At 9:00 this evening I found myself still in my nightgown sitting on a stool in the kitchen so I wouldn't be visible from the living room eating Jello with strawberries and non dairy whipped topping. If it's non dairy, what is it? For some reason it makes me think of petroleum jelly and yet I still eat it. Why am I still in my pajamas and why am I hiding from the kids? What, have you never hidden from your kids just to eat a little treat without being questioned about it or asked to share? Well, tonight I was there... I needed a little alone time after 48 hours of house arrest...imposed on me by three children with fevers....and one of them is a barfer. Yuck, I know. It' been a busy week and I guess it all caught up with us.
Last Saturday we had big plans to go to Party in the Park! We were so excited to jump on the inflatables, listen to the awesome band, dance a bit, eat lots of food, when tons of prizes and see all our friends. Imagine our surprise when we arrived at the park and realized it was not THE Party in the Park....just A Party in the Park. Does that make sense? It turns out a new church in town was sponsoring this fun little event and thought it was the city wide get together. We made the most of it anyway. The people were nice, the inflatables were bouncy and it was still all free!
They got the kids all excited for the puppet show and then when we got inside with the other 5 people in attendance we danced to the 10 Commandment Boogie, played dress up and Claire even mouthed the words to the Scooby Doo theme song for a special prize. Check out the yellow shirt above which she won and then decided to give away. Well, truthfully I gave it away for her saying it was too small after she said she didn't really think she would ever wear it. I scooted the kids back outside and onto the firetruck and then loaded them all up in the van. They were pretty disappointed that they'd done their Saturday chores for THAT so I took them all to the dollar movies where we enjoyed Nim's Island. I enjoyed the outing except for the part when Kate took off like a girl on a mission through the crowded lobby and disappeared in a sea of legs. OK maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit but the thought did cross my mind that I probably just lost my 2 year old and would never find her again. I put my detective mind to work and headed straight for the game room where I found her practicing her moves on Dance Dance Revolution. Yes, she got a spanking right then and there. Too bad I had put her in a pull-up for the movie and my swat made a really loud noise which caused everyone to turn their heads while all she felt was a little pat. I marched her back to the theater, got the rest of the clan and headed straight for the van where I could buckle her in and not worry about losing her for the next 30 minutes during the car ride home.
Monday, William flew the plane to Kansas, left it there for maintenance and drove the five hours home because it wouldn't be ready for pick-up until Saturday! What to do with actual time off??? We thought about driving to Nauvoo for the pageant but then remembered we have a 4 1/2 month old who doesn't like traveling in the car too much. We settled on a STAYCATION!
Picture William singing this,
"Staycation, I don't wanna go away!
Staycation, take me on a holiday!"
It's been stuck in my head all week. :)
Tuesday we went on a family walk and ate watermelon at Grandma B's and Papa's.
Wednesday we got a babysitter for Kate and Hank and took the rest of the family to the Springfield Cardinal's Game.
Thursday, we loaded the van to it's weight limit and went camping at Stockton Lake. B, Papa, Diane, Sam, Tyler, Ronnie, Ross, Julie, Grace, Mary, Nolan and Maggie joined us for the evening. Ross and Julie brought their boat and we all had a wild ride on the inner tube...except Walter and Kate. While William and I held on for dear life and I screamed my lungs out, Ross smiled and laughed and pushed the throttle a little farther. Each time we hit the wake and bounced around like rag dolls I thought I just might die and leave poor baby Walter motherless. Who would raise my children if I was gone? Then William had the brilliant idea to let go when he slowed down to make the next turn and just like that our wild ride ended. Somehow I managed to drag my limp body into the boat and as I sat there with weak shaking arms and almost dislocated shoulders I realized I was so sad Ross and Julie are moving. Who will scare me to death and make me scream for my life if Ross isn't here to drive the boat? Who else thinks it's fun to watch someone cling to the tube and beg for mercy? I have to admit, I kind of like being scared. It's thrilling and that's why I get back on that tube every single time.
