Catching up

Wow! It has been a busy weekend for us. Lake had his last basketball game on Saturday morning - he scored twice!

After the game I spent some one on one time with my oldest child. If I'm the only adult with the kids I don't usually go into a restaurant. So, since it was only the two of us I pulled into a parking space and turned off the van. Lake was SO excited when he realized we were going inside and not through the drive-thru. After lunch we went shoe shopping for him. He was very good about it. When we finally both agreed on a pair of shoes he was very thankful and agreed to the other shopping that we did. We returned home and picked up the rest of the family as well as Genius and Ms. V. We all went to Pancake Day at the local high school for dinner. Rosie ate all three of her large pancakes and 2 pieces of sausages. The boys ate well, also. After eight or nine (?) pancakes, I made Genius give up his plate. He'd also eaten atleast 4 pieces of sausage. Daisy didn't eat much because she was beginning to get a cold. (So for the next few days I will be Bobby instead of Mommy!)

On Sunday morning I stayed home with the girls while John Henry took the boys to church. After lunch I threw the baseball with the boys until Lake had to go to baseball tryouts that got rained out on Saturday. Out of all the seven year old boys he was one of three that could hit the ball into the outfield. Tate doesn't have to tryout since he has one more year of t-ball.

This morning I took Tate to the dentist for a cleaning and ran into Chris. Her middle child had an appointment also. As I was leaving the dentist John Henry called to tell me the that he'd taken the truck to be repaired and to see if I could pick him up. He took us to lunch and then we all came back home. Since then I have picked Lake up from school and since the weather is beautiful (and only going to improve tomorrow) all four children are playing in the (fenced) back yard.

This week I have to prepare for ...... A weekend of scrapbooking!!!! I'm going on a scrapbook retreat and hopefully I will have Daisy's book up to date when I return. The other three children are not up to date either but I have atleast started theirs. Lake has three albums, Tate has two, Rosie has one almost completed. They are all atleast two years behind.

Wednesday's Best Husband Award

Goes to my very own John Henry. Remember a few days ago I posted about a book I had just finished by Sophie Kinsella? Well, he brought every book of hers that he could find home to me yesterday as a surprise.

The only problem I have is this: My step dad is completely blind. He has ceramic eyes because he lost his eyes in an explosion several years ago. He usually reads audio books but has come across a book he wants me to read for him and tell him about it. The book is on loan to him from his boss (he works at a pain clinic and is in the process of obtaining his license to counsel.) I can't mention to him that I now have eight books that I want to read (5 from John Henry and 3 from Trixie.)

I know. I know. I shouldn't whine about it. Just read it and get it over with. Or maybe I can find it on audio tape for him....

Say What?

This morning Rosie told me that she doesn't like me. She said it so matter-of-fact that I had to suppress a giggle. When I asked her why not she said it's because I make her do things.

Well, now, that started a little earlier than I anticipated.

And, I'm still wondering what I make her do that is so terrible. Be polite? Use the potty? Share? I think it's the potty thing. She has been completely potty trained for over a year but she still sees it as a hassle to stop what she's doing and go to the bathroom. She will wait until the VERY last minute to go. This is very frustrating to me. It may be something else, though. Oh well, she'll probably like me again in a few minutes.

Always Starving

Or so they say. When the boys get home from school they are always starving. I let them have a snack but if given the opportunity they would eat goldfish, pretzels, cheese and crackers, an apple, an orange and a granola bar. How do I know this? It's what they have tried to do this afternoon. They have both had pretzels, an orange, an apple and granola bars. Now they are having a meltdown because they are still starving. John Henry is on the way home with dinner - I didn't make it to the grocery store today. It was raining too hard and I didn't feel like I could handle the girls and the groceries today.

I may go tonight.

By myself.

Van is Back!

