A little bit of humor

Best Bud

So this week has been a comic relief...literally one BIG laugh!

I dont know why one big funny thing keeps happening after another.  It is so strange.  

 Caleb won first place at science camp!  His science journal was mostly unreadable (to bad we didn't have him go to writing camp for an hour before science camp) BUT so awesome!!  He met a lot of fun friends and I am letting him keep the volcano in the backyard!

 Tate is my best bud.  We do everything together.  I had come up with very smart plan.  I made everyone a big breakfast cleaned it up and then said I was going to make scrambled eggs (I knew everyone hated them, so I wouldn't have to share and I could eat in peace). Of course Tate had to help but that was okay.  But I notice instead of shredding he was actually taking bites out of the cheese (SO GROSS)..anyway.  When all was said and done everyone decided they liked scrambled eggs again and I divided them up evenly but somehow ended up with non for myself.  Apparently they were very good because the kids would like them tomorrow.   Super!

~~Ainsley has become my "I cant wait for you to start kindergarten so I can have some peace and quiet" child.  At the pool she always makes a new friend...this week it is Ethan, last week it was Stella.  She is always hungry.  She will eat an entire bag of corn and start and entire bag of "bean greens."  She always wakes up at 6:00am on the dot.  She is a bit of a toot and she will change her outfit about 3 times a day.  She loves to color and she loves her dad.
~~Tate shoved on his Christmas sweater for church.  When I say shoved, I mean when I turned around he put it on faster then he has ever done anything in his entire life.  He wouldn't take it off. So, we were THAT family on Sunday.   When we got home and I was taking off his nice clothes for a nap and he had 3 socks on one foot!!!  WHAT!!!
As a mom with children of a certain age I believe there are things that the kids can do on their own without my hovering...the kids can brush their own teeth and hair, the kids can dress themselves (except Caleb he will ALWAYS pick his black baseball shorts so I just grab a nice pair), and the kids can wash and shower themselves.  Clearly during the summer I might have to take a step back and rethink these things.

~~Caleb..okay so funny.  We were at the pool and I guess he just jumped into the water and his swim trunks just split right down the back!!!  His buddies didn't notice (thank goodness) but I was walking over to make sure the kids told me what section they were going to be in because the pool was getting to crowded and he told me what had happened!!  Bahaha!  It was so bad we had to leave.  I had to take a picture for memories, and of course keep the shorts I mean what if he hadn't of noticed!!!  Oh boy!

~~Aubrey got her first love letter in the mail from a boy.  She is a very VERY shy girl so reading a letter from a boy that would draw attention to her was so fun for me to watch and so out of character for her!
I am officially know as "fill in the blank's" mom.  It doesn't matter where I am...even in the lazy river a different child will find me and I will hear "Aubrey's mom!  Have you seen Aubrey?"  I love when I hear this...."Tate's mom!  Do you know where Tate's sister is?"  I was doing really good with names until the really hot days and the friends piled up and then it just got to be too much.
Andy finally came with us, his first pool day!!!  He loved meeting all the kids friends and he even lasted our entire pool time, he was shocked that Ainsley could swim the entire length of the pool without touching!  

Last but not least...my kids need some serious culture...we were walking into the pool (that is next to the fair grounds) and Caleb said "Ewehh, what is that smell?"  I looked and saw all the horses and said, "Oh they are getting ready for the 4th of July Rodeo!" and Caleb said, "What is that like a skateboard competition?"  What the heck?!!!!!!  Oh my goodness?!

Because I gave you life

Because I gave you life

With summer camp coming to an end, fall school enrollment 2 days past, dental appointments done (thanks to the best dentist in the Midwest-Andy's dad), and the weather calming down I have decided a couple of things.  

Summer rules do not change hourly.  

I am not sure why the kids think every day when they wake up they might, BUT THEY WONT.

It could be worse....it could ALWAYS be worse!

 EXAMPLE ONE...  Caleb would not stop kicking dirt while we were waiting in pool line for the pool to open.  I gave him 3 warnings.  Each time I told him if he didn't stop I was going to make him hold my hand in front of his friends.  Lesson learned, a little too late for him....but he will not kick dirt again.