At sunset we had to put the boat away so we roasted hot dogs, ate watermelon and watched the kids throw mud and rocks into the lake. Everyone left us around 9:30 and then we enjoyed some peaceful time around the campfire. Who am I kidding? We have five kids. When everyone left I put Walter down in the tent and then tried to sit by the fire. It was so hot outside though that I had to scoot back about 15 feet just to enjoy the flame. The kids started begging to go to bed because it was so exciting to be sleeping in a tent. There was no way I was letting any of them near the tent until I was positive they would got right to sleep because I didn't want dear Wally waking up prematurely. We laid in the road and gazed at the stars, we listed to the LOUD sound of the bugs in the trees and finally settled everyone into bed around 11:30. Camping in Missouri is HOT so Will and I went for a midnight dip in the lake to cool down and then slept on top of blankets with a sheet to cover up with. All night, I was sliding down my slick foam mattress and then scooting back up. I'm pretty sure there was a ravine under me and when daylight came I realized the bugs were finally quiet but the birds were singing. Jane woke everyone in the tent up by trying to fold her sheet at 5:28am!!!! Thwap, thwap, thwap! She kept snapping her sheet trying to get it straightened out. I don't recall exactly what I said but I got her to lay back down. Just as I was drifting back to sleep I heard it again, thwap, thwap, THWAP!!! Kate sat up with a grumpy face, Hank rolled over and groaned, Claire whined something and Walter stirred. GRRRRRR! I think that was me growling. I sent Jane out of the tent but it was no use. Everyone was up and as the last child made their way out of the tent Walter's eyes popped open. Good Morning!!! We made the best of it by eating breakfast, swimming in the lake and packing up.
We drove over to a popular jumping spot called Chicken Rock. Usually it is VERY far out of the water but because we've gotten 44 inches of rain this year (it's only July) and we usually get 44 inches of rain for the WHOLE year it was the perfect spot for the kids to test their bravery. Claire and Jane must have jumped 50 times. Hank started off low and worked his way to the top, jumping three times before he smacked his face and decided to call it quits. Kate stayed on the low ledge, thank goodness and Walter hung out in his car seat while I jumped and then sat in my lap while I snapped photos. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older or if I just jumped wrong, but I somehow managed to irritate my ear. I've been on ibuprofen since I got home because the pain is really annoying. Hopefully it will just heal itself.
By 3:00 or so everyone was tuckered out so we loaded up once again and drove home. We all zonked in the car and then I even got a small nap in at home before we headed to the Rodeo put on by our two wards. The kids enjoyed the sack races, greased pig catching, eating watermelon and watching Dad and Mom in the tug-of-war.
We made it home around 8:45, got everyone bathed and bedded and then Will and I enjoyed a movie together while eating popcorn, apples and cheese my favorite! Have you seen The Golden Compass? I thought it was a pretty intriguing movie but I've read some pretty disturbing things about the author of the book and the whole scheme behind the movie. I love snopes.com for my little background investigations.
Well, the rest is history....shortly after the movie ended, Walter woke up with a 101.9 degree fever, Jane started complaining her head hurt by mid morning and Hank followed shortly after. Jane's been the only one with the barfies thankfully, but I've been stuck in my house for 48 hours, in my pajamas....because what is the point of getting dressed and now that Hank is feeling better he's dressing up in girly clothes. Is it possible the fever damaged his brain? I'm pretty sure I just read it only does that if it goes above 107. There's been a lot of sleeping, tylenol and craziness going around here. William got to go pick up the airplane in Kansas yesterday and enjoy church childless today while I listened to funny comments like these....
Mom = Marie=Me :)
Mom: Hank you better finish that yogurt drink.
Hank: But I'm not hungry.
Mom: Maybe Kate will eat for you. (This was before I realized Hank was sick)
Hank: Kate, I'll let you be boss of the house if you drink my yogurt drink.
Kate: OK Hank! Thanks! I get to be boss of the house! (guzzle, guzzle, guzzle)
Hank: I made a good rule, didn't I Mom?
***I do have a friend who asked me once if I've ever actually seen starving children because I hate seeing food be wasted so much. Is this something my parents instilled in me?
Mom: Don't you dare throw up on my carpet!
Jane crawls to the edge of the carpet and barfs on the hard wood floor.
Yes, I got a towel and helped the poor child.
After making a disgusting drink concoction for the kids....
