How we have fun in Arkansas!

My parents do not have cable or satellite TV. This means that if its not on VHS or DVD, there is nothing to see on the TV. I kind of like it. And I have been shocked at how little the children (mainly Joshua!) have complained about it. They have done a great job being occupied by other things. Personally, I think it is a bit too hot to go outside, but the kids don't seem bothered much at all. They spend a lot of time in the yard having a marvelous time, and not always in the kiddie pool.

I also took them to a library program. I really like the library here. They have a great kids room.

The kids like to play more than they want to read or look at books, but I'm okay with that. They are having fun, the air is cool and air-conditioned, I'm happy to sit and read while they play!

The library also has a good summer reading program and we attended one of their activities. Joshua did not want to go, but the girls had a great time. There was a balloon man who did some fun magic as well. I was pretty impressed. At the end, he made balloon figures for every kid. And there were a LOT of kids!

Marian got a sword, while Callie and Delaney chose pink dogs. I was a bit surprised by Marian's desire for a "life-saver", especially when she began sword fighting with several other little boys. I had been sure she'd pick an animal.

Marian's very favorite thing to do here is to chase the chickens. She claims she isn't chasing them, she's not suppose to. I must say however, that when I see her running, and there are chickens running, I usually do think she is chasing them.

She just wants to hold and pet them. She spends hours out there with the chickens. Thank goodness they are too young to lay eggs yet, I'm sure they'd stop laying from the stress of Marian.

The chickens are very good natured though. They do not scratch or peck, and sit quietly when she does manage to snag one. And all the children want to pet and hold it. The chicken will submit to being manhandled with good grace until Marian tires of carting it around.

The kids have done a great job of holding the poor things properly, which helps. The kids so far have been gentle with the chickens, and it is pretty funny to see Marian out in the yard with a hen tucked under one arm, just going about her business.

Yesterday I decided to take the kids to the movies. They love the first "Night at the Museum", so I thought it might be fun to take them to see the new one. Ug.

Yep, they did make goofy faces for this. They argued over popcorn, ran around the theater and Callie asked, "Is this real?" very loudly every 5 minutes which annoyed Joshua enough to shout back, "No, I told you a hundred times already!" She was a bit scared as well, and sat on what's left of my lap for most of the movie. I enjoyed the movie, but I think I will try hard to never take 3 of them together again! They were also cranky and rotten the rest of the day.

Heat Wave

I am not sure if I forgot how hot Arkansas is in the summer, or if I blacked out the memories, or if I just fool myself into thinking each roasting hot time is a fluke. It is hot here. Really hot. The heat index most days this week have been over 100. Its muggy too. Just standing in the shade makes you sweat. So this week has been all about keeping cool.

We set up the kiddie pool in the yard and Callie and Delaney have been in nearly every day.

Yep, my 2 littlest girls have a ball. They go out after Delaney's nap and play till dinnertime. They have even eaten dinner on the back porch in swimsuits several times. They will play out there till I call them in to get ready for bed. I gotta admit, I like it!

Joshua got his suit on a few times too. He didn't play much in the pool. He likes the treehouse more, but the pool is a good way to cool down after he's been playing and sweating.

On Wednesday, Dad and I drove into Missouri, looking for a good canoe put in and pull out point. We drove waaaay too long, but found this lovely spot on the river.
I had brought swim gear and Joshua, Marian and I got cool and wet while my Dad drove on to look at another place to put canoes in and out of the water. I'm glad we stayed to swim. Marian was so funny.

Joshua had convinced me if I paid $3 for this lifejacket, that he would wear it. He did and when we got to the river he and Marian fought over it.

Joshua got the hang of swimming upriver a ways and then floating back down. Marian just liked to thrash around a lot.


On Thursday, the girls were all back in the kiddie pool. I would not have taken a picture, but I looked out the window and saw this.....

Are these kids a hoot or what?!! Who thinks of this stuff?!

And then since Callie got to drive, Delaney had to as well. And Marian just wanted to be corny. (Yes, the swimsuit Delaney has on actually IS Marian's. Delaney is obsessed with Winnie the Pooh)

Today I got brave. I finally took all the kids to the lake. We were here 3 months last Summer and never went. Granted, the water was so high, all the places were flooded, but I never even tried. Its so stinking hot, I decided this year we'd go. My friend Wendy and her kids went as well and we had a really good time. Well, until we got home and I realized I had not managed to get sunscreen on Joshua, and he's now a lovely shade of red. Aaargh.

I got this for Delaney, but Callie wanted to play in it and had a great time. The water was warm and it was fairly still, unless boats went by to make waves.

Joshua absolutely loved his raft. He had a good time playing with Wendy's boys too and I didn't hear him complain of boredom once!

Marian was a pretty good swimmer! She was doing a really good back float by the time we were ready to leave. She was a total fish today.

