January 24, 2015

Dennie / McGuire Kids Take Over McClard's

(click here for today's pictures)

• Try as we might to sleep a bit later this morning, there was someone in our bed right at 7.  Yep, I did say someone because I really don't know who it was-wasn't Whitman, Reagan or Keaton and probably not Anderson.  And a bit before that, some stinker had set the alarm on my phone to go off at 5-last time I woke up at 5, I was probably catching an airplane or going to the hospital to have a baby.  That didn't bother me though because I quickly switched that alarm off and went soundly back to sleep until our early morning riser, whoever it was, came to our bed.
• The kids trickled downstairs and soon everyone was up-even Whitman who will stay happily in his bed.  He will talk and sing and only start singing really loudly when he is finally ready for us to wake him up.  I let the girls wake him up this morning after he finished singing "let it go, let it go."
• Robby soon was busy in the kitchen with breakfast-bacon, sausage, biscuits and eggs.  A fancy smancy Saturday meal here at the Dennie house.  Robby was all proud of his meal until he overheard Keaton talking to Pops on the phone.  Pops asked Keaton what she had for breakfast and she promptly said "a sandwich."  Her bacon and eggs were in her biscuit so to her it was a sandwich.
• After cleaning up from breakfast, Graham built a train track in the toy room.  I often think about putting some toys away and then as soon as I think about a specific toy to put up, that is inevitably the one that the kids pull out and play with.  It was a pretty massive track all around the toy room-the train track is probably one of my favorite no longer played with toys.  I will probably even keep it for my grandkids (yes, I have already started thinking about which toys are keepers and which are garage sellers) 
• I pulled out Sunday clothes-with Reagan's help.  Every Saturday, I pick something for Reagan to wear the next day and then she changes it on Sunday morning-that is just how we do things. It used to bother me but now it doesn't and is my running joke.  If she does indeed wear what I have picked out, then I do consider it a Sunday miracle.  She did spot me picking out clothes today so she quickly jumped in to pick out her own pick.  
• Whitman had a shower this morning.  Actually a shower for him was not on the to-do list but he got in the shower with his pajamas on to play with the toys and since I had just had a shower, he became wet, wet.  So Robby decided that would be a good time for his morning shower and Whitman joined him so he could continue playing. 
• And then it was time for me to take Reagan to church for Super Hero Saturday.  Keaton, Campbell and Whitman went with me.  Reagan wore one of Anderson's super hero shirts and some of her friends were there waiting on her when we arrived.  They took their pictures with the Incredible family and even with Superman.  I tried to get Keaton and Campbell to take their pictures with the super heroes but they would not at all!
• Reagan had fun and when it was over, she went home with the McGuires.  We left our house soon afterwards and picked up the entire McGuire fam.  We all loaded into the van and headed to Hot Springs.  If you remember a few weeks ago, our crew went to eat at McClards and it was closed so we tried again today.
• When we made it to McClards, we had to walk past the large front windows and we could see the entire restaurant turn their heads our directions and begin counting kids.  It was just about 4 and the place was packed but thankfully Todd walked right in and found a table beside the bar.  It took a few minutes but we situated the kids at the bar stools-Reagan, Kennedy, Camryn, Campbell, Laynie, Keaton, Graham and Anderson and then the McGuires, us and Whitman squeezed into a 2 man table!  (It wasn't really a 2 man table but let just say it was a tight squeeze.)
• The kids were perfect-absolutely perfect.  Worker after worker commented on their good behavior-of course that just makes me wonder what the kids that usually eat there act like. They stayed in their seats and they ate-what else could we ask for?  One of the workers even gave the kids their own Peppermint Pattie.  Back at the grown up table, we ate and ate and hands down the best thing there is the tamales.
• After eating, we drove downtown and walked by the Hot Springs.  Everyone enjoyed stretching their legs but my Keaton would not touch the water at all.  We were all saying that the water was hot so I guess she heard us and wasn't going to touch it all.  Then we walked around the Arlington, remembering the days that we would go there and watch the ball room dancers.  
• And after we had walked off supper, we needed a snack so we went to Fat Bottomed Girls for a few cupcakes-a dozen!  The kids all picked out one and we ate them in the car.  It did make for a quieter than usual ride home since they were eating those huge cupcakes for a bit of the ride. 
• It was quiet at least until Whitman started letting us know that he was wet, tired and ready to get out of the car.  He had missed his nap and fussed pretty much until we made it home but once his feet hit the ground, he was our happy baby again.  The kids quickly put on their pjs and then we even watched a Duck Dynasty before bed-a pretty perfect, yet tiring day for all!