But it's still hot....

School started.

Summer break is over.

I'm pretty unhappy about how fast our 7ish weeks of summer went. I say 'ish' because I really didn't count. Could be 7, could be 8, could be less than 8. 

Agent P had 2 weeks of summer day camp - he had fun classes like Lego robotics, All things Paper (read - make more paper airplanes because the 137 we have at home are not enough), some class on spiders...I dunno, maybe another one...

The kids did do a week of Vacation Bible School.

There went 3 weeks.

A-Dog had baseball for 4-5 weeks.

We went swimming.

A-Dog went to a Christian youth convention (I chaperoned) for 1 week.

Last week we went to the movies.

Yet somehow, it's all over.

I always take pictures of the first day of school, and because our summer is only 7-ish weeks, there is no sense taking "end of year photo", because I'm pretty sure it would look just like the beginning of school photo...just sayin'.  

Friday, A-Dog started his Sophomore year.

10th Grade

The other 3 are being home-schooled again this year.  

Agent P is in 3rd Grade (and really loves his watch).

Monkey is in Kindergarten

And of course, so is Mini P ;)

So, there you go. We are back to the grind. Kids grow up so fast, I just want to lay down and soak in it (but of course, then pray it isn't pee that I'm laying and soaking in...ya know?)

Cheers!

Ferris Wheels

Raising 4 kids often resembles carnival rides.

Or at least here at my house....

Sometimes it is the House of Horrors or Tilt-a-Whirl.

Sometimes it is the Merry-go-round (that I can't seem to get off)...

This summer it more resembled the Ferris Wheel.

You know...a nice slow ride, goes in a big circle. Stops every once in awhile. Some get on, some get off.

Except that I DESPISE the Ferris Wheel. I have panic attacks ON and OFF of it. If my kids want to ride it, they know the need to find another responsible adult because Mama will NOT be getting on it. Nor will she be watching.

I don't know what it is about the Ferris Wheel, but it seriously scares the be-jeebies out of me. I can barely talk about it and typing it out so many times has sent me into an adrenaline meltdown.

What does this have to do with anything you ask???

A-Dog is 'of the age' now and able to get his driving permit.

So, we let him.

It was inevitable I guess. 

He looks so happy.

*SIGH*. How did he get this old?

Anyway, we wanted to delegate teach him the ways of the road, but first he needed to be my full service gas attendant proficient in administering gas into said vehicle and cleaning the windshield. 

I'm not going to claim the cleanliness was suitable for driving, but since I rarely clean my windshield, I really couldn't complain. That's what car washes are for...to clean my bug smeared windshield.

Obviously the next step was...ahem...driving.  

There was an incident with a cayenne pepper and my sweet husband and so his vision was not what it should be....so off I went.

Being that A-Dog is our experiment first child, I had NO CLUE what I was doing. I mean, I truly thought that all the time spent on Mario Cart 7 and Golf n Stuff indy cars meant he was good to go.

I am here to tell you friends, do NOT rely on either of those!

We spent about an hour in the neighborhood. Thankfully we can across exactly 2 other cars, both time giving me a full on panic attack-just like being on a ferris wheel...for an hour.

Out where we live we had to improvise...like "pretend there is a stop sign at the end of this road, as there really should be, but there isn't". Most roads are dirt and hilly. Made for great driving conditions....

Needless to say, we were both spent when we returned and both needed several days to recover.

I exercised great patience. I never over reacted, or maybe it was just once I shouted "STOP" (which was code for STOP THE TRUCK NNNOOOWWW). He only drove off the road twice, but learned how to backup and that was a necessary lesson.

Pretty sure that is the last time I will be doing that. 

My sweet husband it going to have to do it...unless anybody steps up to volunteer.  I'll cross my fingers...

Cheers!

Crazy daze of summer

One would think that summer would bring long, lazy days...playing at the pool, floating with a cold margarita iced tea, eating bon-bons.

Well, first of all, do bon-bons even exist? And if they do, someone please tell me where to purchase them.

Second, our life still seems to be crazy. Every year it is the same. I look forward to summer, only to realize I don't work outside the home and all the kids are here. I don't know why I ever think it would be relaxing, but every year I do, and every year I wonder how we can be so busy in the summer :)!

This summer I opted to NOT let the little kids do Soccer Nights. The soccer schedule is totally random (no set nights, just random) and still requires me to round them up and get somewhere on time. I was hoping for a little less of that. They have no idea they had the option, so they are not upset.

