A week full of family and friends

Wow!!  What a very fun and full week we had.  It started last week with family on Clark’s side in from Texas.  So we spent Saturday and Sunday over at my in-laws visiting with everyone and had lots of fun playing Bacci Ball, Bean Bag Toss and I can’t even begin to calculate how many miles the kids logged on their bikes in the driveway. 

On Monday morning we had a short visit with some friends that were in from Florida that we hadn’t seen in 2 years.  My friend Renee and her 2 girls Alyssa and Emily stopped by.  The girls had lots of fun playing dress up.  Then we went for lunch at my dad’s with many aunts and uncles and my grandma.  That was fun, too and even more fun to enjoy his beautiful backyard while watching the kids and some of their cousins play.  Then we loaded up and went to Alma.  If you asked the kids who they were going to see they would tell you Bayleigh J.  Sorry grandma and Aunt Chelle, apparently you no longer rate now that there’s a 1 year old around to play with. 

We had planned on visiting with my friend Carrie and her girls Emma and Addison who were in from California on Tuesday, but that just didn’t work out.  Next time Care!! 

So after a few nights at grandma’s which the kids always love we were back home for a pretty relaxing Friday and then it was off to Port Sanilac for a Carter family reunion.  We all had a very fun filled day visiting with family we don’t see often enough and the kids meeting more cousins and lots more playing.   FUN WAS HAD BY ALL!!!  And inevitably yesterday was a major kick back day with all the crabiness that comes along with being tired.  And guess what?  I WAS THE CRABBIEST!

Sights you see in my backyard

Well, you would see a swingset, pool, birds, weeds, kids playing and kids peeing!  The kids and I were hanging out in the backyard yesterday and I looked up at one point and saw 3 coppertone butts peeing in the woods.  It was too cute.  Shealyn did it the normal girl way, but not Miss P.  Apparently Shealyn was just finishing up as I looked up, but I caught the cute little white butts of Carter and P. standing there doing their duty.  I don’t think P. ever got her business done, but it sure was a valliant try.  I was wishing that my camera was sitting next to me, but no such luck and I knew the moment would be gone by the time I got it.

Happy Birthday Mitchell!

My nephew Mitchell turns 10 today!  Hope you have a happy birthday buddy and get all the Pokemon cards you can stand.  For those of you who don’t know Mitchell he is Trish’s (Clark’s sister) youngest.

I’m not in the DOG HOUSE, but…

I did sleep on the couch last night.  Oh wait, that’s what the husband is supposed to say )  Anyway, it was one of those nights where Clark went to bed a couple of hours ahead of me and was sprawled over the whole bed and not covered.  Do you know how hard it is to move a 250 lb. man when he’s awake let alone when he’s sleeping?  I did try to move him with no luck and he didn’t even respond to my not so gentle elbows!  Oh well, it wasn’t so bad.  I sure wasn’t ready to be awake at 6:10 on a Saturday morning when Payton joined me with an “is it morning yet mommy?”  I told her no and tried to get her to go back to sleep.  NO LUCK!!  At first she was thirsty and then she was hungry so she had bread on the couch laying with me and I listened to her smacking her lips enjoying that piece of bread like I would enjoy a bowl of ice cream and getting up and down a couple of times to drink her water.  So much for sleeping in on a Saturday morning (who am I fooling … that stopped in Dec. of 99 when Miss Shealyn blessed our lives.) 

Really, what planet are they from!!??!!

Yes, that’s a sigh of exasperation!! And, yes I’m talking about the boy. Carter wanted cereal for lunch and how dare me forget the spoon. I looked up and he’s eating his cereal with his hands. He says to me, “but, mom you didn’t get me a spoon!” Do you know how many times he has gotten his own spoon? Need I say anymore?

Ever had a BEACH in your house?

