A New Years Eve to Remember

For the past few years we've enjoyed hosting some of our local friends for New Years Eve.  We play games, eat great food and talk the night away.  This year was no different, except that around 10:30PM there was a loud pop, and the house went DARK!

The wind had been howling terribly for much of the night, so it really wasn't super surprising, until we looked outside and all but 1 other house around us still had power. 

Candles were lit immediately, Caden was EXCITED and on top of that part.  And Keith got the generator hooked up and plugged in some work lights from the garage to light up the dinning room and turn the TV on for the ball drop. 

We all gathered around the TV minutes before the ball drop, and the crowd of kids were on the floor near the power strip and extension cords running power from the generator, when one of the girls fell to the side as the 10 second count down begin and knocked the power out, again!

We laughed and celebrated anyway.  And the fun continued until about 2AM.

The girls went to bed hesitantly just after midnight, not loving the dark.  Ruth fell asleep in my lap and Elinore slept in our bed. 

By morning, both girls were in our bed scared of the dark, and the power didn't return until about 9AM new years day.

Our friends were great and text us that morning with offers of bathrooms and showers and power if needed, but fortunately it was restored for us. 

Bringing Up Boys

I finished reading this book over the weekend.  It took me awhile to get through.  It wasn't hard to read, but it was a hard read.  I found myself feeling guilty for not following a few of his strong recommendations.  1 - I send my kids to public school.  2 - I work outside the home. 3 - I am part of a blended family.  Even with these differences in lifestyle choices from the books recommendations; I feel the book was a valuable read, and I learned some things and have applied some things in our life of raising boys. 

This book was written close to 20 years ago, and still applies today.  I can see the viewpoints and the society changes and examples that directly related to the world today.  With twin boys in my house, I'm always looking for ways to be a better parent to them, to connect with them, and to understand them. 

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I asked all 4 kiddos this question today.

Caleb wants to be a police officer.
Caden wants to join the circus.
Elinore doesn't want to do anything.
Ruth wants to be a surgery doctor or a baby doctor.

Happy Mother's Day 2018!

These are the days of...

These are the days of:

• Pre-teen angst
• Potty training
• Busy work schedules
• Ballet
• Swim lessons
• Cub Scouts
• ROCK Group
• Sunday morning church
• Family time
• Family movies nights
• Family game nights
• Adventures with older kids and toddler with grandma
• Reading books
• Working out

First Day of School 2017

Caden, grade 5
Caleb, grade 5
Elinore, preschool

Tooth Fairy

Cavity Free

There may be a lot of things that slip through the cracks in my busy crazy house of 7, but today the teeth weren't one of them.  I took all four kiddos to the dentist at 9 am this morning and they were ALL CAVITY FREE!

Forward Facing

Last night, as I reinstalled Ruth's car seat in our van, I decided to turn it forward facing.  She's heavy and old enough.  I had just been waiting for safety.  Keith had thought she was ready because her legr room was low, but she didn't mind.

This morning, she got into her car seat with a very hesitant look on her face.  I buckled her in and the "help me! help me!  help me" started.  That lasted nearly the whole way to the sitters.  Once she even said "pull over!" as she reached for me to pick her up.  She apparently isn't a fan.  She did okay while Caleb sat next to her to play, but when he got our for school it started all over again!

High Orange

Caden and Caleb passed their tests on the first try last night to earn their high orange belt. They've come so far in the last 4 months or so here and I'm so proud of them! I see them learning and growing and it's awesome. Way to go boys! I love you!

TEN

Caden and Caleb turned 10 at the beginning of last month.  TEN!

I can hardly believe how grown they are.  They are tall and lean and so independent.  They have each grown into their own unique personalities and interests, yet they are still brothers and come together on things too. 

We celebrated by letting them each invite 2 friends over for a sleepover.  I was going laid back on it, but they started collaborating and wanted a camping theme, so we got a little committed to that and had some goodies for them that were camping themed, flashlights, bandanas, glow sticks, etc.  We had a bbq grill on the ice cream cake and had campfire flames aka cheese puffs, and bear poop aka chocolate covered raisins for snacks.  We had a camp fire outside with marshmallows and even though it was in the 40s outside they played outside until 10 that night playing capture the flag.  Most of the kids eventually fell asleep, all but 2 anyway.  Two of them trooped ALL NIGHT.  I couldn't hang much after midnight; Keith fell asleep sometime after 3 on the couch so he could hear them moving around.  They were crazy, and had a lot of fun.  I'd say it was a success!

TDK & Hobbies

Caden and Caleb are about 4 months into their new Tae Kwon Do place and are doing fairly well.  We are happy with what it is doing for them.  Caleb really enjoys it.  Caden won't admit it, but we think he likes it too.  He usually responds with an "eh" and shoulder shrug when you ask him, but he doesn't put up a fight to go.  I think he just doesn't want to admit it because his brother does like it. 

Caden doesn't like things his brother likes.  They are very different and we've seen a few times where if Caleb really starts to like something Caden will pull away from it to be different.  Caleb is into typical things like super heroes, minecraft, and video games.  Caden loves to decorate.  When he has money he buys decorations for holidays and his room and loves it.  This past weekend he bought a new party light for his room. 

Broken Tooth

Yesterday just before lunch Keith called me at my desk, which isn't normal.  The school had just called him because Caleb fell at recess and broke a tooth and the piece was lost.  The school wanted one of us to come check it out and see what we wanted to do.

So I gathered all my stuff and headed to the school.  My mind was praying and spinning in what ifs the whole way to the school.  There was so little detail in the phone call from Keith.  I'm thinking baby tooth, adult tooth?  With the braces on top or below without the braces?  Will it be bloody?  Please don't let it be bloody!  Will he be crying?  Lord, please let him be okay! 

