The Wednesday News, November 24, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!

OK, it's official.  I am in the holiday spirit!  I have been avoiding the Christmas music on the radio until today, when my kids asked for it.  I thought they started playing it MUCH earlier this year...like NOVEMBER 1st if not SOONER!  I just couldn't listen to it then, but now, I'm hooked!  OK, where's the SNOW?!?  I have to have snow!!

I've even done some Christmas shopping AND decorating!!  Those of you that know me know I'm a last-minute person, but since having my twins (6 years ago) thereby increasing the amount of family members by 50%, I realized that SOMETHING had to give.  You just physically cannot do everything at the last minute for a family our size (well, unless maybe I give up sleeping, eating, etc.).

Dad

I love that Dave has Thursday and Friday off for the Thanksgiving holiday.  It's so relaxing.  We can catch up on preparations for Christmas, but not with all of the last minute pressure (yet).  Often, his time off is extremely busy for our family but Thanksgiving is a nice chunk of time for low-stress family bonding.  I know he really enjoys this downtime too.

Lillian

Lilly's gearing up for her birthday next week.  I can't believe she'll be 11 years old!  She has grown into (even more of) a wonderful, sweet, thoughtful, creative child who still makes friends wherever she goes and then offers loyalty and kindness once the relationship is established.

She has a long list of very expensive things that she would like.  As usual, we'll have to lower some expectations.  After all, after her birthday, we have to finance Christmas for the 6 of us (plus our extended family) and Andy's birthday is right around the corner in February!  Thankfully, there are some doable items on her list.  I really like the way we are teaching our children the true meaning of birthdays and Christmas, which we would do even if we had all of the money in the universe.

Her teacher has gone on maternity leave.  I know Lilly is going to miss her a lot.  She plans to come back in February.  In the meantime, I have been making an effort to spend extra one-on-one time with Lilly.  It's been really nice!  Her brothers are almost always still in the house, but we've been able to steal some moments to play a board game together (just us) and we even whipped up a no-bake pie before any boys could invade the kitchen!

She's still limping a little in spite of the doctor stating that her knee is perfectly fine.  Hopefully the extra attention will help take her mind off of the pain she says she feels.  She also loves Christmas (decorations, music, winter, gift-giving) so I believe this also steer her toward a happy path!

Andy

Andy's had his usual, go-with-the-flow, kind of week.  He's an even-keel guy and has been enjoying raking more leaves and helping the family go through the toys that they don't play with anymore.  Last weekend, the boys and Dave bought an old-school, used gaming system for next-to-nothing.  At first I was not happy as I'm not a fan of electronic toys, but we've been limiting it like we do TV and computer time.  So far, so good.

I had a great time voluteering in his classroom on Monday.  Every one of the 3rd grade classes at his school circulated through each classroom as a group, one at a time.  Andy's classroom was assigned a scientific project.  When a class would enter, the volunteer moms would help the kids cut a cranberry in half, draw it, label it and describe it.  I had a BLAST!  It's a fun age.

Harry

Harry's been a real sweetheart lately!  He's also been cuddly.  I'm loving it!  He's always had it in him, but he sometimes has a hard time staying positive with the demands of school, the limits on candy and other fun, noisy brothers and sharing the new game system.  I think this weekend just hanging out with the family will be good for him too.

Harry and Lilly are alike in a lot of ways.  His spirits too have been lifted by the Christmas music playing in our house and talking about Santa visiting very soon!  He also lost his second tooth yesterday!

Malcolm

Mal's looking forward to starting basketball next weekend.  It's the first time he's ever played.  He's always been a natural with balls and sports equipment.  (I guess that would mean that he and Andy are alike in this way!)  What an arm he's got!

One of my favorite memories of Malcolm as a toddler was him carrying a tennis ball around constantly as a lovey.  He was especially interested in textures at this age.  He'd often go up to his twin brother, reach out and feel his eyebrows, mouth, hair, etc.  Harry never minded, but Malcolm definitely did more tactile exploration than he did.  I loved when he would just come up and rub his hand back and forth on my arm to feel a sweater I was wearing.  Once in awhile, he still does something like this and that's when I miss how little the kids once were.

I guess the tennis ball was just fuzzy enough to cuddle with.  He'd carry it everywhere and rub it gently on his cheek.  It was adorable and too short-lived as these things often are with children.  He would also reprimand anyone who offered to play catch with him using his special ball.

Mom

As I said above, I am heading into Christmas full speed!  I also love this time of year and each holiday season, I vow to make it less stressful on myself.  So far to this end, I am planning ahead with ideas and lists, taking advantage of sales/free shipping online and grabbing things as I see them when I'm out shopping.

I'm very pleased that the kids and Dave are working hard on decluttering the old toys.  This way we can bless someone else while keeping our sanity around here!  My job is to keep processing and filing all of the papers and bills that tend to pile up (quickly).

We are very fortunate that my sister and her family has graciously offered to host Thanksgiving.  I will bring something, but it's nothing compared to the cleaning and cooking that she will be doing!  She makes the table look so beautiful too and brings out her wedding china.  We feel so specially treated as guests!

I hope everyone is also having a nice holiday season so far.  It can be a difficult time of year for many reasons too.  I will pray for all of you to see the good no matter what holiday(s) you celebrate and whatever circumstances you may find yourself in.

The Wednesday News, October 13, 2010

OK, I'm cheating.  It's not Wednesday, it's Thursday, but I'm off by a day because of Columbus Day on Monday. (Yeah, we'll go with that reason!)  Kids had the day off on Monday.  Dad worked.  Weather was beautiful!

So, how is everyone doing?  I know I've been lurking more than writing lately, but that is the exception and not the rule.  Thing is, I've never been very productive when I have unstructured time.  I'm getting better though!  The first couple of weeks with all of my kids at school I was a MACHINE!  Then, like a machine, I needed some repairs and adjustments.  I believe it's because so many weeks have gone by and my cluttered house hadn't made a complete transformation in that short time.  Maybe THAT'S because it took MUCH longer than a few weeks to get that way!

The things that needed tweaking on me were concepts like getting motivated, trying not to squeeze too much into one day and hence, not being able to finish any one thing properly and the WORST one: analysis paralysis!  I would look around and see how much needed to be done and focusing on that instead of what I have done! 

I'm not saying that everyday is going to be hugely productive because that's just not reality (well, at least not MY reality), but I can define productive in different ways.  I don't have to reinvent the wheel everyday.  I just have to look back on the day and say, "I got THAT done and I feel good about it."  It has to be one thing, even if it's tiny, above and beyond the daily things like laundry, errands, cooking and cleaning.  This is now a rule that I must follow.  I, like my kids, are not allowed to break the rules!


Mom

Fall is in full swing here in the Northeast!  The leaves are STUNNING!  I have to get a picture today of our sugar maple tree before the big "wind and rain event" that they're predicting on the news for tomorrow.  The tree is BRIGHT red and gorgeous!

My wonderful neighbor who is organized and at peace has been volunteering her time to help me strategize organizing projects and keep me motivated!  THANK YOU!  Your help has been IMMEASURABLE.  I think being held accountable is very important.  That's why they tell you to exercise with a buddy, because you help each other take responsibility for your actions!

Purging is actually a lot of fun and it's ADDICTIVE!  I sometimes have to pull myself away from a task because if I don't, my family will not have any dinner tonight or a clean table to eat it on.  It will get done one hour at a time.  Yesterday, I went through a bunch of school papers that piled up last week.  Let me tell you that there are a LOT of notices, permission slips, corrected homework that need to be handled when you have 4 kids in full-time school!  I took an hour.  Stayed focused and processed EVERYTHING!

I've been much less fatigued lately too which is definitely helping matters of keeping up with the house and my family.  I have scheduled errand days and gym days too!  This way, I know I'm going to be out doing stuff and I can add errands to the list as needed.  Efficiency!!   Then, the other days I spend organizing and purging.  I wasn't feeling good about things when errands were spread all over the place all week.  I felt like I was spinning my wheels, literally, my car wheels!


