Cookies with Grandpa!

My brother is getting married this Saturday! That's actually tomorrow. Grandpa Howard is here from Ohio and he's staying with us for a few days. Yesterday, he made cookies with the kids while I mowed the lawn. Stephen was at school and Dallas was outside finding bugs. He must not have noticed the call for cookies.

Grandpa was a little more lenient with the kids than I would have been. That's one reason why grandparents are more fun than parents. I came back in the house just as they were getting the cookies in the oven. He was offering the kids a taste. "Go ahead, eat it. Clean the bowl." Unfortunately for Brenden, he fell asleep and took a once in a lifetime NAP!

Lily had been sampling and helping from the beginning. Raw eggs, sugar, a bite of the butter cube... She didn't take the offer to taste the completed dough. She got some water to pour into the bowl. Evan was too busy at the sink washing the dishes. Meanwhile, Marek was trying to taste it. He got a bit that was soggy and said, "Eeww! Yuck! This is disgusting!"

Don't worry though, all the cookies were eaten!

Then we went to the Great Salt Lake to collect some sand as a souvenir. It was great till the bugs started eating us. We ran away in a hurry!

A day off!

This is what I woke up to find in my bed. I guess I was tired enough not to notice the boys getting there. This is a great start to the weekend! Steve has the day off work today too. After Dallas gets home from school we will go camping. My friend invited us to go with them. She laughed and said, "That's the same look that Steve gave me when I asked him! There will be lots of adults there and we miss you! Let's do something." So we agreed, for one night not the whole weekend. We will test it out to see how the kids do, and how well we can handle the idea ourselves.

So I am finally forced to empty some of my camera, as the memory is full. You know I am not very good at this posting pictures thing. They are a bit jumbled, and I couldn't get everything here that I wanted to. I don't have all day for this! So here they are. Good luck figuring out who is who. We have been experimenting with Lily's hair-dos, playing soccer (both boys, not a once a week commitment!), piano recital, weeding our yard (Some of it), the older boys went to a car race, we "rescued" a butterfly, and just been plain silly. Some of the pictures are missing/doubled. sorry. Now I am off to our next adventure, Camping!

Oh no! Don't spill it!

This must be a brag about Lily month because the last post just happened to spotlight her too. Oh well. She is my girl after all!

She will be the flower girl for my brother Bryce's wedding in a few weeks. We took her to the rehearsal - so cute!- then we went to a dinner. The restaurant was on a street with construction going on. They were actually doing the work, not just the equipment sitting there. While we were waiting for the rest of the party to arrive we watched some of their work. What can I say, she has brothers right? So that being said I was surprised to hear her telling the dump truck, "NO! Oh no! It's dumping out! He's spilling it!" Heaven forbid someone other than Lily could make a mess.

Spring is here

My injury to the finger is healing well and I can type now, but time doesn't permit for all my thoughts to be here. School is nearly over for the year. Like most things lately, it came suddenly for me. I have nearly missed all the holidays this year until Stephen insists we decorate for whatever it is next. With spring here he is taking up catching butterflies, along with the bugs. Marek is afraid of flies - deathly afraid of flies, and Lily is afraid of ants.

We did some weeding and planting in the yard yesterday and we found a worm. Lily was so pleased with HER worm, "It's cute! It's cute? It's so cute! Look! Mine worm! Mine worm! Look, it's cute? It's so cute!" Then she went over to Daddy and pulled his arm. "Yes, Lily. I saw your worm."

"It's cute! Dare he is. I found it." Then Lily carried it over to Daddy in a shovel to be sure he saw it. When he still lacked enthusiasm, she picked it up with her fingers and shoved it close to his eyes. "It's cute? Mine worm!" Then she ran over to show her brothers. They were moderately interested but not as excited as she wanted them to be. About 3 minutes later I hollered, "Boys! Look at Lily. She is trying to show you her worm." Of course they had seen it but she was too excited about it to stop shouting.

The boys were devising a race course for the curl up (potato?) bugs. Using extra pipes from an old Christmas gift they were getting ready to study them as scientists to see who was faster. Lily's worm joined the races. She had to tell her worm (long dead by now) good night, night night worm! After she was into her bed she wanted to get out and check on it. "Mine worm! He's so cute! Night night worm!"

warning!

