December 26, 2013

A little afternoon shooting...

(click here for today's pictures)

(click here for a quick video from yesterday morning as the kids found their stockings)

• Well, to tell the truth, I almost had as much fun today as I did yesterday.  When I finished writing last night, we had just finished our movie and then we watched a short movie before everyone going to bed-or going to their sleeping bags.  Within just a few minutes everyone was asleep-sound asleep.  Robby and I played on our computers for a bit but we quickly were tired with the sounds of all the kiddos snoring away. 
• We didn't wake up until after 7 and it is pretty sweet waking up with everyone around.  Anderson was the first one up and he climbed onto the couch with me for awhile.  Then when Keaton woke up she joined us.  I asked her about where she slept and she was so proud that she had slept in her sleeping bag.  
• Soon I was sitting in the floor working on legos with Graham.  He really wants to do them and can follow the directions and put them together but occasionally he will miss a step or put something in the wrong place so it was easier for me to stay nearby.  While I was working on this, I played Anderson in a game of checkers.  He did really well and we were almost finished when our game board get tipped over.  He didn't seem to care-it happens a lot here!
• Whitman came upstairs and joined us but he couldn't be put down on the lego filled floor.  Robby took him downstairs after awhile and they started working on our breakfast-pigs in a blanket and cinnamon rolls.  Breakfasts are getting to be pretty good around here.  
• After breakfast, the kids did a few boxes of school and then Campbell and I started on her craft project.  Soon though Graham and Anderson were begging to do their dinosaur digging gift.  Graham has been asking and asking to do his but I have been putting him off knowing that it was going to be a mess.  But since there were 2 kiddos wanting to do it, I relented and soon Reagan was pulling out her rock finding kit.  I did stop helping Campbell to go and get them all set up and then I came back to C.  After a few minutes, she said "I should have done my rocks too."  I told her that we could and we both headed to the kitchen.
• So these dinosaur bone and rock finding kids were pretty neat.  Each kit came with a block of gypsum that had dinosaur bones or pretty rocks hidden inside of it.  They came with a tool and a brush and the kids had to chip, bang, pound and scrap to get the things out.  It took them forever and made a mess in my kitchen that I will be cleaning forever.  That chipping, banging, pounding and scraping created a thick layer of dust that spread everywhere.  They had the most fun finding their stuff and it was pretty hard for them to do.  
• The boys were able to finish their excavating and we even put together their dinosaur bones.  The girls gave up after awhile so I bagged up their mess to do at a later date.  I have decided that every few weeks for school we are going to have a project day to work on all of our projects.
• I worked on cleaning the kitchen while Robby and the kids did a bit of video game playing.  Soon that was over and we picked up a few things-all of the gifts are in the bonus room and it looks like a toy store up there.  We tried to put a few things up but will just have to do a bit every few days.  Tomorrow's task is to figure out better lego storage.  
• Soon the kids gladly helped us drink a few cokes so we could have some cans to shoot out with Anderson's new bb gun.  The kids were delighted to do this and when it was over, it was like there had been a party at our house with cans scattered all over my kitchen bar.
• Robby set up the cans and gave the kids some instructions and they started shooting.  Meanwhile, I brought Whitman outside and put him in the wagon.  While I was inside getting the camera, Reagan ran into get a paper towel because Whitman was playing in dirt in the wagon.  She was working on cleaning it when I came out.  He had it on his hands, on his feetie pajamas and when I got closer, it smelled nasty-like poo!  They wagon was under the shed upside down so I don't know how there could be that in there but I do think it was.  I jerked that boy up and took him to the kitchen sink.  He probably thought that I was going to water board him because I not only washed his hands but also his mouth.  After a change for him I quickly hurried out to see what I had missed.
• Everyone still had their eyes when I came back out.  They were all gathered around watching each other shoot the gun.  Anderson got it and was occasionally able to hit a can.  The times that he didn't hit a can, he would say that he probably did and we just didn't see it.  Um, okay. 
• The remote control cars were working outside as well during our shooting session.  The cars did really well outside and day 2 of them not being broken so that is pretty good.  The kids were so happy to be outside for a bit.  Though after a while I asked Keaton if she wanted to have her milk (which is code for take a nap) and she said yes and kissed her Daddy bye.  
• Soon, we were scurrying around trying to leave for the evening.  We decided to eat at Chuys and needed to get there before the dinner rush-table for 8 in a busy restaurant-ha!  We didn't have to wait at all and were soon enjoying our food.  The kids were perfect and we got our eating out fix for awhile.  
• After supper we went to Target and bought some wrapping paper for next years presents.  The kids walked around and saw many thing that they would like to add to their Christmas lists-yes, they have figured out how many days until Christmas next year.  
• The next stop was to pick up Grannymom and Grandpa for a ride to see the capitol.  The kids enjoyed seeing the tree and Graham was pretty curious about how they got it into the building.  And then there was also a Golden Book display which the kids found interesting.  Soon we were headed back to the house to wrap up another great day.