Saturday Mornings

I used to wonder how my mom did it. We would have stayed up late visiting, getting ready for some holiday and the next morning she would be up making breakfast. Well, I think I have (as with many things in my life) followed in her footsteps. Three was awake at 5:45 am today and I was up with her. We had potatoes, sausage and eggs for breakfast. I finished my book. Why is it so hard for me to sleep in? I can't sleep past 7 even without interruption. Must be a mom thing.

Freitag

What a day. I am spent. Got the boys out the door, ready for Halloween festivities. Three and I headed to Zinnia's at 9:30 am. Never thought we would not come home until after 5. Chili for lunch and off to the school for a Halloween parade. The kids come through the cafeteria to show their costumes. It was great. Five was so proud. I am positive no one knew what he was, but he was happy. Mr. D watched Three for the afternoon. I was able to stay and help out in both boys classrooms. It was fun. I learned a fun new game called 1, 2...11. They love it and it is so easy!
After the fun filled day at school, we went trick or treating to a local nursing home. The kids did great and we sure made some people smile. Mr. D's dad is there. The kids were able to trick or treat with the patients, then they had free ice cream in the soda shop. There was also a buffet with chocolate fountains, fruit, crackers, cheese, and all sorts of sweets. We made it home just after five. They all went straight to the tub. Chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese made everyone happy. We missed out on pizza night. Still feel bad about that, but after today, I am sure I would have had very crabby kids. Plus, the budget ran out early and there are no funds for pizza. Just getting by with what we got.
Not sure how I feel about Halloween anymore. Yes, the costumes are fun and the kids love it. I just saw so much waste today. All the classes had parties and many from Fives class threw out plates full of cupcakes. It was a lot of sugar today. After spending time at the dentist, I sort of feel like sugar is the enemy. Guess I need more sleep.
We have tomorrow to recover and Halloween is on Sunday. N will be home in time to enjoy the festivities. Looking forward to having nothing planned for tomorrow except pumpkin carving.

The Doll House and Fire Station are built!

Poor N, participating completely in my projects. I got him involved, way more than planned. He is such a trooper. He supports me and my crazy ideas. My friend "They call me Mommy" made these really cute doll houses and peg people. I loved them and wanted to make the too. Well, had a few issues. I couldn't find what she used for a house. N helped me by building houses for me. I decided to take on the project as a bday gift for Zinnia's twins. Of course I couldn't give a Four year old boy a doll house. We made his into a fire house and it looks great. We even have a fire pole! I can't wait to post pictures. I have had so much fun making these. I don't know what I was thinking when I started, but some how I thought I would get away with just making two. Our group wants one too. I think N plans to make them one, but we need more plywood.
Halloween excitement is all over our house! Tomorrow is a party for Three at preschool. The PTO sponsors a pumpkin festival tomorrow night.
N decided to get on the elliptical now. It's late and it may have woke up Six. He is chatting away random thoughts. He is a funny boy. I can't believe all the things he is learning. I wish he would take more time with his handwriting, but no. I think it's his least favorite subject. He loves math, just like his dad.
Five wanted to do Six's homework again tonight. He is loving the dry erase board and was writing new words down. He is very eager to learn to read.
Three always fights for attention during homework time. Never fails, she will make as much noise as she can to draw the attention away from the boys and on to her. She wanted to "go somewhere" all day today. We stayed home. It was nice.

A Case of the Mondays? Oh wait, it's Tuesday.

I went to the dentist. I think he is so nice to you because he knows, he may ruin the rest of your day. I have had plenty of experience with orthadontics and jaw surgery, but not the dentist. It was rough. Thankfully N came home and made me a shake. We ate early and the kids played outside. Six is in love with his bike, just in time to put it away! Five took off the training wheels and did very well. Three got on the Deigo bike, but didn't last long.
I have been working on a doll house project. I am looking forward to posting pictures. N made one house today. More progress on Nuthatch!

"Five takes casual to a different level."

