More Guests

This is the time of year when all the relatives come for a visit. (No one likes to come in the summer!). Chuck's mom and dad were in town attending the Water Users Conference as well as his sister Julie and husband Greg who just came to do some hiking. It's fun to have family come and stay with us.

The kids loved reading Grandma's books she brought.

And Samuel really enjoyed playing cards with Grandpa Paul.

We also did a little hike. Packing Big Buddy up to the top of this rock really wore Grandpa Paul out. Isaac was a little nervous about Grandpa packing him. The poor guy was whining most of the time.

We also made smores in the fire pit. Samuel was really upset when Grandpa caught his marshmallow on fire and then wanted him to eat it. There was no way Samuel was going to eat that burnt marshmallow. (I don't blame him, I hate burnt marshmallows!).

Yummy smores!

The Kids

The weather's warming up and I just bought Isaac some new shorts. I just think he looks so cute - he's got the same short legs as his mom and the rest of the kids.

Did this sweet face really throw the toys in the toliet? Both Bella and Isaac were in the kids bathroom and when I asked Bella how the toys got in the toliet she said, "Isaac did it". So who knows who really did it since poor Isaac can't defend himself yet.

Isaac just makes me laugh when he does this funny little pose. He likes to crunch up and lift his legs while balancing on his little bum.

Isaac loves the sippy cups. What makes me laugh is that he tips back so far trying to get the contents out that he sometimes tips over backwards.

This kid has a hollow leg! He is always eating and can out eat the other kids hands down. I'm always amazed at how much food he can put away.

Chuck has been making some progress on the playhouse. He's got the deck built and the slide attached. The kids love the slide.

Samuel did however have a mishap in the playhouse this week. He was climbing the ladder and fell hurting his finger, wrist and foot. We always ask him when he gets hurt if it's bleeding and if it's not then there's no need to throw a big fit. Well, that didn't work this time because he was bleeding and so the sight of the blood really made him upset.

Heart Stopping Panic

I experienced one of those heart stopping moments this week. Janice and I have been trying for weeks to get out and practice with our new camera lenses. We were finally able to make it happen a couple of days ago and boy was it a fiasco! I’ve decided there’s just something about having a lot of little kids that is a recipe for disaster every time you try and do something.

Things started to fall apart before we even left the house. I got Bella all dressed all cute and her hair done and of course she was a wreck within minutes. She changed her shirt 3 different times before we finally got out of the house. And Janice’s little guy fell down and cut his lip while they were getting ready. But we were finally off.

Janice had the brilliant idea of bringing a video for the kids to watch in her car DVD player. That way we could bring the kids out one at a time, take their picture and then send them for treats and the movie. Only problem – less than 10 minutes after we got to our location the battery in her vehicle died. Great no DVD for the kids. Oh well we thought we’d deal with the dead battery later. We were going to get pictures if it killed us.

Isaac was first and he was not a happy camper. Then Janice’s little girl – she thought it was too bright outside even though we were in the shade and would not open her eyes no matter how hard we tried. This entire time Isaac was dragging himself along on the cement, ruining his clothes and whining. Bella was climbing on a bar (what a surprise!), fell off and whacked her head on the cement. Then Janice’s little guy was wondering around without his shoes and stepped on a sticker bush. So we had unhappy crying kids everywhere!

We finally decided we’d had as much fun as we could handle and now it was time to deal with the dead battery. Luckily Janice had jumper cables in her vehicle, but of course neither of us knew exactly how to do it. She called her husband and he gave her all the details. During this time I had loaded Isaac, who was now screaming at the top of his lungs, and Bella into my vehicle. Samuel climbed in Janice’s vehicle along with her two kids. We got the jumper cables hooked up, had a discussion about where we should hook the black cable that is supposed to be the ground, settled on a part of the frame and then got her vehicle started. Now here’s where it got exciting.

I got out of my vehicle and walked over to Janice’s vehicle. We still needed to unhook the cables. Suddenly I hear a loud bang and Samuel starts screaming at the top of his lungs at the same time I see white smoke like powder coming out of Janice’s vehicle. Panic, heart stopping moment as all I can think is Janice must have a gun in her vehicle and the kids have shot it! Janice on the other hand is sure that she grounded the cable wrong and it’s shocked Samuel. So while I yank Samuel from the vehicle she shuts off her engine. I’m frantically asking Samuel, who’s hysterical, what’s wrong and he says, “She shot me with that!” So now I’m frantically looking all over for the gunshot wound, but can’t see blood anywhere. At this point I run around to the back of Janice’s Pilot because the trunk is up and her daughter is in the back and see it – A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. Yes, her 5 year old daughter had pulled the pin out of the fire extinguisher and shot Samuel in the back of the head with it! Now this sounds funny now, but it was anything but at the moment.

