Curl Up With a Good Book

Brook decided to curl up with several good books. This is how I found her in her crib one night when I went to check on her. Apparently, she asked Ally to get her a book and Ally was happy to oblige. In fact, she emptied two shelves worth of books into the crib. Brook did not move a muscle when a carefully took them out of her bed, not even when I took out the book she was using as a pillow. In the morning, she woke up looking for her books. In a few years we will probably find her hiding under her covers with a flashlight and Nancy Drew.

Cherry #12

Last weekend we went camping with Marc, Liz, Benjamin and Rachel. We had a great time. Cherry campground has become a favorite spot. This time we tried site #12. The kids loved it and once we figured out how to squeeze two tents into the tent spot, we grownups enjoyed it, too. When we made the reservation online, it said #12 was a double spot. Apparently "double" means two picnic tables and two parking spots. We did have to clear some ground and it was a good thing we all had air mattresses.

The kids had a great time running around. The favorite feature of #12 is the "mountain." Zac loved climbing up to the top where we could not see him. Then he would half slide, half run back down. The next thing we knew, he was at the top again. The girls had fun as well. They were all filthy. After his bath on Saturday, I had to dig dirt out of Zac's fingernails. He was not too thrilled about that. It's the price you pay, Zac. They also had fun playing in some trees near our site. They called it "the pit." That is where they found sticks to serve as wands in one of the games they invented (Zac told us his name was Zac Windweilder).
Our family was in charge of dinner. Joseph made yummy foil dinners for the adults and the kids roasted hotdogs. We had fuit salad to go with it. Grandma and Grandpa joined us for dinner and brought peach cobbler in the dutch oven. I think it was the best cobbler I have ever had . . . for real. I love to eat food cooked outside. It just tastes good.
The kids were too busy having fun to eat much. We did get them to hold still for a few minutes. I am not sure what's up with the faces.
After dinner, a big, black beetle wandered into camp. The kids were fascinated. Ally informed us that it was a boy beetle because black beetles are boys and brown beetles are girls. I was not aware of her extensive wilderness knowledge.
What is a campout without S'mores? Thanks, Grandma for bringing all the fixings. After S'mores we helped the kids settle down. We told a bedtime story and brushed our teeth. On her way to the tent, Ally fell and scraped her arm. She let the whole campsite know. I was not a very patient mom. I was trying to help her calm down without waking people up, inlcuding Benjamin who was already in the tent. I finally told her if she did not stop crying, she would have to sit in the van. She said, amid her sobs, "I can't stop. It's just hopeless!" We got a good laugh out of that.
Once we got everyone settled in the tent, the oldest three fell asleep fairly quickly. Not Brook. She caught a second wind. She was bouncing off the mattresses and hitting Zac in the face. I brought her on the mattresse with me and tried snuggling her. No go. So then I tried telling her a story. She wanted The Three Little Pigs. After a few minutes, she said, "No, Mom. Three Bears." So I tried that one. She interrupted me and said, "No, I want kangaroos." Kangaroos? I tried a kangaroo version of The Three Little Pigs. I got to the part where the first little kangaroo built a house of straw, when she started to giggle and said, "No, Mom. He had a pumpkin." That's when I gave up on the bedtime story idea. The other kids were asleep, so I wrapped her up in a blanket and took her out to the fire. Joseph stood up with her and she fell asleep on his shoulder as we visited with Marc and Liz. All of a sudden we heard a "PING." Brook had ejected her pacifier. It bounced off the metal ring in the fire pit and landed in the hot coals. Liz had the presence of mind to grab a flashlight (which woke up Benjamin, sorry). By the time we fished it out, it was too late. It is a little hard to tell in the picture, but the handle was warped. Thanks for sharing your spare pacifier, Benjamin. You saved the day.
We slept farily well, all things considered. Brook did great with her substitute "pacie." She was bright eyed and bushy tailed in the morning. Marc and Liz made breakfast on their new campstove. It was delicious. I loved the banana pancakes. The sky stared to turn a little overcast, so we decided to pack up after breakfast. The kids were cooperative and we did it in record time.
Zac made a final climb up the "mountian" and we went to throw a few more rocks in the creek and headed home. Marc and Liz spent some time at our house before they headed home. We were exhausted, but it was worth it. I hope it will be another magic summer memory for the kids.

Sweet Land of Liberty

First on the agenda was the parade. Thanks to Carol and company who braved the rain to camp out for seats. The kids were so excited (even though Brook wouldn't smile). Their anticipation for the 4th of July is second only to Christmas. I love our traditions and I love that the kids are making great memories. It has been neat to see their love for their country take root.
I also love that we share our traditions with our extended family, too. Emily, Chirs, Marc, Liz, Rachel, Benjamin, Nicole, Mom and Dad Anson and a whole bunch of Puckett cousins were at the parade. We were a loud and crazy bunch. We even got a surprise visit from the Bills. We loved catching up with you guys!