This is what N said as we were leaving church today. Five does what Five wants sometimes. I pick and choose my battles with him. He went to church in his gray puppy Minnesota bound tshirt with camo pants and flip flops. It is very nice outside today, I let it go. He went to Sunday school during mass. Three was with him. She too dressed herself with her favorite tshirt from Auntie J and jeans with butterflies. She did have on tennis shoes, as did Six.
Three's latest phrase is "Over here, come and get me over here boys." Of course she is talking about her brothers and dad. N chases her around the house and she squeals. When days like this happen, I can't help but think about being at my parents for the holidays. How great it will be, but also how much they are missing. This situation still bugs me on a daily basis. There is nothing I can do about it for the time being. Just get through it and keep going I guess.
We are working on projects for different friends today. We just finished painting in the front yard. Two pictures per child and a few colorful rocks to decorate our front yard made for some pretty happy kids. We are going to make books later, as soon as I find the energy to do my workout. Our neighbors think the duplex is sound proof. 2 am, I had already fallen back asleep at least 4 times. I went over there in my pj's and jacket. They couldn't even hear the door bell, the music was so loud. All I said was "It's 2am. My husband has to work tomorrow. Can you turn it down?" She was very apologetic, but it seemed a little fake. Who knows. Sure do miss the other neighbors who lived there. With that, I hope the rest of the day is calm and smooth. Not sure I have the energy for chaos today. It was great N was able to come to church again this morning. Not sure when it will happen again. Maybe after January, when his schedule changes.
Oh dear, I spoke too soon. Both boys are in tears over Legos. Looks like no one had a restful night last night. Bedtime will be early tonight!

Samstag

Well, I am behind on my blogging. Sorry for that. Busy time with this group. We had parent teacher conferences for Five. I was very curious what Mr. L had to say. With so many parents putting their kids in school later, I wondered what kind of review Five would get possibly being one of the younger kids. Mr. L said we have sent him another very nice little boy. He is very different from the last, but very nice to have in class. He had a good report all around. He can work on some letter sounds and being responsible for his personal belongings. I was proud to hear how well he is doing. He has adjusted to the routine and things are going very well.
We had our last soccer games last weekend. The boys were happy and did great. They were very proud of their trophies too. We took some pictures. It was officially a successful season. N and I did alright as coaches. The parents seemed happy and thanked us for stepping up. Six loved every minute of it. I bought some Halloween oreos for them to pass out at the end. Proud moment for all. I think they will want to play again in the spring.
Five is the first one to wake up every morning. One morning, he was up extra early, as was I. He wanted to take a bath. I set him up and went down to make breakfast. Later, he came down when everyone else was still asleep. He was in his pj's again. He shared with me that he had put on clean underwear. I told him I was just about to ask him that. He smiled big and said "I can read your mind!" I laughed and told him maybe he should be a magician for Halloween. He told me about his student teacher at school and how he had read her mind earlier in the week. He also said a kid at his lunch table turned one napkin into two! Oh the minds of five year olds. He brings us so much joy in his own special way. His name means laughter and he is the joker of our family.
Six has aced all his spelling tests so far. This week was pretty easy. Now he brings home flash cards with addition for homework, along with his spelling words, word wall work sheet and math work sheet. He really likes his teacher. Our mornings are easier now. There is less complaining and everyone falls into place the way the routine goes. We are like a well oiled machine getting ready to leave for the bus. Six is such a happy boy. He rarely complains and always has his things in order. I can't complain about him one bit. We are very proud of the big boy he has become. Tuesday nights I teach his religious education class at the church. I am really enjoying that time with him. Its something we are doing together, just the two of us.
Three is having a great time in preschool. She has come home sharing songs and stories with me. She can't always think of them when we get in the car, but later on that day or in the week, something will remind her of what she has learned. Today she told me she learned about Adam and Eve. The comment came from out of nowhere. It was sweet.
We worked on Halloween costumes today. Six wants to be Darth Vader. We found a mask at goodwill for $1. Grandma had made the boys a black cape last year. Today we put black fabric on cardboard, then painted the red, green, white and silver buttons for his chest. We are going to attach it to one of N's old black tshirts. He should be set. Three wants to be a ballerina. Fair enough, Grandma had made her a tutu last year. A pink shirt, white pants and Zinnia had ballet slippers. I made a pretty hair tye with ribbons, lace and beads. We might try a wand too. She was so happy. And Five, oh dear Five. He and his wonderful ideas just make my head spin. He wants to be Kid Visto. I am not sure how to spell it, but Kid Visto is the ultimate Jedi on Star Wars. We googled him and there was no way I could make the movie character. Well, that was fine with Five. He wants to look like the Lego Kid Visto. OK, I can work with that. He has a green face and these hair like things all over his head. Two come down over his shoulders. I just happened to have some upholstery fabric that is the right shade of green when turned inside out. So, I begin to create my best version of Kid Visto, Lego man. I took a winter hat that was almost too small and stitched the upholstery fabric all around it. Then I made tube like pieces and stitched them on too. I had a piece of camel colored fabric that I cut a square in to slide his head through. Tied my brown belt from my coat around his waist, and we have Kid Visto. He loved it. He was so happy and proud. I am pretty sure no one will know who he is, but oh well. He is very excited about it. That is what Halloween is about, right? I will try to post pictures. I would like to post the Lego guys picture too. We will see if I can figure it out.
Everyone needs a bag of candy to pass out. There is a Halloween parade on Friday at the school. Looking forward to that and the pumpkin festival. Come over if you can! The kids love to hand out candy. Six told me he likes handing out candy the best. Another successful week!

