know.  I'd love a dumb waiter. 

Mid Summer Update

Well, I don't often find myself thinking of blogging these days.  The middle of our summer is passing uneventfully.  We've played mancala, ants in the pants, cootie, don't break the ice, bang, labyrinth, and a few others I don't remember.  We toured a potato chip factory.  It was amazing to see potatos coming off the truck at one end of the warehouse and nice hot chips coming off the conveyor belts at the other end.  Wash, cut, fry, repeat.  It smelled really good. 
James' viola arrived in the mail this week.  I am excited for him to have a chance to learn a musical instrument.  I think he will love middle school. 
Simon is gearing up for kindergarten.  He is an excellent helper with the chickens and is very interested in learning to ride a 2 wheeler.  I was excited to teach a 2 wheeler when I am not pregnant, as has been the case in the past.  I was not counting on a helpful 2 year old who insists on running behind and holding Simon up as he tries to gain his balance.  Scary! 
Mia has really developped some great sewing skills through classes at the local fabric store.  She has made a pillowcase, an apron, a pair of shorts, and appliqued a cute t shirt.  She would like to make a dress all by herself.  She chose a pattern (after I insisted) and is looking forward to the day when she can wear something she made to church. 
Jonny likes playing with friends- he has had a lot of good  play dates this summer. 
Rachel loves to talk on the phone, sing songs and help Simon ride his bike (yikes!) She is funny, but don't call her that.  She will tell you she is not funny, she is cute.  I think she can be both.

We took the kids roller skating a few weeks ago.  It was tons of fun.  Gary and I were the only parents on roller skates at first, but a few more joined in.  This was the kids first experience and they were real troopers.  They skated and fell and skated and fell and skated and skated and skated.  Even Rachel got going a little.  James, Jonny, and Mia took to roller blades very well.  Simon did much better on standard skates.  Rachel did fisher price my first skates and that was just right for her.  Gary and I each took the youngest ones around until they got the hang of it.  At first, skating with Rachel was a bit like dragging a scarecrow around the rink, but she found her feet and had a good time.  Simon much had a similar experience on roller blades, but once he switched to skates he did great.  I felt like a kid again, it was so much fun.

A few days ago the kids started "The Night Night Club."  It's where they take all of the pillows and blankets and spread them on the living room floor.  Mia is the president.  Jonny is the national guard. Simon in the vice president.  Rachel is in charge of recruiting.  I am the secretary.  I think I have the best job because it is funny to write down what really happens.  First meeting: Jonny motions to remove Mia as president.  Motion is denied, but term limits of 1 year are established (this was a tough compromise between daily turn over and every 3 years.)  Next motion:Should the club do cuddle time or pillow fight?  membership voted 3-1 in favor of cuddle time.  (When James found that out, he determined that this was not the club for him. Rachel will have her work cut out for her as recruiter.)  Next motion: weekly schedule established, Monday cuddle time, Wednesday pajama day, Friday is trick day.  Meeting adjourned.     Only casualty: Daddy's pillow is no where to be found.  Sorry!  I promise we'll find it before you need it:)

The kids are all in swimming lessons, including Rachel.  I go in the water with her.  It's fun, but I am really missing seeing what the others are up to in their classes.  I didn't anticipate that. 

Summer Time

This summer, I set a goal to play more games with the kids.  The specific goal was to play one different board or card game each day.  3 weeks in to summer and I am not there yet.  Here's a list of games we have played:
Life
Busy Town
Apples to Apples (Simon can't read, but was just throwing in a random card each round and managed to win!)
Bang!
Set
Jumbling Tower (knock off of Jenga- buy the real deal, if you do- the blocks don't align well in the generic)
Elefun
Monopoly Jr.

Another thing I want to do this summer is find service projects to participate in.  So far, we helped clean up the landscaping at a local school (someone's eagle project) and help clean the house of a woman who had back surgery (the kids were pretty excited to be assigned the bathroom, if you can believe it.  All of those chore skills put to good use.)  If you hear of any family friendly service projects, let me know:) James has done a little free babysitting and Mia delivered treats to sick people with the Activity Girls.  Hopefully, we can all feel the joy and unity that comes with service. 

