Hibernation

We had a good Fall break. Monday is back to the reality of homeschooling and life with ten kids. Since we have so much on our plate currently, I have decided to turn into a bear for the Winter and hibernate the blog.

See you all when  I wake up!

My five year old dolly

It is Sarah's fifth birthday. Its not possible for her to get any sweeter. I am absolutely addicted to this child. Maybe its because she is second to the last in our family, same place I was. Maybe its her gentle disposition. Maybe its her way of making everyone around her feel special. Maybe its all of the above. In any case, I wanted to make her birthday really wonderful. After all she is a whole hand old now.

Since it was raining, we first took her to a movie. Planes. Just like the movie Cars, only with airplanes.

Mary and Sophie made this in their room to surprise their sister.

After, it was still raining. Its actually been raining here for days and days. Fred says its the remnants form the tropical storm,which must have been a doozy if it's lasting this long. Anyway we don't let rain stop us for most things. This weekend was the Colorfest in a nearby town. Vendors making crafts, and selling food all through the streets, so we went despite the weather. We picked up some roasted nuts, from the kettle corn people, and spent time in and out of the happy wet booths.

Then we came home and had Sarah's request for dinner- tacos. Why do kids like tacos so much? I made chicken fajitas as well for the folks who don't love tacos as much as the little ones do. Sarah also wanted a zebra cake for her birthday, ( aka an ice box cake). After opening presents we hit a pinata around until all the kids were laughing and ready to pounce on some candy. I hope she knows how special she is. She seems pretty happy. As I write there are peals of laughter as they play hungry, hungry, hippos!

icebox/zebra cake

she is happy with EVERYTHING!

A doll for the doll

it took quite a few hits

Joe decapitated the pony, but we still had to send in older reinforcements after to finish the job!

 a happy bedlam

First Quarter

First quarter tests and grades ready for mailing. Included in the package are grades for  one preschooler, one kindergartner, one second grader,  one third grader, one fifth grader, one sixth grader, one eighth  grader,  one junior in high school.

Its blurry, cause my whole life is blurry right now...

What the package does not show for the same time period is three stops in New York, one funeral,  one visit to Washington for an unofficial field trip ( good thing we got to the National gallery before the government solved all our problems!) one week where 4 kids got a stomach bug, 7 weeks at the tutorial,  3 birthdays, chicken care, mountains of laundry, and dinner made every night ( yes I still count it, even if it was pizza or Chinese a few times).

One dog tired Mom, scheduled for fall break next week is currently.... ready.for.bed.

Poor Pete

Along side full time schooling this semester, Peter is stocking shelves at the local grocery store. He is tired and happy, and mostly tired. But we all know that's good for him. After all, Fred tells me, he has lots of fond memories of doing the same at his age.

Whats not so good is having Fred as your father when you're working in the local grocery store.

Tonight, Fred had to make a quick run out for milk. Knowing Peter was the only guy stocking shelves tonight, Fred walked down the aisles and pulled items like Clorox, sponges, tuna fish, soap, bread, cheese, etc. from the shelves and placed them in the middle of the floor all around the store like a bread crumb trail.

Peter  figuring out who was causing the chaos quickly collected them, found his father, and promptly dropped the armful into his cart with a smug- 'got ya' look on his face. I told Fred it sounded like Peter had the last laugh. He said actually he didn't , he just left the cart in the middle of a different aisle before paying for him milk.

Poor Pete.

Things I actually said today...

Here is a short list of  some things that actually came out of my mouth today, God help me :

1) "Is this yogurt or oatmeal I'm combing out of your hair?"

2) "No, this pile of laundry has still not been washed... Neither has this one... Or this one."

3) "Chickens don't belong in pillowcases."

4) "I just got an email that we have to redo some of your math problems from last week, right after we finish all the ones from this week."

5) "These jackasses STILL don't get that the gospel is about MERCY!"
(Note to self: jackass isn't a merciful word)