Peanut Chicken Stir Fry

I just made this tonight and it turned out great. Wish I would have taken a picture. It could have been a bit stronger with the red pepper flakes. Next time I think I will add more. Kids didn't try it. They couldn't wait that long. Let me know if you give it a try!

Peanut Chicken Stir Fry

Prep/Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Cost: $1.33/serving

8 oz uncooked thick rice noodles (I only had linguine, tasted great!)
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup peanut butter
4-1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips
2 Tbsp canola oil, divided
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 cup shredded carrot

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the water, soy sauce, peanut butter, brown sugar, lemon juice, garlic and pepper flakes; set aside.
In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry chicken in 1 Tbsp oil until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm. Stir-fry broccoli and carrot in remaining oil for 4-6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir sauce mixture; add sauce and chicken to the skillet. Drain noodles; toss with chicken mixture.

Recipe from Taste of Home Simple and Delicious October/November 2010

Sunday

Sunday used to be a tough day for me. First, it was difficult to get three kids dressed and out the door on time for church. Then, buckle, unbuckle, followed by a long mass still alone. I would look at the other families in church with a hint of jealousy. They were together on this day. I remember being with my family on Sundays growing up. It's not like there is anything I can do about it, I have learned to deal. I have a husband who works on Sundays, it's not optional. So, I continue on getting them ready, bringing them and sitting through mass. Today was so very different from all the other Sundays. Today, N was able to come with! I don't think he had ever met Fr. L. It was a great morning. He was able to see where the kids go to religious education/Sunday school. We sat together during mass and it was such a great feeling. I appreciate each moment like that more now than ever.
Following mass, there was a mother daughter brunch. Zinnia's brave husband offered to have a "boys day" with the boys during the brunch. She took the boys out to her place after and said she didn't recognize Five in the back seat. He was SO excited for boys day.
The brunch was great. Three was cute with her friends. We took a picture of our little group of five and visited with some other mothers.
When we arrived to pick up the boys, we were not received in a friendly fashion. Five was so upset, he stomped his foot and said to Mr. D "We didn't get enough time!" He wanted us to leave. They had such a great time. They ate lunch on the playground in the fort area. They drove the tractor, played basketball, threw leaves at each other and enjoyed every minute. Five was really tired when we got home. They were outside for most of the day. It was a great day. I have to thank Zinnia and Mr. D for the wonderful afternoon. So many Sundays we spent alone. Now with all of these terrific friends, Sundays are great. I hate to keep repeating myself, but last year was really tough. The Lord has blessed us tremendously. I plan to continue to follow His lead and hope everyone stays happy and healthy.
Hope you had a great Sunday too!