I walked into the school and of course it was busy during preschool pick up time, but I walked into the office and he was sitting there with his backpack and coat on just waiting, no big deal.  I sat down by him and he showed me.  We talked.  His dentist was closed for the day; so I tried mine, they were closed for the week.  He didn't say it hurt much.  It was a chip off the corner of one of his adult teeth on the bottom.  It wasn't too big.  I thought well, I could take him home, but there's no real reason to.  So we talked and he went back to class.

I called the dentist first thing this morning, and he goes in this afternoon.  We'll see how it goes!

Shoe Rack

We currently have a shoe rack inside our front door to keep the shoes on.  It's cheap and not well made.  It commonly falls apart and sits in shambles because I get frustrated putting it back together all the time.  I'd held off on buying one hinting heaving that I'd like a new one for Christmas last December.  Christmas came, and Keith had one under the tree for me!  However, it broke during assembly.  Apparently a well made shoe rack is hard to find.

So Keith decided he was going to build me a shoe rack out of pallets. 

He got a couple pallets from my parents and a week or so ago spent some time cutting it apart into boards. Yesterday, with the help of Caden and Caleb, they built me a shoe rack!  Caden and Caleb did a lot of the sanding on it.

Last night it was all assembled and ready to be seen in the basement.  He wants to stain it yet before use, so it isn't 100% done, but it looks like a shoe rack!  He took the girls and I down to see it, and Elinore was SO EXCITED.  She spent a little big of time down there with Keith during construction and while Keith and I were down there talking and cleaning up a bit, she ran up and down the stairs bringing all her and her sisters shoes downstairs and putting them on the shoe rack.  She told us all about it too and how the shoes would fill the shelf and where she could put her book on it and everything.  I did make her bring her and Ruth's shoes for Monday upstairs with us and she wasn't so happy about that.  Who wants to run downstairs to find shoes on a Monday morning though? 

When we got up stairs and were talking about it still we found out she thought it was going to be her rack in her bedroom.  She wasn't so happy when she found out it was going in the living room! 

TKD

Last fall Caleb was heavily interested in taking some karate lessons.  We agreed that after Caden's soccer season ended, we could look into that as an activity for the boys.  It's been a journey finding the right place and program for us.  We're on our third one now, but it's finally one we seem to be comfortable with and enjoy, the kids and us as parents.  They are now enrolled for 6 months in a Tae Kwon Do program. 

The school now has been great for all of us!  The locations is alright, the price is reasonable and the kids are enjoying and doing well in it.  I think the structure, curriculum and practice of this is good for them.  On their second night they broke their first boards!  They have them displayed in their bedrooms now. 

I'm looking forward to watching them grow and develop in the program and it's great seeing them find something they enjoy!

Expander

Caleb visited the orthodontist again Monday and had his expander put in his mouth.  He's impressed me so far and he's doing really well with it!  I was nervous for us through it, but so far so good.  I could use some practice at the turning it every night thing, but we've only done it one night so far, so I'm sure we'll get there!

4x4

Caden and Caleb were asking what the 4x4 on trucks means. They thought it meant 4x4=16 and you have to be 16 to drive.

A Train Ride & Santa

We saw Santa yesterday!

My Aunt text me yesterday afternoon that she was running the train at an area mall in their Christmas display.  So after Elinore woke from her nap yesterday afternoon we headed to the mall to ride a train. 

Keith was at a friends helping them with some computer stuff, but was able to meet us there too, so that was a nice surprise! 

The kids and I rode the train three times.  (It pays to know the operator!)  And we hopped over and visited Santa and had pictures taken with Santa too!  Bonus for being so early in the year to see Santa; there was no line!

Caden asked Santa for fake snow.  Caleb asked for an iPad.  (Santa said his elves don't make those and they have to check with parents on getting those!)  Elinore asked for a restaurant and a car. 

Ruth cried a little while on Santa's lap, then the photographer distracted her.  Then the distraction ended and crying started again, but we got a great Santa photo of the kids this year!

Christmas

Christmas mania has hit our household like mad!

I've been an early Christmas shopper for years now.  I prefer to be done before Thanksgiving, and this year is no exception, we're well on our way to being done with Christmas shopping!

However, with last year being the exception, I don't decorate before Thanksgiving for Christmas.  (Last year we did because the baby was due the day after Thanksgiving.  I knew if we didn't do it early it might not happen.  Then she made us wait another week anyway!)  This year the pressure is on though.  Caden is our decorator and Christmas fanatic.  He's had his small Christmas tree up almost all year!  And he's been asking and asking when we're going to start decorating.  They're getting more involved in the shopping a little and Caden and Caleb have done a lot of their shopping already too. 

With the radio starting Christmas music early last week, we've been listening to Christmas music non-stop too since then!

I've still resisted the decorating.  I like my turkeys, I didn't want to hide them away, but their infectious excitement has me being okay with Jesus's birthday celebration lasting longer too.  We'll see how much longer I last holding out on the decorations.  We're busy for the next week or so, so I can last that long at least!  They really want Keith to get the lights on the house!  (They're getting smart with their negotiations too.  But Dad, it'll get cold soon to get outside and do it!)

I have wrapped some presents already too!  Everything I could wrap, is wrapped already. 

Photos...or not.

Sometimes I get in a funk and quit taking photos.  And I usually notice it after awhile, and I usually regret it, but I still fail to remember.  There are still plenty of photos I'm sure, more than in decades past with technology, but at the end of the year, when I try to put together next year's calendar I'm always a little sad at the months when I've slacked or there are kids missing from the photos because of activities or time or just wrong place at the time. 

Just know kids, regardless of the number of photos, you are so very loved, equally.