Although we didn't get the van back until this afternoon, we had a great time with Grandma. Rosie ended up skipping school to spend the day with 'the girls.' We ended up shopping! Grandma insisted that she purchase me a pair of shoes and a pair of jeans. Wow! She then let the girls pick out outfits. They both picked cute Gap outfits that will be perfect for spring and summer. She started to panic as we were leaving the mall because she hadn't purchased the boys anything. And then she realized that she had already purchased them both pants with matching jackets (athletic outfits) and she had them in her van. Grandma was a big hit at the house this afternoon when the boys got home from school (she had also brought all four kids a snack.)

On the way home from shopping we stopped in a quilting shop. John Henry and I had been telling Grandma about this place - we had never been inside but it looked good from the outside. I think she quite fell in love with the store and will be back soon!

No Van for Two Days?

Well, it may be ready tomorrow afternoon but I'm afraid it may be more like Wednesday before we get it back. Don't get me wrong - I'm very happy to be getting the work done and having it run like it should. We wouldn't have gone any where today because of the icy roads. Grandma said she would come down tomorrow to help out. Getting the boys to school is no problem. Getting Rosie to school could be a problem if John Henry has to travel. Getting everyone home should be OK since Grandma will be here.

I haven't mentioned potty training with Daisy lately because there hasn't been much going on in that department. Today, since we are home all day, I thought it would be a good time to suggest using the potty. It all sounded good...But we have been through two pairs of pants so now she is wearing a pull-up. The two accidents occurred on the kitchen floor which suits me fine because it's easier to clean. As soon as she started to go, she would call out to me and ask for a towel. She KNOWS what she's doing, it's just a matter of coordinating everything. Of all four children, she gets the least upset at an accident. I think I've finally realized it's not worth freaking out over. Clean up and move on. Someone remind me of this in a few months if I start freaking out?!

I'm holding her while I type and this sweet girl has fallen asleep in my lap. This is after two days of no naps.

One update: I finished the book I started a few days ago - 'Confessions of a Shopaholic.' It is very light reading but I found it hilarious at times. I think I even laughed out loud a couple of times.

Thirty Minutes of Peace

Thanks to Grandma! A while back she bought a set of paint brush pens. They are really cool - they look like real paint brushes but the paint is in one end and you squeeze it through the brush part. I had been saving them for a day just like today. The other cool part about these brushes is that there is 20 brushes - four each of five colors. I have four kids. They each had their own five colored brushes. They didn't have to share. They were so excited especially when they realized that they would each get their own set. Even when we realized that Lake's red was defective Tate and Rosie each said that Lake could use theirs. I now have a kitchen filled with beautiful paintings that are drying so that they can be sent to various family members through the mail. I was surprised at one thing: The boys used lots of paint while Rosie was very careful to squeeze some out and then use the brush. It may have just been because she didn't have the strength in her hand to squeeze the tube continually.

Bottom line is we had peace in the house and everyone was having fun, too!

Nap and Project Update

I let Daisy sleep. Well, I didn't actually LET her sleep, she just didn't wake up when I put her back in the van to pick the boys up from school. She did wake up when I got her out of the van, though. She ended up with about a two hour nap. She must have needed the extra sleep yesterday. Remember that John Henry is out of town again this weekend, right? Well, Tate and Rosie decided that they wanted to spend the night with Nano. Tate had been planning the night for about a week but Rosie just decided yesterday afternoon that she was staying, also. I took them to Mom's and then Lake, Daisy and myself went to Target and looked around and bought a birthday present. I called Mom to make sure that Rosie was indeed going to stay the night. I live 35 minutes away and didn't want to have to get the other two out of bed in the middle of the night because Rosie had changed her mind. This has happened before but there have also been two parents at home - one could go get her and the other stay at home. Well, it's morning and she evidently made it through the night. Yeah! As for Daisy, by the time we got home she was tired and went to sleep without fussing. I've got to work on her 'shopping endurance!' She likes to shop but only for about 45 minutes. Then she's done!

