The Perks of having kids!

Having children around can make for a lot of work.  They are time consuming and make a lot of messes.  It is quite fortunate that they also make me laugh.  They bring joy and sunshine to my otherwise mundane life.  Let me show you some examples.

I got to have lunch with the cutest pilgrim last week!  I don't know why, but she kept telling me she was embarrassed to be wearing her adorable costume.  She was too cute for words!

Marian just lost her second top tooth!  It was slightly traumatic, as it involved her toast and bleeding. Oh, and the Tooth Fairly forgot to come last night.

This kid won't let me get a nice candid shot.  His variety of silly faces and attempts at the ridiculous keeps things interesting.  His seriousness at the Scouting philosophy melts my heart.  When he does something helpful and tells me he did it because that's what a good scout would do, I think that just maybe its all worth it!

This cutie-pie has some very original ideas.  This yarn "necklace", for example.  She had some very strong feelings for it.  She did wear it in her bath, and now she is looking clean and damp from said bath.

Someone is not happy. She makes a very handy excuse when the telemarketers call though!  And she really only does this now when she's starving or really tired and ready to sleep. And yes, I attribute it to the chiropractor!

I  love the variety of expressions here.  We have Joshua and his silly face.  Marian and her "I don't care" face.  And then there is a naked Callie, wrapped in a blanket, looking very cranky. Its true, life is never dull at our house!

We had to try out the Bumpo and see if Rylee is big enough for it.  The answer is, just barely!

She looks so cute and happy, but she's definitely listing to the side!

Here's what happens when I want to try to get a group shot!  They are all cute and funny, but it doesn't make for a great group shot!

These are intentional silly faces!  Honest!  Hee hee hee!

Ah, more like it!  Do we possibly have a cute picture where you can see each child's face?  Are they all smiling? Are they all presentable?  Good enough!

Check on all 3 criteria!  Faces, smiles, presentation... its all there!  Its why I love being a mom!

Napping

I just like this picture....

When Dan comes home from work, he usually asks if I got a nap that day.  I know he's asking to get a feel for how well rested I might be, and how crabby I may be.  The problem is that I might say I only got a short nap or no nap, but Rylee took a 2 or 3 hour nap.  Dan cannot understand why I didn't also sleep for 2-3 hours.  Let me tell you why not!

Say Rylee falls asleep at 1:30.  I put her in her bed at 1:45.  Then I have to hunt down Delaney.  I'll have to change her diaper and get her upstairs.  I'll have to sing her some songs and tuck her in.  By then it is well after 2 o'clock.  I will realize I never had any lunch because I was busy dealing with a baby who was demanding attention and a toddler who was also demanding attention.  So I will go make a sandwich and sit down to eat it.   I'll notice that the sink is full of dishes when I put my things away, so I will load the dishwasher.  Suddenly I'll remember I had laundry in the washer and I'll have to run downstairs to change that over.  And while I'm down there, I may as well start another load, because the laundry NEVER ENDS!

Finally I'll get headed towards bed.  Then Callie will ask for a movie.  I'll have to help her select a movie that she's happy with, and she's already seen everything we have at least twice and right now she hates all of them. Thank goodness for Netflix and the watch-it-now selection!  I'll get her squared away and the phone will ring and I'll have to deal with a telemarketer.  Once I'm done with that, I'll get upstairs and discover we are about out of toilet paper.  Knowing it will be very bad if we do run out, I go get some more from the basement while I'm thinking about it.  At last, I'll get up to bed.  I may get to lie down before Rylee wakes up or the kids get home from school.  Once the kids get home, I can occasionally stay in bed, but not really sleep.  Someone will come in and ask what's for snack.  Then they'll ask if they can go to a friend's house.  Then they'll tell me that the mail came, or that Callie was teasing them, or what movie can they watch.....

Anyway, THAT is why I may not have gotten a nap today!

Name that Baby!

I have heard that my babies all look alike.  I have to agree, that its true.  So today, we have a little quiz.  Which child is in each baby picture?

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

The Answer Key:  #1 is Delaney

#2 is Callie

#3 is Rylee

#4 is Joshua

#5 is Marian

How well did you do?

Random pictures and Dress Blues!

Here are some pictures from this week:

Joshua has to read for 20 minutes every night.  He takes this very seriously. And it makes me so happy to see him reading something other than Calvin and Hobbes!

Marian had her last gymnastics class yesterday.  Dan says this barrel was her favorite thing.

I don't get many pictures of Marian, but I got several this week!  Normally she refuses to smile, but here she is quite pleased with herself.  Why?

This is why!  She's playing with Delaney!  And then she was teasing her, and then it was no fun for anyone but Marian.

Everyone still wants to hold the baby all the time. Now that she's more alert and happy, Rylee is more fun.  And she's so cute!

And that Callie!  Her grin is the cutest thing.  I love it!

Dan had his Marine Corps Ball this week.  Isn't he handsome?!

Yep, that's my man!

This is what I spent MY evening doing while he was at the Ball.  This is 5 loads of laundry, with another still in the washer and dryer.  Ug.

See Rylee there in the lower left?  She slept long enough for me to fold all but that last load of laundry.  This is what 6 loads of laundry looks like once its separated, organized and folded!

Resolved without Resolution

It has been very interesting, and slightly disturbing. But first, I'm gonna make 2 comments.

1.  Kirsten, we have a new principal this year.  

2.  In light of Carly's comment.... I can't believe your bus stop is 2 miles from your house!  And I can't believe that they would leave a 4 year old standing there alone.  That is wrong.  I do understand the school's policy. I understand that it may not be safe to let a kindergartner walk home alone.  I don't object to it, I just object to me having to comply to it. Especially since we live so close, and she's done this for a year already, and she's got a big brother with her, and she isn't the only kid getting off the bus.   And I was (and still am a bit) angry that I did what I could to help them feel comfortable and allow me to be an exception to the rule.  

Here is what bothers me:

I had talked to the principal, I had sent in a waiver, and someone decides a month later that Marian suddenly can't walk home.  And last night Joshua told me he wasn't allowed off the bus either.  He didn't have a choice.  So now my third grader couldn't get off?!  Ug!  Its a good thing for them that I had just assumed he was a sweet and supportive brother who had chosen to stay with his sister or I would have been even more mad and probably said things I'd regret later.  

Now, onto the unresolved part that disturbs me.  These are things I have been told about this situation:

- The principal said that the waiver had to be approved by the Transportation Office.  

- The transportation office says they do not have a policy that first graders have to be met by a parent at all. (So why would a waiver need their approval?)

- The assistant principal said there was no reason why the kids were kept on the bus and returned to the school yesterday. (Um... so why were they?!)

- The transportation office said the bus driver did it because she was unsure of their safety. (And for what arbitrary reason was yesterday different from any other day?!)

In theory, the situation is resolved.  The bus driver will let them both off the bus without a parent there to meet them.  That's what I have been told.  I must say I have zero confidence in the school now.  All this concern to keep my children safe by people who cannot communicate with each other.  Gosh, its so comforting. 

And now I must mention that Marian's teacher called me a few minutes before the bus was to arrive here today and told me that she hadn't seen the call for Marian's bus and Marian had missed it.  Aargh.  Fortunately, her teacher said she would bring Marian home if that was okay.  It was definitely okay with me!