Thursday, June 26, 2014

Daddy Bootcamp

Due to the events of the previous 24 hours:
Valentine's Day
sleepover
basketball games
and
just all around fun

these guys were just little 
handfuls!

Daddy and I had had enough.

The main offender
was the oldest
as the norm
I am sure.

So daddy decided to put him
through a little tough love...
in the form of 

jumping jacks

 leg lifts

flutter kicks

then the unpictured
wall chair thing...

It didn't help much,
but the intended punishment,
turned into a game
when his younger siblings 
all decided to join in...
and he is the one complaining.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

My Kinda Valentine's Day!

Whoa!  
Halfway through February in ONE POST!

And its only JUNE!
Oh well...

A few days before Valentine's Day
a friend and I sat down and 
cut out TONS
of paper hearts
for a little project.

Then the night before Valentine's Day,
I finished up...

Then when my kids woke up 
the next morning,
they were each greeted with this:

Rico's Door


 Lex's Door


Jackson & Tony's Door

Then these little goodie bags on the table.


Then the kids and I made and decorated 
Valentine Mail Boxes.
We had a Valentine Exchange at our co-op.
And let me tell you how excited I was this year
to have 2 additional writers!
I think we had about 45 Valentine's to write out....
times 4!!!
I am SOOOOOOOO
thankful the older boys could help
and Lex could write her own name!
Mercy!!!

The boys totally decorated their own boxes.
I had to help Lex and really did Tony's for him.

I didn't realize that I had not taken pictures of 
all of them!

But I did get a couple of pictures of Tony's

I used a cereal box and turned it into a rocket!



Then decorated it...
wait maybe Tony did help!

We did the decorating while we were sitting
at basketball practice the night before the exchange.


But I think it turned out cute.

Jackson's was Minecraft related
Rico's was football related
and 
Lex's was a bunny!

Then...
then...
then....
above said "friend" 
that helped cut out TONS of paper hearts...
offered to add my 4 to her 4
and wrangle 8 kids for the night
so the hubs and I could go out on 
Valentine's Day!
I almost didn't take her up on it...
I considered bailing...
because,
that is EIGHT
kids.
And only half were hers!

But the kids all get along so great...
they really do!
Promise!
And it makes it so much easier when they do!

So the hubs and I went out!
To dinner
and
drinks
BY OURSELVES!
Whoa!

We had to make it somewhat special
since these types of things are few and far between
lately!

We decided on 
in Kinston.

We grabbed a drink at the bar,
after we muscled our way up,
while we waited for our spot
at the oyster bar (my preferred seating).

We started out with 
an order of 
"Southern Poutine"
(pictured below)
 this dish was a pile of fries,
topped with southern chopped bbq
smothered with gravy
and it might have had some cheese on the side 
(I am guessing that is what the white stuff is)
This was not a fave of mine.
The hubs ate most of this.


Then the oysters started to arrive.
We ordered a peck of steamed.
I am picky...
I know I am,
I might even fit into the 
"high maintenance" 
category occasionally...
this night was one of those.
Typically,
the oysters are steamed in the back,
then shucked into a small metal bucket.
Then the shells are discarded
and you are served your shucked oysters 
in a small metal bucket.
Um, no thanks.
I requested that they shuck them
and leave them on the shells.
They graciously obliged.
These babies were served with 
HOMEMADE saltine!
What?
Those were INSANE!
They were quite oily and buttery,
but scrumptious!


 Here was our full spread...


After this spread,
I wasn't ready to go
so we ordered something else just as an excuse
to sit and enjoy being a couple
and not parents
for a bit longer.

I settled on the 
Fried Popcorn Oysters.
These were
hands down
without a doubt
ain't no comparison
the 
BEST
fried oysters
I have 
EVER
had 
in
my
LIFE!

I only wish I would have had them 
FIRST!
Because that is
ALL
I would have EATEN!

I asked what they were breaded in
and 
the only response I received
was
"cornmeal".
Sigh...
Oh well.

We walked around the booming 
town of 
Kinston for a few minutes,
stopped into a couple of places.

Then headed back to retrieve our 
brood.

The family watching our crew,
offered to keep them overnight!
What?
Kidless dinner
and 
house?

We graciously accepted their offer,
but did retrieve our littlest person
and brought him home with us.

We poked our head in and checked on each
of the others before we left.
A dark headed sleepy beauty
(er, Cousin It)
rose up from her spot in the 
twin bed with the other 2 little girls,
long enough to give us a kiss.


Then the 4 boys
(2 of mine, 2 of theirs)
THOUGHT
they were all going to sleep on a FUTON!
Yeah!
Or not!
They did NOT 
stay this way.

The next morning,
we had another day full of basketball...
and we had ONE kid to get ready
(along with snacks and lunches)
but our sweet friends had 7 kids
to get up and fed and ready...
and WE were late!

So when your mom & dad are running late
to pick you up from a sleep over...
and you have a basketball game
you have to brush your teeth in the 
gymnasium bathroom at church!


But because your friends' mom is 
the bomb!
She makes cool designs in your hair,
so you look freaking adorable
while you brush your teeth,
sitting on the counter,
in the gymnasium bathroom at church.

Then to round out our Valentine Day celebration,
we had an excuse to go to Krispy Kreme.

And a cool dozen works out great with this family.
Everyone gets to pick 2.
Then this mom of 4
pulls the permanent marker out of her purse
and proceeds to make a map
on the lid of the box.

Its amazing how easy 
and 
effective 
that is!







Tuesday, June 24, 2014

The First Half of February in review AND Let It Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow (#3!!!)

February started of with one of "those" days.
Those days, 
as a family with 4 kids,
where you have to be in multiple places...
all at the same time.

The first Saturday of the month 
had 3 basketball games 
and a Pinewood Derby on the schedule!

First up was Ms. Priss' 
basketball game,


Then the boys each had a game,
but we missed those 
and 
ran to another church 
for our 
Cub Scout Pinewood Derby




Ms Priss and some scout little sisters
sat around and entertained themselves.


Mr. T was CRANKY
and whiny and being just aggravating...

I knew he was tired,
so meany mommy,
fought him to be still 
and stay in my lap
quite against his will.

He eventually quit fighting...



Our snow people were still standing...
I thought that was pretty neat.


Then daddy had school work to do,
so the kids and I vacated the premises
and went to visit friends.

That night Daddy and Lex
made her new Hello Kitty doll.

She got to stuff it,


And sew it together.


The next day was Super Bowl Sunday,
so Rico drew this for us.
Freehand!


I was quite impressed!


Then the next week we had to do a little school.

And basketball practice...
 Isn't this how every girl carries her basketball?

And we discovered books with CDs!


Then we made a trip to Cary for Papa's birthday...

Lex tested the cake for us.


Aunt Melanie got some niece and nephew time...
while the nieces were WAY more 
interested in the grapes!


Later in the week,
Lex showed daddy how well her reading 
was coming along.
He had not heard her read yet,
so he was pleasantly surprised!


The boys started cooking their own eggs!
(step #1 to them cooking dinner!)



Then we got MORE snow...
yep,
that is snow #3 
in a little ole town that usually gets hardly ANY!

We really enjoyed the icicles that came
with this snow/ice/freezing rain/sleet
episode.




I was ready for spring at this point!