After the parade we had lunch at the Brick Oven, of course. David actually made our reservation when we were there on Christmas Eve. I actually remembered to take the camera to the restaurant this time. The kids had a great time with the Smith and Puckett cousins. They even managed to squeeze a little eating in.
Next stop: Grandma and Grandpa Anson's for rest time. Joseph and I even got a nap. We celebrated Benjamin's first birthday (I still can't believe he is 1!) and the kids hit the pool. Sariah decided the water was too cold and opted to lie in the sun. Zac and Ally are my fish. They were in their own little world, splashing and singing and giggling. Poor Benjamin got roughed up a bit. Since his recent surgery, he is not supposed to get water in his ears. Sorry.

Brooklyn was unsure at first. She played around the edge and got in once and then right back out. When she asked to play with the bucket, Joseph put it in the middle of the pool and put her back in with it. There was no turning back. It was the first time she has played by herself in the pool. She was shrieking and splashing, having the time of her life. It is a little hard to tell in the picture below, but she quickly figured out how to dump the bucket onto the other kids. The video at the end cracked us all up.

All that swimming worked up quite an appetite. We were at the right place. Grandpa knows how to put on a holiday cook out, complete with a kid table and a decorated garage. Thanks, Grandpa. With full tummies, we headed to the fireworks. Brook did not quite make it. She fell asleep on the way and woke up two hours later in time to see the last of the fireworks. They must have made an impression because she woke up long enough to tell Emily, "We all done with fireworks." On Sunday, she talked about the "lights" and the firetrucks in the parade.

These two were not sleepy at all. I wish I could figure out where they get all their energy. They did not hardly stop to watch the fireworks. They kept "fighting" the fireworks with thier glo stick light sabers. There was a grand Star Wars game going all night long. All four kids fell asleep on the way home. It was a long, perfect day. As we pulled out of the driveway for church the next morning, Zac asked, "Mom, how many days until the next 4th of July?" My feelings exactly!

Sariah at the Bat

For whatever reason, this video clip would not work in my post about T-ball. So I tried it in its own post. You'll have to go back a few posts to read all the details about our first T-ball season. I'll get it together one of these days.

I Could Get Used to This

The other day Sariah asked if she could do the dishes. We let her give it a try. She actually did a pretty good job. Joseph had to give her a few pointers and we rewashed a few things. What a sweet taste of the future. Dishes are my least favorite chore. We should let her at it while she still wants to. This is one of the definite perks of having older kids.
I will try to focus on the perks when they think they are getting too grown up and ask for things like late nights with their friends. Sariah and her friend kept planning sleepovers together. They would both come home from school excited about their big plans. Since neither of us moms do friend sleepovers, we told them that maybe in the summer they could have a late night. They did not let us forget about it. Finally, a whole two weeks after school was over, it was time for the big night. The most important part to Sariah was that they ate treats and watched a movie in thier pajamas. So that is what we did. Sariah chose BBQ chips and M&M's. Her friend brough licorice and mints. Cinderella was the feature of choice. They were adorable.
Sariah went a little overboard on the treats. I sacrifced and helped her out with a few. They tolerated my presence for a few minutes while I worked on the computer.
Zac thinks he is super grown up these days as he FINALLY lost his first tooth. He was so excited, but a little disappointed that it did not come out before the end of school so he could put his name on the lost tooth poster. He is constantly checking for more loose teeth. We'll keep you posted.

Happy Father's Day

Here is our Super Dad getting a well deserved rest on Father's Day. I think he did get a little sleep. It is hard to put into words how much we love Joseph. He is a wonderful father and I appreciate the time he takes to build a relationship with each of the kids. They think the world of him and so do I. We love you, Joseph!

Go, Cubs!

Sariah and Zac were able to play on the same T-ball team this year. Zac would have preferred the Braves, of course, but he was excited to be a Cub. The season 10 games, most of them in June. We had a great time cheering them on. Thanks to our fans: Grandma, Grandpa, Emily, Nicole and Juan. The kids loved having you there. I am proud of both of them and loved watching them improve as ball players. Joseph got to be the coach and we learned about the time commitment that entails. At a T-ball level it is not too bad. However, we have set a precedent. Ally thinks I should be her coach when she plays soccer this fall. I told her I really do not know much about soccer or the rules. She said, "Yeah you do. Kick it in the goal and no hands." Apparently that is all there is to it. We'll see, Ally.

Zac loves to play. It took him awhile to adjust to hitting the ball off of the tee instead of having it pitched to him. He got a couple of great hits this season. We all got a chuckle out of watching him run the bases. He slid every chance he got. Which is why I schubbed grass stains out of his baseball pants after every game.
As a fielder, Zac paid attention most of the time. He spaced out every now and then. It was hilarious to watch the team dance in the outfield or just sit down and take a break.
Sariah's favorite postition to play was catcher. She did a pretty good job of getting the ball and putting it back on the tee. When she played at a base she had more fun chatting with the runners on her base then she did actually fielding. One time she was playing in the infield, just standing there with her glove at her feet. The balls were going right by her, but she was busy putting on her lipgloss. I wish I had snapped a picture of that one. I am proud of her for sticking it out and playing every inning of every game. We witnessed a small miracle as we watched her run the bases and play with the others. Eight years ago opportunites like T-ball were a hope not an expectation. How blessed we are. I included a little video of our sluggers. Unitl next season!