Doin Great

We are here and doing great!

I could say that there really isn't anything going on and I don't feel that I'd be lying. In the next breath I could say that we are damn busy and that would also be quite true.

As predicted, March 14th marked the beginning of our new/spring routine with many scheduled kid activities... swimming (currently A&E - S has asked to swim next session), soccer (A, E so far S starts soon), gymnastics (A, E & S). When I put our schedule down on paper I think holy sh*t. But in reality, it doesn't feel bad at all. And I think we are doing great at balancing activity time, free time, family time, and homework time.

Looking ahead, it doesn't slow down until mid-late summer (depending on their decision on baseball)... just in time for a good breather before school starts again. This has become our normal spring and summer cycle which is exactly why we took that break over the winter months.

But the activities are much enjoyed by all and we are having a great time.

Grandma also continues to improve each day. Carie, Spencer & Yia Yia stopped in to see her on Wednesday and it is amazing how great she is doing. While she’s anxious to get out of there, she’s also now realizing how sick she was and how much she needs to be there.

Spring break is next week… just in time for the 6” of snow we are supposed to get!

Snow Day

Let the Winter Break begin!!!

Today was supposed to be the last day of school before a two week winter break. Mother Nature decided to drop some nasty weather on us and shortly after 9pm last night we got the call that school was cancelled for today. It was a good thing since we were just getting home from a friend's birthday party when we got the call. They were so excited that they stomped around in the snow a bit before coming inside for bed. It was so nice out (temp wise) that we couldn't hardly say no.

The kids are, of course, loving the snow day! It's not such a good deal for the older kids though. The last of their finals were scheduled for today. Now they'll have to finish them up after break.

The ice was so thick that I couldn't get my car door open this morning. And it seemed that the only way I was going to get the huge sheet of ice off my car was to melt it from the inside. I noticed that the neighbor across the street had gotten their car moved so I attempted my passenger door and finally got in.

After running the car for nearly an hour it was still covered with at least an inch of ice. It was a disappointing sight! I started chipping away at it and finally got to a soft layer that allowed me to peel chunks off the car... as well as my scraper.

Then as I was on my way to grab some lunch this afternoon the huge sheet of ice on the hood of my car came off in one chunk and flew over the roof of the car. It was weird to have this large chunk of ice and snow suddenly flying towards the windshield!

At least the kids are able to go outside and stomp in the snow! Hopefully that will add some excitement to their day.

"Snow Day"

Go vote, we did!

The girls had expressed an interest in going with us to vote. They wanted to personally participate in the experience. We were happy to accommodate, but as the day drew near we were evaluating the possible scenarios that would work. None of them seemed all that promising, but we were certain we could figure it out. By about now we were kicking ourselves for not voting by mail!

And then, at 7:30 on Monday morning we got a call. Actually, we got 4 calls. One to every number our school had on file. School was being cancelled due to a water main break. To say the kids were excited is an understatement. To get an unexpected "snow day" on such a beautiful fall day (with record setting temps of 78) was wonderful. So I decided to take the day off as well and we decided to head to the zoo. But then Spencer puked all over the kitchen floor. Plan was revised and I took Abby, Ellie, B&B, and Lexi (one of A&E's friends) to the zoo while Carie (totally opted!) to stay home with Spencer.

After our zoo adventure I dropped off B&B and took the 3 girls to go vote. Carie had figured out that the voting office, for early voting, was still open and we could just show up. So we did! We got in line at 2:57 and we waited for a good long time. We were so close to the front and Ellie announces that she needs to use the restroom, and Lexi followed suit. Thankfully the folks we had been standing with for the past hour were kind enough to hold our spot so I could get them to a restroom. Then finally at about 4:35 we made it in the door of the election office and it was smooth sailing from there. I completed a form that told them who I was and whatnot. Then we got to go hang out in a waiting area. But hey, we got to sit! It wasn't long and then my name was called to vote. I showed the girls what the ballot looked like and what I had to do. I filled in my circles, turned it in, got our stickers, and we were out of there. It didn't take long as I had already looked over a sample ballot. We were in the van and driving away by 4:50.

The girls did an amazing job waiting. I wasn't prepared for a long wait and I totally should have been! In the end they thought it was great to be able to have that experience. They also were surprised at how it worked. They were thrilled with the stickers and they got some to wear to school today. The funniest thing was that Lexi was thinking that we would get bobble heads. Funny funny kids!

They know that Carie and Lexi’s mom are going to vote today and as we drove by the polling place I showed them where they would go. The girls announced that they wanted to go vote again if school was cancelled for a 2nd day. I guess the stickers were worth the wait!?!?

I then ruined their dinners by taking them to get an ice cream treat. And because they hadn't been together long enough that day, Abby & Ellie hung out at Lexi's house before finally coming home. We had a late dinner and called it a day.