Dad

Dave was in London for 5 days last week.  It was exhausting for him and for me, as it always is.  Monday night he took a red eye "across the pond" and went straight to work on Tuesday!  I have learned not to plan a busy weekend after he returns from a trip like that.  Everyone's tired, everyone's missed Dad and it's better just to spend the time "cocooning" with our family and bonding.  It was great!

Dave continues to work on our basement.  The goal is to have a playroom for the kids and their friends by winter.  So far, he's knocked down a wall, built two closets (one of which is my new and improved PANTRY!), put in recessed lighting and painted.  Next, we have to decide on the flooring.  Let's hear it for do-it-yourself'ing!  WOOHOO!  I am so fortunate to have a husband with so many handyman skills!  We will also be getting a new roof either this month or the next.  Now, he's not doing that.  We're paying someone.  I do think he considered it at one point though!

So, our house is going on a diet (i.e. I'm decluttering it) AND it's getting a facelift and a makeover!  I'll bet the house would smile too if it could.


Harry

So, my kids are OBSESSED with Hallowe'en, especially Harry and Malcolm.  They talk about Hallowe'en ALL YEAR!  Maybe I'll be this next year.  How many more days until Hallowe'en (usually about 364 when they first ask me)?

We do have terrific Hallowe'ens around here.  Our neighborhood is old-fashioned in a lot of ways.  Parents look out for each other's kids.  The streets are wide, safe and quiet for bike-riding, walking, etc.  Kids can sell door-to-door.  Neighbors bake things for each other and can leave stuff that has been borrowed on the front porch without fear of someone else, um, "borrowing" it.  It's our wonderful little corner of the world and we love it.

Hallowe'en is no exception to the enjoyment our neighborhood brings.  We get over 100 trick-or-treaters each year.  I've seen minivans (I think maybe even with out-of-state license plates?  Could we be famous!) arrive, park and kids unload like a Volkswagen full of clowns to trick-or-treat here!  I don't know about my other neighbors, but I welcome them with open arms and love that they are attracted to our special community.

Anyway, that's the background, but back to Harry.  Yes, my kids love candy, but Harry told me why he really loves Hallowe'en.  There are so many kids in the neighborhood and he looks forward every year to how they're going to dress up!  He especially loves seeing the new babies (who join the families every year!) and what adorable costume they're going to wear.  Harry even remembers what costumes kids wore LAST YEAR!  I'd be hard-pressed to remember what MY kids wore last year.

Proud parent moment for me that my child (well, all of my kids) value friendship and humanity over sugar and other material goods.


Malcolm

Malcolm is also counting down the days until All Hallow's Eve.  He helped Harry make paper decorations including Frankensteins, endless amounts of pumpkins, zombies, spiders, witches, you name it.  They're all over the front door and the walls.  I won't tell them if you won't that the creations are more adorable than spooky!

Malcolm and Harry have joined Cub Scouts.  Andy is also in Scouts, his 3rd year this year.  Now that all of our kids are in school and the fact that we have 3 boys in the local Pack, Dave and I are becoming more involved with the program.  He is going to be Den Leader to the twins' group.  This month, we're doing a lot of fall stuff like hikes, a pumpkin festival and the annual pumpkin carving contest to name a few.  We also had a catch-and-release fishing derby a few weeks ago.

So, he's been keeping busy.  He enjoys school and his teacher.  Both he and Harry seem to be adjusting, finally, to being there for 6 hours instead of 2 1/2 like kindergarten and preschool.


Andy

Andy is almost done with his football season.  It's been a big commitment, but he's done very, very well and stuck it out.  He has 3 more practices and 2 games left.  His coaches are great and they have recognized and appreciated Andy's good listening skills and talents for the sport as well as helped him to USE them.  Now, that's good coaching.

Our family has really enjoyed watching him and his team.  I also love the whole culture of football set in the autumn, my second favorite season behind summer.  It's so much fun putting the two together!  My other kids have enjoyed a great deal of outdoor time during the 2-hour practices and games too.  They practice at a large park in town that has a playground, a walking track and a skateboarding park.  They've all made new friends too as part of the experience.

Andy and I are going to spend some quality time together tomorrow.  I'm chaperoning his class field trip.  Dave and I have always made a strong effort to go on as many trips as possible.  Because my 2 older ones were in school before my twins, as older kids will do, I almost never had the opportunity to volunteer on a regular basis in the classroom or things like that.  However, we would always manage to arrange a sitter or have one of us home so the other parent could go on as many field trips as possible.

Tomorrow, we're supposed to go to a nearby farm and animal sanctuary to learn about Pilgrims and a local Native American tribe.  However, it's supposed to rain cats and dogs so we may have a raindate.  I haven't seen or heard about one yet, so I may need to pack an ark in our required, brown-bag lunches.

Other than football and school (where Andy is doing fine as well), he's enjoying chores related to the fall (like retrieving the millions of acorns from our front lawn, raking leaves and scolding his brothers for jumping into the "pile that I JUST MADE!").  Don't get me wrong.  Andy has a lot of playtime as well.  He plays with his Legos and his friends in the neighborhood after school and on weekends, rides his bike and his scooter, but this kid just LOVES to work!  Not only do I hardly ever have to remind him about his regular chores, he takes on HUGE projects without being asked!  He's like the machine I mentioned I was in the introduction to this post!

What do I mean?  Well, for example, he spent 4 HOURS gathering acorns on Saturday with NO prompts or reminders from us.  Yes, we have that many and yes there are still about a million more to pick up.  Also, no, he did not STOP for those 4 hours!  The boys all got a reward for spending so much time on the acorns.  Mind you, for the 4 hours that Andy spent, Harry and Malcolm maybe spent 20 minutes between them.  Andy got to choose the reward as you may have guessed!


Lillian

Lilly has been tearing up the skatepark, our driveway, our neighborhood and unfortunately, her arm skateboarding and ripsticking.  If you don't know what a ripstick is, it's like a skateboard but different.  You stand on it as well but it has 2 caster-style wheels (one in the front, one in the back) that swivel as you go.  It takes some getting used to, but Lilly has mastered it.  She's a quick study with most things including new equipment.  She's always had remarkable balance and coordination, even when she first started cruising as a young toddler.  When you watch her skateboard or ripstick, her upper body is perfectly straight.  Only her hips, legs, feet and occasionally her arms are moving! 

She does take tumbles though, like the one about 2 weeks ago.  It resulted in a nasty cut on the inside of her forearm.  I even had the doctor check it out because it looked infected last week, but it's not.  It's just taking a long time to heal.

I had talked about Lilly's quitting karate in a previous post.  http://somanykidssomuchfun.blogspot.com/2010/08/wednesday-news-august-25-2010.html.  She hasn't "replaced" it with a new sport, but has since gotten a lot of exercise at the park during Andy's football practices and has been enjoying the beautiful weather outside as well.    She and Dave went online to get instructions on how to spraypaint her ripstick. Lilly was "done" with the hot pink color. It is now bright yellow with gold accents. Andy's scooter is now gold as well. Both toys look SO cool!

We will be encouraging her further to do rock climbing or skateboarding lessons now that football is wrapping up and the weather will be colder and colder soon.  My kids still play outside when it's cold, but for not nearly as long.  She said she may want to do basketball in the winter.  She's never expressed an interest before so maybe that's what she'll end up doing.  Either way, she's very happy NOT to be at karate!

In the meantime, she has joined the school's chorus and band.  She played the violin last year, but it just wasn't exciting enough for her.  I don't fully understand what she means by that, but anyway, she's playing the clarinet this year.  She has good friends that are either violinists or clarinetists so that wasn't the reason she stopped violin, but anyway, she's enjoying it!

Since most of the clarinetists and other band members began their tenure last year in 4th grade and Lilly played violin in the Orchestra, she is behind this year.  However, her instructor allowed her to jump in with the 5th graders because I was a clarinet player and I can help her!

It's true.  I played for 10 years and was even a music major in college for awhile.  I was just not dedicated enough to be a musician for life, so I finished my degree in psychology.  I have barely played in all of these years (since I was 20!).  I have a professional clarinet that was not in good shape THEN and is still poor NOW, but I picked it up.

