Poor kid

So, a couple of weeks ago, I was making some skirts for Lucy and her two little girly cousins. They both happen to be three, so I decided to just use Miles for size reference instead of calling to get measurements. Well, it took a bit of convincing to get him to put it on, but once I had him fully assured that no, I wasn't making it for him, he conceded.



After only a second or two, however, he said, "Hold on Mom. I gotta try something."



He ran into the kitchen, adjusted the waist, and then . . .



The poor kid's been watching Lucy get to twirl in big dresses all these years. He wasn't about to pass up a chance to see what that was like. It made me giggle. And don't worry, that's the ONLY time this kid has worn a skirt!

But just in case we weren't being manly enough, he had me make a superhero cape for Bug while we were at it.

Quote of the Day

"Dad, what's jail like?"
-Lucy

"We should have them over for dinner sometime."

For the last 10 years, Jake and I have been having the same conversation over and over.

Me: "You know what? I really like those guys, Jehosephat and Sassafrass."

(No, we don't know anyone named Jehosephat and Sassafrass, but feel free to insert your own name, as this has probably included you at one point or another.)

Jake: "Yeah, they seem really cool."

Me: "I wish we could get to know them a little better."

Jake: "We should have them over for dinner sometime."

Here's the part where I give him the look. He knows why. He knows that I do all the cooking around these parts. He knows I would have to clean the house first. He knows I'm the kid wrangler in this family. He knows I'm the dishwasher and kitchen cleaner after dinner.

Don't get me wrong, Jake is a great help at many things. He bathes kids, cleans the garage, and takes out the trash on a very regular basis, however, when it comes to entertaining, he reverts to not-a-care-in-the-world-single-guy Jake.

We have a teeny tiny house, a dining room that can barely fit the 6 of us simultaneously, no dishwasher, 4 loud children, and it's too cold to eat outside. When friends are over, Jake is wonderful about making them feel comfortable and welcome, but children could go running past him in flames and he wouldn't notice.

So, what would I like to hear instead?

"... wish we could get to know them a little better."

Him: "Yeah, we should get a babysitter and go out to eat with them sometime."

"Sneaky" aint really our thing. . .

So, to make our break more fun, we decided to do something sneaky. We like to think of ourselves as very stealthy, like ninjas in a minivan.
We made a slew of heart shaped sugar cookies, cut out a bazillion glittery hearts, and headed off to do our dirty work. We picked two houses to "heart attack", leaving them with a little surprise on their doorstep. Calvin and I stayed in the car as all good get-away drivers do, and Jake took the other three up to the door. We did pretty well at the first house and I like to think they had no idea it was us.
The second house, The Christensens, didn't go as smoothly. As soon as they exited the van, they were met with an overly friendly neighbor's "licky" dog. Miles and Lucy were terrified, running screaming into full view of the front windows. After regrouping, they all headed up the front steps to tape the hearts on the door and leave the plate on the doorstep. Well, Miles cried the whole time, "The dog's gonna EAT me!" and Tate and Lucy argued over who would hang up which hearts.
By the time they all got back in the car and we were driving away, Jake realized he had pounded on the outside storm door and might not have been heard, so we turned around and did a drive by. Just as their front door was coming into view, we realize the WHOLE family is standing on the front porch looking at our handiwork. I panicked, hit the gas, and squealed my tires as we fled in a panic.

That's not even the non-sneaky part.

As if there could have been any doubt in anyone's mind as to who had done it, the next day in primary, Lucy did us in. When the teacher asked if anyone had done anything to celebrate V-day, Lucy chimed in, "We made cookies and cut out hearts to leave on somebody's door step. But I'm not telling who!"

She was sitting right next to her very best friend, Ellie Christiensen.

Way to go Lu. Sneaky ninjas in a minivan indeed.

Winter Break

Ok, who made this up?

Winter Break?

I can see taking a break from school in the winter if you lived in a warm weather climate like Arizona or California. Sure, who wouldn't want to take a week off to play when it's 75 degrees all day? Or, even say, if you lived in a really cold place and had the resources to fly to the Bahamas for a week, sure! I'd want a week off for that too.

But we don't come under either of those categories and still, we have a week off (12 days this time due to sick days and pres. day) during the middle of February. They take the single most horrible weather month and take away all structured activity for a week. We can't go outside and it's so dark and gloomy that everyone is extra grouchy. Who's idea was this anyway?