The lake level was really high. That means that the area where there use to be beach is now a good 10 feet under water. The new "beach" is high up on the grass, so the lake is pretty icky and dirty with grass that's now underwater. Plus, there is no sand, just grass, dirt and then water. Delaney was not sure about walking on that. To be honest, I was a little unsure about the dirty water myself. But it was cooler and the kids were having a blast, so I went with it.

It took an hour, but Delaney finally decided she did want to walk in the water, and then she wandered out till the water came up to her chin. She would bob around like that, making me very nervous, then she'd wander back to the shore and repeat the process. I really wanted to be deeper in the water. See, my swimsuit is black. My legs are very white and with the contrasting black, they are even more white. Add to that that I have not exercised in about a month and I'm stuffing my face with goodies, I'm feeling a bit chunkier than I want to be in that area as well. So I wanted to be deep enough to cover my pale, pasty legs, and its a bit cooler if you are in more water. But alas, no, I had to hover in the awkwardly shallow area to make sure I could grab Delaney when she lost her balance and nose-dived into the water. That didn't phase her at all. She kept coming back for more.

FYI, there are more pictures here than usual, and this trend may continue, since its all Dan's going to be seeing of his kids for most of the summer!

Bedtime Woes

The hardest part of traveling, I think, is bedtime. If we're in a hotel we have to figure out who sleeps where, and when can we get them to bed, and the biggest question of all- HOW?! Delaney is at the awful point where she is too big for a travel crib, yet too small to sleep in a "real" bed or on the floor. So that poses some problems. The other kids are all too happy to sleep on the floor, but they tend to quarrel over who gets the best sleeping spot.

When in a hotel, it kind of works out okay for everyone to go to bed at the same time. The kids are so wired and hopped up that they are so not going to go to sleep at their regular time, and Mom and Dad are so pooped that we're content to hit the hay a few hours earlier than usual. So we all lie down about the same time and after 30 minutes of whining, giggling, threats, complaints and wiggling, everyone drops off to sleep.


Now that we are at Grandma and Grandpa's house, the 4 children and I are sharing 2 rooms. It is much more complicated than I expected. Mostly because of Delaney and her refusal to go quietly to sleep. I had planned to put her in a real bed with sides, but she seems to be incapable of sharing a room, so that was nixed the first night. That only left one other place to sleep.....

....my room.

Yep, by big baby is sleeping in the travel crib in my room. She's so big that if she stretches out, her feet are touching one end and her head is touching the other. Not ideal, but so far its working okay. Poor kid.

Due to noncooperation of the middle children, last night I staggered their bedtimes. Callie was very upset that SHE had to go to bed alone and first. I finally took everyone else upstairs and left her complaining in the hallway.

This is how I found her later. Funny, funny girl, all sacked out on the hallway floor.

Marian got to go to bed an hour after her sister and she fell asleep quickly. The girls were originally going to share the double bed, but Marian did not want to share with Callie. Callie was a pill as well, so this is where Marian is sleeping- on the floor. Me, I do not care where they sleep, as long as they sleep! Joshua didn't go to bed till 10pm, and that's when I went to bed, so no picture of him.

I do expect it will all get better. It seems to take 1-2 weeks for them to adjust and settle all the way in, so it won't be a hassle forever. It just feels that way!

Travel brief

We arrived in Arkansas yesterday! 2 days of driving, something over 1000 miles, and I was so glad to arrive! I took a few shots of our adventure, but I'm not feeling verbose enough to make it very exciting.

We found a great rest stop for lunch on Friday and the kids had a blast playing in this little stream. I didn't realize how blurry the picture was, sorry.

Callie had a total meltdown when we stopped for the night. I guess after 12 hours in a car, it wasn't unexpected! She eventually calmed down and this was her a bit later, snacking on an apple, watching tv. Funny girl! Then they went to bed. All the kids keep asking if we can sleep in a hotel again. I don't know why its so fun for them. (It sure isn't for me!)

The children were wonderful in the car. They loved having DVD players in the back headrests, and that helped keep them content. Delaney had fun teasing whoever was next to her, and Grandpa indulged her as well.

A bit late on this shot! You can barely see that we have just entered Arkansas. Whew! Nearly done with the drive!

The very first thing Joshua did upon arrival was to check out the tree house. He said there were ants and spiders in it, so he will have some house cleaning to do!

Callie was thrilled to see the garden. She is such a good helper in it. Check out those enormous Zucchini plant leaves behind her! I left 2 pathetic little zukes behind in VA and this is pretty impressive to me!

I'll try to be more exciting.... when I'm not pooped after being cooped up in a tiny area with 4 children for nearly 48 hours!