I know this sounds like something the kids might have done, huh?  Well, guess what— it was all my doing and not intentionially.  I was going to wash our beach blanket and this nice little hidden pile of sand fell on the floor in front of the washer.  Well, wouldn’t you know I had to have Shealyn and Carter at camp by 10:00 so I told Clark that there was a mess and I would get it when I got home.  Meanwhile, the washing maching becomes unbalanced and does its little dance across the floor pulling the hose out with it!  Water EVERYWHERE!!!  I came home to a flooded laundry room, water in the basement and some of it had made it to Carter’s room.  Basically a mess.  Well, the water is not so bad to clean up; it just takes a lot of towels, but it was that nice little pile of sand that had been left that was now a MUD pile.  And believe it or not I didn’t even react — I just added it to my TO DO LIST that’s already longer than a child’s wish list for Santa.  It just happened to be a job that needed immediate attention.  Happy Friday to all of you!

We love the library

We love our local library.  I love how familiar it has become to my children.  I started taking the 2 youngest there on a regular basis when Payton was 1.  We have a great story time program for 2-5 year olds.  Anyway, we stopped yesterday to check out some books and ended up playing a game.  Check it out at www.finditgames.com   It is fun and addicting and kept everyone’s attention except Payton’s.  It’s a tube full of recycled plastic pellets that has also has some hidden objects.  We’re not convinced the penny is in there (that seems to be the elusive object).   Anyway, there was an incentive to this if you find the penny you get an additional ticket to enter yourself in the end of the summer drawing to win the grand prize.  The McNulty’s would LOVE to win this — tickets for 4 to Thunder Falls Water Park up by the bridge.  So, we are doing many things to earn those tickets!! 

Anyway, I seemed to have gotten a little side tracked.  The kids were picking out their books and Payton asked me if she could check out Webster’s Dictionary?   She loves thick books.  This kid will literally take any book (whether it has pictures or not) and peruse it.  She probably spent 20 minutes or so looking at grandpa’s Audobon Bird Society book on Saturday.   What a kid!

The Age Old Question

Where do babies come from?  Yes, it happened.  Shealyn asked tonight.  My first thoughts: 

1.  Can I ignore this and see if it goes away?

2.  Is there anyone else you can ask?

3.  Why me?

My answers in my head:

1.  NO  — it’s never as complicated as I think it could get

2.  NO — I’m mom and I want her to come to me, right?

3.  Again, I’m MOM

Anyway, it was not as complicated as I thought.  She was pleased with the fact that there are seeds that are called eggs in a mommy’s belly that give us babies.  WHEW!!  Of course she asked if she had them and I told her yes, someday she would.  And of course Carter piped in with a YES, YOU’RE A GIRL AND YOU CAN HAVE  A BABY WHEN YOU GET MARRIED!!  I love his answer and pray that’s how it happens for them. 

My lesson learned and this same one has been repeated in my 7 and 1/2 years of motherhood is to answer their questions, they never want to know as much as you think.

A milestone reached tonight

First let me tell you about this little pink bike that is very much a part of this milestone.  We bought this pink bike for Shealyn for her 3rd birthday and it is now on child number 3.  Yes, Carter rode it too, much to his daddy’s dismay.  What’s so enticing about this bike?  Well, it’s a 1o inch bike that has NO BRAKES, which means it can pedal backwards.  This is huge for little ones since their tendency is to go backwards.

So, anyway tonight we ventured out for Payton’s first true bike ride solo.  She did fabulous, kept her own steady pace and we’d stop every 30 yards or so so she could tell me a story of some sort.  We talked about many things in our 2 block ride.  She even recalled a story from Halloween.  Shealyn and Carter rode ahead of us and would just turn around to come check on us.  I’m sure it wasn’t as much fun for the 2 of them, but I enjoyed walking (wasn’t sure if I’d end up carrying or pushing the bike) alongside her and listening to her idle chatter.  We had 1 meltdown b/c the tires kept spinning.  Did I mention there is no tread left on these tires?  I would go to help her and she would say, ”NO, I DO IT MYSELF!!”  She eventually did.  So anyway, after 30 minutes we made it home (remember it’s a 2 block ride).  But, I remember what an accomplishment this was for the other 2 as well.  How liberating for all of us and so worth the $30 we spent on this piece in our family history! 

And there she is …

Just after I posted the previous post I went to answer Payton’s insistent “mom” calls and found her in the bathroom standing in front of the mirror doing her “P.” poses.  Hers was mostly enjoying the different shapes her mouth can make!  These are the things I need to remember to get through the days on those days that seem OH SOOO LONG!!