We did have a few moments of fun mixed in with all the stress, though. We had an afternoon at the "Parker Theater" with the neighbors. It was really fun and required almost no effort on my part. We crammed a bunch of kids and a handfull of moms into the living room to watch BOLT, and we made our own trail mix. Each kid brought a cup full of their favorite trail mix ingredient and we dumped it all into a giant bowl, mixed it up, and gave everyone a cup full. This was a big big hit. All I had to do was vacuum and wash the bowl.

We also enjoyed some Valentine's fun, played a lot with Uncle Chase before he left, pulled out a few activities sent to us by Aunt Leslie (you SAVED me!), ate dinner on the floor one night, played lots of card games and Hotpotato, and ate way more treats than we should have.

Yesterday, in the final hours of break, when I was a disheveled, stuttering, wild-eyed mess, hoping I could just hold it together until the next day, I gave in and said, "Who wants to watch a movie?" It was all I could think of, but it worked. They spent their final hours with their eyes glued to the screen and brains turning to mush as I sat on the couch with the baby, staring off into space, muttering over and over, "Only 2 months til Spring, Only 2 months til Spring."

Halfway there...

Well, I usually love breaks from school, but this one is a little different. Chase left this morning, leaving me in a mild panic. He was a great great help and I couldn't have survived without him, but now he's gone and I'm at the mercy of the monkeys.
If I was bringing my A game, that would be different, but with a lame foot and sick baby, I think the monkeys may just win this one.



Only 6 days to go. . .

Don't ever ask a drunk baby for directions. . .

$360 in copays in just two weeks...

Update on this germ infested family:

Jake is fine. Not sick, well rested, and gets to leave for work tomorrow. Can you hear the bitterness?



Tate and Miles are feeling much better after getting on antibiotics (back to being loud and obnoxious.)



Lucy's come down with Strep as well, but we caught it early so she's still a ray of sunshine.



Chase, who came out here to help after my fall, has also come down with strep and been in bed for about 38 hours.

Calvin is worse, landing him in the E.R. last night and in the doctor's office this morning (thank goodness for a doctor that goes in on a Sunday!) He has had tests for both Strep and RSV and does not have either. Whew!


This photo is several days ago. He's nowhere near as alert anymore.

I'm. . . well. . . I'm a little less sane, but my foot is feeling a little bit better. Oh, and I'm doing better than last night, thanks to a good cry in the car, complaining to my mom on the phone, and a really big brownie straight from the freezer.

Ooh, I just love this little guy

(Calvin on his blessing day)









And I'm not the only one...

Jake's idea of "watching the baby"...

No, he's not praying. He's asleep sitting up. This no sleep thing is really killing us.

See, I told you so

Going to church makes you sick. Well, maybe not you, but it sure makes us sick. I've been taking a bit of flack from friends about how long I keep my babies home after they're born, so I gave in last Sunday.
Calvin was blessed in church, which was wonderful, and our friends, the Winslows, were able to come, which made it even more wonderful. My little brother, Chase, is out here now helping me, (I can't drive still) so he got to participate too (yay!).



I was happy to have some family here for it.
Anyway, it was Miles's first time at church in months because he's been hanging out at home with me on Sundays. Well, sure enough, 4 days later he and Tate both have Strep Throat and Calvin has a horrible cold, including problems breathing. We've been to the doctor three times in as many days and they're keeping a close eye on the baby, but I'm so mad I could punch somebody.
I don't understand why people can't be smart enough to leave sick kids at home! Yes, I understand that you've been cooped up with a sick kid and just want an hour or two to yourself while they hang out in Primary. Yes, I can see how it might be a giant pain in the bum to find a substitute for your lesson at the last minute. Or even that you need some spiritual instruction at the end of a stressful week.
But for the love of Pete, don't bring sick kids to church!!
What might be only a small cold to your small kid is disastrous in other people's homes. It's winter in New England and all my kids have asthma, landing them in the doctor's office each time they get sick, and sometimes in the E.R. or hospital for problems with their breathing. We're not the only ones, either. Lots of people have new babies or kids with health problems.
So, get a sitter or suck it up, be an adult, and stay home yourself, because every time I see a sick kid at church or school, all I want to do is deck their mother, and I don't think it would set a very good example to my kids.