Jonny decided that he likes to do 4 things: eat, play video games, burn things (well, watch things burn, as in camp fires) and bake things.  As we have time limits on video games, he is twiddling his thumbs a lot.  And he is baking a lot.  5 dozen cookies donated so far, who knows how many consumed. 

Mia has decided that she only likes are amusement parks and vacations where you go somewhere.   This kind of reminds me of a kid I babysat a few times when Gary was in grad school.  When meals were served, she would politely decline, saying "I only eat Happy Meals."  Mia is taking sewing classes at the fabric store and has brought home some great projects so far- a pillowcase and a quilt/applique t-shirt.  She has a few more projects to go.  I hope she'll find some satisfaction in gaining a new skill. 

James has discovered the library's teen center.  He's not a teen yet, but he loves to sneak in.  So as often as he can, he goes to the library under the pretense of reading a great new series.  But really, it's the video games, every time.  He also went on a couple of over nighters with the scouts too.  How exciting!

Simon has read the first 4 Hooked on Phonics books to me!  I am proud of him for trying and proud of me for making time to do it.   He enjoyed a week of McGruff Safety camp where he learned all kinds of safety tips and how to drive a 4 wheeler.  (my favorite new saftey tip: for kids in 2nd or 3rd floor bedrooms, if there is a fire and you  are trapped in your room, open your window and start throwing your toys out the window.  The firefighters will see the toys right away and know where to find the kids.  The firefighter explained that the first thing they do is walk a perimeter around the house to gauge the situation and will find the toys and consequently the kids.)

Rachel has decided that it's time to act her age: 2.  She no longer likes the straps of her car seat and it's this "awesome" wrestling match when ever we need to go somewhere in a hurry.  She has also learned how to stretch "just a minute" to it's fullest extent.   She is in a big girl bed now and also sings and talks ALL the time. 

We rented chickens and for the next month, Winifred and Georgina will be wandering the yard, eatting bugs, laying eggs and delighting the children to the max.   Simon and Jonny are constantly checking on them and are especially fond of them.  They are good natured and calm and don't mind catching/holding. That's not to say that the others don't like them too- Rachel first saw them and said "OOO!  See my chicken sisters?"  Will it be heart break or good ridance when it's time to give them back?  Time will tell. 

We've met friends at the park each week (email for the schedule if you want to join in) and enjoyed the free movie offerings at the local theater.  That's a run down of our summer so far.  I'm trying to keep track for the kiddodiddo's sake, so they don't turn in another essay like this:
"We went to the store.  We went to the store again.  It was boring.  Next year it will be boring too."
Or, if they do, I can print this, to show the teacher I am not a shopaholic. 

Our Record-Setting Family

During the weekend, my family and I helped set a world record!

The record-setting kiddodiddos! Front row: Simon (blue), Rachel (pink), and Jonny (brown). Next: James (gray/orange) and Tracy (white/blue/purple). Next: me (my white/red/yellow Singin' in the Rain shirt; my head is absent).

We joined several hundred of our closest friends to attempt to set the record for the most people ever in one place to wear surgical masks at the same time. Our family appears in a photo gallery of the event. Our photo is #5 of 6 in the gallery. Or you can cut to the chase and go directly to our photo.

Everyone in our family attended except Amelia, who chose to attend a sewing class instead. It's her fun new hobby, which she enjoys so much that we gave her a sewing machine for her birthday. So while the rest of us got a world record, she got a custom decorated t-shirt. It was a fun day for all of us!

Healthy Eating

A kiddodiddo classic is ants on a log.  I think everyone is familiar with this delectable combination of celery, raisins and peanut butter.  We pretty much love it here except for one thing:
Jonny:  Can we not call it ants on a log?  Who wants to eat ants?  That's GROSS.
us: What should we call it?
Jonny: Pants on a log. 
Mia: You want to eat PANTS?  That's gross.

WInner!