There’s dry white chemical junk all over Janice’s vehicle, kids crying, vehicle dead again, Janice’s husband saying we have to call poison control, my nerves so on edge I feel like I’m going to explode. We get the vehicle started again and drive back to my house. The poison control people say to get the clothes off and wash him off. Then Janice had to totally wipe down the whole inside of her vehicle. What a morning! After my nerves settled down we had a good laugh because what are the chances. And can you believe it; we didn’t even get a picture of the whole incident!

Grandma & Grandpa Came for a Visit!

My parents came for a visit this weekend and the kids were so excited. They brought the kids their Valentines gifts. My mom called me after she bought Samuel and Bella the giant frog and caterpillar and was laughing. She knows I can't stand any more stuffed animals!

We took the kids to the reservoir and they feed the ducks a whole package of animal crackers.

Grandpa building "robots" out of blocks for Samuel to knock down as part of his Jedi training.

Samuel and Grandma were having a pretty serious sword fight.

Good Friends, Bread & Food Storage

I am so glad the weather has been nice this week because we finally were able to have our park playgroup again. I love this weekly get together where the kids play and I get a chance to visit with some truly amazing moms. A few weeks ago we were having a discussion about politics and economics which then turned to food storage. I came home that day feeling unprepared and set a goal to educate myself about food storage and start getting our family prepared. So I talked to my great friend Janice who is wonderful at this sort of thing (and many other things!) and have started my food storage journey. So at our playgroup another mom brought up the fact that after our last get together she had started working on food storage so we spent a lot of our time talking food storage, making bread etc. I am so grateful for talented women that I know in my life that share their skills and knowledge with me!

I try to get together once a month and make bread with Janice. (A way of rotating that wheat in the food storage!) We have a lot of fun doing it together even though the kids are running around wild. But I decided last week I needed to try it by myself once just to make sure I could do it. Janice is an amazing cook and my cooking skills are definately lacking, but I did it all by myself. The 6 loaves turned out great!

Don't make me Pull This Car Over!

I can’t believe I did it, but today I turned into my parents! I actually found myself threating the kids that I was going to pull the car over if they didn’t stop fighting. And of course they didn’t stop so I had to pull the car over. But then I burst out laughing when I found out what they were fighting over.

I had given each of the kids a tootsie roll before we left for the store. On the drive, Samuel started getting really mad a Bella.
Samuel: “Mom, Bella won’t talk to me”
I look back to see Bella with her hand in her mouth. Me: “Maybe she doesn’t have anything to say to you.” Then I try to focus again on the talk radio show I’m listening to.
Samuel getting increasingly upset, raising his voice and beginning to cry: “Bella, give me the candy. Bella talk to me. I want the candy.” (This went on and on and on)
I’m really trying to listen to my program, but it’s hard with the crying and loud bursts of anger from Samuel and Bella with her hand in her mouth making loud noises that resemble a "No". So after asking the kids several times to please stop fighting I begin the threats of pulling the car over. And did this help, No! Samuel just started crying harder about Bella not giving him the candy.
So I got upset and pulled the car over thinking Bella had taken Samuel’s tootsie roll since she would not take her hand out of her mouth.
Me: “Bella, do you have Samuel’s candy?”
Bella hand still in her mouth: “Yeah”
Me: “Please give it to him.”
Now at this point I could not believe my eyes. Bella took her hand out of her mouth and pretended to give Samuel several pieces of candy out of her mouth. Then Samuel took the pretend candy and started to play like he was stuffing it in his mouth and eating. By now he had stopped crying and was all smiles.
Me: “You guys are fighting over pretend candy!”
I just had to laugh. And then I switched my talk show to music and turned it up! What imaginations!

Hiking

Saturday was such a beautiful day that we took the kids hiking. As usual, we had a great hike getting to our destination because the kids were all excited and having a great time. But whenever we head back the story changes. They were tired and hungry and all three were crying or whining for most of the hike back to the car. We did have this funny conversation that made Chuck and I laugh.
Samuel: "Hold me daddy"
Chuck, who was already packing Isaac in the bjorn: "You have to walk yourself"
Amber, for some reason feeling the need to reinforce the issue: "Everyone who has legs needs to walk by themselves"
Samuel: "Well, Isaac has legs and he's not walking"
What a smart kid!


We spent forever at this little pond with the kids throwing rocks in. Look at that giant rock Bella is getting ready to throw.

Bella loves to jump off every little rock in the trail.

And Samuel kept stopping all along the way to throw rocks.

I thought this was so cute because Samuel just came up and grabbed my hand as we were walking along.