Bath time fun

uneventful birthday

Since we celebrated Elijah's sixth (gasp) birthday in Michigan this year, we didn't do a whole lot of partying this weekend. We did have some pizza with the Greene family and watched a few videos of when the kids were littler (is that a word?). It definitely made me realize we need to be doing more videotaping. If it weren't for Aunt Laura we probably wouldn't have any videos (she seems to be the one taping most of what we watched!! : ) ) It's amazing to hear their little voices and see them in smaller bodies.

In other news I seem to have caught whatever bug the kids had and spent much of the weekend sniffing, coughing and trying to hydrate.

The farmer's market was especially abundant this week. We bought so many foods: eggs, apples, peaches, blackberries, onions, green peppers, zucchini, squash, and a massive bunch of yellow carrots. We ran into Annie and Anja and saw many other regular faces as well.

We're having trouble with the electricity in our basement, and the dryer quit on Saturday--with a load in the washer. I had more to do, so I've been line drying. We did manage to prep food again for this week. I don't know that we NEED to live this way year-round (in the summers), but it actually is a nice way to cook. It gets all the pots and pans dirty on one day only, it helps me keep my shopping list pared down to ingredients needed for recipes, and it just feels good to know what we are having for dinner--which also equals less take out for our family!

Toys are so overrated. Clothes baskets. That's what you need to entertain an increasingly mobile 9 month old.

a day in the life of Elijah

First thing this morning Elijah jumped out of bed, got dressed and came out with his backpack on, proclaiming that he was ready for school.
Brian took the day off to drive him to school and spend the afternoon with him since they had a half day.

Elijah, with his new teacher, Cristy. That is going to be hard for me to get used to. They don't use Mr. or Mrs. for teachers. Everything else seems really good, though. I like the school a lot and I think it will be a good fit for Elijah.
A special lunch date for the new kindergartener (who will be 6 on Friday!!!!!!)

Only interesting to baby lovers and family members!!!

It's my first day of school

and where am I???? At home! I have 3 sick kids. Go figure. We are so thankful for Dallas, who came over in a pinch, to stay with Elijah and Mary Grace this morning, who both have fevers and sore throats. I only had students this morning because our all day kindergarten hasn't started yet. So, I came home this afternoon. Elijah is definitely on the mend. Mary seems to be about a day behind him with this virus. He starts kindergarten tomorrow, so we have to get him well!!!!!

It's amazing to me how much of a difference there is to our family between 2 and 3 children. This weekend Mary went to have her special weekend at my parents' boat in Michigan. Even in spite of the fact that Emily is sick and screamed all night Friday night, it still is so much easier to get things done with 2 kids. I didn't realized how much of a difference there would be for us. Now, don't get me wrong, I love all three of my kids and couldn't imagine life without any of them. It surprised me more than anything.

Anticipating that evenings this week will be tiring, Brian and I cooked a bunch of our meals for next week: stuffed peppers, lentil soup, 3 loaves of bread, and black beans and rice. So at least 3 nights are already covered--and ingredients eagerly await in the refrigerator for the rest. That feels good.

My fall garden is planted!

I can't believe it. I now have carrots, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce and spinach growing. All should be mature in 45 days.

It's officially over

Summer is done. Well, maybe not according to the calendar. But certainly at our house. Brian starts work on Monday and I will be at work all next week, with my first official day on Friday. It has sure been a full and wonderful summer. I can't tell you how amazing it is to be home together with our kids all summer long. I'll have to remind myself of this amazing time around February when I am ready to be done being a kindergarten teacher again.

We're down to only needing a few back to school supplies. Tonight we got Elijah's new shoes, socks, and underwear. Yesterday we got a thermos and lunch box supplies. There are only two more things he needs and we haven't found them yet. I hope I don't have to go to Wal Mart to get them. It has been almost 2 years since I've shopped there. If you haven't already heard my rant about Wal Mart and you want to, just let me know. I won't subject everyone to it again.