They should have a warning label on potatoes: "Slippery when wet! Use caution!"

I shredded a piece of my finger yesterday. It looks worse than it is. I got out of making dinner last night, dishes are not for me, and Darling hubby made enough waffles last night that there were some for breakfast this morning! He told me not to make a habit of this. I got a great large red bandage on the appropriate finger (middle tall one) a tetanus shot, and a two hour break from the house while I waited in the doctors place. (wish I thought to take a book with me) I will have my finger's bandage checked on Saturday and I think we will all live through this, but my typing is suffering. I will post pictures soon. I have several from Lily's dress, the new beds for the kids, making our own lotions that seem to be doing great for Dallas' super sensitive skin, and there's more to be said about gravity and how many times must we test the theory that when we pour salt/cereal/water/etc... it will really cover the ground/table/etc.... and how many times will we be able to get away with responding, "Um, I forgot." when a parent reminds us we know not to do that?

Sick, sick, sick!

We have been so sick here this last while. Dallas is finally feeling better, but the rest of us (not me thank goodness!) have had or still have the sickness. Lily had it the worst, but Dallas had it the longest. Hubby got it the other day, missed two days of work for it. UGH! I was enjoying the loves and no yelling for the first few days, but after a week I am ready to get some more work done! We are still recovering. Stephen has been a big helper. He did not get sick until a few days ago. He helped take care of the other kids while Steve was at work. I will post more about that later. I would rather talk about Stephen.

One day he walked out of class with a girl whose mom tends for me on the days I volunteer at the school. She offered to drive him home and he didn't want to until he asked his mom. He walked himself home that day, but after getting permission to go with them he has walked out of class with her often. Then they stopped at the park on the way home to play (the other mom called me to ask if it was okay first) and yesterday, she whispered to me that her daughter might want to marry Stephen. They are so cute! I can't believe he is getting old enough for crushes! He hasn't said anything about her other than they are friends. I am so glad he has friends! The mom says that everyone at school likes Stephen.

Well, that's all I have time for today. Hopefully we will be getting the beds for the kids this weekend along with our shipments of plants for the garden (Strawberries, blueberries, grapes, apple trees, and a peach tree to go along with our other peach tree and the cherry tree we already have. I had better get learning how to bottle things!) In a few weeks we will be shopping for tomatoes and other such things to be determined later.

Happy Easter!

How long till Christmas?

I have pictures of Lily in her new dress, but I can't post them just yet because we have the sickness going in our house and I don't have enough time to figure the camera out today.

Yesterday Marek was sick. He suddenly burst out crying and would not be comforted or tell me what was wrong with him. He fell asleep while we were driving – a nap! A NAP! There must be something wrong! He woke when we pulled in the driveway, I thought maybe he would be recovered and happy, but no. He started screaming again, went into the house and mumbled something about a blanket. I got one, not his but he didn't care. He laid on the couch and stayed there. After a few minutes, the other kids came and turned the TV on. Marek left the room. He slept in the front room for a while then moved to the kitchen floor where I was attempting to cook dinner. He moaned a few times to make sure I knew he was there.

As soon as Daddy got home he jumped up with the rest of the kids shouting, "Daddy's home! Daddy's home!" Marek was cured instantly. Today Dallas is sick. I thought he would be cured the same way, but I was wrong. He didn't scream like Marek did, but he knows more words like, "Pick me up", and "Carry me"

As we cuddled on the couch, me attempting to comfort the sick child, he turns to me and asks, "Why don't you clean your room very often?" Good question! Could it be that I am too busy trying to clean the rest of the house and take care of the kids that as soon as I see the bed in there I fall into it and stay there? I surely could not think for a minute that it is because I don't want to, or "gasp" perhaps I am a bit lazy!

I don't want to say it's the kids fault, after all, he is sick and I am trying to comfort him. I tell him I don't know, you know I do clean it sometimes… He then informs me, "You better get it all the way clean before Christmas because Santa won't like it if it's not ALL the way clean, ya know. It has to be AAAALLLL the way clean. Before Christmas."

Well, thanks for giving me enough notice, seeing how it's just barely April! Kids are so sweet. The other noticeable announcement that I somehow have to deal with is, "Hey, tomorrow is April Fool's Day!" Hmmm, wish I had more notice for that one.