Inspirational Sunday

Saw an infomercial on the magic bullet this morning. Left us wondering why we don't make all that cool stuff. As I type, N is coming up with something.
It's the mother daughter brunch at church today. Three is excited to attend with her little friends. Should be fun. N gets to come to church today! He had to switch his shift. He's never been with us to church here. Boys are off to play with their friend during the brunch. They are supposed to bring old clothing to get dirty in, boy did that make them smile! Should be a great day.

Freitag ist Pizza Abend!

What a day! N made the boys breakfast and were off before I knew it. I have been working on a painting project and got to finish part of it up this morning. I got my workout in and was debating on mowing the lawn. Not sure I had enough time to get that done and everything else, I skipped it. I made cream de menthe brownies and SIX pizzas! Yup. Six. Two taco, two sausage and two cheese. We had plans for Tulip and her family to come over, Zinnia and her group along with a friend, and R & R, (Nathans cousin and beau). My stress of the day was from Three. She was making me crazy. While I was trying to get everything done, it was exhausting because I had to negotiate and explain everything ten times to her. Five put in a request to be picked up from school today. More work for me, but I wanted to do it for him. It was a struggle to get shoes and socks on her. She changed three times. Once we finally had shoes on and were in the car, she couldn't make up her mind which seat to sit in. We were almost late for pickup. Got the boys and Six had half of a melt down. I sent him to his room for quiet time and we skipped his homework for today. We have never skipped it, but today seemed like it was needed. He was fine after 10 minutes to himself. I finished getting pizzas made and put in the fridge. Guests all arrived around 5. We walked to the parade together. The people who lived where we sat seemed very irritated with us being by their house. We came home with treats and an enthusiastic group! We had three six year olds, one five, one four, three threes, a one and almost 9 months.
R & R had their dogs with. My kids love Sophie. They are always excited for her to come. This was our first time meeting R's R. He was very nice. We were impressed.
Pizza was served and kids went to play. Adults had their pizza sort of in peace. As peaceful as it can get with most of the group being down stairs. They came up and it was almost 8pm. Most are in bed before that on a normal night. I had made the cream de menthe brownies and served them to the adults. As the children came up from downstairs, their eyes grew bigger and bigger once they saw a plate of brownies on a pedestal. I had to talk them into a to go box instead. After everyone left, my group would do anything for a brownie. I had my fill of Three and had to get her in the bed as soon as possible. We had a potty accident today and she attacked her friend twice. I don't know what to do with her. Not sure what the accidents are from. It's been a tough week on her I guess, but I am not sure why. I let the boys stay up for a brownie. They were good and deserved a reward. Everyone was in bed by 8:30 and I was able to clean up before N got home from work. He was expecting people to still be at our house when he got home. Everyone was too tired.
In the end, I was left with an extreme thankful feeling. Once again, this time last year, we were at the parade alone in the rain. It felt so good to be there with friends.

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

They were all whining and screaming after school. We had two potty accidents. I spilled twice on my already stained t-shirt. Tried to fill the water bottle with milk per Three's request and spilled that too. After Three's field trip to the pizza place, she popped a hole in her Styrofoam cup causing High C to spill in the cup holder of her car seat. There is jelly on my living room floor and something orange.
Highlights for the day: took down the crib/toddler bed, cleaned the house, vacuumed the car, spot cleaned the carpet, had coffee with my favorite Zinnia, and once I turned on some music in the kitchen, everyone attitude and mood improved. Have to thank the Beatles!
Had to be thankful I wasn't the mom with her shirt inside out at the field trip today. Very well could have been me. We were quite behind when we flew out of the house this morning. Weren't the last ones to arrive at the field trip, but not the first. Looking forward to Grey's and a 7:30 bedtime. BONUS: tomorrow is Friday! Pizza night, homecoming parade and extra special company!