Between me (and the clarinet) being rusty, (well, it's tarnished, I'm rusty) and the clarinet STILL being in bad shape, I decided to instead try my old student clarinet from when I was in 5th grade!  It is so much easier to play than my wooden professional one but it doesn't sound nearly as nice.  Now, it doesn't "sound" at all because I blew a pad loose.  The little foam pads are what keep air from leaking in the wrong place.  Without even ONE tiny pad, the clarinet just goes "FFFFFFFFF" (that would be the sound of air without any music).

OK, so the pad is fixable, but Lilly wanted her own clarinet.  Also, this way I could play her new one instead of my professional one that will be going on EBay or Craigslist VERY soon!  It is an absolutely STUNNING student model that Dave got a very good deal on.  It's brand new.  My husband does not believe in renting instruments or buying used cars.  Something about "you don't know what the previous owner did to it or didn't do to it maintenance-wise" regarding the cars and "by the time we pay all of that rent, we could own it" regarding the instruments.  Anyone need a very gently used violin by the way?  One owner, us.  In case you got lost, we now have 3 clarinets but we will only be keeping 1 ultimately, Lilly's new one!

It is a special plastic but it's formulated to look like wood.  Doesn't sound like wood, but that's OK.  She doesn't need a wooden one at this stage of the game.  They also require more maintenance.  I am having fun helping her in spite of the fact that I had decided long ago that I did NOT want to be a music teacher.  She's having fun too and coming along very well.  Like I said, she's a quick study.

The Wednesday News, August 18, 2010

eHello!  I am so glad to FINALLY be back, to writing that is!  I haven't been away or anything, just overwhelmed and overcommitted.  Things are starting to feel a little more manageable right now, although I don't want to say it too loud or I may just jinx myself.

We're in Week 3 of Andy's football season.  As I mentioned before, we go 4 nights a week for the entire month of August from 5:30p to about 8p.  I knew what we were getting into and I'm not complaining.  I'm very excited for Andy and his team!  They're looking good and have their first game on Sunday!  It did take me awhile to get used to the schedule though and (somewhat) build a routine around it.

It seemed like we had a lot against us Weeks 1 and 2.  The first week, we had swimming lessons for over 3 hours everyday.  This meant we got home just in time to take a short break and then we were out the door again.  Oh, and yes, all 5 of us were doing all of this.  Dave has been meeting us at the park where the practice is after work/commute.  By the time he catches up with everyone, plays with the kids and eats whatever dinner I packed for him, it's usually time to go home.

Dinner was happening afterwards during the first week since I didn't have any time or energy to feed the kids more than snacks after swimming lessons.  Let's just say, the kids were up REALLY late.

Last week, Andy developed swimmer's ear which peaked on Monday.  This, coincidentally, was also the first day they played with all of their gear on.  I can't imagine his discomfort putting his football helmet on when his earlobe was so tender to the touch!  Tuesday, I picked up some drops that the doctor prescribed over the phone.  The ear got better as the week went on and so did Andy's attitude.  The good news about last week is that I did get to feed the kids some semblance of dinner before we left only to find that they want another FULL meal when they get home.  So, STILL UP REALLY LATE!  We gotta fix that FAST since school is starting in less than 2 weeks!

This week has actually been fun!  It's still hectic to go almost every evening, but Andy's much happier, less tired and no longer in pain.  Plus, I think I've got the hang of packing equipment, kids, etc.  All of this makes for a WAY easier time for me!

So, we're hanging in there.  Karate classes have been a bit of a challenge to attend with everyone's schedules (including picking up Lilly from camp and then going to football right afterwards), but that's also slowly coming back on track.

Mom

As always, I'm having bittersweet thoughts about the end of the summer.  As much as parts of this summer have dragged on, the kids have been bored and I've been too tired to motivate us to get out and do something about it at times, each year I never want to succumb to the fact that once school starts, our days will no longer be carefree.  I like the promise of telling the kids, "Maybe we can try to get there next week.", meaning it and then DOING it!  We are also resigning ourselves to the fact that it's just going to get colder and darker with each passing day.  You just don't feel that way in July!  You feel like summer is going to last forever!

Alas, there is nothing anyone can do about it except enjoy the seasonal moments we have left.  So, that's what we've been doing!  I've been feeling so much better physically and not sleeping nearly as excessively.  My doctor is waiting for me to do one more bloodtest before she makes any conclusions about why I've been so fatigued, but she doesn't think it's anything serious.

We had a wonderful time with some friends over the weekend.  We went blueberry picking and all 6 of us got over 25 lbs of berries!  Before we got to the berry farm, we rode in the back of our friends' pickup truck!  Yes, this would be illegal if it wasn't on their private road (for all of one block, going about 10mph on a clover-picking mission prior to the legal, seatbelted drive to the berry farm on public roads).  Did I mention our friends live in the country?

Dad flanked by Harry...

and Malcolm (takin' it all in).

Here's Malcolm selecting yummy clover to feed to the animals at the berry farm prior to our journey.  The donkeys, goats and rabbits who were there were very appreciative!

Uh-oh!  Looks like Dave took over photographer duty with his camera after we got to the berry farm!  I'll get "The Berrypicking Collection" off of his camera and get some of those photos up since his camera intimidates me.

Yesterday, the 3 boys and I went to our local Aquarium to meet a friend who was in town from Canada and staying nearby.  (Lilly is at camp this week.)  It was a very last minute visit but we had a wonderful time!  I got to meet her baby who was born in February and the boys are STILL talking about the stingrays, sharks and penguins.

I love that all of my kids are at the age now where we can go places together and explore things as a family.  Last summer it was just starting, but this year it's really taken off.  As much as I adored when my kids were babies, toddlers and preschoolers, it's great when they can listen and follow directions, look at things, ask questions and understand the answers.

They also can last longer than they could before so we can make a real day out of a visit like that!  I also found out that Malcolm knew what sea anenomes are, could identify them AND pronounce the word!  I had a TERRIFIC day!  This is the same aquarium that Lilly and I slept over at in January, so I felt like it was OK that she missed yesterday.  See http://somanykidssomuchfun.blogspot.com/2010/02/marine-life-encounters-and-other.html

Seal tank.  That's a big rock in the middle.  Andy, forever wondering how things work, is trying to figure out what's going on under the surface of the water. (Harry, middle.  Malcolm, right...and stri-ped!  My word, not his.)

Not sure what's up with this pose, but I had to catch the shot as a seal went swimming through!

Malcolm finding out what a starfish feels like.  (By the way, when did they start being called "seastars"?  Is that more politically correct?  I guess they must have protested because they're "not fish"...but I still call 'em starfish.  I'd better not since I may offend cephalopods as a group.)   Verdict: "It feels squishy."

Lilly

Lilly had a 24-hour playdate and sleepover with one of her best friends on Saturday/Sunday.  I love having her friend here.  As usual, the girls had a blast together and Lilly was tired the next day, but still able to pick lots of berries.

She started another week of camp on Monday.  Because she's over 9 years old (she's 10, actually), she can do this special field trip camp where she goes to all kinds of cool, local attractions (including the theme parks with the scary rides that she loves and I don't).  See http://somanykidssomuchfun.blogspot.com/2009/09/emotional-rollercoaster.html and forgive me for linking to it AGAIN!  Needless to say, she's in her element!  I must admit that the big water parks she visited sound like fun though.

She is very cooperative with going to Andy's football practice so often.  It helps a lot that she has made a new friend that she can hang out with.  This friend has two siblings involved with football and cheerleading respectively.  Oh yeah, the cheerleaders also practice Mon-Thu in August!

They'll probably be more Lilly news next week since I haven't seen much of her this week!

 Andy

In a word, FOOTBALL!  Have you noticed the pattern yet?

That's him in a huddle with the black pants.  He looks enormous in those shoulder pads!

Andy also enjoyed chilling out on Saturday and berry picking on Sunday.  He picked berries and clover like a machine and in a two-handed fashion.  ANDY LOVES TO WORK!!  He rakes, shovels and pretty much does everything chore-related usually totally voluntarily!  Sometimes I still worry that one of my neighbors will call in the authorities because they think we're doing child labor over here!  We're not!  Just that I can't keep the kid from working!  We're talking about the boy who comes home from school on a warm, winter day to find the snow has melted and is upset that he can't SHOVEL what was there when he left in the morning.

