Cereal

Ruth told me this morning when I poured her cereal into the bowl that she didn't need milk with her cereal.  It takes the flavor away from the cereal.

Cemetary/Heaven

We drove by a cemetary yesterday and Ruth asked if it was heaven. I said no, that's a cemetary.

There was a pause.

Then she said "well that's awkward."

Scissors

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. 

Truck Doors

Late this summer I was driving to the gas station to pick up milk and had the girls with me.  As we're driving down the state route near where we live I thought I head a window open in the back seat.  I thought, well that's odd, I thought the window locks were on.  Both girls have a tendency to open windows in the back seat.  So I check the window lock button, it's on.  Uh oh.  I glance to the back seat, Ruth has opened the door and is holding on to it.  (She is still securely strapped into her car seat!)

I slow down, and it appears she's reclosed it.  We're almost to the gas station, so I slowly finish the drive there, make the turn into the gas station, and as I make the turn, the door swings WIDE OPEN. 

There I am in the gas station lot, unable to pull into a parking spot because the door open.

There's a gentleman and his kids at another pump staring at me.  A guy walking out of the gas station laughing like crazy, and I'm walking around the truck, closing the door, walking back around the truck and pulling into a parking spot.

Then I learned how to turn on the child locks on the doors.

I'm not judging you..

A month or so ago while driving the kids to evening activities Caden disagreed with me on the use of child locks on the back doors of the truck. 

He said "Mom's I'm not judging you or anything, but I think what you're doing is stupid."

He thought that if the child locks were in and we had an accident he would be trapped and unable to get out of the back seat.  However, my side is presented that Ruthie has grabby hands and likes to open doors while driving down the road.  There was a greater likely hood Ruth would open a door than an accident and the child locks were staying on!

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!

Ruth went in this week for the 3 year well check.  She was 3 feet 1 3/4 inches tall.  She weighted in at 28 pounds.

What you want to eat?

Ruth will occasionally play restaurant and come to be as the waitress.  She'll ask "what you want?"  I ask for something and her response is almost always "we don't have that."  I'll ask for something else, same response.  This will happen as many as 7 or 8 times before she finally agrees that she has something!

Then she commonly disappears and if she comes back it significantly later!

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

Barn Kitties

We have welcomed two kittens into the Haynes place. They are barn cats and will stay outside, but the kids love them!

Their names are Diamond and Butterscotch.

Workout

Cutest workout buddy!

Do you need help?

When we moved to this house earlier this year, our new refrigerator had an icemaker and water dispenser in the door.

Ruthie loves to come "help" when I'm filling a glass. She puts her hands on the glass and stands there and holds it with me until we're done. Then she picks up any ice cubes that a following runs and puts them in the doggy dish for us.

Markers

So today, I went to a big business meeting for work when the gal sitting next to me says wow that must hurt as she pointed to my foot. I was like what are you talking about!? I look down, my foot is all purple.

Ruth got into the markers last night and colored a lot, apparently including inside my shoe that transferred to my feet.

Elinore had blue hair last night. The blanket was purple striped. There's some on the carpet, my bed. Her legs were rainbows. And apparently my shoes!

First Day of School 2017

Caden, grade 5
Caleb, grade 5
Elinore, preschool

Campfires

This picture makes me super happy.

 

It reminds me that the uncomfortable night of sleep in the tent with her after this was worth it.

 

I'm glad my friend Kathy captured this moment for us.

 

Decorated Bandaids

Elinore had a spill in the parking lot on the way into the dentist office today.  Poor girl, skinned knees again.

She's afraid of bandaids.  So we got into the office after a few hugs and me carrying her the rest of the way.  Ruth was suddenly handed over to big brother Caden since I had been carrying a shoeless Ruth.

We got some wet paper towels and cleaner her up. Ruth panicked with brothers while we were in the bathroom.  We made it through the teeth cleaning with only a little crying through it after the ordeal.

When we got home I finally talked her into a bandaid, but then she was upset because we only had plain ones.  So I colored her hearts and butterflies! But I could only use one bandaid no more for the others.

I get it kid. I don't like bandaids either, and I probably wouldn't have used one on myself.

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!

Goose Watching

The kids, especially Ruth, are enjoying checking on the goose and her babies every morning!