A-Dog has been playing summer baseball. Not the best photo, but when it is 247 degrees and I have to pack enough water to hydrate an elephant, enough chairs and shade to keep my small people from wilting like grapes...a camera doesn't make it into the bag...only my phone! Then, I'm competing with the fence because obviously, I'm not THAT close to him! :)

Agent P lost his first and second tooth - in 2 days - and pulled them both himself (thank goodness).  Now, don't judge me too harshly, but here we do the "tooth fairy" a little different.  Starting with Agent P. Or, ya know..NOW.

See, A-dog lost his baby teeth late. By the time he was losing the last of them he was just redeeming them for cash because he was like 12 or something (again, late and I have no clue how old, but old). 

It would go like this: "Here's a tooth mom", "oh, hmm, I don't know if I have cash...let me look".  I almost considered just doing an online bank transfer into his savings account.

So, I made the executive decision to do things a little different with the next 3. 

When you lose your 1st tooth, you get all sorts of goodies!!!  Like an electric toothbrush, some of your favorite candy (because you will be losing all those teeth at some point anyway) and some gum...whatever I have laying around - goes in a little bag. It's a celebration!

After that...you are out of luck.

I don't say it like that exactly...

I said something like - "well, after you lose 5, you get to go to D@iry Queen!" (I don't have rewards for after the first 5, I'm winging it, and open to ideas).

Call me a genius, a forward thinker, a lunatic, a sad excuse for a mom...whatever you want...but look at it this way - not one of my kids will ever be disappointed that the tooth fairy forgot to come...again (A-Dog will likely need therapy for the times we forgot). 

That and I won't have to worry about sneaking into their rooms to find the hidden tooth and replace with money another 58 times.  That's a lot of sneaking.

And being the good kid Agent P is, he was happy with the arrangement! He loves his new toothbrush and enjoyed carrying around his own pack of gum. The candybar is still in the bag...maybe he forgot about it... ;)

Cheers!

8 is GREAT!

Agent P turned 8!!!

I can't express enough what a special kid this one is! He is silly and crazy and sometimes downright annoying. He is smart and inquisitive and loves to read and learn.  He is active and is a great swimmer and is amazing on the soccer field and is trying to keep up with A-Dog in the baseball arena! He is lovable and sweet, and full of attitude at times. 

For his birthday I was all set to make him a homemade chocolate cake (because I didn't have a cake mix of any sort here at home and it is 10 miles to the grocery store). Of course, he announces that morning that he would like the lemon cake "that Grandpa likes for his birthday".  That's lovely. I'm pretty sure there are 3 people in our family who like that cake. Grandpa, Agent P and some other person - but I wouldn't know who, I just didn't want to exclude them.

Of course that meant I had to 1. get a recipe. 2. go to the store. 

Not on my agenda, but did it anyway.

We celebrated at a local pizza place that has games.  We didn't invite friends because there are always kids there and if he needed to he could call them party guests...I just didn't have enough tokens for them. Haha!

So, 7 is gone and 8 is here!  Happy Birthday Agent P, we love you beyond words!

Cheers!

T-Ball comes to an end...

and I think 12 games is just plenty. We've played 11 and have exactly ONE MORE!!!!!

Not that the season hasn't been pure entertainment, because it has. The fact that the game is over in 1 hour is absolutely a big positive for me.

We have learned that you have to be VERY SPECIFIC with Mini P. She is a rule follower and will typically do as she is asked, EXACTLY as she is asked. (By others. Not always her parents. Let's be clear, at home she will do what she is asked if it is what she wants to do.)

Case in point #1:  Her coach told her (while she was playing shortstop) to "tag the runner!!!"  Which she diligently did...seven times...without the ball. She just reached out and 'tagged' them on the arm as they ran from 2nd to 3rd and went about her business. She did it with confidence, happy to be doing what the coach told her to do. She's played a game of Tag or two you know! The other team however was slightly confused.

Case in point #2:  A few weeks later, she was playing 1st base. One time, the ball was hit to her, she caught it and her coach told her to "tag the base!!!".  She didn't really know what he meant, and coach #2 told her to go over and step on the base. Got it. Next 5 balls that were hit, she trotted over to 1st base and tapped her foot on the base and turned around ready for next batter. However, not once did she have the ball, so, ya know..the runner was safe each time. That, and the other kids were trying to throw her the ball and she wasn't really paying attention to them.

Just Mini P in the field...getting ready

SO, lesson learned - BE SPECIFIC!

We also learned that Monkey can bat left or right. I use the term "can" loosely. He can do either way...does he excel on one side or the other? No. We just let him do whatever he wants to do. Even his coach has learned he will just decide as he's walking up to the plate. Usually he switches every at bat. Obviously Monkey takes the sport very seriously is is determined to hone his switch hitting skills at an early age. That or he just has NO CLUE what he is doing. Hard to say.

A couple things I will not miss about T-Ball however.