Carie was all apologetic for me/us having to stand in line for so long, especially if she didn’t end up having to. The thing is, we just don’t know how long the lines are going to be today and I can’t see pulling the girls out of school for hours if we don’t need to. Especially since they missed just recently for the whole airport thing and then Ellie missed some time for her eye appointment. Predictions are that the lines will be quite long at peak times. So, standing in line it was… And it all worked out just fine. I got to vote. The girls got to be involved. Carie voted this morning after Spencer’s conferences and she was in and out of there within 15 minutes. Lucky her!

It will be interesting to watch the results tonight.

Snow Day

Except it isn't snowing! It is just that freakin cold.

Schools in and around our community are closed for the entire day. In some areas, teachers are reporting for part or all of the day. I'm glad to see that our teachers don't have to report!

We got the call last night. It was pretty late for the phone to ring and so I assumed it was family calling. Carie got incredibly quiet and had a serious look on her face. I thought something was quite wrong. See, the kids just went back to school yesterday after a long long break. She was kinda looking forward to getting back into her routines. The kids were all looking forward to going to school.

I went to see if the girls were still awake to give them the news. They were, of course, still awake and were semi-excited about no school for today. Mostly they were just excited that Mommy wasn't going to wake them up in the morning! Quickly though they realized that today was Wednesday and they would miss Wednesday's Specials. Their solution, they would do Wednesday's Specials at home!

Upon my return downstairs I shared this news with Carie. She was a bit worried about their plans knowing that it would involve some sort of art project. Art projects are great except that they feel that they need to string art supplies from one end of the room to the next.

I just called home and Wednesday's Specials is well underway in our house and it is all going great. It seems that everyone, young and old, is enjoying their morning.

Both Abby & Ellie had decided that they would teach a Wednesday's Specials program. Abby was going to lead a cooking project and Ellie was going to lead an art project. After the cooking project got underway they all decided that they'd like to participate in that and then do the art project. They made crackers, which are now resting in preparation for baking. I have no idea what the art project is. I do know that it involves scissors. I guess I'll find out when I get home!

Back to "Normal"... Or Getting There

We've fluctuated in the kid count all week long, up from our three to four (24/7), mostly six during the day, and as many as eight yesterday morning. As yesterday progressed the other kids slowly returned to their homes and the count returned to our normal three. Whew!

It also seems as though that we can count our lucky stars that we only had the attitude we did from our niece! I guess when my brother picked her up it went into high gear. I wasn't here to witness it, but Carie was astonished. It will be interesting to see how the next several months and year plays out. Thank goodness we can work up to the pre-teen days with our kids.

We've also completed a round of maintenance on both vehicles and were able to pick up the van last night! Hooray for excellent working vehicles. The girls and I also managed to clean both vehicles too, a nice bonus. They were so excited to surprise Mommy! Now to register the van next week, just a bit late! We should have planned it out better and taken care of it before school break, but we didn't. And, well, shelling out that extra $$ is crazy right before Christmas! Carie will happily take care of that next week when she is back to one child in the morning. She and Spencer can go on a special adventure and all will be good.

We had a relaxing (sadly, it truly was!) dinner at Old McDonald's play land last night, retrieved vehicles, returned home and had kids in bed by 8:45 - a record for the week. The girls' didn't go to sleep until much much later but that quiet adult time was bliss.

Carie has come up with a brilliant babysitter option. She is a genius! Hopefully we’ll be able to make contact this weekend and hopefully she and her parents will also agree that it is a great idea! Our other sitter went off to college, gosh a couple of years ago. She’s sat for us a time or two since, but we clearly need to move on and find ourselves a semi-regular sitter, especially now that Carie’s folks aren’t accessible. They didn’t stay with the kids often, but on the occasions they did, it was much appreciated. My parents (and our siblings) are semi available, but they are 45 minutes away and we need to go to them which then always turns into a full day trip. Also with my mom doing all she is for my siblings, when she doesn’t have their kids on the weekend (every other or more frequent) she is ready for a break. I don’t really blame her, but still it sucks.

Today is another day of relaxing and putzing around. Hopefully an abundance of football is in our near future! We also hope to keep the washer going with all that miscellaneous stuff. Coats are done; next up floor mats, car seat covers, kid bedding, etc... I'd throw in the kids if I could! They all are in dire need of grooming and will be allowed/encouraged to soak in the tub for long periods of time today. :)

For now the boy and I are hanging out while Carie and the girls' are snoozing. Ohh, I hear Ellie (and her cough) coming down and the boy “wants to tell me something”.

