It's the Weekend Already???

I can't believe it. It seems like the week flew by, although it seems like ages ago that we went to the zoo (Monday). We went to Topeka for a shopping trip Thursday. I needed some shoes for next weekend, and I needed to get the girls some flip-flops to wear with their fancy dresses after they get tired of their fancy shoes! We accomplished all that - and more. We hit JCP on a great sale day and ended up with some new clothes for the little ladies. I would have liked to have been able to spend some time shopping for myself, but it wasn't to be this time around! Doodle and Boo, being COMPLETE girly-girls, had to try on all their new clothes when they got home. Hanny, on the other hand, wasn't quite that excited. Oh, she'll be glad she's got some new things to wear, but she didn't need to be bothered with trying things on. It's nothing new!

Yesterday we got Wii Fit, primarily so I can use it to work out. It has already been great fun! My first "test" gave me the Wii Fit Age result of 28, so I'm content. :) I like to be told I'm younger than I actually am! :)

I made strawberry freezer jam this afternoon. It's really more like syrup because we don't really like it when it's stiff. We also dug a few new potatoes this morning. They are cleaned and ready to go on the grill with some olive oil and Vidalia onions. Hungry yet? We're having that with some grilled hamburgers tonight for supper. I love being able to have fresh vegetables on the grill during the summer. I'm really looking forward to zucchini, but I'll have to find a supplier! I planted some last year, but something ate off every one of my little zucchinis before it was time to pick them. I never got one stinkin' zucchini last year. I was disappointed. Add to that that Gary tilled up my rhubarb last fall, and I'm not left with much to look forward to! We have potatoes, strawberries and tomatoes (I hate those), so there's not much variety. Maybe I'll find another rhubarb plant and put up a fence around it...

One Busy Week!

With all that has happened in the past week, I probably should have updated the blog before now. But since I was in SEK where Mom's computer was recently struck by lightning, I didn't get many chances to blog. Anyway, here goes, hopefully in a daily order...

Thursday, May 21: They graduated! Woo hoo! I spent all day at the school helping in the classroom with another mom. It was so much fun! We were both at the beginning of the graduation rehearsal (we left after they marched in so we'd be surprised) and were both bawling due to the whole "Pomp and Circumstance" thing. On the plus side, I wasn't crying when they walked in at the real graduation! It was a very nice little ceremony. They each had their own red felt graduation caps. We came home and had cake and punch and were all exhausted. All in all, it was a great day.

Friday, May 22: We packed up early and headed for the farm. They were all excited and were thrilled to get out and run at Meme & Papa's house when we got there. I ate lunch with Jonathan at Stella's (his place of employment) and then headed to get groceries. The twinks had a slumber party at Donna's house and were up until 11:00. They are ornery!

The rest of the weekend: There's really no sense dividing it into days at this point! They played, I walked nightly, we had lots of fun. Peter found out he's officially an RN - that was exciting news (not that we had any doubt!)! We had a picnic at Donna's Sunday evening and got to see Jimbo's horses. (Hanny has decided that we need a different name for Kerri's Jim so we can differentiate between him and Donna's Jim. She landed on Jimbo, so I guess it has stuck.)

Monday, May 25: Meme, the girls, Jonathan and I went to the Independence Zoo. It was fun! I'm pretty sure it hasn't changed much since my 4th grade field trip! They enjoyed both the zoo and the playground, so it was a nice trip. We ate lunch at El Pueblito afterward, during which Doodle was thoroughly embarrassed by our friendly waiter. They're still talking about him!

Tuesday, May 26: After going to town for a haircut (Meme and me), we came back and played outside all afternoon. That is to say that they played (making "soup" for the dog, riding bikes, etc.) while I read and soaked up a little bit of sun. After supper the twinks and I went walking with Kerri & Donna. They walked almost 2 miles with us after which we stopped by the ball field to watch a few minutes of a softball game. We then had to go to Donna's so they could play Wii Fit for 15 minutes. I couldn't believe they weren't thoroughly exhausted, but they were still going strong when I finally got their baths (and mine) done and made them get into bed. Needless to say, they slept like babies! :)

Today, we're home again. We've had a few games of bowling and tennis. I've cleaned the bathrooms and done some laundry. I'm going to make a trip to get groceries when Dad gets home. It's back to normal for a little while, but back to normal without school! That is happy news! :)

The Sky is Falling!!!

