February 19, 2015

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

(click here for today's pictures)

• And again today there just must be something wrong with the kids clock because they were all up at 6:40.  Oh, there were people running this way and that way.  Robby finally turned off the monitor and we just tried to lay very still so they wouldn't find us.  But then I heard a strange sound-like a leaf blower, or bull dozer, or a vacuum cleaner. What could it be at 7 in the morning?  I went to investigate and there stood Anderson in the living room vacuuming away.  I just stood there in shock trying to decide if I was upset or pleased with what I saw.  I asked "what are you doing?" and he replied that Reagan had been giving them out chores and he had thought of vacuuming.  I tried to smile as I said "well, thank you but please don't vacuum my room until we are out of bed."
• I didn't last much longer in bed-honestly, I was afraid that someone was going to come and try to make it while I was still lying in it so I climbed out.  By the time I was ready, the kids were mostly ready and the house was pretty well picked up.  So we had our breakfast and they kids practiced their poems.
• This morning was homeschool day and all of our friends started showing up around 10:30. The kids all had an original poem and a favorite poem to read.  The Dennie poems were pretty short and Graham was in such a hurry to say his and sit down that even though I knew exactly what he poem says, I still couldn't understand him.  My Campbell realized this morning that she didn't have a poem so we had to scribble one out before everyone arrived but she did it pretty well.  
• After all of the kids had said their poems, we let them play-oh and play they did.  The big kids are so loud and the little kids just sit in the toy room and completely destroy it but they are quiet and happy and that makes it all okay.  
• I made potato soup (well, actually Robby and I got out of bed at 11 last night to put it all in the crock pot).  It was the easiest soup ever and was quite delicious-I just asked Robby if he would make it again and he said he would-tomorrow.  We did devour the entire crock pot of soup and it was filled to the brim.
• Then there was more play time for the kids but this time they kept coming to ask us if we were ready-Valentines were next.  For a bunch of homeschool kiddos, having a group of folks to pass out Valentines to is pretty exciting.  Everyone had boxes this year and the kids could not have been more excited.  Graham tried so hard to get Whitman to pass out his Valentines but Whitman was too distracted with everything going on around him and he could not figure out why people kept handing him things.  
• Finally when everyone left, the kids helped me pick up.  Some where better picker uppers than others.  Every time that the group leaves, we never know what we will find (last month a coat and pair of panties were left) but this month the shower curtain rod had been pulled almost down and a door knob was missing (still is!)  Craziness but still worth it.
• The afternoon was fairly quiet-Whitman napped and Keaton fell asleep while watching a movie.  I let Keaton and Campbell watch their own movie today and that is the key for me to have a bit of quiet time during the afternoon.  After we woke up our sleeping beauty, we had supper and then left for a few errands.
• First stop was gas for both cars-we had thought that my car needed gas but after going no where since Sunday, it was fairly full but we still took both cars to fill them up.  Then we dropped off Robby's car and I ran into Walmart to pick up Graham some shoe laces, into Sams to pick up Robby's medicine and then into Savers with Graham and Anderson to find them some blue jeans.  All of my missions were successful so we celebrated with Krispy Kreme.  The worker was pleased that Robby had brought the entire family tonight!...and we were glad that the entire family came too (last Krispy Kreme time, Campbell missed it because of the flu!)