Saturday Fun

Last Saturday was the first Saturday Ben had off since before the kids started school, so we planned to spend the day doing some fun stuff. The older boys wanted to go with their Papa to the model airplane show in Monaville.  They had a lot of fun and got to see lots of cool RC airplanes. I think they have both decided that they now want to build and fly their own RC airplane, so this is a job for Papa!  He already got a game for his computer that is a flight simulator so they can practice flying without actually crashing anything, and they LOVE it! Yesterday after school the first thing Jacob asked me was if he could go over to Papa's house to play that game!  Papa is going to have a good time with the boys teaching them to build and fly RC planes.

Since the boys were going with Papa, we decided to let what we did be Annalisa's choice.  We started the morning off with breakfast at What-A-Burger and then headed down to Conroe. After a quick stop at Guitar Center (NOT Annalisa's choice!) we went to the mall. Ben knew there was a water taxi you could ride, so he purposely drove next to it while looking for a parking space. Annalisa saw the boat and immediately started asking if we could ride it. Then she saw Barnes & Noble (her FAVORITE library) and asked if we could go there. On our way through the mall to the water taxi she saw Marble Slab Creamery.....gotta add that to the list of things to do!  We rode the water taxi around the Woodlands and Annalisa got to sit at the very front of the boat.  We went from there to Barnes & Noble, and when we walked in the front door Annalisa said, "I LOVE the way libraries smell!"  My kids have always thought Barnes & Noble was a library because they can sit in the kids' section and read the books (we don't usually buy them anything even though I am a book lover! We usually take them there just to pass some time).  So, we went straight to the kids' section and Annalisa got hung up looking at American Girl books.  They have some really neat ones that are for crafts and stuff, but she got very excited about one that teaches you how to fix your doll's hair. It came with a special brush that won't damage your doll's hair and a DVD with tips and tricks.  She was SOLD! Nanny gave Annalisa $25.00 for her birthday, and the book was $19.95, so we were getting it!  

 After Barnes & Noble we went to Red Robin for lunch and back to the mall because Annalisa had seen the carousel there---who can pass up a carousel? Me!!  This carousel was doing circles at close to 30 mph and I wanted to throw up just standing close to it. I was sure that some kid's vomit was going to land on me during one of the rotations, but thankfully I was able to get far enough away into a "safe zone"!  Annalisa's horse was appropriately named "Flash", which is the nickname her Uncle Bub gave her when she about 2 and always wore light up shoes.  After the death defying carousel ride, we were on our way to Marble Slab when Annalisa spied The Disney Store! It is nearly impossible to get by The Disney Store without going in if you have a kid under the age of 11.  There were girls in there trying on The Little Mermaid costume, which was very pretty, but was $100!  IT IS A COSTUME for a 7 year old!!!! Are you kidding me?  So, we got our ice cream and headed to Sam's--also not Annalisa's choice, but we told her at the beginning that we had to go there before going home.  All in all it was a good day for everyone!  

When we got home Annalisa immediately began to watch the DVD on how to fix Julie's hair and she was putting it into all kinds of braids and ponytails!  I can't leave you without telling you this, though:  Nana came over to bring us something, and while she was here Annalisa was fixing Julie's hair.  She told Nana, "You always have to spray a little bit of water on her hair before you brush it."  Nana said, "Oh, really? Why?"  Annalisa said, "To keep the flies away."  Nana and I both tried really hard not to laugh at this point because Annalisa was so serious.  She said, "Really! It says so right here..." She turned the pages of her book frantically looking for the picture of the misting bottle with the tip....it read, "Always be sure to spray some water on your doll's hair before brushing to help maintain flyaways."  I love my daughter and the way she is always able to make us laugh!!!

(Benjamin was not forgotten or left out during this day of fun--he was with me, Ben and Annalisa all day long, and he enjoyed it very much!)

Life Goes On......

It seems to me like the summer just FLEW by! Where did it go?  I have no idea!!!  How is it that sometimes the days are long, but the years are always so fast?!  I now have a 12 year old!!!!  And a 1 year old!!!  As well as a newly turned 8 year old!!!! And a 10 year old who is already counting down the months until his birthday in February! It is hard for Jacob when he is the only one who doesn't have a birthday in the 2 week period at the end of August--beginning of September, but once February gets here and he is the only one with a birthday he will enjoy it very much!!  In addition to the 3 kids' birthdays this summer, I also celebrated a birthday of my own and Ben had one too. For some reason I am still older than he his.....he can't seem to catch up to me--or pass me for that matter!  We are only about a month and a half apart, but he never lets me forget that I am older!  We have now started the routine of going to school.  The kids are in the 4th week of school now and I think we are getting it all figured out!  Benjamin wakes me up at 5:30 so I can change his diaper and nurse him back to sleep (yes, he still nurses in the morning).  I wake Ben up at 6:00 so he can get ready to go to work. I wake the older 3 kids up at 6:30.  On the mornings I feel like being a good mom I fix them breakfast.....all other mornings they get cereal. I am ashamed to say that I have only been a good mom for 3 mornings out of 3 weeks of school.  Well, hey I average 1 morning a week! Now that I look at it that way, it's not too shabby!  Thanks to Papa (who lives next door), he has been taking all 3 of them to school. They leave at 7:10 and he gets them all dropped off by 7:45. It helps me out so much because I don't have to wake Benjamin up to take the kids to school. He usually sleeps until 8:30 or 8:45.  It also gives me my quiet time with God in the mornings....and trust me I NEED THAT!!!  I feel so off-kilter when I don't get it, and it can ruin my entire day.  Ben has been working 7-3, so he picks the kids up from school and brings them home. They usually get here around 4, and Benjamin is always so glad to see them! Cole is in the highest level of band at his school, so he has sectionals on Tuesday afternoons from 4:30-5:15 which sort of throws a kink in things as far as driving in to town so many times, but it isn't too bad. Today he said he is just going to go to the band hall after school and stay there until sectionals starts, then I will pick him up at 5:15.  He is growing up sooooo fast!!!  I am not sure if I am ready for it.  Jacob's year started off rough.  He is new and it is a new school for all 5th graders because it is the first time that all of them are on 1 campus. There are multiple elementary schools, but only 1 5th-6th grade campus, and 1 7th-8th grade campus, then 1 highschool.  Anyway, several kids have been calling him names like 'tubby' and giving him a hard time about being a big kid. That is very hard for Jacob because he is very self-conscious about his size and 10 year olds have feelings too!  It makes me so angry that kids can be so mean.  I think things are getting better or else he just doesn't tell me anymore, but Jacob has such a big heart. I pray for him to do well and not give up no matter what others are saying or doing around him.  I pray for all of my kids every day. It is a tough world out there and I want my kids to know God, love God, experience God, trust God, and believe God in everything. I know I am not always the best mom and I am far from perfect, but I hope that one thing I do right for my kids is pray for them and give them back to God.  I am so blessed that He gave them to me.