The downside of that is that when I really WANT him to clean his room or other specific chore, it can be a struggle since he's either tired from doing all kinds of BIG chores or he simply is not motivated to do what I ask when I ask.  We've been chilling most of the week other than the aquarium and a playdate later this afternoon.

Dad

Dad returned home from Washington DC on Friday evening.  Everyone was glad to see him of course!  His car is having muffler problems (as in, the muffler is no longer attached; as in, the car is REALLY loud).  It reminds me of a long time ago, same car, when he called me on his way to work.

Dave: "Something's wrong with my muffler."
Me: "What makes you say that?"
Dave: "It's in my trunk." (it fell off while he was driving then he pulled over and retrieved it)

Similarly, he called me yesterday while driving home.

Dave: "Wow!  Can you hear that loud truck passing me?"
Me: "Yes!"
Dave: "Well, it's not a truck, it's my car!"
Me: "I kind of suspected that's where the conversation was going!"

We're going to get it fixed tomorrow.  The 16-year-old workhorse is up for its state inspection this month so we're going to have them take care of that too.  I'll keep you posted on its pass/fail status!  God bless my husband for driving this non-air-conditioned jalopy so I can stay home with our kids!  Love you!

Harry

He just came up to tell me that the mail came and that the boys took the liberty of opening their letters that say what teacher they'll be having this year.  Apparently, the fact that the letters are addressed "To the Parents of _________" means NOTHING!  The twins will be separated next year but unfortunately, neither of them got the teacher I was hoping at least one of them would get.  That's OK.  We'll make the best of it.

Andy's 2nd grade teacher is teaching 3rd so he will have her again.  We did have a choice in this matter and I'm happy with that outcome.  The boys had the decency NOT to open Lilly's letter because she's not at home.  I gotta give them that!  I told Harry to bring all of the papers inside while I finish up this post so our school supply list and who-knows-what-other-inserts-since-I-didn't-open-the-letter don't blow all over the neighborhood!

Malcolm

What did this week look like for Malcolm?  Berries, clover, swimming in our pool and going to the aquarium.  Maybe when school starts I'll have different stories for each twin.  Sorry guys, but you're inseparable!  By the way, WHO PEED IN THE TRASHCAN?!?!  I've narrowed it down to a minor-aged MALE and suspect that it's Harry, but it could be Andy who just didn't want to head to one of the other TWO bathrooms!  See
http:/somanykidssomuchfun.blogspot.com/2009/08/theres-something-about-harry.html

I'll get to the bottom of this.  EWWWWWW!

The Wednesday News, July 21, 2010

Before I begin, I want to give a shout-out to the SITS Girls who are hosting the "31 Day Pro Blogger Challenge" in their BlogFrog Community!  We're on Day 3 and each day, they give us bloggers a task to do to improve our blogs.  Today, I'm working on promoting my blog with social networking.  So far, you can see my tweets, click on my "follow me" button for Twitter, follow on my Networked Blogs button and "like" me to connect with on Facebook!  I'm looking forward to learning SO much more!  Tune in daily for my improvements!

Mom

We ended the week of bliss camp last Friday.  The kids had a terrific time.  Dave and I got a lot done.  We even moved the "new" furniture up to our bedroom.  This was used furniture we purchased years ago but never had a chance to move upstairs.

So, the garage got seriously purged, the garden got done (I'm still on cloud 9 about that) and the bedroom got organized.  These tasks were HUGE and looming before last week.  Now, it's up to me to keep purging all of the boxed up stuff.  At least we were able to pack up stuff and put aside in order to make paths in these areas!

I was kind of back to the day-to-day Mommy stuff on the weekend (which was a downer after a week of accomplishing SO much backlog).  We had Harry and Malcolm's birthday party FINALLY on Sunday.  Since there hasn't been much to do as far as kids' activities this week, I've been doing the lazy thing again.  I definitely need to have a place to go and a time to go to it to get me moving.  The trick is, HOW do I get MOVING when I don't have to GO anywhere?  Any suggestions?

However, I have been working a lot on my blog which makes me happy!  Any feedback at all is welcomed in that department as well!  Leave a comment and a link and I'll visit you too!  I want to make my blog the best that it can be for myself as well as my readers!  I really have to enlist my husband's help in getting my old computer back so I can post photos.  My computer's illness has come at a bad time...during the Blogger Challenge and all, but hang in there!  Thanks for your patience!

Andersen

Andy didn't have a lot going on this past weekend or this week.  He continued to swim in our new pool and join a neighbor in his inground, fully-grown pool.  Both Monday and today, there have been some nasty storm warnings in the Northeast.  If there's any kind of warning, my kids will NOT go outside.  On Monday, there were funnel clouds spotted about 40 minutes from here so all of the kids were convinced we were all going to die.

They've been keeping busy today making an emergency-preparedness kit for the impending thunderstorms predicted for later today.  On Monday evening, I have NEVER seen such hysteria!  I was getting angry at them even though they were crying because they were scared.  They would not LISTEN to anything I said to reassure them.  See, my daughter can't turn off The Weather Channel or STOP commenting on wind speeds or cloud formations.

My husband finally took them downstairs to watch a movie on Lilly's portable DVD player.  I was told to stand "on watch" watching The Weather Channel upstairs.  Even though we did not have a tornado warning in our county, NO ONE would believe me.  AGH!  We ended up with just some rain, but since tornadoes are rare for us, it was a bit nervewracking, even for me.

So, today they're sure we're going to have a repeat of Monday.  Um, who's going to tell Andy we're leaving for OUTDOOR baseball in a 1/2 hour!?

Lillian

Lilly got a chance to spend some time with a friend who moved away to a neighboring town.  Even though they haven't gone to school together since 2nd grade (Lilly will be entering 5th grade this fall), they see each other several times a year.

The friend had her annual, birthday sleepover on Saturday night.  She had a great time.  What I like about sleepovers is that Lilly ALWAYS falls asleep early the following night.  It's great because she can catch up on the sleep she missed giggling and gossiping with her friends!

She misses camp, but is already counting down the days until she can go next summer!

Malcolm

Malcolm and Harry were given a choice mid-week last week.  We had had terrible luck finding friends who were available for their scheduled birthday party this past Sunday.  The party had already been postponed several times for the same reason..

We told them that they could postpone once again OR just go ahead and do the party with whomever can come.  They were tired of waiting so we went ahead and did the party.  Lilly and Andy also invited some of their friends along.  We had so much fun even though it was small.  It was at Chuck E. Cheese's, which was where they both wanted to go, and they got some terrific goodies to take home.  They both felt really special for the day and are still enjoying their party favors!

Harrison

Harry, like often occurs, had a very similar week and weekend to Malcolm.  He loved camp and enjoyed his birthday party completely.  He has also had fun swimming in our pool.  He was no exception to the "twyster hysteria" (hey, I just coined that term!).

Dad

After a working vacation last week, Dad is back to work at his job.  We both were sad to see it end even though it was a lot of work last week.  We loved our lunch dates everyday and just the sense of accomplishment that we both felt!

I am so proud of all of the work he did and it makes me smile when he's happy with all we've accomplished!

The Wednesday News, July 14, 2010

Hi Everyone!  I am here finally!   Sorry it's Saturday morning, but I have been flinging like a mad woman!  The good news is, since I had a few more days, I'd have more to tell you.  Next week, I'll be back on my Wednesday-producing schedule.

Just a reminder, my kids have been in camp all week and my husband took the week off.  We HAD to declutter this house.  We almost didn't get our week because we thought Harry and Malcolm had chicken pox last Sunday!  They woke up with pink pimples all over their trunk and a few spots on their arms, legs and face.

I checked their vaccination records.  They were all caught up.  They even had a booster varicella (chicken pox) shot last year.  The nurse said that since the pimples were not fluid-filled (ewww) that it was not "the pox".  However, if they started running a fever or it got worse to bring them in.  It got better and off they went to camp as the nurse said it was safe!  No more "spotty" issues the rest of the week!

