whatever

Friday night we got a fire going in the pit outside. It wasn’t even cold in the dark. It was loud (like always) because the kids are so excited and hyper but it was nice to be out. We roasted some marshmallows and then threw them at the kids on the trampoline. It’s a game they call “Mallow Toss.” I don’t know if they made it up but they always play it when we have the fire going.
Saturday Sean had his first soccer game of the year. He is head and shoulders taller than anyone on his team. It looks hilarious. He was totally into it though. . . very sweaty and exhausted at the end.
When we got home he saw a new Lego catalog came in the mail. He swiped it and headed off to read it in privacy (no siblings) and enjoy his soccer team snack. He’s just like his mom – sneaking away with a magazine and a snack.
Later in the day Craig took three of them for a bike ride. Talby got to ride the chaser bike! She thought she was SO BIG.
Our Sunday was very relaxed. Craig is in a basketball trance now that will continue through the rest of the NCAA tournament. He was happy with his Jayhawks today!

Sean has found a new love. A new ball doesn’t hurt either. He won’t let anyone else touch it. He wanted me to take these pictures – not the norm for Sean.
He can dribble through his legs (slowly but he can do it). But his most impressive new skill is dribbling while squatting down into a sitting position then laying down flat and then coming all the way back up again without losing his ball or stopping the dribble. He was so proud of it. He learned at JAM basketball so lots of other kids can do it too but I am not their mom. He probably did it 20 times yesterday. Determination . . . love that.
After watching him I had to try it myself. I’ve never laid on the cement and dribbled a basketball before. (notice how there is no picture of that?) What great skill for a 6 year old to work on! It is balance and timing and strength and coordination all in one. And it ‘s FUN too.
Last week Sean said “WOW MOM! You are so good at basketball!!” (ha ha ha – go ahead I know you are laughing already)
Conversation after soccer last night –
Sean: “Mom, I could beat you at soccer easy!”
Me: “What makes you think that?”
Sean: “Because you are so old and I am fast and young.”
So much changes in a week.

Awana Grand Prix Race was tonight at church. Scott’s car was painted with black chalk board paint and then he wrote Rock CHALK Jayhawk on it. He did it himself. I was most most proud of that part. It crossed the finish line twice. He wasn’t the slowest one – I don’t think. And even if he was that’s okay too. Great job Scotty!

I love this picture.

Annie on the run after her bath trying to catch Talby who is too fast and already out of the room.

This is a scene I see out my kitchen window almost everyday.
I love it.
I wish this had audio with it . . . all the giggling.
It may be different kids in different numbers but they are always out there.
Craig bought that trampoline the day we moved to Kansas – before our boxes were even here on the truck. It has been used more than we ever thought.
Annie loves it as much as any of them. And don’t worry I didn’t let her jump with the sucker in her mouth . . . she held it and kept saying “no mouth.”
The bottom picture is Annie’s impression of the hippo at the zoo!

This Friday was all about relaxing.
The little girls and I made chocolate chip cookies because I was craving them soooo badly. They were very good.
During Talby’s preschool I laid down with Annie to get her nap in and I got almost an hour before waking up . . . very nice. I enjoyed the quiet in the craft room sorting my art box.
What is an art box you say?
It’s a big cardboard box where I started throwing Lauren’s art into 8 years ago. Since then it has 4 other children’s art on top of it. It’s actually very fun to go through. Two years ago i bought these boxes with labels. I put everyone name on the boxes and there they sat for the past two years . . . empty. Some of the things were cracking me up. And it’s so cool to see how much they progress in their handwriting and drawing skills.
During Lauren and Scott’s piano lessons I have to keep the other kiddos quiet. Usually a challenge but not today. Their teacher comes here because she is so great. Annie painted watercolors and Sean & Talby played play-doh – for 2 hours! They were even upset when they had clean it up for dinner. I love days like that!
And my 2 oldest are OLD enough to ride their bikes to soccer practice! That’s awesome.
The only bummer of the day is that we drove to see the Hillsboro high school basketball game in Halstead and the game was over (tournament). We had the wrong time. But a blessing in disguise . . . movie night with popcorn on the couch instead was very relaxing.

Now I am not a squeemish girl about the pets we have but I don’t particularly enjoy touching them when i don’t have to. Three weeks ago I let the kids get a DEGU. That is like a hamster/rat/squirrel? mix. It’s cute for a rodent. They love it. They named it Hammy after the crazy squirrel on Over the Hedge. It looks like a squirrel in the face. The gross thing is the tail . . . it’s long like a rat but has some fur. Yuck.
So on to the words I dread . . .
I forced Sean off the computer to take some toys to his room (why is my kitchen island a magnet for toys?) He was mad and stomping. One second later I hear the panic “HAMMY”S OUT OF THE CAGE!!! HAMMY”S OUT OF THE CAGE!! MOM HELP!!!!” This is where I always get Lauren. I knocked loudly and waving franticly on the window to get her attention outside on the trampoline. She and Scott came running inside. Scott says “Mom, do you have a big surprise for us?” He thought that’s what my waving and excitement was. I put my hand to my mouth to say to be quiet and pointed to the corner where the trembling squirrel/rat/hamster was. Lauren quickly had him in her hands again. She swears she put the lid on the tank. . . and scott backs her up (which means nothing). It could have been Annie I guess or Talby (she’s done it before with Luke Skywalker Scott’s first hamster) But my mother’s intuition tells me it was Lauren.
If they hadn’t been home I don’t know that I could have caught him. Remember on “Christmas Vacation” when they try to catch the squirrel that was in their Christmas tree but whenever it moves they all scream and run. That’s what I do.
Here is the famous Degu . . . HAMMY. (Hamsquirat or Squiratster or Ramsquriell?)