March 3, 2012

Dinner at the McGuires!

Highlights from today: (Click here for pictures)

•  At 6:50 this morning the boys started singing Jingle Bells.  That was enough to get Robby up and out of the house and into the yard before 8:30.  We all were headed out but it take the rest of us a bit longer to get dressed and come out.  When it was time for breakfast, Campbell called everyone and this is how she does it-"fast boys! boys come." She has taken to calling Anderson and Graham "boys" and will even just call one of them "boy." 
• After breakfast, Graham, Campbell and I went out.  Oh, we also had Keaton in tow.  She was wrapped in the blanket and wearing a hat.  After a bit, we took the hat off and before too long it was so warm that she didn't even need her blanket.  Keaton lasted a long while outside before deciding that she was tired and hungry.  She then took quite a long nap inside before coming back out.
• Reagan, Anderson and Graham spent the morning playing frisbee and swinging.  They did help us some in the yard.  We worked on the upper half of the lower half of the yard (get that?).  We mostly raked and raked and raked.  Robby started burning pretty early so we had a fire most of the morning long (which is probably why Anderson's eyes are crazy red tonight).
• About 10 minutes after being outside, the kids wanted a snack.  It was probably longer than that but that is what it seemed like.  Sometimes I feel like I am not any help outside because I am always getting snacks, tying shoes, bandaging knees and hardly ever raking or working when I am outside.  My thought was that if I got them a big snack, they would be busy for a bit longer so they had apples, goldfish, pretzels and graham crackers.  They gobbled them down all sitting in a little row in their lawn chairs.  Soon though, Campbell came walking over carrying her chair with her plate balanced sitting in the chair.  She sat her chair right near our leaf hauling tarp and then sat and watched us.  
• The Dennie's came over to help and they worked until lunch time.  We cleaned out the fridge and had all kinds of leftovers.  Grannymom had even brought some cookies over and we cleaned them up.  Then it was back outside.  By now the kids were getting tired-Campbell spent some time laying on the tarp as we raked leaves around her.  We would just look up and see Graham sitting up next to a tree.  
• Sometime this afternoon, the neighbor boys (7 and 9) were out blowing bubbles and playing basketball.  Anderson walked over and they played basketball and then asked Anderson to jump on the trampoline.  We let him (Graham was too tired to go, Reagan didn't want to and Campbell wanted so badly to go and jump but they didn't have a net so I didn't let her).  
• Sometime while Anderson was over there, I noticed Grannymom and Grandpa looking intently into the neighbors back yard, I saw a commotion at their front faucet and then the little neighbor boy came and told me that there was a fire in his backyard.  I walked to the back and sure enough, they had a fire and it was out of control.  Not out of control enough that any of us felt the need to go over but out of control enough that they were pouring cups of water on it and the mom was having to work at it.  (and yes, we always have our fire area cleared and a water hose nearby).  We went ahead and called Anderson home at that time for a few minutes.  He asked why and Robby told him that they had some thing to take care of (yes, like the blazing fire in their backyard!)
• What were we busy doing during all of this?  Well, we were chopping up the trees right beside this neighbors house.  They were clearly on our line but the little boy did have his sister come out and I saw him pointing at Robby and the tree he was cutting down (it was ugly and again clearly on our side).  Anyway, we cleaned up the line and really made their house look better-we raked, cut branches and then we looked around and couldn't find Graham.
• He had just been right beside us.  We looked around and couldn't see him.  I walked down the street to see the neighbors trampoline but he wasn't there.  Asked Reagan and she didn't know.  Robby walked to the house to check the tree house but he wasn't there.  As he was going inside to check he did see his shoes and socks at the door.  Robby walked in and finally found Graham laying in our bed with his shirt off and happily drinking his milk.
• I wished that the child would have taken off all of his clothes and not just his shirt since he was laying on my nice clean sheets.  They were all so filthy be the end of the day-Campbell's whole face was filthy and all of the white parts of Reagan's shirt were no longer white and are probably on the way to Nonna's washing machine.
• When we came in it was around 3:30.  Anderson, Campbell and Reagan had a shower and then Robby took his. Pretty soon after that we took pictures of everyone and then Graham woke up and had a shower.  Before I noticed Robby was giving Keaton a bath and I was yet to have my shower.  If you recall, we have a 5 gallon hot water heater (really 35 but it is like 5 gallons when you having 7 people using it).  I guess that I had waited long enough because I did have some hot water left for me.
• Campbell was so excited that we were going to Laynie's house tonight.  And she was so pleased to be wearing panties (along with a diaper).  Reagan was teasing and putting them on her and she was not going to take them off at all.  She even told Laynie about her panties when we got to Laynie's house.
• We had supper and everyone played well and Anderson was almost giddy when they pulled out the wii.  The kids all played and Hayley and Keaton (who now has two teeth-growing up too fast) sat in front of each other and just stared.  
• I changed everyone into their pajamas while we were there and then we headed home.  They were all tired-especially Campbell who had missed her nap.  We just need about 12 more Saturdays and this yard will be in tip top shape!