Build-A-Bear

Nana came to town after Christmas, and continued to spoil us.

She told the kids that she wanted to take them shopping and buy them a gift.  Build-A-Bear is usually a big hit.  But, knowing that some of the kids are getting older, and more interested in video games than teddy bears, she also offered a visit to Game Stop as an alternative.

Four children chose Build-A-Bear.  One chose Game Stop.

All had fun!

The Build-A-Smurfs were totally adorable to this Smurf-loving Mom!

Jersey #3 had to be SO patient to wait for his siblings to build their bears.  He did a good job.

Our next stop was Game Stop, so he could pick out a new video game.  It took him only a single minute to select the game he wanted.  One of the Super Mario Bro's games for his DS.  Actually, they spent more time in the check-out line than they spent looking at games.

Jersey #3 was willing to skip lunch, if we would just let him play his DS in the van while we ate!  We convinced him to join us for lunch at Chick-Fil-A.  

It was a fun shopping day!

Happy Christmas Eve

Our family opens presents on Christmas Eve.  It is so much nicer to have everyone clean, dressed, fed, and happy before taking on the overwhelming excitement of making wrapping paper fly!  After all of the presents are opened, we let the kids stay up all night long, and play with their new toys and gadgets.  

Normally, this allows for better photos too.  This year, my camera decided to croak.  So most of my Christmas Eve photos are too dark (because the flash wasn't working), blurry, or completely black.  Bummer!  We still had a good time together, even if there is not as much photo proof as in previous years.

The children were greatly spoiled this Christmas.  Granny & PawPaw bought all of their grandbabies a new bicycle this year.

We let the kids "open" their new bikes Christmas Eve afternoon.  Then, we took them to the newly-renovated park near our house.  That park opened up just a few days ago.  It was open for 1 day before a snowstorm hit.  There was still snow on the ground when we visited the park, but most of the sidewalks were clear for riding.

We managed to get one half-way decent photo of me and my kiddos...

Opening gifts is always an exciting time...

Nana spoils the kids with wonderful gifts too.  Aunts and Uncles added to the spoiling.  It was an electronic Christmas this year.  Personal DVD players, Wii games, DSi games, and even a Kindle (for Jersey #1).  I am pleased by how we managed to keep to our budget AND the kids received so many nice gifts.  We have a generous extended family that helps make it possible.  

Grandparents

So far this summer, the children and I have made 6 road trips to the town where their grandparents live.  We do not usually get a chance to visit each family member, with each visit.  But, I did make a point to seek the opportunity to fit in at least 1 visit....and 1 photo opportunity...with each grandparent.  I cherish these photos.  They are a snapshot in time.  I never know when (or if) I will get another chance at such a photo opportunity.  

All 4 of our children's grandparents are alive and well.

PawPaw & Granny:

Nana:

Grampa:

3 Generations

The Referee and I each have 1 living grandmother, giving our children 2 living great-grandmothers.

Great-Granny:

Great-Grandma:

Our children are blessed with lots of grandparent love (and spoilin').

Gifts from Grandparents

Our children have the BEST grandparents in the world.

PawPaw & Granny and Nana spoil their grandbabies regularly.

Not only did they travel for a visit for Jersey #3's birthday party, but they also arrived with gifts for Easter.


Nana brought everyone ice cream sundae "baskets" filled with candy. She even made up one for Coach Mom and The Referee. Plus, she gave us a stash of sundae toppings so that we can enjoy ice cream sundaes when the candy is depleted.

We love ice cream! This gift will get much use, for sure.

PawPaw & Granny brought wrapped gifts for the kids. Granny makes a point to give wrapped gifts, instead of baskets, so that she does not detract from the baskets that the parents make for the kids. (But, let's face it, she would have done a much better job with baskets than I did this year, for sure).

The wrapped gifts often contain a new outfit, a new pair of shoes, and candy. This year, the kids received a shorts outfit, and dress shoes. That does not necessarily go together, but it was a perfect fit for what the kids needed this year. They had all grown out of their dress shoes.

In addition, Granny & PawPaw gave the children umbrellas. We don't see much rain in this desert climate, that is for certain. But, the umbrellas were super cute. Each child received a different design, based on their personality and interests. Jersey #4's umbrella is shaped like a yellow duck, because she loves yellow ducks. Jersey #2's umbrella is a pirate umbrella, because she is fascinated by stories of pirates.

Granny told the children that we needed to pray for rain, so that they could use their umbrellas. Sure enough, we got a few drops of rain right toward the end of Jersey #3's birthday party. The kids grabbed their new umbrellas and ran out into the yard to "keep dry."

Birthday Party Fun

Jersey #3 enjoyed his birthday celebration. It was a full day of fun that started a little too early in the morning. He was up, dressed, and ready to open his presents, well before anyone else in the family was awake.

His favorite gift: Super Mario Brothers (a game for the Wii)

I finally managed to buy the right game. He had asked for this one for Christmas. I bought the wrong one. To my defense, as he described his desired gift to me, he told me he wanted the same game that he played at his cousin's house the previous summer. It turns out that his cousin has more than one Mario game for the Wii. I guessed (and bought) the wrong one for Christmas. My sister helped me find the right one....on sale too....in plenty of time for his birthday. It has been hiding in my sock drawer for months. It was at the top of the list of his desired birthday gifts, so I was glad to already have it on hand. He was so excited about this gift that he wanted to play the Wii for the rest of the day.