As for the flinging, I'm still keeping way too much stuff, but at least it's a start.  Now, I must say, I regret that I cannot post any pictures this week.  BUMMER!  My computer is on the fritz.  The one I'm using right now is an old one my husband had for work.  It's not straightforward how to back up the photos I took so I want to wait until hubby fixes my current one.  Then, I'll show you LOTS of pictures!

Dad

My husband is my hero!  OK, just being able to fix my computer is heroic in and of itself, but he also worked tirelessly in our hot and humid garage and our hot and humid yard to pull out all kinds of junk.  We've been setting records in the Northeast for "hot and humid" by the way.  The best is he put in my, ...drumroll please....GARDEN!  That's right!  The garden I've never had is IN!

The plants are in AND there's mulch around them.  It looks GREAT!  Unfortunately, some bugs have enjoyed munching on some of them and one looks really peaked, but I'm working on finding out how to handle that.  Now, if we could just get a new garden hose instead of the one with the flat top (someone, probably me, ran over it with the car.  No, it MUST have been one of the kids...).  Then, we can put a NOZZLE on it so I don't get SOAKED every time I "water my garden".  Oh my goodness!  I'm watering my GARDEN though!

Mom

So, the kids were at camp all week.  I think the first day they were gone, I was mostly just amazed at how QUIET the house was and how I could do a job from beginning to end with NO interruptions!  We did have a lot of backlog from the weekend to catch up on (finish all of the kitchen cleanup, the ever-present laundry, daily cleaning, etc.) so I first went to work on that.  It was frustrating because it took so long and I wasn't digging into any of the decluttering projects I was hoping to accomplish, but it had to be done first.

Our babysitter was looking to do some extra hours this week.  Although there weren't any kids around, she was willing to come anyway and help me tackle the house!  She had been away for two weeks, so it was really bad around here.  She is yet another hero in my life.  Not only does she support me by helping me care for my children and is kind and nurturing to them BUT she's a whiz at getting chores done efficiently too (and is WILLING to do them!).

So, on Tuesday she came by, off she went on the day-to-day cleanup and I started a sorting project!!  It was so rewarding and fun (I must say!)!  I was on such a roll that I didn't want to go out for lunch with my husband.  Well, of course I wanted to, but you know what I mean.  I was knee-deep and ACCOMPLISHING something!  I can't remember being alone long enough to do that in, well, FOREVER!

Alas, off we went for lunch.  My husband and I have been having lunch dates everyday this week.  Maybe not the healthiest food, but it was great to spend the time together!

Mid-week, I had produced twice the number of trash bags we usually put out for the truck that day AND I got out ALL of the recycling that I had missed the last time the truck came by.  I had mentioned that I have been struggling with fatigue again this summer.  This week, I was able to overcome it though and use the precious time we had to do, do and DO!

Lillian

I believe I had mentioned before that Lilly LOVES, LOVES, LOVES this camp.  She and Andy went here for the first time last summer and this year, we sent Harry and Malcolm with them.  We wish we had the money to send the kids for a second week.  Dave and I joined the group for their weekly sing-along and campfire on Thursday night.  Parents/families are invited to this once-a-week event where they do an evening weenie roast and toast marshmallows with the kids.  To me, this is what summer's all about.

Lilly made new friends (she ALWAYS makes friends no matter where she goes), learned all kinds of new arts and crafts (her thing) and tried a bunch of new activities.  Plus, my kids LOVE to swim and there was plenty of that too.

She was begging for us to send her back.  I wish we could especially since Lilly is not an easy one to please sometimes when it comes to "fun".  She'll seem to be having the time of her life, but then, on the way home from wherever we were, she says, "I was kind of bored, actually." or "That sandwich made my stomach hurt."  Not here, though.  NEVER!

Andy

Andy also loves this camp.  He especially likes the store they have on campus.  Because we only send our kids for one week, we can afford to give them a little bit of spending money.  The store has souvenirs, candy and ice cream.  Again, what's summer without some delicious treats?  I'm OK with it.

He was not in such a good mood yesterday when we picked him up.  I figured that he was sad that it was his last day of camp.  Nope.  He said we embarrassed him at the sing-along the night before.  See, I'm a highly-participatory mom.  My own term that I coined.  If they say to "sing-along", I'm gonna "sing-along", clap-along and whatever-along.

The counselors were leading the songs and they did a fantastic job.  During one song, they had said that the kids could "shout-out" and have their non-camper siblings come up and join them for the song.  Harry yelled out, "Mommy" and then he yelled out "Daddy".  So, off we went up there to join them.  Being highly-participatory, I was clapping and gesturing right along with them, as was my husband.

When we sat down, we realized that they had said the kids could shout out to "siblings" and not parents.  However, none of the other kids yelled for their mom or dad, so tell me WHAT were we supposed to do?

Andy said, "Mom, they made fun of me ALL DAY because you went up there and SANG last night!"  Then Harry and Malcolm piped up, "Yeah, Mom, you embarrassed us TOO!".   I was too tired to remind them that, "Gee, your DAD was ALSO up there!  By the way, you YELLED for us to come up!"

Oh well.  It won't be the last time we embarrass them!  Is there an age limit my kids get to when I should no longer be a participatory mom?  It's got me thinking since I thought I had until they were teens....by then I'll have more devious ways of embarrassing them, but only when they DESERVE it....bwah-ha-ha-ha!

 Harrison

Harry and Malcolm often have trouble following directions when they are together.  Something about the twin thing.  My pediatrician said it brilliantly (as she always does) at their physical.  She said if they're not behaving then separate them, which we do.

She told me to weigh the pros and cons of the extra work it would take me to drive them to two separate teeball practices/games, two separate karate classes, etc.  She said that this kind of behavior is totally normal for six-year-old boys, just that when they're brothers from the same family and the same age, they tend to stick out as "a problem".  The best part was when she said, "If you separate them, then there will be two six-year-old boys from TWO different families acting the EXACT same way, but it won't look like it's just 'those two' again!"  Brilliant!!!  Loved it.

I had told the camp staff about how they often do get carried away and they're so bonded as identical twins/brothers.  I explained that if they were to be in the same group, that separating them within that group was a good option, especially if they were having trouble listening to instructions.

I didn't have ONE report of noncompliance or bad behavior!  Good job, boys!  It definitely helps to have a LOT of structure and there was certainly enough activities there to provide a good outlet for their ENDLESS amounts of energy!

Malcolm

Malcolm had a great time too.  He made some amazing crafts!  It was an "outer space" theme this week at camp.  I can't wait to post the picture of Malcolm and Harry's "space alien antennas" that they made!  The children get a fair amount of choices as to what they can do with their blocks of time.  He chose a lot of arts and crafts and came home with some really creative things!

Overall, all of the boys got a little sunburned.  I think the staff forgot to remind them to "reapply" it to their faces.  Their cheeks were definitely sun-kissed, but nothing serious.




So, now it's back to the old grind of "What are we going to do today, Mom?".  That's OK, that's what summer's all about.

(Afterthought: What do people think of my new "colored banners" for our names for The Wednesday News?  I think I'll stick with that.  Opinions PLEASE!  Thanks for reading!)

The Wednesday News, July 7, 2010

Tootsie Pop

Do you remember this commercial from the 70s?  It's actually still being run on either Nickelodeon or Disney Channel, but not in its entirety.  I guess 30 seconds is too long for modern-day greed advertising.

Mom

Anyway, I'm going to begin with me today.  My kids have been enjoying Tootsie Pops as treats this week.  After they went to bed, I thought, "Why not.  I'll have one, or two or thhhhhrree."  I can't remember which one did it, but one of them broke TWO OF MY TEETH!  I guess at my age, I shouldn't be biting such things, although Mr. Turtle was probably older than me, but that's beside the point (don't turtles live for like 200 years?).  I couldn't believe it!  I even took many more licks than thhhhhrree, so I didn't even think it could do any damage.

Luckily there was no pain, but my dentist had to do two new fillings.  I swear I've never had my teeth drilled so much in my entire life (and I've had a lot of cavities in my day as well as 2 root canals in the same tooth and several crowns...so I know what I'm talking about!).  Are you familiar with the drill bit the dentist uses that makes your whole skull vibrate?  I swear I was going to pick up a TV show to view on my glasses I was vibrating so much (in SPITE of the digital age!).  Then, there was the numbness.