EXAMPLE TWO...a wet pool towel.  As I saw it, it was clean strait out of the washing machine, it was hot outside, and be grateful that I brought you towels.  Give it 10 minutes and they will be dry or tomorrow I do not have to bring towels at all!

EXAMPLE THREE....  Why cant they just be grateful that I gave them life?  I mean truly, it must be so hard to be 7!

 Random bus stop 13 minutes away, in some random subdivision, with the bus driver who's schedule is unpredictable.  If you ask me it seems extremely unsafe for children so young to be dropped off in an area they no nothing about.  What if I wasn't a responsible parent?  What if I wasn't there waiting 15 minutes early and tapping my fingers when the bus driver was running 10 minutes late.  I am grateful that I do not have to drive all the way to the elementary school, I just found this arrangement odd.  Also, has anyone seen school buses that kids ride in these days?  They are so cool looking...so futuristic! (Caleb's frown is about his 3DS, I will not let him take it to school even though all of his other friends get too.  Mostly because for science camp you do not take a backpack and today he is exploding his volcano...that just screams mess to me.  Despite what he might think I do not just wake up in the morning and say how can I make Caleb's life hard and miserable.  Really, I don't.)

By 7:30 am Ainsley is done with breakfast and ready to play with Nevah!  (a 4 year old neighbor down the street) 

 By 7:30 Tate is done with breakfast and ready for snack, which he will not let me heat up.  Actually, he has been eating everything mildly cold or raw (oatmeal).  It is gross.  While he wasn't looking I tried to warm it up and he was extremely upset and told me to chill it in the freezer.  He has also been holding that remote, I think he uses it to "keep his teeth clean" who really knows or "keep his hair short."  It was for the tv in the van but he broke it with a bat (I am still SUPER upset about that considering all the driving I do).

Tate has made GIGANTIC leaps and bounds at the pool this week...he will now put the front of his face in the water OR the back of his head in the water (as long as his ears do not go under).  I think it is great!  These pictures are taken in zoom.  I have made it to page 300 of my book, woot woot!  I have come up with a buddy system so that when the kids friends come looking for them I know where they are.  Every time they go to a new section they have to come and tell me.  Today I was so proud!!  Caleb has this little friend that I swear spends the better part of an hour looking for him every day but today I was able to point right to him!!!  BUDDY!!!

A couple of things....

To Caleb...consuming 2 sams clubs bags of apples a week is alot

To the turtles in the fields... do you wish to die?  I keep setting you free, Tate keeps finding you.  I know you aren't the same one each time.  How many are you?

To Ainsley...do not ask for ice cream for breakfast, even right after you eat breakfast.  It just isn't going to happen.

To Aubrey please stop leaving your candy wrappers ALL over the house! 

To the child (I do not think it was Aubrey so you are you free to live another day) who thought it was funny to scare me with the "snake" IT WASN'T and I am pretty sure the neighbors thought I found a human head laying in the field.  BE NICE TO YOUR MOTHER!

Cousins

Cousins...

This year is kind of jumbled.  Since we will not get to see the cousins for the 4th of July they came this past weekend to visit!  

We have  a sand beach with a playground on the lake right down the street so we took them there in the morning before it got too hot!  

My plan

A plan..

I have a summer plan.  To survive, be relaxed and calm.  I think that the only reason I have been able to do that so far is because we were not involved in Spring/Summer sports.  Wow, no hurry hurry hurry.  Now it isn't like my children are not getting their exercise, and its not that we will participate in fall sports (we plan on it now that we are more familiar with the community) it is just so nice to have nothing to do and no where to be.   

We have had weird weather of course...rain and 70 degrees until this week 90's!!  

Caleb got to dissect a shark (or so he told me) during his science class, make slime, and has made clay.

Aubrey has had fun and both kid enjoy eating breakfast and lunch at school.

I do not so much enjoy driving all the way to the new bus stop (over 10 minutes) but I am lucky I do not have to drive all the way to the school.  