Mom: Do you like it Claire?
Claire: Yes, I just don't like looking at it. It tastes a lot better than it looks.
(I sure didn't think so but I gagged it down with a straw anyway because as I previously stated I hate wasting food.)
Tomorrow is a new day and I hope, oh I hope everyone is healthy and well when the sun rises.
Last Saturday we had big plans to go to Party in the Park! We were so excited to jump on the inflatables, listen to the awesome band, dance a bit, eat lots of food, when tons of prizes and see all our friends. Imagine our surprise when we arrived at the park and realized it was not THE Party in the Park....just A Party in the Park. Does that make sense? It turns out a new church in town was sponsoring this fun little event and thought it was the city wide get together. We made the most of it anyway. The people were nice, the inflatables were bouncy and it was still all free!
They got the kids all excited for the puppet show and then when we got inside with the other 5 people in attendance we danced to the 10 Commandment Boogie, played dress up and Claire even mouthed the words to the Scooby Doo theme song for a special prize. Check out the yellow shirt above which she won and then decided to give away. Well, truthfully I gave it away for her saying it was too small after she said she didn't really think she would ever wear it. I scooted the kids back outside and onto the firetruck and then loaded them all up in the van. They were pretty disappointed that they'd done their Saturday chores for THAT so I took them all to the dollar movies where we enjoyed Nim's Island. I enjoyed the outing except for the part when Kate took off like a girl on a mission through the crowded lobby and disappeared in a sea of legs. OK maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit but the thought did cross my mind that I probably just lost my 2 year old and would never find her again. I put my detective mind to work and headed straight for the game room where I found her practicing her moves on Dance Dance Revolution. Yes, she got a spanking right then and there. Too bad I had put her in a pull-up for the movie and my swat made a really loud noise which caused everyone to turn their heads while all she felt was a little pat. I marched her back to the theater, got the rest of the clan and headed straight for the van where I could buckle her in and not worry about losing her for the next 30 minutes during the car ride home.
Monday, William flew the plane to Kansas, left it there for maintenance and drove the five hours home because it wouldn't be ready for pick-up until Saturday! What to do with actual time off??? We thought about driving to Nauvoo for the pageant but then remembered we have a 4 1/2 month old who doesn't like traveling in the car too much. We settled on a STAYCATION!
Picture William singing this,
"Staycation, I don't wanna go away!
Staycation, take me on a holiday!"
It's been stuck in my head all week. :)
Tuesday we went on a family walk and ate watermelon at Grandma B's and Papa's.
Wednesday we got a babysitter for Kate and Hank and took the rest of the family to the Springfield Cardinal's Game.
Thursday, we loaded the van to it's weight limit and went camping at Stockton Lake. B, Papa, Diane, Sam, Tyler, Ronnie, Ross, Julie, Grace, Mary, Nolan and Maggie joined us for the evening. Ross and Julie brought their boat and we all had a wild ride on the inner tube...except Walter and Kate. While William and I held on for dear life and I screamed my lungs out, Ross smiled and laughed and pushed the throttle a little farther. Each time we hit the wake and bounced around like rag dolls I thought I just might die and leave poor baby Walter motherless. Who would raise my children if I was gone? Then William had the brilliant idea to let go when he slowed down to make the next turn and just like that our wild ride ended. Somehow I managed to drag my limp body into the boat and as I sat there with weak shaking arms and almost dislocated shoulders I realized I was so sad Ross and Julie are moving. Who will scare me to death and make me scream for my life if Ross isn't here to drive the boat? Who else thinks it's fun to watch someone cling to the tube and beg for mercy? I have to admit, I kind of like being scared. It's thrilling and that's why I get back on that tube every single time.