Mittwoch is Wednesday

We got the boys on the bus and decided to visit N's parents today. It was strange to travel with only one kid. She was slightly crabby though. I am very thankful for her nap. We will see if she goes to bed on time. We have a field trip tomorrow morning.
We grilled tuna steaks and they were awesome. N is such a good cook and has good ideas. It was a nice visit. Wish we could see more family members on a regular basis.
Tulip came to the rescue with watching the boys after school I was thankful we didn't have to rush home for them. We made it back to town by 5. The boys bus arrives around 4:15 so they weren't there too long. She made them supper too. She is so sweet.
Happy to report Five is branching out with his clothing choices every day. He was stuck on a Granimals only wardrobe and has now added some new pieces. He wore jeans two days in a row and later in the week. Today he picked a t-shirt my mom gave him this summer. He slid it over his head, did a little wiggle and said "it's not even itchy!" Dare I say we are getting over the clothing fetish?

Dienstag is Tuesday

Three had an accident at preschool. They were singing their goodbye song. She came to meet me at the door with wet legs and shoes. I changed her and just thought it was all about the timing. She was really crabby the rest of the day. She cried through pick up of the boys and was still upset when we got home. Homework has been a challenge lately. She wants attention when I have to give it to the boys to get the homework done.
Later, after everything had settled down, Five comes racing upstairs yelling my name. He does that a lot lately. He finally finds me and informs us that Three has peed in the basement. She hit the cement only thankfully. By the time I get down there, I find her right at the bottom of the steps, sweeping the pee on the floor. Oh boy. She gets an early bath. So, we go on with our evening. By this point, I was ready to escape to RE. Not sure what to think when my only escape is to teach eight six year olds for an hour and a half. I think I am in it for the arts and crafts. JK I heard stories of first graders who did not want to go last year. I didn't want to have that argument with Six. I figure if I teach the class, maybe it won't be so boring and we will get more out of it. So far so good. We did an oral quiz tonight. Some didn't get the answers right. We will see how the next unit goes. I am happy to be able to do it with Six. It's quality time for the two of us.

Dentist Monday

I was worried we would not be great patients at the dentist. Just wasn't sure what to expect. They have seen a dentist in MN before, but never had their teeth cleaned. Six was and always is the model patient. Five watched from a high chair and was calm after seeing everything that would happen. They both did great and their mouths are fantastic. We have six year molars coming in and another tooth is loose!
Three had the firemen at school today. She should have had a nap after, but refused. She cried the whole time we were picking up the boys. So frustrating.
Now for a meal of leftovers, the last soccer practice and RE.

Soccer Sunday

Migraine.
A migraine sure can make a Sunday morning alone with three kids rough. I had one off and on all week; too bad it was on today. We made it through church and Sunday school. Lunch was OK, but I was heading down hill. I had to call for help with the soccer game at 2. Another parent had offered to help me if I needed. He would be at our game anyway to watch and his older sons team did not play until 4. I was very thankful he coached the team today. N was at work. Five did better taking directions from him than me, surprise surprise. He really worked though, played better than he has before. We only had three players show up. Four really, but one left on account he won't go on to the field. The other coach didn't mind if Six played goalie. No worries, he let in plenty of their balls. Five played the entire game along with two buddies. We knew we would be short players, but I had counted on two more. One was sick and the other was the boy who ran away. Two were out of town and that is our entire team. Our babysitter came to stay with Three. She didn't want me to go. This was the last thing I needed with a migraine and trying to get out the door to the game. I got a tote of baby clothing from the garage and told her to look for outfits for her dolls. She couldn't have been happier when I left.
N came home from work and cooked for us. He made sweet and sour chicken. He did great. It was just the saving I needed at the end of the day.
We took pictures of the kids at Zinnia's house on Saturday. I was so excited. It was a lot of work, but fun. Tulip took the pictures with her fancy camera. We are going to try it again this week. Hopefully the weather holds out and we can get great shots. Five wore jeans to the picture taking. He also wore jeans today to church. This is a big deal. He has not wore jeans since 2008! Not really sure of the last time, could have been early 2009. Anyway, I was shocked. We will see where this takes us.
I found a star wars video game Five had received for his birthday. I had hid it from them and could not find it. They were able to enjoy it for the first time this afternoon when we got back from the soccer game. So it begins, video games into my children's lives. They have not played video games very much. They do not even know how to operate the remote control to the TV. They will learn soon enough.
That's all for now!