Fun with Kids

My children make me laugh.  Not always, but often enough I don't mind keeping them.  Today we're going to explore some of their delightful antics and I have thoughtfully provided pictures for your visual enjoyment.....

It poured rain yesterday.  It started just before I had to go somewhere and the girls were most upset that I wouldn't let them go play in the rain.  I promised them they could do that when we got home.  Callie was furious when it stopped raining as we drove home.   Oops.  She was in luck though and the deluge began again just as we arrived home.  It was really coming down too!  I was drenched,  just in the time it took me to run from the van to the front door! 

The girls did play and they did have a marvelous time!

Check out that pouring rain!   The kids have taken the bricks that line the yard and made a dam to stop the water in the gutter.  (I'll have them put back Kirsten!)

Delaney thought it was so fun to splash through the puddles.  I watched through the window with a big grin on my face.  Oh, to be young and not care about getting drenched!

Callie had some birthday money burning a hole in her pocket and I had to return something to Target, so off we went.  The girls were so funny!  They loved the Fur-Real pets and Callie acquired a baby lamb.  Watching her and Delaney mother this little lamb was the cutest darn thing!

Delaney and Callie have enjoyed the little pool a lot.  Joshua and Marian finally decided to give it a try. I had about 30 minutes of utter peace and quiet before the big kids splashed too much and Delaney got her feelings hurt, and then there was crying and drama.  Until then though......

They were so cute and had such a good time, and warmed the cockles of my heart.  I love it when they play together and get along! 

On Sunday after Church, they pulled the cushions off the couch and played.  There was a little trouble as Delaney got in the way of their fort making.  Then they decided to make a kid-sandwich and all was laughs and giggles.  They were a hoot and made me laugh too.  They begged for a picture and how could I resist?!

How to be the Coolest Kid in School

Joshua got to go to a birthday party today.  Not only did he get to go have fun, he got to go there in a Hummer Limousine!  Yeah, how cool is that?! Apparently a Laser Tag place here offers that as part of their Party Package.  So us moms only had to drive to the school to drop off the kids, and 3 hours later we showed up and picked them up. I was definitely glad I did not have to drive through traffic to take him to the laser tag place.  And he had a great time. Great time?  I mean he had the BEST time ever. 

Here is the cool limo.  Joshua ran over to take this shot before the boys all piled in.

I snapped a quick picture as Joshua jumped in.  The boys were all quite impressed.  As were us grown ups!

I am not the coolest mom, although I think maybe I did have a fairly successful Activity Day today.  I seem to make the same error over and over though. I think the girls can do more than they really can and I do not realize that 8+ girls is maybe more than I really can deal with by myself!  

Today we made Caramel Biscuits, and that was our refreshment.  We also made The Pioneer Woman's amazing Apple Dumplings.  I honestly did not expect to have so many girls, and it was pretty chaotic.  I didn't expect them all to be chatting at the top of their lungs all at once throughout the entire thing either.  And I can't add, and ended up short on some rolls, which left Lauren with incomplete dumplings.  Sigh. I did expect my kids to be underfoot (since Dan is out of town and I'm single-parenting it for another week.), but they actually did better than I expected, till the last 15 minutes, when they saw food being eaten.  It was wild and crazy, but I think the girls had fun. And it was a fairly easy clean up.  The girls just prepped the dumplings and then took a pan of dumplings with them to cook and consume at home. 

I am now exhausted  from it all and very, very grateful for Tasha's mom, who stayed and was a huge help.  Sometimes I don't think these things all the way through, or I don't quite expect the outcome I get!  Thank goodness the girls just seem to need to get together and the actual activity is not very important. It was a good time for all!

And now, on to what Callie and Delaney have been spending as much time as possible doing... swimming!

I have set this pool up so many times in the last 2 weeks!  I have to move it every few days because it kills the grass if it sits in one place too long.  The girls LOVE having the slide into the pool and they have played out there for hours.  Heck, that's what they are doing right now!

Silly Callie!  She went down this slide every possible way- head first, feet first, on her belly, on her back.... you name it, she did it.

And anything Callie did, Delaney did too!

These girls crack me up!  They put on their suits and go outside and I hear screaming and giggling and they just have a ball.  It makes me so happy to see them play together so well.  They really have a good time.  Then, of course, they come dripping in and out, in and out and then they cry when I make them stay in. But what a great way to wear them out!

Discouraged

My usual dinner philosophy is the kids eat (or don't) what I offer. I don't make them their own special meal. They have what's on the table and that's it. I do try to make sure there is at least one thing they like. For example, if I make Cornbread Casserole, I would offer corn and mandarin oranges as sides, because I know they'll eat those. I try to have a veggie and fruit at dinner and I let the kids pick those out, so I know they will like at least one thing. Its still a little discouraging to make food and have them reject it. Especially if its something I know they like or would have sworn they would eat.

