July 2, 2016

A little yard work!

(click here for today's pictures)

• Last night Robby told the boys to not make a sound until after 8 this morning.  We didn't hear them at all but unfortunately Robby didn't tell that to the girls and two of them were in our room before 8.  The other, Reagan, had gone downstairs to fetch her kindle and then hid in her bed until breakfast arrived.
• Campbell and Robby had started getting all of the pancake stuff out and then sadly realized that we were out of pancake mix.  We usually have 2-3 extra boxes around here but not today.  I walked in the room and could tell that they were both pretty bummed about this-until Robby mentioned Shipleys.  
• Campbell, Keaton and Whitman loaded up and they went to go pick up doughnuts.  At Shipleys they were all out of chocolate filled and then out of glazed.  Cake doughnuts were not what they wanted so they drove on to Krispy Kreme (which was not really what I wanted!)  
• Everyone was pleased with breakfast and before I could talk Robby out of it, he headed out to work in the yard.  He wanted to burn one of the burn piles today and that is where he headed.  Robby started with his lighter but that didn't work to get the pile burning.  Then he tried a camping fire starter log but that didn't work.  He used his blower but that didn't work so he resorted to gasoline but that didn't work for too long.  He had just about given up and tried one last thing-a card board box filled with leaves and sticks that I had been raking up.  It finally worked!
• You could gather sticks in our yard for the rest of your life and that is what we did for a few hours today.  Robby would have to stop and poke, rearrange and blow the fire so it would keep burning.  
• Robby eventually decided that we should at least rake some leaves so we started on that.  Graham was quick to remind me that he had earlier told Grannymom that we weren't going to rake leaves today.  We worked on leaves at the way bottom or snakeland, as I like to call it.
• Robby had seen at least 3 other snakes when he finally was able to get to one before it slithered off.  He told Anderson to get a shovel and he quickly returned with a shovel and his brothers and sisters.  Everyone watched as Robby finished the snake off but no one really stuck around to help with the rest of the raking.
• We had let the kids stay inside most of the morning but around noon, we made everyone come outside for the rest of the time.  Whitman was upset about not getting to wear his good shoes outside so he just didn't wear any shoes but surprisingly he stayed on the driveway the entire afternoon.
• Lunch was at 2 and Reagan asked to make it.  I said certainly and that girl went to work.  She made everyone sandwiches and had even poured the drinks and cleaned up the mess when we all came in for lunch.  
• Afterwards, we all headed back outside for the rest of the afternoon and raked and raked and raked.  I did more hopping around-avoiding snakes (all imaginary) and picking ticks off of me.  When the area was finally raked and the leaves hauled away, we started picking up.  That took a while since the kids had played pretty hard.
• Once everyone had changed, we went to the pool.  It was pretty empty and the kids relished an empty pool and greatly enjoyed Robby and I swimming with them some.  We stayed until almost 9 and on the way home, Campbell asked why Robby was going to fast (he wasn't speeding).  Keaton shot back that it was because we were almost out of gas (we were not). 
• We made it home without running out of gas and then it was shower time for all which meant lots of hair washing and tick checking followed by bed.  Robby was going to send them to bed without doing our nightly Bible study since it was late but the kids protested so how could he turn them down.