January 16, 2014

(click here for today's pictures)

Oral Reports Day!

• My Whitman woke up around midnight last night and that was after falling asleep on the way home from church. We new that he would wake up and when I tried to lay him back down, he would just cry and cry.  Now maybe because he was a bit sick (still is and maybe even worse tonight-aaargh!) and maybe because I felt a bit guilty about being gone so long, I held him for a very, very long time.  Then I started to worry that what if he didn't go back to sleep when I laid him down.  So I laid him down while he was still awake-he fussed briefly but was quiet by the time I laid back down into bed.  
• Graham and Anderson found their kindles this morning and sat in our bedroom this morning side by side playing on those silly things.  They played and played and then the big girls joined them.  Keaton stayed in bed with us for awhile and then it was time to get Campbell to school.  Robby took her and then hung out so he could bring her home after school.  
• Today was the day that our home school friends came over.  But before 10 we had quite a few things to do at our house-breakfast, make Beebee a birthday card, get ready, pick up a bit, practice our oral reports (along with make a few more snowflakes for Reagan and get Graham's liberty pole pictures ready) and I even had the kids do 2 school boxes.  Reagan sped through her oral report to practice as our company started arriving-she was so funny reading through it.  I tried to tell her that she would do fine and didn't need another practice but she thought differently.  
• The kids were happy to have friends over-Brody, Ethan, Easton, Charolette, Caroline, Alyssa Kate, Noah, Lilly and Eden.  We let the kids play for a long, long time before deciding to start on our oral reports.  All of the kids reports continue to get better-presented better and more educational.  The other reports today were about race cars, tornadoes, zebras and tigers.  
• Graham was near the first to go and he did excellent.  That little boy read his report on Liberty Poles expertly.  He was proud to show off his liberty pole that we had made.  Anderson talked about giraffes and had made giraffe shaped cookies to hand out.  And my Reagan was the last one to go so she had to deal with a fairly rowdy, restless crowd.  She talked about snowflakes and was proud to show off her plethora of snowflakes that she (and I) had made.
• Then we all started on lunch and about that time Robby brought Campbell home.  My Campbell loves school but all day long today she has been a bit bummed because she missed seeing everyone else do their oral reports.  All of the Dennies did their reports tonight but she still was asking about everyone else's reports.  I guess that next time I will keep her home from school so she can take part.  
• The kids had lunch and played some.  Then Amber had a project for them to do-make rice filled socks to heat up-one for themselves and one to give away.  I volunteered Sara to sew the socks and she did great-I couldn't have done it that well and quickly.  At the last minute, we decided to fill the socks outside instead of inside-that was a great idea!  You wouldn't believe the mess that we made-at least it was outside!
• After being outside to fill the socks, we realized the beautiful weather and then sent everyone outside to play.  They played and played.  Amber even spotted many deer tracks in the front yard-very close to the house.  We never see the deer out that window but have apparently never caught them out there.   
• Eventually, a huge soccer game was started and the kids had a blast.  Unfortunately after awhile, everyone headed home and we jumped in the car to go and see Beebee.  All of us but Whitman, he stayed home with Robby since he was asleep.  
• Today was Beebee's 91st birthday.  We had her a brownie birthday cake that she enjoyed blowing out the candles on.  We helped her open some of her birthday cards and I worked on her address book some more.  The kids were pretty talkative and told her all about their oral reports.  Nonna and Pops showed up and before we left, the kids all grabbed some candy for the ride home.  
• Oh yes, Graham and Campbell did decide to take Beebee their rice filled socks.  They gave them to her and she was so proud.  And then a few minutes later, Campbell said "Beebee, I changed my mind.  I am going to give my sock to someone else."  I tried to talk her out of this but she was pretty adamant about taking her sock back.  Beebee didn't mind and thought all of this was pretty funny.  
• We made it home and Whitman had been snoozing in Robby's lap.  The kids all had showers and then we had supper.  After supper the kids straightened upstairs and then we had cupcakes.  And tonight, everyone did their oral reports for Campbell and Robby.  Of course this time, Keaton and Campbell did a little something for the camera.  And then the highlight of the day was watching their selves on the tv before bed.  And at bed, they all took their heated rice filled socks with them.