Dan left yesterday for his travels and I won't see him again till next Thursday. I thought it would be nice to have an easy dinner tonight that the kids would like. So we had breakfast for dinner- eggs, bacon and biscuits (the good biscuits!). Suddenly none of them like bacon. None of them except Delaney wanted eggs, and even Joshua only ate half a biscuit. Okay, Marian ate 2 biscuits, but that was all she had. So frustrating! Whenever I make bacon for carbonara, I have to hold them off with a spatula so they don't steal my bacon. If I make myself eggs they beg for bites. When we have biscuits and gravy they snub the gravy and just want biscuits. So I KNOW they like everything. I think they do it on purpose, but darned if I know why!

It makes me wonder why I bother. Why not just serve them cereal for dinner? I know other moms do that, I just can't make myself fall that far. Sigh. I'm just really frustrated and discouraged and feeling unloved and unappreciated. At least when Dan is home I know one person will eat and enjoy and thank me. I'm going to go feel grumpy and take some satisfaction in the fact that I will have dessert after they are all in bed and they will all get nothing!

Picnics & Birthdays

Marian's class was going to have a Field Day and Luau Picnic this week.  Unfortunately, Mother Nature refused to cooperate and it poured rain the day before and the day of the event.  The Field Day got cancelled, but the Luau Picnic was still on.... it was just held in the classroom.  

My silly Marian, enjoying her lunch.  I was excited to meet her friend who she talks a lot about.  She doesn't talk about anyone else, and does not like anyone else or consider them her friends.  Except for this one boy.  So it was nice to see who she chatters about.  He was a cute kid and I can see why she'd be friends with him.

Making a face for me.  She was pleased to have us all there to show off for.  It was a little crazy in the room, with so many parents and kids and excitement.  But it was a good time.

Callie and Delaney had a blast checking out the different centers in the room.  I do not remember this much cool stuff when I was in kindergarten!!

Delaney loved this baby.  She was so cute, rocking it and feeding it and holding it.

And here is Marian getting her certificate.   Let me mention that I love her teacher.  She has had a wonderful teacher and aid this year.  I have been really impressed with them.

And now today Callie and I celebrated our birthdays.  Dan leaves tomorrow, so we figured we better get in the cake and ice cream before he left.  So we did.  Callie decided we needed to open presents first though!

Callie said everyone could help her open her gifts, and her brother and sisters were happy to help out.  (Callie is happy to have a new blanket that's big enough to cover her now!)

They were all enthralled by Callie's gifts, and for the last hour they have alternated between playing very nicely with them and fighting over them.   I think the cutest thing was watching Joshua comb the Dora the Explorer doll's hair!

And gasp!  Dan actually took pictures, so here I am!  He did not get a shot of my new serving platter, but I can tell you I was beyond happy with it!   I must have company soon so I can use it and show it off!  (Thanks Terry!)

A name, what's in a name?

Well, I  had been hearing a lot of different things from the kids, in terms of what we could name the baby.  This was all encouraged by Dan who loves to ask their opinion on it. I think that's a bad idea.  They think that if they offer an opinion, then it should be taken, and I don't want them to be disappointed.  Still, he keeps asking and they keep coming up with stuff.  So, I finally had them sit down for FHE this week and I wrote down all their names.  

The problem we have is that Dan and I only felt really strongly about one name.  Only one were we willing to fight the other on, despite the lack of enthusiasm from them.  Marian was mine, and Callie was Dan's.  Delaney was the last girl name we both kind of liked.  Pretty much all of Dan's names I do not like, and vice versa.  And the only names left seem to be ones we kind of like, but are not strongly attached to.  Well, that or they are already taken.  Emily is already on both sides of the family, and Catherine and Ashley are taken as well.  Dan hates double names (things like Anna-Kate or Mary-Alice), which I kind of like.  He also is against androgynous names, which I like.  Not so much for boys; tough being a boy with a name that a girl could also have.  But for girls, I think its okay.  Dan does not.  Plus, some of my favorite names were names of girls Dan or his brother dated, and that puts them out of the running.  Thus you may begin to see our situation.  So, here are the names that Dan and the kids came up with:

Alice

Isabella (We have an Isabelle already in the family)

Madison  (already Delaney's middle name- no comments Megan!)

Lauren

Elizabeth

Anna

Alexis (this came off my list when Joshua chanted "Sexy-Lexi" after Dan put this down.)

Camryn

China

Samantha

Sally

Sparkelot (Callie's choice)

Lucy  (Dan's dog's name)

So few are actually in the running, but we were getting all the names out and starting our list.  I'm sure more names will be added and crossed off.  Dan and I both LIKE more traditional names, but feel like we need something less popular, since we have such a common last name. Neither of us like weird spellings or things a kid will have to explain every year on the first day of school, so there actually is some common ground!