At sunset we had to put the boat away so we roasted hot dogs, ate watermelon and watched the kids throw mud and rocks into the lake. Everyone left us around 9:30 and then we enjoyed some peaceful time around the campfire. Who am I kidding? We have five kids. When everyone left I put Walter down in the tent and then tried to sit by the fire. It was so hot outside though that I had to scoot back about 15 feet just to enjoy the flame. The kids started begging to go to bed because it was so exciting to be sleeping in a tent. There was no way I was letting any of them near the tent until I was positive they would got right to sleep because I didn't want dear Wally waking up prematurely. We laid in the road and gazed at the stars, we listed to the LOUD sound of the bugs in the trees and finally settled everyone into bed around 11:30. Camping in Missouri is HOT so Will and I went for a midnight dip in the lake to cool down and then slept on top of blankets with a sheet to cover up with. All night, I was sliding down my slick foam mattress and then scooting back up. I'm pretty sure there was a ravine under me and when daylight came I realized the bugs were finally quiet but the birds were singing. Jane woke everyone in the tent up by trying to fold her sheet at 5:28am!!!! Thwap, thwap, thwap! She kept snapping her sheet trying to get it straightened out. I don't recall exactly what I said but I got her to lay back down. Just as I was drifting back to sleep I heard it again, thwap, thwap, THWAP!!! Kate sat up with a grumpy face, Hank rolled over and groaned, Claire whined something and Walter stirred. GRRRRRR! I think that was me growling. I sent Jane out of the tent but it was no use. Everyone was up and as the last child made their way out of the tent Walter's eyes popped open. Good Morning!!! We made the best of it by eating breakfast, swimming in the lake and packing up.
We drove over to a popular jumping spot called Chicken Rock. Usually it is VERY far out of the water but because we've gotten 44 inches of rain this year (it's only July) and we usually get 44 inches of rain for the WHOLE year it was the perfect spot for the kids to test their bravery. Claire and Jane must have jumped 50 times. Hank started off low and worked his way to the top, jumping three times before he smacked his face and decided to call it quits. Kate stayed on the low ledge, thank goodness and Walter hung out in his car seat while I jumped and then sat in my lap while I snapped photos. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older or if I just jumped wrong, but I somehow managed to irritate my ear. I've been on ibuprofen since I got home because the pain is really annoying. Hopefully it will just heal itself.
By 3:00 or so everyone was tuckered out so we loaded up once again and drove home. We all zonked in the car and then I even got a small nap in at home before we headed to the Rodeo put on by our two wards. The kids enjoyed the sack races, greased pig catching, eating watermelon and watching Dad and Mom in the tug-of-war.
We made it home around 8:45, got everyone bathed and bedded and then Will and I enjoyed a movie together while eating popcorn, apples and cheese my favorite! Have you seen The Golden Compass? I thought it was a pretty intriguing movie but I've read some pretty disturbing things about the author of the book and the whole scheme behind the movie. I love snopes.com for my little background investigations.
Well, the rest is history....shortly after the movie ended, Walter woke up with a 101.9 degree fever, Jane started complaining her head hurt by mid morning and Hank followed shortly after. Jane's been the only one with the barfies thankfully, but I've been stuck in my house for 48 hours, in my pajamas....because what is the point of getting dressed and now that Hank is feeling better he's dressing up in girly clothes. Is it possible the fever damaged his brain? I'm pretty sure I just read it only does that if it goes above 107. There's been a lot of sleeping, tylenol and craziness going around here. William got to go pick up the airplane in Kansas yesterday and enjoy church childless today while I listened to funny comments like these....
Mom = Marie=Me :)
Mom: Hank you better finish that yogurt drink.
Hank: But I'm not hungry.
Mom: Maybe Kate will eat for you. (This was before I realized Hank was sick)
Hank: Kate, I'll let you be boss of the house if you drink my yogurt drink.
Kate: OK Hank! Thanks! I get to be boss of the house! (guzzle, guzzle, guzzle)
Hank: I made a good rule, didn't I Mom?
***I do have a friend who asked me once if I've ever actually seen starving children because I hate seeing food be wasted so much. Is this something my parents instilled in me?
Mom: Don't you dare throw up on my carpet!
Jane crawls to the edge of the carpet and barfs on the hard wood floor.
Yes, I got a towel and helped the poor child.
After making a disgusting drink concoction for the kids....
Mom: Do you like it Claire?
Claire: Yes, I just don't like looking at it. It tastes a lot better than it looks.
(I sure didn't think so but I gagged it down with a straw anyway because as I previously stated I hate wasting food.)
Tomorrow is a new day and I hope, oh I hope everyone is healthy and well when the sun rises.