Now, I was hungry on my way over to the dentist.  He fit me in at dinnertime so my husband would be home from work to watch the kids.  I thought it would be gross to eat on the way when my dentist was going to examine my teeth so I didn't.  Then, my mouth stayed numb for HOURS afterward so I coudn't eat without biting my tongue by accident!  I tried to eat a sandwich anyway and chew very carefully on my left side.  After all, I didn't want any more medical treatment today!

In other news, my Blogoversary is fast approaching!  13 more days!  I can't believe it's been almost a year already!  I would like to thank all of my friends and family who follow as well as all of the new people I've met in the blogosphere!  I am thoroughly enjoying sharing our life with you!  More comments would be nice though (hint, hint)!  If you have a blog, please let me know and I'll follow you!  I love reading blogs just as much as writing mine!

It was great to have Dave home for an extra day on Monday for the Independence Day holiday.  I got a LOT of rest and we had a blast going to see fireworks.  To me, July 4th is NOT complete without fireworks!

Probably the best part of my week though was meeting a friend for dinner who I haven't seen in 26 years!  She lives in a neighboring state (about 1 1/2 hours away from me), but was passing through close to my area.  It was terrific (and weird!) to see her after all of these years!  High school graduation, college, grad school, marriage, kids...all happened in that time period where we had lost contact for awhile!  She found me on Facebook.  We swore to each other that we were NOT going to let another 26 years go by again!

Here's another shameless hint, just because my blog posts import on Facebook (eventually), doesn't mean my Facebook friends can't follow my blog here too!  :)

Harrison

Harry and Malcolm got a big kiddie pool for their birthday!  Thanks, Grandma!!!  It's 3 feet tall and 10 feet across, so it's suitable for the older kids too!  We've had a heatwave in the Northeast this week.  The kind where you know your air conditioner's on, but you're still sweating.  It hasn't rained at all either, so every afternoon, we were out splashing!  A couple of our neighbor's kids also fit in it.

Harry loves playing with the neighbors and the older kids' friends.  They dote all over him (piggyback rides, underdogs on the swings) so who could blame him for enjoying it?

Harry and Malcolm had their 6-year-old physical on Wednesday.  They are exactly the same height and Harry weighs a whopping 1/2 pound more than Malcolm.  I'll have to check the sheet to see if they had the same exact blood pressure!  They did a few physicals ago.  Our pediatrician said that even though she has many patients who are identical twins, these guys take the cake for "identicalness" in terms of being so close in height and weight.

They're both healthy and growing great!  Yay!

Lillian

Lilly had the opportunity to spend over 24 hours with a school friend this week.  A playdate turned into a sleepover which turned into swimming at the friend's grandparents' private beach.  I missed her!  That night, Andy had baseball practice right near the same friend's house so she and Lilly played together for at least another hour!

I love to watch my kids bonding with their friends.  It's also good for Lilly to get out from under all of the "maleness" around here!  She's been enjoying the new pool too.  So far, she hasn't been missing going to the lake even though it's much deeper, of course, than the kiddie pool and she can really practice her swimming there.

Dad

Dave has next week off!  All four kids have full-day camp for five days!!!  That's right, he arranged his week off at the same time.  We won't be doing a family vacation again this year due to the budget, but that's OK!  We have so much fun doing local things and day trips, we don't miss it!

So, we're going to tear this house apart and GET ORGANIZED!!  It will be so much easier without the kids here for many reasons, but most of all, we can stay focused and keep a good schedule for the work.

Dave spent the majority of the July 4th weekend installing the pool.  It is a permanent (summer-only) pool with a filter so it's a little involved.  We also found out that our state requires a fence to be built around pools that "deep".  Even though the law may be overkill, we thought it was best to build one since there are so many wee children in our neighborhood.

So, in 95+ degree heat, Dave was out in the sun with a rented post-hole digger and tools putting up the fence with a gate and a good lock.  I helped a little with the labor but mostly brought out drinks and kept the air conditioners cranked so he could come in and take breaks.  The fence looks terrific!  THANK YOU DADDY!!! 

The yard was not as "level" as it looked at first, so the pool is lopsided.  That is this weekend's job!  When it looks like it should, I'll show you a picture!

Malcolm

Mal is loving the pool just like everyone else.  He also did great at his physical even though I couldn't convince him that he was not going to get a shot this year.  He enjoyed the tooth fairy money he received.  Since last I wrote, Malcolm lost a second tooth during an excursion to the grocery store!  Of course, the floor was a beige color, but we did find it!  We're very fortunate though.  Our tooth fairy comes regardless of whether or not you actually have the physical tooth "evidence".

Both he and Harry are excited for camp next week!  I think they'll do fine with the full-day schedule.  You cannot tire my kids out!!

Andy

Andy had his first baseball practice on Wednesday evening.  The summer league is different from the regular season.  There is more of an age range and they focus mostly on skill-building.  He was happy to see some familiar faces on the team.  He did find it unbearably hot though, even at 6pm, it was still in the 80s!  Ditto on the pool enjoyment for Andy!

The Wednesday News June 23, 2010

OK, so I started writing The Wednesday News on Wednesday, just didn't get it published in time.  Good thing I'm not a newspaper employee!

Let's start with me this week since it's all about ME, right?

Mom

I'm enjoying summer vacation so far!  I've been operating on the "one activity a day" philosophy.  So far, we've been swimming, went to the movies and attended an end-of-year party.  Thanks to my awesome neighbors who invited us ALL over!

Today would have been my parents' 51st anniversary.  I'm so glad that my mom and dad made it to their 50th.  My dad passed away 4 days later.  It was like he was holding out for this incredibly important date.

Dad

Dave enjoyed his Father's Day in spite of the rain at the baseball game.  I have finally made a decision as to what to buy him and I'm ordering it today.  The kids don't understand why dad isn't on vacation because school's out.  I remember thinking the same thing in the summer when my dad would go to work in the summer.  They have no idea how lucky they are!

Lillian

Lilly went rock climbing yesterday with her Girl Scout troop.  She loved it and climbed 30 feet!  She's been crafting away with her origami and skateboarding too.

Harrison

Turned 6 on Friday!  Dad was still in London, but we had an ice cream cake to celebrate the actual date.  This was the first Friday that their birthday fell on the same day of the week that they were born.  Sigh.  We did celebrate with Dad on Saturday at one of our favorite family restaurants.

Malcolm

Same birthday, same fun!  I rescheduled their official birthday party AGAIN!  School's out and I haven't found the school directory so I can finally mail out invitations.  My plan was to ask the teacher for help with addresses, but that plan fizzled.  Wish me luck that I finally pull it off this time!

Andersen

All signed up for summer baseball!  Starts in July.  He's also playing football for the first time, starting in August.  He's never played in the summer league before.  There will be older kids mixed in with his group, but I think he'll be fine.

Short and sweet this week, but I'm sure there will be more tales to tell as summer goes on.  Happy Summer, everyone!  It's official!

The Wednesday News June 16, 2010

Hello!  I really need to get some pictures up here.  I've been snapping pictures on my phone because it seems like I'm ALWAYS on the go to all of the end of the year in-class celebrations.  They've been great!  We have had some wonderful teachers this year.  The real camera is buried in the car somewhere and every time I arrive at an event, there is just no time for excavating the jackets for the ever-changing weather, blankets to sit on at sporting events and picnics (and to accommodate the ever-changing weather), extra shoes, extra clothes, water bottles, soccer equipment, baseball equipment, karate equipment and snacks.

I have some good ones on the phone...now how do I get them off the phone?  I remember when phones were just used to CALL people.  I remember rotary phones too, but that's beside the point.

Andersen

Andy had his last spring baseball game on Saturday.  This was his 3rd season.  I love watching him play.  I only have had a few opportunities to actually sit and watch.  His weeknight games happen before Dave gets home from work, so I usually have the other 3 up on the playground and the almost 6yo's are still too young to play unsupervised.  The playground is both a blessing and a curse.  It's been great, especially when Harry and Malcolm were younger, to have them have something to do while big brother was playing baseball.  They've never been the "sit down and/or stay near Mommy" type.