When Lake got in the van yesterday after school I casually asked him how his day was, how the vocabulary test went and what the comments were about his project. His teacher said it was "done very well." I asked him about the others and he said that he thought his was the best in his class. His tone was not bragging. I asked him why he thought his was the best and he said that the others didn't look 'finished.' By this he meant that pictures had been drawn but not colored - he's very big about NO white spots on his poster except where the written information is. Also, some just didn't look good. And that's about all he would say about it.

On tap for today: Trying to stay warm. Very cold here and sleet and freezing rain with some snow in the forecast. Brrrrr!

Nap or Not?

I was really trying to gear up for Daisy getting rid of her nap. However, the last three days she has fallen asleep in the van and stayed asleep for two hours after I move her into the house. The last three nights she has also stayed up until well after 10:00pm. If I wake her, I run the risk of her crying and being a grump for the afternoon. This makes it hard to prepare dinner.

So, what's she doing right now? Sleeping on the sofa. She fell asleep in the van and when I brought her inside she curled back into a ball and went back to sleep. John Henry is likely to be leaving for a retreat this evening. Tate is spending the night with Nano so it will just be Lake, Rosie, Daisy and myself tonight....Do I wake her? Do I let her sleep?

*sigh*

Project Completed

And it looked pretty good, if I'm allowed to say! Once Lake calmed down last night, he and his dad spent several hours working. I only made a few suggestions and tried to keep the other three kids out of the kitchen. I didn't always succeed but that's beside the point...

Of course it was raining this morning and we had to make a quick decision about whether or not he should ride the bus or if I should drive him. The bus picks him up at the neighborhood school and then takes him about 10 minutes to the magnet school. I can drop him off at a covered walk way. Then the bus drops him off at the door of the magnet school. If I drive him to the magnet school he has to walk up a hill in the rain. I was worried about his project getting damaged on the bus but Lake said not to worry. When I checked later this morning he and the project had made it safely to school. They get graded on the project and also judged. The judging takes place next week. We may find out the grade today. I'll post it when I know.

Meltdown

Lake is better now but he had a meltdown that lasted for about 30 minutes. He has a project that is due tomorrow and he's a perfectionist....need I say more? I've made him take a break so right now he's outside playing. He can finish his project after dinner.

Valentine's Day Fun

Yes, we had fun yesterday. Over the weekend the boys decorated boxes for their Valentine cards. Lake's was actually a graded project and he had to also complete a 'planning' sheet before he decorated his box. He had a good time, as did Tate. Rosie decorated her mail bag at school. I had to choose which party to attend - Lake and Tate's parties were at the same time and their schools are on opposite ends of town. I had told myself at the beginning of the school year that if it came to this, I would choose the kindergarten party. I went to every one of Lake's parties last year and think it's only fair to do the same with Tate. The girls went with me to the party and instead of participating, they both wanted to play in the home living center. Lake was only a little put out with me. So, to make things up with him, I'm planning to have lunch with him one day this week.

After school, Grandma came bearing gifts. Lake got a cool blue and green pullover shirt/jacket. Tate got a zip-up jacket in the same colors. Rosie and Daisy got cute summer white shirts. The whole crew received the Wallace and Grommit movie. This must be a popular gift - another blogger I've never met (but feel I know!) received the movie as a Valentine gift for her children, too.

Grandma also brought me a new purse/bag that she made. She also brought me lots of yarn and other knitting tools. Also, she brought Rachel Ray's 365: No Repeats cookbook. I'm excited to find new things to prepare. It seems like we've gotten into a rut and I cook the same things over and over and over again. Rosie is very excited about the book. She will sit and watch any of Rachel Ray's shows and gets testy if I try to change the channel!

The seven of us went to dinner and John Henry and I laughed and said, "Remember when?" as we saw couples coming into the restaurant. We remember but wouldn't have it any other way!

Can't be fooled

I don't particularly like to drink after my children. Daisy likes to share. So, usually I just pretend to drink whatever she's sharing. Well, it looks like that's not going to fly anymore. She was sharing her water with me and when I pretended to drink, she said "No. Put it in your mouth." I put the bottle to my mouth and pretended to drink again. She said, "No. Put the WATER in your mouth." Just lovely.

