End of Summer Cram Session

Summer got away from me this year. It seemed to speed by faster than it ever had before. This time, we spent the last couple of weeks cramming in those things we had yet to do. One of those summer fun traditions is to go to one of the many sprinkler parks in town.
So we loaded up and the kids had fun.

Then we needed them to run around and dry off. Good thing there was a playground nearby. I had my phone with me instead of the camera. Sooo, I got to playing with the settings. It is too bad you can't flip throught the pictures. It is like watching a home movie, old flip card style. :)

Well, the moms did not want to be left out. Because, we are cool, we were quick to join in the fun. My super sweet friend was demonstrating the fine art of swinging. Had to prove to the ALL-KNowing 14 year that, yes, she could swing higher than the Fun Mom!

Fortunately, we were buckled up in our vehicles before the rain started. It poured all the way home. However, we were rewarded with the most beautiful rainbows once we were home.






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Exploration Place Fun

While Hockey Player and Little Princess were off at Church Camp, the other 3 kiddos and this Momma set to having our own fun.
Not knowing that Grossology was at Exploration Place, we headed to the museum for some fun in air conditioning. The boys were thrilled by shooting ping pong balls into a giant nose, climbing into a mouth and sliding down an esophagus. Fun Mom was, well, grossed out. The castle was fun as always.
Lots of stories to share with HP and LP when they returned and a second trip planned.

keyboards...extended warranties

Along with my computer trouble, I am alo having keyboard woes.
It *tarted with the "e" key. I couldn't get it to work all the time. And 'e' i* in a lot of words. Now I am having trouble with the s key...hence the * here and there. It i* really a pain when two of the most often used letters in the Engli*h alphabet fail you. I have found that I have to dig into my creativity to find new and different way* to communicate. A year ago my keyboard did thi* and thankfully the warranty granted me a new keyboard. It ha* not been quite a year, and the trouble has returned. Thankfully BODO took the offer of extended warranty. Time to make another call for a replacement, but al*o find out, what the problem might be. Hopefully fix the problem so it can not return!
I know a lot of people do not take advantage of extended warrantie*. At one time we were like that too. Now with 5 kiddos, life ju*t seems to be hard on THINGS around here. *o for big ticket items we don't want to get *uper angry about.... the warranty is a good option.... I offer yet another explanation for why I have not been blogging lately!

It's been a while...

Considering how busy we have been around here, you would think there would be stories to tell. Although there have been smiles, giggles and laughter, nothing that merited me dropping all that was being done to quickly type a memory before it was forgotten.

Fun Mom and I spent a week working at the church garage sale. Part of the money earned at the sale is divided up among students into a fund for each of them. This helps pay for camps and mission trips. When not working at the sale, I was crazy busy listing things on Ebay. Cleaning out closets and making up lesson plans for this school year.

In the midst of it, my laptop was attacked. Fortunately, Big O Daddy O came to my rescue and fought off the monsters that threatened my organizational lifelines. In the process I he loaded Windows 7 on it. I am thinking I like Windows 7. Fun Mom is disappointed. She was hoping to claim the "wonderous software," BODO brought home from his business trip.

I have worked a couple more shifts at Bingo. We are ever so grateful to the people who offer us their shifts first when they can't work. By the time hockey starts up we will have this year's fees covered and enough set aside to cover equipment costs. These boys think it is okay to keep growing. Hockey Player is up to my shoulder now, maybe a little taller. Little Princess is not far behind.

This past week we started school. HOrror of horrors around here. I hear daily from Daddy's Buddy that it is still summer and there should be no school during summer. What he doesn't realize is that it was purely a loving, protective thing I did in starting their lessons. We have had the hottest days lately. Hitting 109 on two days. Noone wants to be outside. The pool has not been an option. I've been afraid of the burning that would occur on three of the five children in spite of sunscreen and swim shirts. Being cooped up, too much tv, and hot has led to bickering that the momma can't tolerate. The cure...homework! Start now, and take a fall break later when the weather just screams to be enjoyed and it is horribly hard to resist.

