#4

Me: "#4 please clear the table."
#4: "the whole thing!!"
Me: "Yes"
#4: "But the chicken bucket is full! I can't clear the whole thing!"
Me: "Yes, you can."

the whining begins

Mother asks him if he needs some cheese to go with his whine.

He giggles.

He throws all the paper plates in the trash and just came triumphantly into the living room (where I am).

"Mom! It was so easy! and there were only crumbs so I used my sleeve to wipe the table." as he waves his sweater sleeve in the air, showing me all crumbs and mashed in goulash in the arm of his sweater. He is very proud of himself.

sigh

To Pennsylvania and back again

Our friends, the Earnshaws, called us up last weekend and said, "Come to our house and let's play!"

So we did.

10 hour drive, 10 kids, 4 adults in 1700 square feet, air mattress and 5 boys camping out on the living room floor. We had a blast! It was worth 22 hours in the car (10 hours plus 1 hour for stops times 2).

I loved hearing Kathy (age 14) tell her brother, "Jared, when the ourlastname's are around, you act like such a guy." I guess having those 3 sisters is repressive for his guy behavior.

The kids and dads went to see the Percy Jackson movie, Becci and I went to Echo Hill (mennonite grocery store-ladies, I bought the marshmallows from Lucky Charms without the cereal part, my kids are drooling), we met at Red Robin. Alan told the waiter (pointing to all 10 kids, implying they were all HIS), "We are trying to inspire them (leaning his head to DH and I) to start their own family." I sprayed pop. Becci went all googly eyed.

The kids all got along. #5 and #6 loved having big girls to play with.

The adults played Rook, Ticket to Ride, ate nachos and tons of junk food. The kids played Wii, Dutch Blitz, Bang, Farkle, Munchkin and many other games.

good times

1:38 a.m.

as we are pulling into the Earnshaw's neighborhood, since the van is no longer going 65 miles an hour everyone wakes up. Pennsylvania got pounded a few days earlier with 22 inches of snow. Literally the snow banks are 4 feet tall. They live in complex of duplexes so the houses are very tight together, therefore the driveways are close together so you drive down the lane and you see a pile and an eight foot opening to the driveway, a pile and an opening, a pile, an opening.

#3 wakes to see snow and these huge piles of snow. He yells, "OH!!! LOOK AT ALL THOSE QUINZEES!!" DH and I bust up laughing at him.

snow=boy heaven.

Disciplinary Council Done

going to bed

what a night

Piano Lessons

We have finally found a piano teacher. She comes to us! Isn't that fantastic? All but #6 are having lessons. I got a group discount! I am listening to tinklings of Twinkle Twinkle right now.

Conflicting Prayers

The boys are praying for snow. Me? not so much. They are winning. I watch the flakes fall gently and cover the grass. It does look "pritty" according to #6. I've spent most of the time since October with wool socks on.

A Weekend in Cleveland

Holey Moley did we have a good time this past weekend in Cleveland!

We started out Saturday morning early. We were at the Cleveland Rainforest Zoo by 10:30. It is fantastic! We saw crocodiles, snakes, frogs, bats, tamarins, prevost's squirrels, anteater, ibises, otters, orangatans and more. The Lund and Jensen family joined us. #5 decided to go on solo walkabout about 12:00. She disappeared well enough we had to alert security. sigh She wanted to go back to the 2nd floor and found the elevators and everything. Boy, did she get spanked. I guess having 4 older brothers helps with the courage factor. She isn't afraid of much.

We stayed at the Embassy Suites in downtown. It sounds fancy but when we figured in the morning breakfast bar into the cost of the room, the room was a suite and had a pool, it made sense for us to stay there. We came from the zoo and went swimming for an hour or so. Then we got ready for a wedding reception. Jenny Mortensen got remarried and we went to the reception. We had nicoise salad, brie, cassoulet and yummy homemade desserts.

Then we boogied! #6 loves to break dance and turn herself in a circle on her belly on the dance floor. #5 found lots of people to twirl with. #4 was slam dancing against the padded gym wall. #3 was dancing with Johanna most of the night. #2 and #1 did dance but not as much (#1 asked Katie and a girl he didn't know to dance). I danced with all of my sons (much to the consternation of my eldest) and DH and I got a chance to swing and dance also. We chicken danced, hokey pokied and had a great time. Dan Jensen can cut a rug! He and Rebecca had a great time. We had enough adult/big kid hands that Amber (new baby #5) had someone holding her all the time and they had a chance to dance.

After the reception the kids did a late night swim and hit the sack. In this suite we finally had enough room for everyone to sleep. The room had a hide-a-bed and 2 double beds. DH and I and #1 and 2 got the doubles. #6 had a crib, #3 and 5 shared the hide-a-bed and #4 used the couch cushions on the floor by my side of the bed. We went to church (where #1 and #2 got an opportunity to teach primary) and went to Jenny's and her new DH's for lunch and playtime. 18 kids, lots of leftovers, lots of friends. Good times!