This week we got a new washer and a new lawn mower. (Why does everything quit at the same time???) so we are back to having a mowed lawn and clean clothes. That was a huge weight off. Last week we spent more time that I wanted to driving around doing laundry. I just have one last big project before I go back to work... (drumroll, please) a fall garden!!!! Have you done this before? I am going to plant tomorrow. At least carrots, onions, and cabbage. So, I am excited about that. I am going to the Farmer's Market tomorrow for a big stock up. I am going to freeze lots of whatever I can for winter. I have been reading this great book since vacation and I am really trying to buy a lot more locally when possible. Why not support local farmers and freeze their green beans? I am certainly going to buy frozen green beans before next summer, they might as well be from a nearby farm.

So, now that you've heard the bad parts of the weekend, here are pictures of the fun parts!!!!!

Elijah fielding at his t-ball game.



Mary and Bethany riding on the boat.




Dallas and Elijah tubing.


Even little Mary went tubing (with Bethany).

As we finish summer and both Brian and I start preparing for this school year to start, we often sit on our porch after the kids are in bed and play the game where we say our favorite things about this summer. This past weekend might make the cut later, but now it is still too fresh in our minds!

We went camping overnight with our friends, Dallas and Bethany, and Dallas's extended family--well, his family was there for the week, but we were just coming down for one night. So, Friday night was Laura's opening night at the gallery walk so we spent the evening there enjoying friends and looking at art. I made the comment that it felt strange that we would be camping the next day since we hadn't packed or prepared anything yet. (SHOULD HAVE BEEN A CLUE!!!) Saturday morning we got up and packed some clothes (oh yeah, I almost forgot, our washing machine quit Thursday night, so Brian took just enough clothes to his grandma's on Friday and washed them while he cut her grass) and a few water toys, sleeping bags and some baby food.
Here are the most important things we did not pack: blankets for adults, extra pjs for baby, enough formula for more than one bottle, my swim suit, appropriate container for shampoo, flashlight.

We went to Elijah's t-ball game Saturday morning and then we were off for our camping trip. So, we were staying in someone else's tent because they went home on Saturday, and all the food was already there, so I was not really in my element of packing.

Okay, on with the story. Emily didn't nap at all on the way down there. As soon as we got to the campground there was a group going out on the boat and we didn't want to miss our chance, so Brian volunteered to stay with the baby and I took the kids on the boat (this is when I realize I forgot to pack my swimsuit). While we were gone, he fed her the only bottle of formula that I brought and she still wouldn't take a rest. By the time we were back it was dinner time and I nursed her and fed her some more solid food. She fell asleep for maybe 45 minutes. Upon waking there was lots of screaming. By this time the other kids are getting pretty fried as well, but hey, we're on vacation right? And with someone else's family no less. So, it's starting to get dark --which means it is past the kids bedtime, and everyone is going over to the big jam session. I am out of ideas to get Emily to calm down. I feed her some more. She is still crying. I pick her up and she proceeds to vomit all the food I stuffed her with all over herself and me. I didn't bring any spare jammies, so I just wipe her and me down as best I can and we head over to the jam where my family is. Around 10 I bring all of the kids back to the tent and get kids ready for bed. Mary of course, won't go to sleep and keeps us all awake for the next 30 minutes, but finally it seems that everyone will go to sleep. Except me. I am freezing. We only brought sheets because at home the nighttime temp has been between 68-72 degrees. I was preparing for us to be hot. I find a small (think receiving blanket sized) quilt in the van and put on my sweatshirt. Now I can sleep. Oh, I also still have my clothes on because as I go into our luggage, everything seems to be wet and slimy. That's because the shampoo opened and leaked all over our clothes.

Emily wakes once during the night and I successfully nurse her back to sleep without waking any other kids, but then probably around 4:00 Mary wakes up and needs to go potty. We find our shoes and trudge through the dark (with no flashlight) to the bathrooms. I realize as I tuck her back in to her sleeping bag that she has peed in it and all over the borrowed air mattress, but we have no other sleeping bags or blankets, and she isn't complaining so I zip her back into it. Maybe 10 minutes later Emily is crying again and I lift her up and notice that her diaper has leaked and she(and her bed) is soaked with pee. And no clean jammies to change into. It is at this moment that Brian and I make the executive decision that 5 am or not, it is time to drive home.