 About 20 minutes after I put the kids to bed I went to check on them...I guess Ainsley had snuck into the boys room.  Caleb and Tate always sleep together (even though they each have their own bed).  They must have been extremely tired!!
*Ainsley is double layered with her clothes.  She has been doing that the past two weeks with her pajama's and socks at night time so she can be "extra cozy!" 

 I usually do not see Caleb at all when we are at the pool.  He is with this friend or that friend, but every once in a while he plops down for my SWEET snack! (goldfish mixed with skittles)

 Over the course of 2 days, 8.5 hours at the pool I have only read 28 pages of my book.  What is with the necklace? Why can he hear her voice?  What does the civil war have to do with it?  Ainlsey and Tate keep dragging me here or there so I might never know!!!  Ainsley trying to drive.  It didn't end well.  It was her very first belly flop.  

 On week 3 Tate finally got into the water past his ankles!!  I went to get a picture and capture this girl walking up to him and kissing him.   Hu?!!

He did have his ear plugs but I think they fell out.  I need to get him some better ones.

Well, other then being completely boring people I think my plan is going good.
 Last week the kids got a good laugh at me because on Monday after mowing the lawn and spending the afternoon at the pool I got a bad allergic reaction leaving my left eye and side of my face completely swollen.  It was so bad, I couldn't even open my eye so on Tuesday when I woke up and it still was bad I went to the doctor.  A shot and a couple medicines later I was going to live!!  How weird!  Aubrey and Caleb thought it was hilarious, Ainsley must really love me because she was very worried, and Tate kept trying to poke me!  Apparently the medicine I was on for the rest of the week can make you burn...ya... caked on the 50 sunscreen and burned all week long!  I have no idea what I was allergic too...Kanas I am sure!

I love you more than watermelon!

How did we spend our one week break?

Aubrey and Caleb start their summer enrichment programs tomorrow.  Caleb for Science (thank goodness...hopefully he'll get bugs and yuck out of his system away from the house) and Aubrey for Academics.  

We spent this week being lazy, for the most part.  There was a lot of rain, what seems like a wind-like earth quake, and a little bit of summer homework.  I found the local weather to be inaccurate 100% of the week.   When it said it was going to be bad is wasn't and when it said the weather was going to be sunny it absolutely was NOT!

 We headed to the pool so the kids could meet up with their school friends on Friday.  I "casually" told Ainsley that if she went off the diving board I would let her get a milk shake...she grabbed my hand headed strait there.  

 I thought Caleb was just going to do a regular jump..he stood there for a while and I guess decided to dive.  Since I thought we were only going to be there for an hour before it started to hail I was not very prepared.  The city alarm went off and started staying a tornado had touched 10 miles away and hail was expected.  I started packing up to go home but everyone around me just listened and was like, hum.  10 minutes later the sun came blasting out and 4 hours later we were burnt.  Cruel cruel world!  

 No matter how burnt we were we gently put on our clothes for Saturdays orthodontist zoo day!  Our year pass expired so when Andy's parents invited us to go for free (lunch included) we were very excited.  The kids also got to take silly pictures with their grandparents, enter a drawing for a giant stuffed cat, eat a lot of cookies, and they received a cool little back pack.

We loved showing grandma and grandpa the ROUS' and monkeys.  The weather was wonderful and it was a great end to our week!
I would like to point out things my kids have said this wonderful, school free week...

-I have been waiting my whole life for you to get me milk!
-Did you know Mom?  Did you know Mom? (add about 50 more and that cover half of what I hear in one morning)
-I do not need pants.
-BUT MOM....
-My room IS clean. (unless Ainlsey says it, then FAULSE)
-I do not like my options (meaning their 3 food choices...my reply is next time I will give you no OPTIONS)
-Where is my DS case?
It's the million little phrases that make me love/hate the first week of Summer Break.  Tate is so confused that is destructiveness is invaded but loves the company or additional older helpers.  The best thing said was from Ainsley.. at night when I put her to bed I always say I love you, I love you a lot, I love you infinity...Ainlsey was half asleep but she said, "I love you more than Watermelon."  That pretty much sums it all up.

*Happy 34th Birthday to Andy!

*Congrats to my brother Seth for graduating Medical School!  Dr. Clark!