Try not to be jealous of Uncle Jake for winning  this amazing diaper bag hand crafted by none other than our precious Amelia.  This original work was created using diapers, tape and toilet paper.  Gotta love her sense of humor!    It will be arriving as soon as I can find the right size envelope.

Contest

If you are feeling lucky, please leave a comment and you will be eligible to win an incredible hand made diaper bag.  This diaper bag was made by a very creative and talented young kiddodiddo.  I guarantee you will get such a kick out of this diaper bag that even if you no longer need to carry around diapers, you will want this bag.  Entrants must leave a comment by Saturday night.  Good Luck!

I'm the Mom

I tend to wear an old pink sweater with buttons on it around the house.  I didn't realize I did it so often until I had the following exchange with Rachel:
R: I need my circus sweater (it has circus animals parading around the bottom of it)
M: (got sweater and put it on her)
R: Now give me your phone because I'M the mom!
So now I know the two things every mom needs- a sweater and a phone. 

Manly

Last month I overheard a funny conversation while I was driving the preschool carpool.  Simon had chosen to wear a button down shirt, one that was a gift to James many years ago but never worn.  James had a thing against buttons, as did Jonny.  Simon likes to dress like Dad sometimes by wearing nicer shirts.
So I picked up Simon's friend and as he got in the van, he said to Simon "Hey- your shirt looks like a man!"  Simon looked confused for a split second and then he cracked into a sly grin and said "That's because my shirt IS a man." 

Mythbusters

Even before we signed up for television service a few months ago, the kiddodiddos really enjoyed Mythbusters.  It really captures their imaginations.  Thankfully, the myths they have tried to bust at home have been small scale. 
This morning, while I was doing Rachel's hair, Simon handed me the "ballistics gel" (as he called it) to finish off her 'do.  What a helpful boy:)

How to Spot a Baby

Me: Rachel, are you a big girl or a baby?

Rachel (almost 2): Baby.

Me: How do we know that you're still a baby?

Rachel: My pink, big, big slide.

Jimmy in the Newspaper!

Another post, previously lost in the vaults, this one from the year James was in first grade.

A few days ago, we had a storm blow in to town. It lasted about 40 minutes and it was pretty intense. At the time Jimmy usually gets home from school it started raining hard. I thought I'd be a good mom and pick him up at the bus stop in the van. The wind kept the door from closing properly the first time, so I thought "It's a good thing I'm going to get Jimmy. I don't want Jimmy out in this weather." By the time I was at the van, I was soaked to the skin. I waited at the bus stop (in the van) for about 20 minutes and then turned around to come home. When I got home, I got an automated phone call saying that they kept the kids at school in a tornado drill and would be releasing them when the storm was over. (This was an hour after dismissal)  Information that would have been helpful sooner, don't you think?   So here's how Jimmy and his classmates spent the extra hour at the school, as photographed for a local paper. 

I can no longer tell you which one was James.  Sorry!

Questions

This post was originally written several years ago- better late than never, right?

Sometimes parents get asked hard questions like:

What if the gospel is just made up, like fairy tales? (Jimmy)

I'm glad he asked Daddy that one.

Sometimes they get asked easy ones like:

Why are overalls called overalls? (Amelia)

A heated discussion ensued because they do not really go "over all"- they don't cover your head. Jonny (who was in on the discussion) decided they should be called pants-eralls instead.

Sometimes they get asked weird ones like:

(let me preface this by saying he was on his potty seat that makes music everytime he wets)

Can I borrow your urine for me to put in the potty seat? (Jonny)

4 in 6

Originally written in 2008 and then forgotten about, I thought this musing deserved to be posted after all. 

I was at the doctor's office, for Amelia's cast removal today. She wasn't psychologically ready for it to come off and it turned into an ordeal. Her arm has healed properly. She is just scared for her arm to get hurt again, so she currently has a splint on that we'll take off when she's ready. 