Fridays are great!

Last year I agreed to co-chair the bake sales for the PTO. My name came up again this year and I was volunteered for the same position. The other mom went back to work this year. She did the paper work and I did the sale. She came too, but had to leave early. Out of the entire second grade class, only one parent was a second grade mom. The rest of us were other grades, but came to help when no one else would. Zinnia and Tulip were there. Zinnia keeps us all green and in line. She is the recycle queen and found everything we could recycle from the bake sale. She has also started focus on recycling the Capri sun pouches. Any pouch counts, doesn't matter what brand. After the school gets so many, they get $5. I admire her for wanting to get involved, make a change and bring something new to the school. We will be making a few changes to the bake sale next time. Second grade did not bring in as many items as the other classes last year. We had enough for everyone, but next time need to save some of the good things for the later classes. One teacher looked mad when we forgot their classroom and all that was left were cookies. The mom who was running to get the classes had to leave early. She told us the last two, but at the time, we only remembered one. Oh well. We will get them first next time. We have kindergarten next month.
We had lunch with the boys yesterday. Three threw a fit when we left for school in the morning. I told her to bring happy meals to lunch with N. This was the first time we brought happy meals. They loved it! It was a real treat.
I worked on some more things for my doll house project. We have the plywood now for the houses. Waiting for N to have some time to cut the pieces for me. So excited to make them!
Six had another spelling test. I was so proud of him. Fifth week in a row, the got 100%! His teacher wrote "Great Work" on the test. I can't help but wonder how many other kids have had them all right every test so far. The other tests were easier, this week we had more difficult words. He kept writing his lower case b as a d. We tried to work on it before the test. Of course it was all right on the test and he did great. I make flash cards with the spelling words on them. We read the cards every day and then I give him a spelling test. We keep a spelling notebook and have all of our practice tests in there. It's worked out great so far. I guess our efforts are paying off.
Five had a pajama day. They do good things and get to wear their pj's to school. He received some great Lego Star Wars PJ's from Zinnia for his birthday. He loves them and wears them almost every night. Somehow, he got a hole on his shoulder yesterday. I was so disappointed. Just when he has a great new pair of pj's now we have a hole to deal with. Maybe someone will put pj's on their Christmas list? (Hint hint). : )
Three was thrilled with a Strawberry Shortcake happy meal doll. We went to the craft store to get a couple supplies for our doll house project. I am trying to cherish these days when it is just her and I. She is such a great girl to be around and makes me very happy. I can't believe how much she has grown in the last year.
Pizza night was great, just what I needed after last week. We ordered pizza again, as we did last week. Maybe next week I will have the energy to make our own. Taco sounds good. I am sure I can talk Tulip into it. : )
We are going to take pictures of the kids today. I really miss pictures and scrap booking. I haven't don it in over a year. Just didn't have the money for it anymore. Not sure how the kids will feel when there are no scrapbooks from their first few years of school. Oh well. Do what you can when you can. I will probably be one of those moms scrap booking their early years months before graduation. It disappoints me because I was on top of it, but when the money didn't work out, it was something I had to give up.

One Hour this week, not so difficult.

Church seemed like a breeze today. Scary it went so well, but with two in Sunday school I can breath. I actually get something out of Father L's sermon. I get to spend time with Six, praising him and teaching him about the mass. Next week we are going to bring rosaries and teach him.
Five and Three are finally happy with Sunday school. She was a little tough, but is comfortable with staying. I think how different things would be if we were still in MN at St. Michael's. She was in the nursery a few times there, I wonder what Sunday mornings would be like if she had gone there more and started a Sunday school class with friends she knew well. I often think of what all this moving has done to us. Too often do I think of the objects we left behind, as I mentioned the couch in my last post. I have to think we are brought to each location for a reason. Though I am not always certain why, I have tried to get as settled as I can. Days like today, its tough. My little sister called and was doing yard work. We helped her with that yard work 2 years ago. My kids had so much fun with her doing that. I long for those weekends of meeting up with her or driving to meet her somewhere. She always showed up with some great idea for the kids, whether it was to play a game or make a project, they loved spending time with her. Last year we were lucky to spend quality time in MN thanks to the FAA. N was in Oklahoma City for 3 months. We went to MN during that time. This will be a long winter with our only getaway being Christmas and New Years.
More to come...

