August 17, 2012

(click here for today's pictures)

• By shortly after 10, everyone was asleep last night and at 12 when I went to check on everyone, they were all laying just as we had last left them-too tired to even move.  Anderson said that him and Cash stayed up real late and Reagan said Campbell asked questions all night.  Funny how their definitions of "real late" and "all night" are a bit different than mine!
• A bit before 7, all 3 boys ran into our bedroom and asked if they could play.  They had left the toy room to come downstairs to ask if they could play.  Of course I said yes and back up they went to the toy room.  Soon the girls were up as well and I was already dreading Campbell calling for us to get her out of bed (I don't mind getting her out of bed but honestly, it is so far away in the mornings).  She never called and I was starting to wonder when she showed up downstairs.  Lilly had helped her out of bed-Lilly now has an invitation to sleep over any night she would like!  
• Before too long, everyone was having doughnuts for breakfast along with some poptarts.  They played for awhile but were very anxious to get outside to play on the water slide.  I stalled for quite a long time.  First we made our solar ovens out of pizza boxes and then we made a cake.
• There is a favorite book of mine, Seven Silly Eaters, about 7 kids that each like only one food.  There poor mom was exhausted making 7 different things and it was almost her birthday.  The kids awoke early to make the mom their favorite foods but ended up making a mess and putting it all in one big pot in the warm oven.  The mom woke to a perfect birthday cake made with all of their favorite foods and from them on that is the only thing that the family ate.  All that to say, we made the cake from the book-it wasn't too bad and the kids enjoyed eating it during one of our swimming breaks later in the day.
• Around 11, we sat out our solar ovens and had a quick lunch outside.  Then I let them on the water slides and they had a blast.  Lots of tag, lots of races and lots of splashing.  They would stop every so often to check on our ovens-we had s'mores baking inside of them.  The chocolate started to melt pretty quickly and was almost too melted when we ate them.  But the marshmallows were barely warm and never really cooked.  Two things we did wrong-I forgot the step of putting newspaper around the inside edge of the box and the second thing was I probably didn't tape everything up tight enough so that air couldn't get out of the box.  
• I was trying to stop for a food break every hour-first the cake, then the smores and finally the watermelon.  We had another watermelon (thanks to the neighbor) and the kids pretty much devoured it.  There really wasn't even enough to cut and save mainly due to my lack of cutting skills.
• Eventually the water slides start losing more air (I think they get tired) and started deflating (or maybe it had something to do with the 6 kids on them).  Either way, the kids decided they were ready to come in so in everyone went to change.  By the time I had the towels in the wash, the whole crew was going out again to play in the dirt.  
• This kept them busy for at least another 2 hours.  I just don't understand what they can do in a dirt pile for so long (though I sure remember enjoying my sand pile growing up).  Graham was so tired by now that he sat in my lap for a few minutes while we were outside and fell sound asleep.  He slept until after 5 and we had to work hard to wake him up.
• I handed out popsicles and after they ate them I suggested that they go inside and watch a movie.  They were all tired and needed to rest for a few minutes.  The boys played upstairs and then joined the girls watching tv.  Dana showed up and when we went to get Lilly and Cash, everyone was all cuddled up watching Cake Boss.
• The kids were tired and we knew that the evening would stretch out if we stayed in the house, so soon we were all outside picking up sticks.  Well, I should probably say that the kids were outside picking up a stick each and Robby and I were picking up sticks.  We worked outside until Nonna and Pops dropped by.
• The joined us on our nightly walk/bike ride.  The past few days, Anderson has been having a bit of trouble riding and Robby saw why tonight-his rear tire was flat.  He fixed that before we had popsicles and then it was shower/bath time for the kids.
• It was nearly 7 when we had supper-no wonder the kids were hungry.  Sandwiches, apples, doughnuts and then bed for everyone.  Graham called Robby upstairs to cover him up and he was the only one still awake.  The others were sound asleep-long and wonderful day for my little Dennies!