Squeals of delight

Yes, Daddy came home last night! The girls were still up and very glad to see him. We are all jealous because of the snow that he got to see. Maybe my kids will see a real snow before they are grown.

Black eyes, slapped cheeks and busted lips

That's what I look like right now. The girls received purses from Aunt S yesterday and Nano was quick to fill them with some of her old make-up. This included purple eye shadow, a pretty blush (when applied properly) and two tubes of lipstick. Daisy decided she wanted to apply make-up to me and asked me to sit down on the kitchen floor. It wasn't long before Rosie came in the room and helped her. While they were applying this make-up, Rosie informed me that Daisy's name is now Katie and her name is now Ashley.

Shortly afterwards, Rosie fell out of a kitchen chair and hurt her bottom (and her pride) while she was trying to pack for an indoor picnic. Daisy came running to her and as I picked her up to comfort her, Daisy said, "I'll hold her." I said, "Why don't we both hold her?" She thought that was OK for awhile but then she ran into her room and came back carrying Rosie's blanket and a teddy bear. Rosie's better but says her bottom still hurts.

A Dusting of Snow...

And you would have thought we were getting atleast a foot of the stuff! Last night around 9:00pm I looked outside to see big beautiful snow flakes falling from the sky. When I told the boys to look outside, they came flying past me and were out the door in their pajamas, bare feet and wet hair and lots of, "Yippees!!" Of course they were not able to get to sleep for another hour because they were plotting what they were going to do this morning with all of the snow that was sure to be in our yard. They were mildly disappointed when they woke up but are now hoping it will snow this afternoon. Thankfully Daddy comes home this afternoon. Since he will be driving through snow, maybe he can just bring it with him!

As for the second night (last night) everyone slept through the night in their own bed. Translation: I had the bed to myself and slept all night, also! Probably the first time in years that has happened!

He scores!

Lake scored twice in his basketball game this morning! As soon as the ball went into the basket he looked up in the bleachers to make sure that I saw! This is the first time he's scored at a game.

We made it through last night with only one child waking up. Rosie ended up in bed with me around 2:00am. One more night to go and then John Henry should be back.

New love

Yarn. I now love nice yarn. Thanks to Trixie's encouragement and investigation skills I took a knitting class last night. A few weeks ago I purchased a very cheap yarn thinking that there couldn't be much difference in yarn. When I got to the class I realized I had left my yarn at home so I purchased some Encore yarn. What a difference! This stuff doesn't get into knots and it feels good. My best friend from high school took the class with me - we even met for dinner before hand. When we finished the two hour class we had knitted what I call a Barbie scarf. I was the only one that saw the potential for this little thing but I think Rosie will appreciate it.

John Henry said the kids were fine while I was gone. They were all in bed asleep when I got home. Lake did mention that I had been gone for about four hours and didn't I need to come home. John Henry told him that sometimes moms need time with their friends. I guess I'll be giving the same speech this weekend about dads. Both girls fell asleep by 7:00pm.

The knitting class instructor said that knitting is a stress reliever. I'm wondering if that holds true even with eight little hands trying to help?!

Where's Lake?

That's what I said this morning when I went to wake him for school. He wasn't in his bed. I found him in his brother's bed. He was up against the wall which meant he had to climb over Tate to get there. When I woke him and mentioned that he was not sleeping in his bed he started complaining about his brother kicking and elbowing him. So, why didn't he get back in his own bed? He's seven years old, he's a boy and since boys grow into men I'll probably never know why!

Is he crazy?

