First tooth

first hard teether-up all night. Sad sigh-the toothless grins are coming to an end.

Easter

Why? Why should we ever have a nice normal conventional group photo? They really are smiling.

But can you see the pretty dress #5 has? I found it at Value World for $4.20.

Easter Egg Hunt

This is the scene my sister-in-law's house. Eggs, kids, candy, toys. Not bad for 11 kids under 12.

my former blog

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MamatoBrownheads

Family Home Evening

The theme was Landmarks. Each member was encouraged to show a photo of a landmark in the their life. As most family gatherings we also were encouraged to sing our favorite song. The girls sang but if you look to the right of the photo that slumped over guy holding his glasses and looking like he would rather be anywhere-else-but-here tells exactly how #1 felt. Needless to say our boys didn't sing. My boys will sing but not in front of people-even family.

Our family landmarks were:
mine: DH's and my first date in Toronto that he didn't actually admit was a date until we were married 5 years.
DH: our wedding day
#1: receiving the Aaronic priesthood
#2: being baptized
#3: learning to tie his shoes (hallelujah!!)
#4: wearing big boy underwear and giving up his binky
#5: having a pig tail
#6: being born

Different Kinds of Love

Auntie Love & Baby Love

click on it to see the real expression on #6's face

Park Day

This is my brother-in-law. One of the things I love most about him is he plays with all the kids. Most of the family piled into their cars and took all the children to the park. DH joined #5 on the slide. Oh, how I love that guy. Grandma joined Morgan on thw swings.

Family Birthday Party

We celebrated everyone's birthday that happens between January 1 and May 31. #3 loved it-he got to blow out candles more than once and get to opens PWESENTS!

As you can see, we filled the dining and living room. Everyone got an individual star shaped brownie with a candle and the big dessert was trifle. It was a great Sunday dinner/party.

Cousin Reunion

This was the reason to make the trip to Grandma's house. Cousins! Most of DH's siblings were there (only missing one) with their families.

Packing for a month long trip

This is what the back of Goliath looked like as we left for Grandma's house. We decided to buy rubbermaid containers to fit the vehicle since suitcases don't work too well for a family of 8. And since I don't have 8 suitcases they were a lot cheaper.

Another mystery

A few weeks ago I asked #1 and #2 if they needed socks or underwear. You know that conversation that goes like this:

mmmmm, you have a lot of holes in those socks
yeah, I like that my toes stick out and I get good traction
oh, okay (mother has to ramp up thinking here) but don't you want to slip on the hardwood floors?
yah, I could use some new socks

that was with #2

Conversation with #1:

do you need new underwear?
no.
are things getting too tight?
no.
do you have enough?
yah.

So here is the mystery...we are packing for a visit to Grandma's house (over the river and through the woods and over the mountains and over more rivers....). I ask #1 to get 3 pants, 1 shorts, 6 shirts, 1 pj, 6 underwear, 6 socks. I got the pants, shorts, shirts, pjs. I hollered at him to get him to get his underwear. The child says, "Well, I only have 2 pair." Mother's mind implodes with the word "eeeeeuuuuuuuuu!" echoing in her brain. Where do they go? I know the dryer eats socks? does it have an adolescent boys' appetite and eat boxers too?

Noogies

#2 giving Ryan a noogie cause Ryan was disabled holding #3.

Ryan is Aubrey's boyfriend. Aubrey is gone to China-sigh. We miss her. We are glad she is having a grand adventure teaching English there. I guess Ryan needed his fix--being beaten in video games by the older ones, having wrestle mania with #4, getting noogies, being demanded to give piggyback rides or hugs by #5, #4, and #3.

Everyone loves to be adored-noogies included.

Bedtime is a wonderful thing

DH has been out of town for 5 days now. I would like to say that the big guys have been an incredible help-but they haven't. I made the mistake of letting them rent a new Wii game. I'd like to say the 4 year old and 3 year old haven't had temper tantrums, slugging matches or spitting wars but they have.

All have been fed, cleaned and are still breathing. I had to lower my standards this week.

The Next Generation

My dad bought this snowblower when I was in high school. This morning I taught #2 how to snow blow. I like this aspect of parenting-handing over jobs.

YOU READ TO ME!!!

I was nursing the baby and not being an octopus mama I ran out of hands. (This baby is a squirmy eater.) #5 plopped herself down and read to herself. I was lucky to have the camera close because all I wanted to capture was her toes. She puts the book on her lap and her toes stick out. If it is a really large book you don't see any of her leg. When she is really enjoying the story her toes go together and look like an upside down V and her head bends down to get real close to the pictures. She was doing that but I missed it. She was "reading" and talking (remember-she talks constantly) I hear, "Cold George. Brrrr. Cold George. Cold Monkey." and look up and see her shivering along with George.

that big red dog

what would we do without him?

Minus one for a day

Why is it when you just take one child out of the household the day goes smoother?

#3 is spending the day with Johanna. There has been no arguing, screaming, tattle reports, stomping due to unfairness of life, you get the idea. The day has still had its demands. Normally at this time of the day I am ready for DH to take over just because of the amount of referee work I have to do.

He walked in and the fighting started. sheesh

So Long

Farewell

auf Wiedersehen

good night

The Suburban has been replaced. It has had a problem. Every now and then, and mind you only every now and then, it wouldn't start. It wouldn't start only for me and it did it twice when I was pregnant and twice with children aboard. All the dash lights would turn on but it wouldn't crank. When I was stranded at the Target parking lot, had called AAA, the towtruck was turning into the lot and then it started. At least I only had the eldest and the youngest with me that day.

We brought it to the shop. $1500 later...two weeks later I am stranded with all 6 children, AAA is called, #2 tries it and it starts. We sent it back to the shop but after 3 days they gave up and couldn't find a problem.