The physician's assistant mentioned that he is the oldest of 4 boys. "4 boys in 6 years," he said as he told me some story. I really don't remember the rest because I was busy thinking: Who in their right mind would have 4 kids in 6 years?! Oh yeah- me.

a good laugh before bed

So here I am at the computer, trying to figure out logistics for various activites this week when I hear lots of yelling from the boy's bedroom.  Amelia is joining them for a sleepover tonight.  I open the door and what do I see?  James, Amelia, and Jonny huddled around a card table they dragged in, playing "Dilbert's Corporate Shuffle"  (It's exactly like Scum, if you ever played that.)  James is wearing a large neck tie.  Amelia is wearing a small neck tie.  Jonny is wearing the Nathaniel Bacon suit I made James for his famous Virginian report this year.  And he is hopping mad.

Question answered

I always wondered why Simon didn't like playground swings.  Sure he would ask to sit on them, but he never lasted more than a minute.  In my mind I wondered if it was fear of heights, motion sickness, or something else.  Tuesday I got my answer.  I went to pick him up from preschool and he was riding a tire swing.  When he got off, he was so dizzy he couldn't walk.  It was kind of silly, kind of sad.  On the way home, he said he needed to throw up, so I pulled over and got him out.  The next time it happened there was no shoulder to pull out.  So he vomitted all over himself and the car. So sad:(
Now I know he takes after his mama.  Swings make me sick too.
The next day, I was driving Mia to a dentist appointment at 7:30 am.  The other kids were eatting alphabits in little baggies.  I said "Sorry for the vomit smell, everyone"  Mia said "Oh- it's okay.  The cheerios smell covers it up."  That's fine for most folks.  But for me, I hate that "cheerios smell."   So now the real question boils down to this: would I rather have a cheerios smell mini van or a vomit smells mini van?  Neither.  That is what Glade Scented Oils are for.

Nice Socks

I wish I had a picture to go with this.  Simon ended up wearing his one piece footie pajamas with his tennis shoes this morning- we were in a hurry to drop off the big kids at school. (I kept them up too late last night so I let them sleep in a little and dropped them off at the last morning bell.)  As he was getting in the van, Simon stopped, stood up straight and said "HEY! my socks go all the way up to my shoulders!"  I never would have thought of that!

Where's My Egg?

We dedicated some time to decorating hard boiled eggs for Easter last month.  Everyone was excited for the project and we quickly got down to business.  Each kid grabbed and egg and chose a color to dip it in- we got a neon kit this year (for future reference: DON'T forget to stir the solutions, as directed.  You'll get funny looking eggs.)  Eggs slid into cups, and then Rachel cried out "Hey- where's my egg?"  I explainned that we put them in the cups to make them pretty, but she wasn't buying it.  Every minute or two she would ask in an increasingly grumpy voice "Where's my egg?"  Finally, I just gave her a plain one to hold.  She quickly scarfed it down.  Apparently, she thought she had signed up for snack time, not an art project. 

Service with a Smile

One of my friends is moving this weekend and I thought it would be great to go help her pack.  So Friday night, the kids and I went over to help box up her kitchen.  I thought this would be a great opportunity for service.  It really was, for me and Amelia that is.  We wrapped bowls and plates for a while.  The boys decided it would be better to go and play in the yard.  That was fine with me because we really were overcrowding the space when they were inside.  Unfortunately, what was outside was an overfriendly black lab by the name of Onyx.  He was having  grand time chasing them around and sniffing their bums, etc.  I could not convince them to stand their ground.  Seriously, he's a nice dog and all he really wanted was a good belly rub.  But the kids insisted: If I hold still he will MAUL me!  At one point, the kids came inside to get away from the dog, but the Onyx followed them in.  So Jonny got the brilliant idea that he could lure the dog into the yard by going outside and then sneaking back in and locking the door.  Unfortunately, when my friend saw the dog in the yard, she was quick to close and lock the door leaving Jonny out in the cold.  We had no idea he was out there and finally some one asked where he was and we looked outside to find a very miserable Jonny and a very happy Onyx.  So we let Jonny back in.  Onyx followed.  So the boys ended  up making a baracade out of boxes to protect themselves from the dog while Amelia and I wrapped dishes.  After about an hour, some men from the church came to help and I decided that the kids had had enough and we headed home. 
The best part of it is the unintended service we received: the kids are no longer asking for a dog.  That's enough to make me smile. 