John Henry is going on a fishing trip (with three other guys) this weekend. They are going to Mountain Home, Arkansas. The high temperature for Saturday is 38. I have really given this some thought and I've decided that we all are probably crazy about something. So, what would I do in extreme weather conditions? The only thing I can come up with is that I would go to the beach in this kind of cold or rain (no storm, just heavy rain.) I would go to the beach on Saturday. I wouldn't ask my kids or John Henry to do the same, just as he hasn't asked us to go on this trip with him. To clarify, I would only go to the beach one time in these conditions. After I listened to the waves, smelled the sand and took in the beauty I would be able to leave it until better weather. John Henry would probably go back to the White River the next weekend if given the opportunity!

No Snow

We all wanted snow but woke up to a light rain. Maybe next time. Maybe we will get in the van and drive north until we find snow. Rosie and Daisy have never seen snow on the ground and Lake and Tate have never seen the ground covered in snow.

This weekend we watched "March of the Penguins." Now, that was alot of snow! We actually rented it for the kids but John Henry and I were the only ones that watched the entire movie. We really enjoyed it. I was completely impressed with the male penguins devotion to their offspring.

Other weekend highlights include Lake's basketball game. He didn't score but he was more aggressive than he has been in the past. He actually stole the ball from the other team! My children don't always share with each other but the boys have a hard time understanding that it's OK to take the ball away from the other team when it comes to soccer and basketball. It's like they are trying to be polite or apologetic when they take the ball away. They are steadily improving and will hopefully find a comfortable middle ground. They both like the competition, love to win and are also good losers. I personally like baseball and I think the boys do, too. It eliminates some of the ball stealing and allows for each child on the team to show his ability.

Sunday afternoon we only had Tate, Rosie and Daisy because Lake had gone with a friend after church. So, since we needed groceries the five of us went to the grocery store. On Super Bowl Sunday. With snow in the forecast. Smart, huh?

Tastes in music

John Henry cleaned out his truck today and found an old CD of Sting. When he brought it in I asked him if he remembered when that was the only CD that would quiet Tate when we were in the car? He would be screaming and kicking in the baby car seat and we would pop that CD in and he would immediately stop and usually fall asleep, too.

Lake's favorite music when he was a baby and toddler was a mixture of children singing children's songs. These days he likes stuff with a lot of drums. He has a lot of rhythm so we'll see how his music talent develops as he grows.

Rosie loves to sing. It doesn't matter if she knows the words or not - she can make them up as she goes.

Daisy loves to sing, too. Her favorites right now are "Happy Birthday to You," "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," and "Rock a Baby." However, when we are in the van she only wants to listen to Christmas music. The only Christmas music she wants to listen to is "Silent Night." I am searching for a good children's CD with songs the girls can sing along with. I would like to find something that is not annoying but has more than one song that they will like.

Trip to the dentist

Today was Daisy's second visit to the dentist. The first few visits are just to get the child comfortable with the dentist office and let the dentist get a look inside to make sure there aren't any major problems. If Daisy was my oldest or only child I would have been very frustrated when we left today. However, she is number four, so what did I do? I laughed!

When we pulled into the parking lot of the dentist Daisy was very excited to be there. She was laughing and saying, "My dentist! My dentist!" We went inside the office and she was still very happy. When it was her turn she walked down the hall about halfway to the room and then stopped in her tracks. I picked her up and took her the rest of the way and asked her if she wanted to sit in the big girl chair. "NO!" So I held her in my lap while the assistant brushed her teeth with a child's tooth brush. The room we were in has five chairs and the dentist was with another child at the time. Daisy pointed to him and asked, "Who's that?" I told her it was Dr. Brown. When he came to take a look at her she said, "Put jacket on." That's when I started to laugh because I knew what was about to happen. Dr. Brown asked me what she had said and I told him she wanted to put on her jacket and leave - she was done! Well, he asked her if he could take a look at her teeth and she started screaming, "NO! NO!" and clinging on to me. She didn't let up on the screaming until he was finished. This is the screaming that hurts the ears of anyone around. Several comments were made about her good set of lungs. While we were at the front desk getting ready to leave, Dr. Brown was walking down the hall. Daisy said, "Doc Brown, I'm OK" She was so matter-of-fact about it!