Okay, so maybe it's not, but it sounds like it right now. We are having a new roof put on today. It has been much-needed for quite some time, but we were waiting patiently for a big storm to come through to give us a good reason to do it. The storm never came, so we had to just give in and get it done. It sounds like there's a herd of wooly mammoths (I don't know why that came to mind instead of elephants...) on the roof. I'm not kidding. I decorated the girls' cake this morning while they were banging on the kitchen/dining room roof - not an easy task. I see 800mg of Motrin in my very near future. At least when they're done, they're done. We'll have no more leaks! We are also going to be getting new siding put on in the coming weeks. It'll be like living in a new house, well, at least from the outside!

The girls are staying through recess today, much to Boo & Doodle's disgust. I'm going to spend most of the day out there tomorrow and will eat lunch with them, so I think they're looking forward to that. I think it will be fun.

I'm going to have to end it there for now. I can't think straight with all this noise! If you listen really closely, I think you might actually be able to hear my head pounding...

Budding Meteorologist?

First, we have made it through two days of school and only have two days left to go! It's exciting! :) I met with the girls' first grade teacher this morning about the transition into first grade. We are very fortunate to be in a school with such caring, compassionate, wonderful teachers. We're going to meet her at the school in early August so the girls can get more acquainted with her, their classroom and all the other changes. I am so thankful for their willingness to help ease the fears, both the girls' and mine.

Now, on to the meteorologist story. Doodle was the first one out of the shower Sunday evening and immediately turned on the Wii for a quick solo game of bowling or tennis (she's recently branched out to include tennis in her skills). Gary really wanted to see the weather, but was met with Doodle's quick wit when he commented that he hadn't gotten to see it. She said, "Dad, I saw it. One day was rainy, the rest of them were sunny." She was totally serious. It didn't matter to her which day was rainy, just that only one of them was going to be soggy. That is optimism at its finest!

I took Boo & Doodle to town with me this afternoon for a trip to the library (we'll be doing that weekly after school's out - we made a deal!) and to pick up a few groceries/supplies for the rest of the week. They are so much fun! Hanny stayed with Meme, as usual. She really doesn't care to waste her time shopping, although she probably could have been convinced to go had she known we were going to the library. We ended up with some pet books (their choice) and a book on ladybugs. They've been discussing ladybugs at school and even took some to school to show both Kdg. classes. Since we didn't know what they ate, we decided to find a book to tell us. Now we know - aphids. Who knew? Anyway, it was a fun trip. I really, truly enjoy spending time with them. Lucky for me, after two more days we'll be spending LOTS of time together! :)

Play Day

We were back at school today after 3 weeks of being out of the loop. It was play day, and the girls seemed to have had a great time. All but one of the games took place in the gym. While they seemed to have a deer-in-the-headlights look to them most of the time, they said they enjoyed it. They're disappointed now because tomorrow isn't going to be all fun and games! Originally play day was supposed to be Friday, but the school board gave them all Friday off, so they had to reschedule the fun day. Only three more days until we're done! :) This year has not been an especially fun one around our house. I'm definitely ready for some summer fun with no sickness (or at least not like it has been for the last 9 months) and no school-time schedule.

We're gearing up for Kindergarten graduation on Thursday. They will have a reception at the school afterwards, but I told the girls I would also make & decorate a cake for them to have with family at our house when it's all over. Doodle has requested a bowling cake. Yes...bowling. Can you tell they're still enjoying the Wii?! Lucky for me, I found a finger bowling $1.00 toy at Walmart! I haven't told her that the cake will indeed have bowing pins on it, so they should all be surprised. I HAVE to get that baked and into the freezer tomorrow! I have a feeling it's going to be a BUSY week...

Random Ramblings

The bowlers continue to improve. Boo bowled a 220 last night, to my complete amazement. I told Gary I felt inferior playing against the 6-year olds... It is nice to see them be totally confident in something, though. They even give each other advice while playing and cheer for each other. Those are definitely good skills to learn. At one point last night I ended up with a split that I knew would be impossible for me to knock down. Doodle commented, "I could get those, Mama..." Confidence? Yep, she's definitely got it on this one.

Our beautiful day yesterday has turned into a cloudy, dreary, get-ready-for-the-storms kind of day today. It's another Kansas day, I guess. They're forecasting another round of nasty storms for this afternoon/evening. I'm praying for smooth sailing...again. Peter graduates from college tonight (how is he old enough?), so I hope they don't have to deal with crummy weather. We're probably going to just stay home this weekend and get healthy for next week's 4-day week. We have to have everybody in good shape to graduate! We're doing homework at home today and learning about place value. It should be a fun day. Well, it should be a fun day if we can avoid the bad weather!