He did change his mind when Granny & PawPaw arrived, because they came with a whole bunch of birthday and Easter gifts. They got him a Spiderman skateboard for his birthday...

I have a feeling we might be visiting the ER this summer...

We planned for a birthday party at our house in the afternoon. I rented a jumper/bounce house. Those things are the best for keeping crowds of kids busy and entertained during a party. It wears them out real good. The company we rent from gives a repeat customer discount. We get to enjoy the jumper for a few extra hours, at the same price. I like having the jumper set up a couple hours before the party, so our kids can enjoy it privately. Plus, we have it a couple hours after the party, so lingering family and friends and enjoy it with us, after the crowd goes home.

I've looked into the cost of buying one, since we have plenty of kids with birthday parties. The initial cost, along with care and upkeep did not entice me as much. Renting it for an afternoon is so much easier.

PawPaw delighted his grandbabies by climbing into the jumper with them. They jumped circles around him.

The jumper was a hit during the party too...

We attempted a Mario Brothers pinata too. These days, pinatas come with strings, so kids can enjoy a non-violent version. We decided to hang it by a string and hit it with a bat instead. Unfortunately, the pinata fell and hit the ground before anyone had a turn, and the door that held the candy popped open. We tried to adjust it to allow for some hitting, but that didn't last long. There was a long line of children, and only a small handful got a turn to whack before all the candy fell out. Oops.

During cake time, I reminded the kids to not put their fingers into the frosting on the cake. Then, as I was lifting it out of the box, I smashed my finger in it. No one seemed to care. We sang "Happy Birthday" to the birthday boy, then enjoyed some cake and ice cream.

The birthday boy was excited to open gifts. He received some really nice gifts. His friends are generous. Most things involved super heroes, video games, or sports. That is just what he likes.

Through the years, we have held many back-yard BBQ-style birthday parties. This one was really nice. Part of the enjoyment came from us cleaning up the house and yard weeks ago, so there was not as much work to be done. Part of it was that Jersey #3 was branching out and making friends. He invited friends from church, from AWANA, and from our homeschool co-op. It was a nice group of people, and certainly many more boys in one area than I am used to.

Plus, the party included a visit from Granny & PawPaw, Nana, Aunt V, and 4 cousins. Our younger 4 children got to enjoy a little extra time with their cousins when the official birthday party time was over.

Aunt V & I took Jersey #1 to the Pediatric Urgent Care, where we learned that she had a raging case of strep throat. That certainly explains why she was complaining of her throat being sore, and wasn't feeling up to most of the party activities. After the visit with the doctor, we went all over town looking for a 24 hour pharmacy. That was an adventure. We were so exhausted. I am also hoping that we did not send anyone home with strep throat in addition to their goody bag.

Back at home, Jersey #3 jumped in the bathtub with his cousins and then put on his new Mario PJs. I thought for sure he would fall asleep the moment his cousins left. Nope. He attempted to stay up half the night, playing his new Wii game.

The Referee had to help him relax and fall asleep, by rocking him in the recliner. It only took a few minutes, and The Referee was rocked to sleep! LOL!

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentines Day!

Or, I should say, Happy (Belated) Valentines Day. I am a day late.

Actually, it has been nearly 3 weeks since I have written a blog post even. I am way behind. It is not for lack of material. It is for sure that life has been blazing by. So, I decided to pull myself together and start with Valentine photos and stories, and attempt to work my way backwards to share about our busy life over the past month.


Granny & PawPaw sent the kids Valentine's cards in the mail. It is always a happy day when mail arrives from grandparents. There is just something about 5 identical-sized envelopes to get the kids to squeal. Granny has a tradition of sending a dollar for each grandbaby, stickers, and a balloon.

The balloon is a requirement for Jersey #3. Granny used to only include balloons for birthdays, until Jersey #3 wanted to know where the balloon was in one of his holiday cards. Granny also sends cards for the 4th of July, even though that is not a normal greeting card holiday. Jersey #1 once asked her Granny why she did not send her a card for the 4th of July. Ever since that day, grandbabies receive 4th of July cards.

We also enjoyed an afternoon of making Valentine's cards to send out to grandparents, and to hand out to friends. I let the kids pick out a box of valentines at the store, and they wrote their own names on them. The valentines that I mailed out made it ok. The Valentine's that went to AWANA that evening made it ok. The rest of the Valentines that were suppose to be hand-delivered over the weekend at basketball, church, and science class did not make it. Illness swept through the house, and we missed most of our regular activities.

This year, Nana sent Valentine's cards to the kids. Those bright red envelopes looked real sharp in the mailbox. The Referee and I joined in the squeals of delight this time, as there was a card and cash for us too!

The kids woke up Valentine's Day morning, to find a little heart of chocolates and plastic lip whistles for each of them. The Referee took this picture of the 4 awake children, before he left for work in the morning.

Jersey #2 and I were both sick in bed, and sleeping in.

This is how we spent Valentine's Day. Home. In bed. 4 out of 5 children and 1 mommy were sick with colds and coughs.

I am pretty sure we have spent the majority of the month of February in our PJs so far. We share the love....and the germs. I am SO looking forward to warm weather, airing out the house, and getting outdoors much more.