However, after a weeknight game, it's late and eveyrone is hungry, tired and most likely still has homework to finish.  However, Andy feels gypped if he doesn't get to swing from limb to limb on the monkey bars after his game since his siblings got the chance to.  So, he makes a beeline for it as soon as they're finished.  I let them play for awhile but then, it's time for the extraction...not pretty at 7:30 at night!

He really loves the game and has really improved his skills and confidence this season.  Looks like he's going to do summer baseball which is a little different.  The focus is on techniques but they do play games which we're all looking forward to.  He went to a zoo for a his class field trip today and loved it.

Mom

I'm mixing myself in with the kids this week!  Tah-dah!  I have some news to share!  Well, not news yet, but I feel like I've made a lot of progress.  I lost touch with one of my best friends from college.  I haven't talked to her since about 3 years after we graduated.  I even tried to invite her to my wedding through the university's alumni office, but she had moved and they didn't know where she was.

I think about her often, but something struck me today.  What was her friend's name who I had met several times, but didn't know well.  I remembered it!  I am gifted with an excellent memory, but this too can be a blessing and a curse.  I'm not boasting, but I often have to "dumb down" when I bump into someone I haven't seen in a long time.  I remember their birthday, their phone number, their kids' names, their wedding anniversaries, etc.

I have more than once been in a situation where I use the person's name and they don't have the foggiest what my name is.  I could go on, "How are your parents enjoying their new home in east Texas where they moved in 2003?", but I don't.  I am also not the kind of person who shows off.  I don't know quite what to do in this situation though.  If the person doesn't use my name, I don't assume that they don't know it.  By the same token, I NEVER get offended if someone says, "I'm sorry, I don't remember your name.".  My mind also plays tricks on me though.  I have a friend who I want to call "Kelly" but that's NOT her name.  I have to stop myself because, doggone it, she LOOKS like a Kelly and, these kinds of things are just THERE in my mind...not with her though.  A wire is crossed somewhere (my husband might say, a screw is loose too!).

Anyway, my memory served me again today.  I remembered this man's name and just for the heck of it, I googled him.  I found his business website and he is uber successful (I remembered that he was uber smart so this was not surprising).  I also remembered what kind of car he drove too and how my long lost friend (the one I'm trying to find!) told me that someone had vandalized it in college.  I remember how too.  NO, IT WASN'T ME!

So, I thought to myself, what should I do?  Should I contact him?  Is he going to think I'm a stalker?  I'm NOT!  REALLY!!!  OK, what do I have to lose?  I won't mention the car, the vandalism or any other details I remember that normal people wouldn't!

I emailed the contact address on his website.  I figured, it's going to go into a spam filter or his administrative assistant will think I'm nuts...OR someone might just read it.  I got a response back in less than 5 minutes...from HIM!  What a surprise!  I didn't think he'd have time let alone get back to me so fast!  He was very pleasant and told me that he knew my friend was still in the city where she grew up, but that he hadn't talked to her in 10 years.  He mentioned one of her friend's names so I'm trying that lead.

I can't thank you enough!  You know who you are if you're reading this!

I sent him the URL to my blog so he could find the one or two pictures that I have of myself on here so he may remember me.  I feel like I may FINALLY FINALLY find her after all of these years!  There are just too many wonderful memories (I'm sure she'll remember some of the details too...but chances are, I will remember more) and we need to pick up where we left off.  Made my day!

Malcolm

Malcolm has finished soccer, but teeball has one more game.  I attended both his and Harry's Goodbye parties for each of their kindergarten classes with the same teacher.  So yes, Friday I went to Harry's class in the morning, went home for lunch and went back to school for Malcolm's.  I told his teacher what Dave had said to me the night before, that we'd have another baby just so we could put more kindergartners through her class.  She told me it was the ultimate compliment.

She is one of the best teachers at the school and I'm going to miss her so much!  She shows respect for each individual student, controls the class and gets them to learn amazing things through games that she makes HERSELF all summer while she's off.  What really impressed me from the get-go is how she said she didn't become a teacher to sit in front of a screen.  She has an assistant for all of her paperwork and emails.  Thankfully, we'll still see her at school events because the boys have several more years there still.

Malcolm brought Lilly's giant, stuffed dog that Grandma gave her to the Teddy Bear picnic at school today.

Dad

Dave was sent to London this week at the last minute.  Fortunately, he was able to swing it so there was NO weekend travel involved.  Monday through Friday.  Works for me!  So, not much news from him since last Wednesday, other than enjoying watching the boys wrap up their sports seasons last weekend.  We all went out for lunch again.  It was great!  We so rarely go out for meals.  I could get used to this!  Car was still in the shop when he left, but it may be ready by now.

Harry

Same sports, same classroom party as mentioned.  They've been pretty inseparable this week!  Harry brought the Easter Bunny that the Easter Bunny brought the family to share with his class.

Lillian

Last but not least, Lilly.  She was absent again last Thursday.  The doctor gave us great suggestions on how to go about handling her headaches (more fluids, more sleep....which has been a major issue this year as she's been up late doing her schoolwork more often than not... protein at breakfast and she needs an eye exam again.)  The suggestions have provided some relief from her headaches, just have to make that eye appointment...

She has been working diligently finishing up her last two major projects.  Looks like she's finally done!  It must be hard since none of the boys had homework this week.  Good for you, kiddo!

She bought herself an inexpensive skateboard with her prize money.  My kids earn "points" (based on compliance, attitude, extra chores, etc.) toward small amounts of money they can use for prizes at the store or they have the option of saving up for bigger things.  The more above and beyond your chores you go, the bigger the point value.

The Wednesday News June 9, 2010

Hump Day!  It's been a productive one.  A bunch of things I've been putting off got done.  I think I was finally successful at changing the title photo for the blog.  Whatever I tried, it would publish as miniscule and you couldn't see who was who.  It's already hard to tell Harry and Malcolm apart without further challenge.

The kids are signed up for a week of camp...get this...they're ALL GOING AT THE SAME TIME!!!!  I'm not sure how Harry and Malcolm will handle a full-day camp, but I figure it's good practice for them for 1st grade.  They only go to kindergarten for 2 1/2 hours right now.

My daughter, who is very skeptical about entertainment, activities and the level of fun that will or will not be provided, has not stopped talking about this camp since she went last summer!  It's very traditional (swimming, games, arts and crafts and even a campfire event during the week that involves roasting marshmallows!).  I wish I could go (well, as a date with hubby sans kids!).

Andersen is also going for the second year and is equally thrilled.  I think Andy's favorite part is having a little of his own spending money for junk food during the day.  They have a small store on the premises.  He eats plenty of healthy food so I'm not worried.  His favorites there are swimming, archery and other sports.

It is also very reasonably priced as camps go.  I wish we had the means to do more than one week as they absolutely love it there, but that's fine.  Dave has the week off and we're going to tear this house apart!  I can't wait to get all of the junk out with NO distractions!  OK, not the best summer vacation, but in a way it is because after the house is organized, we can ENJOY our home more and it will feel like we ARE on vacation!

The kids are also doing swimming lessons for a week and the older two are doing a "field trip" week each.  Lilly, being older, gets to go to far away and exotic destinations (such as Six Flags...hmmm....seems like I mention this place in several of my posts...what's up with that?  You KNOW how I feel about roller coasters.  If not, see my post from last summer entitled "Emotional Rollercoaster" www.somanykidssomuchfun.blogspot.com/2009/09/emotional-rollercoaster.html).  Andy still has to wait another year for that, but they go to the beach and other fun things during his week.

I am trying to see if Harry and Malcolm want to do a 1/2 day sports camp in addition to their one week, but they weren't that into it last year.  So, we'll see.  On to the news!

Harry

Harry got hit with the fever virus thing that was going around as did Andy at the end of last week.  So, we had a low-key weekend in terms of sports...two of the boys couldn't do any!  He is participating in a teeball game tonight, one of his last ones.  As everyone was feeling better on Sunday, we went out for lunch.  We had been under a tornado watch both Saturday and Sunday.  This is EXTREMELY rare for the Northeast.