One more totally random thought: Am I the only one who is plagued by an uncoordinated non-dominant hand? I was playing the piano this morning (just some drills, not actual songs) and was reminded just how "slow" my left hand is! I can use my right hand without even thinking about what note is next, but I have to think when using my left hand. It's strange the things that just float through the mind...

P.S. All these flower pictures were taken in Meme's yard here in town. It's been so much fun to see what blooms out each day. We currently have a bouquet of peonies on the kitchen table. The house smells wonderful! :)

Beautiful Day

It is absolutely gorgeous out there today! It's cool, the sun is shining, there's a fantastic blue sky, and the birds are singing (all but the dead baby bird we found in the yard, but that's just a hazard of spring). It might be a good idea to get that out of the yard before Gary mows... Anyway, we are enjoying the day thus far. (As a side-note, we didn't end up having ANY bad weather last night! What a blessing!) We've had a good morning. Hanny spent a relatively restful night at Meme's last night, and that in itself is reason for celebration. I think she's finally beginning to feel a little better. The problem we've got here (read back a few days if you don't know what that is) is hanging on and probably will until the meds are out of the system. Oh well... Our morning has been busy already. We installed a new learning game on the computer and tried it out. I convinced the girls to have French toast (with homemade bread, no less) for breakfast. These two are not big on breakfast and are usually not inclined to eat any more than I insist upon. They both ate all their breakfast this morning, though, so that added to the good news of the day. I then cleaned while they read and puttered around the house for a little while. As of right now, they're both fed (both breakfast & dinner), happily playing and are totally content. I am happy to have the place cleaned up (for the moment anyway), the laundry almost done, the windows open and my kiddos happy.

Last night we were bowling on the Wii when both Doodle and Boo made it to the pro level. They were super excited! I was super impressed! I asked them what I would be (I thought they'd tell me that I'd be a pro too) and was told, with absolute frank honesty, that I would be a loser. Yes, Boo used that exact word. She soon realized that that might not have been the kindest thing to say and then drowned me in kisses and hugs and told me that I would be a pro someday. Apparently today was my day, even though it will be very short-lived. We played this morning, and I made it to the pro level for at least one game! They're pretty proud. It was all overshadowed by Doodle bowling 5 strikes in a row, though...

We're going to spend some time outside this afternoon. We went out to check on the strawberries earlier and are going to have a nice amount of them in the coming weeks. While I'm sure we'll eat many of them fresh from the garden, I'm preparing to make a few batches of freezer jam as well. I need to get the peach freezer jam used so we have a spot to put the strawberry. It's so nice to have that available to put on homemade bread or biscuits or pancakes. :) I predict a bread-baking morning coming up soon...

Before the Storm Hits

The local meteorologists are forecasting some nasty storms around here this afternoon/evening. I'm hoping and praying that we'll be able to avoid the worst of them. I don't do storms. It was bad enough when it was just Gary & I, but now that we have the kiddos, I'm even worse. I'm a nervous wreck. Several years ago (pre-kids) we had a microburst while I was the only one home. I'm not ashamed to say that I was tucked away in the bathtub singing "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" throughout the minutes-long (although it seemed like HOURS-long) storm. Faith and music pulled me through! Now that we have the girls, though, there's just not quite enough room to squeeze everyone into the tub. With any luck we'll have a smooth, quiet evening.

I took Hanny back to the doctor this morning. I'm pretty convinced (and so was the NP) that she has the same virus that Boo had last week. What seems to be making it worse is her current allergies. She was miserable this morning. We came home with samples of allergy nasal spray, eye drops and cough suppressant to get her over the hump. She said the eye drops helped her immediately, so I feel like that's a good sign. I have to take allergy pills and spray daily, so she's probably picked that up as well. We're still dealing with the antibiotic reaction problem with the twinkies too. If it's not one thing, it's another.

There must be something good to pass along... Well, maybe it's not good, but a little entertaining! I told the twins we'd make some Jell-O Jigglers this afternoon. They immediately went to the kitchen and found a small cake pan that Grandma had given one of them for Easter and took it to the sink to wash. Yes, they washed dishes...together...without a major mess! I was (and still am) amazed! We're just waiting for them to set up now and will have the for dessert later, I've been told. I've got more stories on Doodle, but I just can't convey the inflection of her voice in writing, so those will just have to wait for an in-person visit! (Reminder to self: After seeing the rat on Pet Star, she said, "CUTE???"; While walking in the 81 degree morning sun, she said, "I'm ROASTING!!!") She's very tell-it-like-it-is most of the time. Nobody believes that because she's so shy when she's around other people, but when she is at home, watch out! One more thing... Their teacher dropped off their homework yesterday afternoon while they were bowling on the Wii. They showed her how to play and she bowled a frame too. They thought that was great! Boo's score that game, for the record, was a 201. She's got me beat by a long shot. I'd better start practicing...