Oscars Survey

Every year my brother runs a Oscars survey to see who can come the closest to picking the results.  If you are a movie buff, here's his survey- you could win bragging rights. 
http://kwiksurveys.com/online-survey.php?surveyID=LHMJMN_611bad15
Since it's s survey designed for people who don't see many movies he does include extra information to help you make educated guesses.
Have fun!

lullaby

Friday night, James attended a lazer tag birthday party that went late (well, late for kids.)  When it was over it was half past 8 and the van was full of cranky kids who really just wanted to go to bed.  Rachel was the exception.  She was full of gusto.  So she decided to sing the big kids to sleep with one of her favorite songs: Good Night, Ladies.  Unfortunately, she only knows one line of the song, the part that goes "good night, ladies!"   So she sang it over and over again, pausing occasionally to shout a self request: "Louder!"   A few verses would have been fine with everyone, but this went on for miles and miles and one of the older kids lost patience and told her to shut up.  She was rightfully offended and hollered her hurt feelings for everyone to hear.  So everyone had to tell her what a great singer she was so that she would quit crying.  As soon as the crying was done, she was back to singing "Good Night, Ladies" in her best one year old way. 

macaroni cheese

Everytime we have a babysitter, I plan for the kids to have macaroni cheese for dinner.  I don't like it at all so I am happy to miss out.  I was at the store with Simon and Rachel on Friday, making preparations for the weekend.  When I started dumping boxes of macaroni cheese in the cart, Rachel cried out in an excited voice "OO babysitter!" and she was right.  We had a sitter scheduled for Saturday night.  Though I am not sure whether she made the connection between macaroni cheese and having a sitter OR if she calls macaroni cheese "babysitter." 

Park Day

Saturday I was looking for something fun to do with the kiddodiddos.  Since the weather was nice, I packed a few snacks and we headed over to a nearby park for some silly time.  Rachel and I did the slides (she is definately not independent at the park yet.)  Jonny and Rachel did the swings.  James and Jonny did kickball, football and basketball.  Amelia ran around doing slides with me and Rachel and invented games for herself and Simon to play.  There are these awesome bushes at this park.  They are about 3 and a half feet high and they look really solid but they are hollow undernearth.  Simon, Rachel and I played under there until I was told it was not for grownups (Simon's idea, but I was okay with it.) 
After eating a snack of bananas, Jonny collected the peels and lined them up on the ground.  Then he repeatedly ran across them, yelling updates as to whether they were slippery or not.  (I didn't slip!  I STILL didn't slip!)   This idea was not a new fascination, he frequently brings home drawings of people slipping on banana peels from school.
At one point, we were all on the teeter totter and James decided to show off his balance by doing that Russian dance on the center piece while we all went up and down.  You know the dance where the guys crouch down low and kick their legs and shout HEY! Maybe it's not Russian, but I associate it with Russia; also large black fuzzy hats.)  
Nice day, I hope for many more this spring!   

first grade musings

Jonny seems to bring home a lot more writing papers than my other children did in first grade.  I always crack up when I go through them.  Here's a recent sampling from my stack (the kids always complained when I recycled their old school work, so this year I am saving it all in a stack.  The stack is now almost 6 inches high.)

My fish can swim.
My fish can fight because he's a bada (betta)
My fish can do trix (tricks)
My fish can be asam (awesome.)