1. I will not miss the kid who laid on the bench and subsequently scooted himself across the bench until every water bottle, glove, had and other items were all crashed to the ground. Won't miss that a bit.

2. I won't miss that same kid who decided whilst laying on said bench and scooting...that he would LICK the water bottles before they went crashing to the ground. 

3. I won't miss the kid who cried at about half the games, one time from centerfield - wailing louder and louder because he figured no one could hear him.  I'd file that in the "pure entertainment" section as well because it wasn't one of my kids...

4.  I without a doubt will NOT miss trying to get Monkey ready to go.  I will say that it is easier than soccer...he doesn't hate the feel of the shirt, so that goes on easy. But Monkey has exactly 2 speeds. Slow. Slower.  He is not rushed. He doesn't have a "hurry" button. He dawdles, delays, procrastinates, gets distracted, did I mention dawdles? Not just getting ready for baseball...for EVERYTHING.

I guess I will miss the improvisions for getting outs. When all else fails, just throw the ball at the runner. If they are going to run out of the baseline to avoid a tag, it will be easier to just beam them with the ball.

Above all, I will miss the total cuteness :)

Cheers!

What to title this? Baseball season?

I am probably in the minority, but I happen to enjoy my teenager.

There I admitted it.

He is responsible, funny, moody, hungry, smart, takes initiative, loves the foods I love, has a dry sense of humor and thinks I'm funny, makes good decisions, loves God, values friends, is sensitive, kind, oh my list is endless.

He is almost done with his freshman year in highschool and I am beside myself at how quickly it is going. We work hard to savor all the times we have with our kids. To enjoy everything they do.  To cherish the time we are given with them.

This spring has been totally chaotic with 4 kids in baseball.  The month of April brought us 27 games in 4 weeks. Luckily, we only needed to hire additional parents to help us out three times. Not bad. We will not discuss our diet or dining out budget. Both are shot.  Back on track this month for sure!

But spending the spring watching A-Dog play baseball was just sweet. 

He has always loved baseball. From the time he was 2 he could hit the ball. He would spend HOURS playing wiffle ball with grandma and grandpa. 

Age 4.5

He just loves the game and I am pretty sure we have logged at least 250 games thus far in his career.

You had a great season Bud!  Proud is a word people throw around loosely, but we are proud of you, and above all, you played with integrity, heart and soul and pure sportsmanship.  You a a quality teammate that anyone would be lucky to have! 

Cheers!

Bullying is fun!

During breakfast recently, a commercial about Bullying had just ended. Ya know "stop the bullying, bullying is bad" etc.

Then Monkey says emphatically "I LOVE Bullying!!!"

Agent P and I (shocked) told him bullying wasn't nice and no one should bully others.

Monkey smiles and says "But bullying is FUN!!!"

So, the homeschooling mom I am, took this opportunity to explain why we should treat others nicely and how bullying others isn't nice. My 5 minute detailed explanation was done with love and compassion in hopes that he won't turn into the house bully.

I then asked him what he thought was fun about bullying.

He told me "It's fun when you take the ball, and throw it down and it hits the pins and knocks them all over the place".

OOOOHHHH....BOWLING! Not BULLYING. BOWLING.

That turned into a different conversation.

Monkey's brain turns some words into other words...

Semi Truck was Simon Truck
Hawaii was Wahai-yee

We just repeat the right word and move on because he thinks he is saying it correctly...just something his brain has to work out apparently because eventually he gets them right.

My hope is now he understands BOWLING and BULLYING are 2 different words.

So we went BOWLING.

Monkey

Mini P

Mini P is very competitive.  This is how the first game went:

Then game 2 got all crazy. 

I'm good for 1 game then I get tired of trying to not throw gutter ball. You know, like when you ride a bike...you see a big rock and you say to yourself "stay away from the rock...stay away from the rock" and then you end up hitting the rock? I'm like that with the gutters. I think I threw about 10 gutterballs my 2nd game...out of 20 throws. Impressive right?

The kids played with gutter guards and mostly had bank shots, except Mini P who was determined to make a career of bowling that Sunday afternoon.

Then my sweet husband, had to turn it up a notch because he is competitive and apparently didn't like losing to a 5 year old. Me? I could care less...Haha!

Game 2 final score...

It was nice to be able to go bowling with the kids and not have to help them bowl (specifically the twins). They can pick up the ball and hurl it down the lane as well as they need to.  

You can see on the scoreboard that the m.p.h remained with my sweet husband, but it was actually the last ball thrown by Mini P. 3.9 m.p.h..  Not a record low. There was one thrown that was 2.4 m.p.h.

Cheers, and remember - BOWLING is fun, not bullying.