Same Story, Another Week

It's almost humorous, I guess. How is it possible that we are in our third week straight of being out of school due to sickness? It all just started with Doodle's runny nose. We all soon came down with that, after which Boo decided to throw a squeaky/wheezy cough into the mix. She has now successfully shared that with Hanny. Add to that that we've had some "problems" (to put it mildly and without giving too much uncomfortable information) with the current antibiotics, and we're home...again. I've come to the conclusion that this is not an interruption of our "normal" life, it IS our "normal" life. So when I say, "Such is life..." I truly mean it.

On a more positive note, we've been having a great time with the Wii. Grandma & Grandpa came to visit Sunday and were talked into playing bowling with the girls. I think everybody got a kick out of it! We actually had quite a bit of company that day. Meme and Papa went to church with us (along with G'ma & G'pa) and then ate dinner with us. Donna & Jonathan also stopped by for an hour on their way home from seeing Kerri. It was a nice change of pace.

I got suckered into bowling against Doodle a few games yesterday. She beat me twice, once with a score of 185. Pretty impressive for a 6-year old, I'd say! I did beat her once (with a 190 - my high score), but she spent the entire game telling me she just might beat me. She's pretty confident... Every time she gets a strike (which happened 6 times in one game) she raises both arms in the air and loudly proclaims, "STRIKE!" It's too cute. Boo is a little less vocal about her abilities. We generally have to talk her into playing with us, but then she beats us. She's got a quiet confidence! Hanny has been at Meme's, so she hasn't gotten in on the bowling games of late. Her coughing stays more subdued when she is not around much action, so we're trying to keep her a little more isolated until her chest loosens up.

We're praying to be back up and running smoothly very soon. We've only got 9 days (including today) of school left, and I'd like for them to actually attend some of those days. I'm going to pick up homework this morning...again. It seems like we've taken more steps backward than forward this year. It can only go up from here...right?

Wii Are Having So Much Fun!

First, I think the girls are finally improving. They are all on antibiotics and seem to be back to almost normal again. They're ornery, at least, so that's a good thing. Meme went home Friday after learning of the massive storms and damage that took place in SE Kansas Friday morning. It's a good thing I wasn't there...I'd have been a nervous wreck! They had lots of trees to cut down, fence to fix, etc. and were, at last check, still without power. We're very thankful they're all okay.

We had an exhausting day today. I ironed, scrubbed the kitchen and dining room floors, did laundry, weeded the flower beds, hoed the garden, made dessert for tomorrow and played outside with the kiddos. Gary got the shrubs cut down (we're removing them so we can put on new siding) and mowed the entire yard. It made for a big day for all of us. We came in around 4:00 to start in with baths and take it easy for the rest of the evening.

Gary and the girls got me a Wii for Mother's Day. I'm still not sure it wasn't for themselves! We are having so much fun! They are so disgustingly good at bowling, while Gary and I are not. It's hilarious to watch them, especially the twins. Doodle, in particular, has a wicked throw. I enjoy tennis, but I can't seem to play it unless the others are in bed. Guess that's when I'll get my time on it! I hope to get a Wii Fit soon, as that would be a great thing to toss into my exercise routine. It's exercise without feeling like exercise, and that is a GREAT thing! :)

And the Saga Continues

So we've been sick for over a week, in phases. Doodle was the first to come down with the bug, then Hanny & me, then Boo. I thought we were making improvements until Monday night/yesterday morning. I kept everyone home from school after deciding that we were all going to get over it before going back. I think we'll be putting that on hold. Boo is now running fever. Hopefully this is just an extension of the cold and not something new that will be spread among the masses. I've already got a doctor's appointment for all three (why just take one or two?) tomorrow morning at 8:15. It'll be an early morning, to say the least, but we'll have an early answer, early meds, and the rest of the day to recuperate. Hopefully this is the last cold of the school year. I wonder how many that makes...10, 20, 164? I am starting to wonder if God is trying to tell me something. Maybe it's one of those things that He tried to give me a hint and is now hitting me over the head with a brick. We discussed last night (at Bible study) living by faith even when it's uncomfortable. I'm feeling the push, wondering if I'm hearing Him right (how does one truly know when God is speaking?), and yet am fearful of the ramifications. Let's face it, if God has something in mind for me, He's not going to stop pushing until I submit. It's definitely something to pray about...