There was a lot of damage nearby, but not right in our town.  The worst storm kicked up while we were at the restaurant.  Dave had 3 boys in the bathroom when the power went out!  Like the kids weren't scared enough already!  See, their sister is a weather fanatic and gives us the blow-by-blow (pun intended) of the storm (right down to wind speeds, directions and the fact that a rotation was unlikely because the storms were in a line and not clustered together).  I found out on the news later that she was absolutely right about this!  The meteorologist said that if the storms were NOT in a line, we would have been in deeper doo-doo in terms of severity of the storms.

The power was only out for a few seconds and there was emergency lighting in there, but still.  What timing!  Lunch was very yummy as always.

Harry didn't miss any school with his illness and is enjoying his last few days of kindergarten.

Malcolm

 Malcolm, the guy who had been over this fever thing for several days when his two brothers got hit, went to soccer solo and did great.  He also has limited time as a kindergartner left before he's a big first grader!  It's easy to get sucked into TV and video games when your brothers are sick and your sister's at a sleepover, but he has been enjoying books too.  One of his favorites is a book with photographs and facts about insects.  I am one of those people who like insects and reptiles so I am equally enthralled!  I missed a great photo-op of Malcolm and Andy exploring a bug crawling up the side of our house.  They looked like two kids from a Science Club brochure!  The moment just wasn't long enough for me to run and get the camera.  Most likely, a more interesting insect, or arachnid for that matter, came along and off they went.

Lillian

I gave Lilly a less traditional "girl" color this week.  I think purple and pink are still her favorite colors, but I'm not sure.  Lilly has been wearing boys' clothes all week.  In fact, she accused Andy of "stealing" the shorts she wanted to wear tomorrow!  Poor kid!  He has some EXACTLY like hers...and I think they're the same size too, but Lilly can tell the difference.

I find it kind of charming.  I, too, went through a "tomboy" stage.  Tonight, she told me she wanted to go outside and play in the rain, too.  It was a cold, steady, wear-your-heavy-coat kind of rain.  She didn't end up doing it.  (Update: All games involving a bat and a ball were rained out so no outdoor exercise was had as planned.)

She's very excited because she got her yearbook today.  I told her I never had one until I got to high school and she was very lucky.  It's wonderful to see how many of her friends' signatures she got.  What fun!  She also designed a color-coded system and drew squares around the heads of classmates and teachers.  Some of the colorful categories were teachers, friends and kids in her class.  A dilemma shortly came about when she was faced with a friend who was ALSO in her class!  This is the good stuff about school.

Andersen

Andy bounced back from the virus in time for school on Monday, but he had a lingering sore throat.  He did have a negative strep culture though and is finally almost done with that symptom.  Andy doesn't usually stop for ANYTHING, but he was telling me his throat hurt so much that he couldn't even swallow his favorite foods.

I was able to find enough photos for him to complete his school poster.  I'm going in next week to see his class's creations.  He's going to have the same two teachers next year and he's looking forward to it.  This is a new concept to the elementary school.  They call it "looping".  He really is loving baseball.  His last game is on Saturday.

Mom

Ooh!  I like that color!  I'm definitely girly and I grew out of that tomboy phase before I hit my teens.  What have I been up to?  I'm just trying to keep up with all of the year-end school events and set up the kids' summer activities as I mentioned above.  I have already told them that I am going to put a reward system into place for doing productive things like reading, working in their summer workbooks and keeping up with their chores.  The screentime around here has gotten out of whack with all of the fatigue I was dealing with until recently.  I've already started the weaning process.  I never thought I'd say that as I was always SO careful about limiting the amount of TV/video games my kids took part in, but hey, I will get back on track!

Dad

Dad's teenage car ended up stranding him on the side of the road this morning.  Thankfully, it was not raining yet.  One tow truck and an hour or two later, the mechanics explained that they had changed a consumable part with a defective one recently.  So, the repair is on them!  Hey, there's some great news and it's not the car's fault.  It's not just blaming someone else like a teenager may, it was actually not its fault!  It's been a struggle this week to get me my scheduled "breaks" (something we just started working on together), but I know he's trying and very aware of my need for them, which means the world to me.

The Wednesday News June 2, 2010

he I can't believe it's Wednesday again and a whole week since I've written!  Wow!  I honestly don't know where this week went, but let me start writing about it.  Maybe that'll jog my memory!

Family update: School is really winding down for the kids.  It's exciting that summer is almost here!  We had an idyllic Memorial Day weekend complete with cookouts, swimming, sunshine and patritoic activities.  I've always loved Memorial Day weekend.  It's magical.  Even though it is the same three-day weekend you get for other Monday holidays, it just seems to go on forever!

Harrison: The twins are enjoying their first Field Day at school.  Once a year in June, the school has activities in the "field".  Harry reported playing kickball, some kind of game where they took turns ringing out a sponge and that a classmate had to sit out.  Malcolm being in the afternoon class with the same teacher, will likely have similar stories of activities when he returns home.  Harry has managed to avoid the short-lived fever thing his twin brother just shook.

Malcolm: It's hard to talk about Harry and Malcolm's activities without overlap since they have the same teacher, karate instructors and baseball coaches!  However, we always strive for individuality.  Even though they have the same DNA and physical appearance, they still have the same rights as the rest of us to be individuals.


Let's see: Field Day, we've already hit on.  Poor thing had a fever of 102 on Sunday and Monday!  I naturally took him for a strep test yesterday, but it was negative.  No fever all day yesterday so he's back in the game (literally) today.  Usually when my kids get a high fever like that, they commit to being sick for a long stretch.  Glad this was different!

Just for grins, I'll stick the adults in the middle this week!  Dave seems to have had the same thing that Malcolm had.  He's had to call in sick which he never does.  He is able to keep up with his day-to-day via the internet and phone.  I'm happy he isn't getting more behind while he recovers.  That's enough to keep anyone from getting better!


He and Andy went to plant flags on the graves of veterans at a local cemetery on Saturday and then marched in our town's parade on Monday.  Both of these activities were with Andy's Cub Scout Pack.  What quality dad/son time!  We all enjoyed a wonderful cookout at a friend's house on Sunday.  The weather was beautful all weekend!

Dave mustered up the energy for our own cookout on Monday, but it was very lowkey as he and Malcolm were ill.  Many hot dogs were eaten by all AND he put the A/C units in the windows for us!

I loved spending time with my husband, my kids and some dear friends this weekend.  Hopefully, we'll be able to go down and visit some other family this weekend or next.  Andy has a flag reserved for Grandpa's grave when we go.  He's buried about 90 minutes from our house, near some of the rest of our family.  I thought it was great that Andy participated in those activities.  It helped our whole family remember what Memorial Day was all about.

As for me, I have already ditched my diet!  I am a very commitment-oriented person who gives 110% to everything, but I was just getting too hungry and dizzy.  I feel much better when I eat normal meals.  I still try to replace a meal with a protein shake when I am in the mood to "take lunch or leave it", but that's been rare.  I am trying to cut down on treats and continue my exercising.

I'm still pretty overwhelmed with the house, but I'm just trying to do a little dejunking everyday.  I feel so good when I do this!  The summer plans are also coming together slowly.  It looks like we can do a week or two of daycamp for the kids and our usual swimming lessons.  Summer is even harder for me because of the lack of structure, but at the same time, I cherish the time with my kids and we have a lot of fun!

Andy not only planted flags (36 to a bag), but being the machine he is, kept asking for more flags ("More Flags, More Fun...Six Flags"....actually 108....how much fun would THAT be?!).  He ended up planting 3 bags' worth.  He also made some new friends at the cookout on Sunday and got thorough enjoyment out of the slip-n-slide and water balloons that were provided.  He went swimming at a neighbor's pool on Monday and went with his class to see a play today.

Lilly has managed to enjoy herself too, although she's been suffering with migraines.  She is going to see the doctor next week.  We have been keeping a "headache journal" of how much sleep she's getting, if she's eating anything out of the ordinary and when she actually sees spots versus just has head pain.  She is enjoying a field trip today to a museum featuring Mexican art.  What a busy day for my brood!

One of her best friends' families was hosting the cookout so that's always super for the girls to get together.  She was also invited swimming at the same neighbor's pool which was a treat for her!