It's getting cold outside

Soccer games today in the cool, misty rain. Six loves it. The entire time he is playing, there is a smile on his face. I can't believe it. It is great to see the joy he gets being on the field. He got 100% three weeks in a row on his spelling tests! We are proud of him. He is a nice boy and is doing great. I am looking forward to seeing how his pictures turned out from school. Five wanted to "skip this day" on picture day. He fought with me one morning about wearing pants. I said he might not get to go outside if he isn't dressed properly. He said "I will still get to go outside." Totally called my bluff. I had to involve a higher power. Left a voicemail on Mr. L's phone explaining the situation. When I picked Five up from school, Mr. L said they talked about it. Even the principal commented that day that students should not wear shorts to school anymore. I went and purchased more pants for him to try to make this issue easier on all of us. I may be enabling him and is fetish of having only Granimals clothing. Now, after bring four new pairs of pants, he compares the animals on the tags and tries to match them up for the day. He is so proud of his new system. I am still not sure what to think, as long as he is dressed and clean, that's all that matters, right? We will probably be wearing short sleeves all winter long. Who knows. Three had a good week too. Every time I bring her to preschool, she seeks out her teacher right away and gives her a hug. If Mrs. L is doing something, Three will stand there and wait until she is done. It's sweet. She has picture day on Tuesday. She also has a field trip to a pizza place in the next two weeks. Very exciting. Haven't decided if I should go or try talk N into it.
Started a new craft project this week. My friend They Call Me Mommy has pictures posted on her site of doll houses and little people. I decided to try to make them too. So far, it's been a good time. I miss painting. I used to paint ornaments every Christmas. Had to set myself up all over again. My paints and brushes were left behind in TX. The kids love the people and furniture. Next week N is going to help me make the houses. I can't find the same things she used for the house. Zinnia's twins are having a birthday next month. I decided to make them each a house. One will be a doll house, the other a fire station. I hope they turn out, we will see what the house will look like.
Before our games today, I was straightening the house. Our babysitter was coming to watch Three while we were at the games. I was thankful I didn't have to bring Three to the game at all. It was cold, rainy and wet. I had enough to carry with Five and all his belongings. We were gone for two hours this time, usually it is just an hour. Six had is game first, then Five. While straightening the house, I had to fix the green blanket I had put on the couch. Every time I do, I wish for a new couch. We got it from a neighbor in TX. At the time, I was very thankful. I still am. It was great all through our time in TX and MN, but now it's starting to look tough. I can't help but think of my lovely red couch I had to leave behind. It was so pretty, but not as practical as the green one. The green one is almost like a twin bed when the pillows are removed. We have used it for sleeping extra people or N many times. It comes in quite handy. The red one was microfiber, but not good for sleeping. This was the main reason we left it behind. So, I try to deal and think of the day we will get a new couch. Who knows, maybe a couch will come to me somehow! My friend that cut my hair recently was going to sell her couch. It was a great style, something I could see myself loving, but white. I would go nuts with a white couch in my house. I miss the microfiber material. It was so easy to clean and looked great. Someday...
What a busy week this will be. Meetings, soccer, school, the calendar is full. Tomorrow is Tulip's birthday. We are going to eat with them tomorrow night. Should be fun. We ate together three nights this past week. It was nice. We have been timing ourselves and at the end of our play date, we read a couple stories together. The kids love it and it gets them to wind down easier. Everyone is ready for bed and goes happily when we part. I think it sets the tone for bedtime and works out for both families. I really enjoy reading to them and feel guilty we haven't been doing it as much as we should. When we lived in TX, we always read books to the boys before bed. They had many memorized. Today, I think they have forgotten many.
Well, the natives are restless and ready to eat. Guess I better end this for now.