Wednesday Already

I'm not sure whether to be shocked that we're already to the half-way point of the week or disgusted that the week is already half over and we don't seem to have accomplished a whole lot. Yesterday was actually a pretty good day, all things considered. Doodle & Hanny went back to school. Boo, on ther other hand, did not. I had her ready to go, had her backpack in the car with us on the way there, and then decided that she was not just pretending to feel crummy in order to stay home. Poor baby. We came back home and did laundry and made banana bread. She was surprised that the time went by so quickly before we had to pick up her sisters. We spent yesterday afternoon doing homework, cleaning the kitchen (that was a me thing, not a we thing) and even squeezed in a little exercise (again, a me thing). Boo & Hanny played together for an hour or so just dressing up Teddy and putting him to bed. Doodle spent over an hour at the kitchen table drawing and writing. I didn't know it until she was done, but she spent most of that time making a Mother's Day present for me. Too sweet! She had it contained in a self-made envelope that is stapled so I can't peek. She has since opened it just a little bit to use it as a holder for other gifts and taped it to my door. It says, "To Mama for Mother's Day, From Doodle" on it. (No, it doesn't actually say "Doodle.") She spelled everything on her own and was so excited when she told me that she had made something for me. She jumped up on my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck. That, in and of itself, was a gift! I even got to go to Bible Study last night. I don't remember the last time I did that, so I felt like I'd had a good day.

Boo was up coughing (and therefore had her sister up as well) in the night. I made a bed on the living room floor for her at one point, because if she continued coughing I was going to move her out there with me so Doodle could sleep. It didn't come to that, but before 6:00 this morning she was coughing again. As difficult as it is when everybody is sick at the same time, at least it doesn't drag on for what seems like forever. Nobody else is completely over it yet either, so that just makes it all the worse. I know how they feel, though, since I haven't kicked it yet either. I'll definitely be glad when we all feel great again. :)

KC Zoo Trip

We spent yesterday at the KC zoo, and we had a great time. Initially I wasn't sure whether or not we should even go. The girls and I have been fighting a horrendous cold, but we had told them a month ago that we would all take the day off and go to the zoo. Even on the way up there I wasn't sure whether or not we should be going. I am glad I threw caution to the wind this time, though. We all enjoyed the trip. We did walk our legs off, though. I'm amazed that the girls didn't wear out more than they did, but they were troopers. Hanny's favorites were the tigers, Doodle's were the otters, and Boo's were the meerkats. It ended up being a great day. We also took a trip to Target so the girlies could spend some of their allowance money. Everybody ended up with something they really wanted. I also got to go to the LifeWay store for 15 minutes. I'm pretty sure I could've spent a couple hours in there and will do just that the next time I get to go shopping! All in all it was a great day! :)

Sometimes Friday is Just Like Every Other Day

This is one of those times. We've been home all week with colds, so Friday is nothing special today. Usually the girls are all excited about it being library day, but today the only excitement it held was that it was trash day. That's not exactly something I typically celebrate. I think we're moving in the right direction with our latest illness. If we could move away from this one and not move toward the next one I would be most appreciative. Just a simple request, really. Gary left for Ohio today (spent last night in KC), so it's just us girls for a couple days. Hanny is spending her time at Meme's, so I only have two little hoodlums to contain. We have a good time, albeit a rather uneventful time, together. We've spent the greatest portion of the week coloring, watching movies and sharpening colors. I know...the skills of a mom are just endless. I went to the doctor this morning and took the twinkies down to Meme's. They gave me strict instructions to bring home a coloring book and highlighters from Dollar Tree. They even planned to send me some of their own money, but I took care of it this time. It was so precious that they had gotten money out of their banks that I just couldn't make myself use it. They've been saving up for about 7 weeks to buy a movie (I think). I know that Doodle is planning to buy "Marley and Me" (we saw it at Christmas - great movie). The other two change their minds almost daily about what they plan to buy. They've done a great job saving, though. I'm very proud of them. They've spent a dollar here and there to buy something they wanted, but they've saved the majority of it.

We're going to have a rip-roaring time here tonight. I bought the girls each their own TV dinner. You have to understand that they get very excited when they get to have TV dinners. It is a true treat for them. So we're going to have TV dinners (them) and Lean Cuisine (me) for supper while we watch Madagascar Escape 2 Africa for the 472nd time. I can't complain, though. As long as I get to spend some time and make some memories with two of the sweetest angels in the world I'll be happy. I'd write more, but I'm being paged. The little angels are looking for their coloring buddy. I'm getting pretty good at it...