So now we are in the day to day school grind. Couple of the kiddos are interested in working ahead which thrills my momma heart. Nothing like getting business done so there is freedom to play when the mood hits.

Flutter Nutter and His 'the girl'

Flutter Nutter is related to his mom. He has a hard time remembering names.
But this time.... well, **sigh**, he really blew it.
FN: "Could you get the basket down, me and the girl want to play a game?"
"The Girl"'s Mom: What's the girl's name?
FN: I dunno.
TG's Mom: Better go ask the girl her name, cause if you are going to buy her a house, you kinda need to know here name. She's gonna want her name on the house.
FN: Okay

The house story can be found here.

Here's Pics of "THE GIRL" and Flutter Nutter!

Gus has been Naughty !

Our newest family member is not enjoying the absences of his boy or girl much at all this week.
He has discovered he can jump the fence and escapes several times a day.
He doesn't go far, but I am sure he is wondering where his two play buddies have gone. The rest of us try to spend some time loving on him, but it just isn't the same as the bond he has formed with Hockey Player and Little Princess. Sure hope he stops the fence jumping once they are home and hanging out with him in the backyard once again.
I took him for a walk the other night along with the other 3. I fed him Flutter Nutter's ice cream... FN didn't want it, it was melting faster than he could eat it. Poor Gus, didn't realize my hand wasn't part of the ice cream sandwich. He didn't hurt me, but he was a little sheepish. Then I offered my hand to him to lick clean and he misunderstood again. Boy was he disappointed with me. Licking my hand clean was not something he thought was his job. He was a good dog to walk. He kept pace with me. When I took him off the leash, he didn't run off, just stayed right there. The only problem we had was when a boy came along Hockey Player's age, he started after him. I'm sure he was hoping for some boy time. He came back when I called him.
He has been entertaining himself and us. When he doesn't know we are looking he acts like a complete dork with his bone. Dancing, bouncing and twisting all over the place with his bone in his mouth. He will go to hide it and check to see if we are looking and sure enough we are and quickly changes his mind and heads in another direction. He has loved the sprinklers. He gets even goofier when they are on.
So if you are wondering, he is still fitting in with this family, that long ago decided it wasn't a family made for pets.

Hockey Player & Little Princess missing...

This week they have been off at camp.
It has been ever so quiet around here. The Little boys are substantially more subdued. THey play and get along with each other more than we ever imagined possible. So much so, I can say, I have completed quite a bit around here on my list of projects. I do make sure we get out and do something each day, so as not to press my luck in the harmony department, but I am astounded at how peaceful it is around here.
Even though I am enjoying the change in temperments around here, I do miss my Little Princess and Hockey Player. I am every so greatful to the camp for posting pics online, so I can stay up on what they are doing and see their beautiful faces. I would say smiles, but in each photo, they have intense looks of concentration and/or competiveness. Their photos seem to be captured when they are playing games. And well, I have some pretty competitive children.
The weekend begins tomorrow and we will all be back together...so off to get more done, while the peace and quiet and harmony exists...

Rock River Rapids Water Park !

Yesterday Rock River Rapids offered free admission to the military and their dependents. Big-O-Daddy-O's boss let him have the day off to take the family.
We headed out mid afternoon. Arrived around 3:30 and boy was the park busy!
The excitement, tears, blood, fighting amongst the little brothers yielded to looks of euphoria as they got their first (second, actually since RRR offered this last year as well and maybe the year before) look of the park.
No pictures, I wanted to enjoy this trip with the two little boys and Fun Mom. I didn't want to have to worry about the camera.
We are missing Hockey Player and Little Princess, but this trip to the water park was significantly less stressful. Amazing how when you only have to count 2 instead of 5 regularly how much easier it is. Before you comment on my math, we don't worry so much qbout counting Fun Mom when there are 3 as we do when there are 5. The more taller people there are, the more confusing it can be in the counting when short one person...trying to figure out which one is missing and saying the correct name as well. So much easier than to count to 5 instead of 4. But even easier counting to 2!
My math skills are amazing aren't they.
But back to RRR. Everyone had a great time! This is how I know:
Flutter Nutter was head banging to the tune of Zzzz's within 10 minutes in the car. Flutter Nutter after dinner was sent to get his jammies on. This he did and then disappeared. Found him curled up on his bed with his blankies sawing logs. Slept till 8:30ish this morning. (Roughly 12 hours)
Daddy's Buddy slept 12 hours and didn't argue about going to bed.
Fun Mom at 9:00 am still in bed.
BigODaddyO at 9:00 am still in bed.
THE MOM was in bed at 9 pm and up at 700 am. Anyone who knows me, knows I tend to stay up late...midnight/1:00 AM Late. Not last night. ;)