Christmas, New Years & Such

The 2nd round of celebrations began the Friday after Christmas with a big birthday party for my now 6yo cousin who is 6 just months older than Abby & Ellie. The party was held at PE 101 and it turned out awesome. The kids had a blast! The instructor was incredible! Carie and I were amazed at the changes we saw in Spencer. He totally participated in the party, beginning to end. He stuck with the big kids, followed directions, and had a great time. He's growing up!

Here's Abby (green) & Ellie (pink) with cousins (my cousins, their 2nd cousins?). These are 4 of the 6 girls born within 6 months of each other. Oldest (and birthday girl) on the left. Youngest (6 weeks younger than A&E) on the right.

Saturday morning we headed over to my Aunt's house for the big Siebe Christmas. As we walked in I could smell this toasty smell. I immediately thought of campfires and roasted marshmallows. But wait! It was freezing cold outside, it couldn't be. Turns out they had just discovered the marshmallows that had caught on fire in the oven. Then someone was brilliant and (accidentally I’m sure) turned on the burner. The burner to my Aunt's flat top - counter top stove - that was being used as part of the buffet line - specifically where the plastic bag of buns were sitting. Oh yeah, charred black buns! Knobs were removed from the stove. Moving on! It must have been a year for kitchen mishaps. I know we experienced one, albeit minor. I've read of other mishaps. Carie's sister somehow caught a hot pad on fire. Then the experience at my Aunt's house.

The rest of the day was (mostly) lovely, with a few individuals and experiences we can live without. But all in all it was a wonderful day. After a full afternoon of gift opening - the kid round, the adult round, the other weird game Grandma insists on playing, etc... It was time for dinner. We ended up hanging out well into the night playing games and having a good time. Spencer easily fell asleep around his normal bedtime and the girls played with the cousins. We finally made it home around midnight, tired and ready to crash. But wait! What do we need to do for tomorrow?

Sunday we were hosting Christmas for Carie's family. It was going to be a relatively small gathering, but preparations still needed to be made. Around the noon hour her siblings and families arrived and I returned home from picking up Alex from my Aunt's house. We put the finishing touches on our meal and enjoyed a delicious turkey dinner. Shortly after the little one's were ushered off to their naps and the rest of us hung out, talked, played some cards, etc... After a successful nap by Spencer and a questionable nap by Arwen, we proceeded with a gift exchange and flying paper everywhere. We also waited to open the gifts sent by Carie's parents until this day. We were quite surprised to find out that what they gifted each of our families with was the same gift Carie and I had sent to them, only their version was nicer. We then pulled together and enjoyed a delicious traditional leftover turkey sandwich dinner. After we got Spencer off to bed the younger kids hung out, played, watched movies while the adults continued the forever long card game started earlier in the day. I'm happy to report that I won. ;)

Monday, New Years Eve Day, I took the day off and we had a family day. We ended up going to Thunder Alley for our first family bowling adventure followed by go kart rides and some arcade games.

That evening we made a special dinner of appetizers followed by chocolate fondue for a special treat.

The girls really dug the idea of dipping things into the pot of chocolate.

Spencer wasn't so sure at all and decided that he preferred to eat his strawberries, bananas, and marshmallows un-dipped, thank you very much.

Everyone else was covered in chocolate.

Once they were all fast asleep Carie and I enjoyed the quietness of the house!

Tuesday, New Years Day, was another family day. We started off the day slow and ended it with a bang with a trip to The Pizza Machine. The kids have been asking about going and they know that it is a special trip for us. We decided that going over the Christmas break would be a perfect time to go. I took the girls (Abby, Ellie & Alex) in the afternoon while Spencer was napping and then Carie and Spencer joined us after his nap. The girls' played miniature golf for the first time and had a great time. They rode the frog hopper, wild ride, bumper cars, and go karts several times (thank goodness for the hour ride pass left from our previous visit). We played spaghetti bowling at Spencer's request and then took a break for dinner. After dinner all the kids got their own game cards and they thought they were pretty hot stuff playing games with their own cards. Once they were out of points, they knew they were done. Alex blew through her points pretty quickly. Abby & Ellie were monitoring theirs pretty closely and offered to share their points with Alex so she could ride the frog hopper one last time before we left. Spencer took up residence in front of the basketball machine and the air hockey table and was happy as ever

Wednesday was back to work for me! The business continued at home with the girls' have a play and lunch date. They had an awesome time at Katie's house and as a bonus surprise their friend Evan was there.

Thursday is another crazy day! They went to the Children's Museum this morning and the girls have another play date this afternoon.

Friday is another potential play date day. Friday afternoon Alex will head home and we'll return to a family of 5. I'm thinking (hoping) that the weekend is unscheduled. Though I know we should begin the process of taking down the Christmas decorations. For now I'll think relaxing thoughts for the weekend in hopes that it becomes a reality.