What doz (does) Owen eat?
Owen eats raps (wraps.)
What doz Logan eat?
Logan eats sushy (sushi)
What doz the class eat?
The class eats thar (their) bugers.
What doz Wes eat?
Wes eats bugers.
(this one made me wonder why I home schooled last year)

It was the time of the pie war "Pozon Bary at 3:00" (can't tell if he meant poison berry or boysenberry)
The pie war part 1
Said Jonny "troop fight!"
"I will make pies!" yelled Jacob
troop coming soon.
Pie war part 2
Gard the casl (guard the castle)
Jonny brakoe in the bakerary (jonny broke in the bakery) and flooded it.
(I like this one because it sounds adventurous and it was written in purple and red crayons to look more like berries)

and a book of random musings:
What does dracula eat? (with an illustration of a dracula with long rectangle fangs)
What does bunnicula eat?
Did vikings throw pie?
Does wind blow house tops off?
Do whales use their blow holes when they are next to a house? (picture of a whale squirting water at a house)
Do unicorns live?

things to hold on to

Kids grow fast and I can't freeze time no matter how hard I try.  Here are a few moments I'd like to hang on to, before they slip from memory:
One Sunday a few weeks ago, I was getting ready for church.  As I came out of my room to check on things, I found James in the bathroom where he had lined up his brothers and was carefully combing their hair WITHOUT being asked.  Now that's a treasure!

One day, I fell asleep on the couch while I was reading Simon stories.  I woke up 20 minutes later covered with a blanket and 4 pillow pets.  So nice to look out for me:)

Rachel is at an age where she likes to sing, but doesn't really remember the words to songs.  The other day we asked for a song and she was pleased to combine a few and come up with this: Jesus, Jesus ashes ashes we all fall down.  James said it sounded like the second coming.  I was thinking the same thing.

Amelia spent one after noon decorating hearts (lots of them) for our entry way.  We look so festive now, thanks to her talents. 

Simon is finally using the potty like a pro, thanks to an off comment by the doctor.  (he mentioned that kids poop with in a half hour after eatting- why didn't the 6 potty training books I read say that??!)  So now he does his constitutional after every meal and is clean as a whistle.  It crackes me up when he says he going off to "constaTOOT."

I read in a book a fun game called Memory Lane where you get a large bag of candy and give your kids a piece for every scripture they can recite.  It's so sweet to hear their voices proudly proclaim what they know.  I thought this would be fun for Sunday but the kids are clamoring for it other days too.  I try not to give in too much, I don't want the novelty to wear off.
 
I need to hold on to the sweet times because I know these kiddo diddos will be grown and gone before I know it.  I try not to dwell on that though- it makes me a weepy mess. 

the butter phase

I like to include the kids in the kitchen.  I like to cook and I like it when they join in.  I have a difficult time coming up with jobs for them sometimes though. 
Last week, preparing for Christmas dinner I had plenty of helpers in the kitchen.  I like the bustle.  Anyway, I was mixing something up (i forget what) and Rachel came up to ask for some of what I was making-  or so I thought.  I offered her some and she said no.  She pointed behind me, to Gary who had  unwrapped a stick of butter.  "THAT" she said pointing to the butter.  Funny thing about kids- they aren't embarrassed to tell you they would like to eat a stick of butter. 

I think it was last year, we were on a road trip and stopped at Cracker Barrel.  We ordered food and it was delivered.  I thought everyone had enjoyed their food but as we cleanned up, I realized that Simon had not eatten a bite from his plate.  Instead, he had managed to eat all of the butter packets on the table. 

And several years ago, after a stop at Bob Evans I found a bunch of empty butter cups in someone's bed.  Apparently he or she had taken them home as a doggy bag and enjoyed as a bed time snack. 

Once or twice I have had to throw out whole sticks of butter that showed signs of gnawing.  

I guess it's just one of those phases kids go through.  Then they figure out that butter is not a main course.   

About Whales

Last week, I took the kids to the library.  It's one place all the kids love.  We were there at story time and Rachel insisted we attend.  I was glad she did. I like it when she gets to do little kids things.  Most of the other kids are too big and so they hang out reading or looking for books.   Simon came in at the start of story time, themed about arctic animals.  Jonny came in half way through, with a stack of books.  He listened and read as the Rachel, Simon and I participated in songs and rhymes.  Then the librariam asked the group "What is blubber?"   The children were mystified until Jonny eagerly raised his hand and blurted out this wise knowledge "it is what you use to tell if a whale is pregnant or not."  Wow.  I had no idea blubber could do that:)