Before we left for RRR Daddy's Buddy was certain the waterpark would be fun, but not near as much fun as Hockey player was having at camp. Now he thinks RRR is more fun than camp!

Potatoes!

Last year the rabbits invaded. This year, we had POTATOES!
The girls were excited to see the crop we dug up. I was gonna have the Dad help me, but the girls were quickly at our side, so Dad was allowed to go and do his thing.
Not a bad crop for the small garden we have! We also dug up the onions at the same time. Not quite I was hoping for out of the onions. Maybe next year will be better. But the plan from last year worked and the rabbits did not bother the potatoes! Woohoo!

We have a new family member! !

And he is 4 years old.
His name is Gus!
I know, I know. All you out there who know me have your jaws sitting on the ground. What was I thinking?
Dad went into the hospital for a second time this summer, only a week and a half after his first visit. Had surgery. The last year, he has not been able to do much with Gus. His friends were actively looking for a new home for him. Dad has been asking me for the last couple of years if we would like to have Gus.
We have tried to have dogs. We have learned we are pet-sitting kind of people.
But a week at my dad's and I fell in love.
Gus has all the criteria, I have kept secretly to myself should we ever seriously consider having a dog.
The criteria:
We are no longer potty training children (we have been done with that for a 1 1/2 years now)
Children are old enough to completely take responsibility.
NOT a puppy...no more potty training for me!
Leash manners
Not a chewer
Good with the kids

Well Gus is good with the kids. Has a strong protective instict. He even tried to protect us from the Big O Daddy O. He got between kids, me and the Dad. But when we hugged on Dad and talked with him, he warmed up to the Big O Daddy O after about 10 minutes. He has to know the person is okay. He runs on the leash with Fun Mom and Hockey Player really well. Now they have a body guard when they go to do their miles or two.
He woke me the other night. I went to put him in the garage because of the barking. Turned out, he was barking because there was some not so friendly visitors at the neighbors. As we struggled at the gate to get to the garage, they were startled and took off. Police believe they were getting ready to rob our neighbors' garage. He has not tried to jump our fence once as of yet. Super gently with the kids.

My favorite first memory... He won't get into the cage in the suburban. So we ask Flutter Nutter to hop in so Gus will follow. FN got real indignant and told me he didn't want to ride in the cage. No, No, you are not going to ride in the cage, just get Gus to follow you in and then you get out. Well it worked, Gus hopped in right after Flutter Nutter! Flutter Nutter hopped out and he was caught! However, he is one smart pooch. The rest of the trip home, he would not fall for that trick at all. We had to help him into the cage by showing his haunches up to the back of the suburban. The last stop, he finally got the picutres and hopped in all by himself. I think he figured, he might as well, make it easy for us.

I must admit it was hard to seprate a man from his dog. I think I was a bit more emotional for me than the others in that regard. Hard to see my dad aging to the point he can't keep up with having a dog. He told me the cats are a perfect for him now. They don't require as much from him. But sweet Daddy's Buddy was quick to tell Grandpa he could come and visit as much as he wanted.

Guess what he said !

My first night back home and we are just hanging out, the kids and I. They find Spiderman 3 on tv and as we are watching it, I start to cringe. A little intense.
So I say my usual when it is time to turn off a show, "I don't think I like this movie."
Flutter Nutter quickly replied, "That's okay, you can always leave the room, Mom."
When did he get such a quick wit?