January 17, 2023

(click for today's pictures)

• Please excuse me if my blog is a bit scattered tonight-we just had a surprise birthday party for a dog here, and things are still a bit crazy.
• The kids said that it was indeed the shortest birthday party they had been to. In fact, just about as soon as we sang Happy Birthday, I was taking down the decorations. How you do have a surprise party for a dog? It is pretty low prep (or it could have been.)
• Basically, Reagan took her potty while the rest of us turned on music, hung a banner, and lit a candle. Then we hid-yep, we hid and shouted out Happy Birthday to her when Reagan brought her in the house. 
• Of course this party wasn't exactly low prep since Campbell spent about an hour today working on Bentley's cake. Baking a cake for a dog is not as fun since none of us can sample it. She even had colored icing on the cakes. And no, we certainyl didn't let her eat it all-she is goin o save some for tomorrow. 
• Please don't tell the dog, but it actually isn't even her birthday. Her birthday was last Tuesday, but she is after all a dog so maybe she doesn't know that we celebrated a week late.
• This morning started off just fine. My big kids get up quicker when they have to go to school on school days. And I like Tuesdays the best since I work with Campbell, Keaton and Whitman first. Then they started on their school work.
• Before I knew it, I headed out to pick up the boys from their class. I did have Anderson drive home from church, and he did just fine. He also drove to basketball practice tonight-I am trying to get his practice in right now since Graham is pretty determined to take his permit test this week, and then he will be the one getting all of the practice.
• My afternoon felt short because at 2, I took Graham to get his eyes checked. He always says that he can't read signs as quick as the rest of us when we are in the car, and since that driving things is happening soon, I thought I should get it checked out.
• He is near sighted and does have a slight astigmatism, but not really enough to warrant contacts. If he was in school and reading from a board, then he might have to get glasses, but not just yet. He was relieved for sure. I had already promised him that I wouldn't make him wear glasses, but I did tell him that if needed contacts, he would be getting them.
• Next we were home for a bit before we headed to Defy for a little bit of jumping time. The kids jumped for over an hour before they started coming upstairs where we were sitting. They start migrating upstairs when they get tired and are ready to go.
• Robby and I took Bentley on a short walk tonight before I had to leave for basketball practice. I dropped off the boys at practice, then dropped off the girls (all of them) at Target, and then I met Robby at Kroger for me to get gas. 
• Since everyone had left the house, Whitman got to go with Robby to Costco, the gas station, and Kroger. Now, Robby told Whitman that they were just running in to get cheese, but when Robby started putting other things in the shopping cart, Whitman was quick to point out that it was not just cheese.
• We all made it home, and that is when the party started. Since the party has been over. One child has asked if we had a "grinder." It took me about 5 minutes to figure out that they were talking about a garbage disposal. Another child just learned that you can pull out the racks in the dishwasher. They thought that the dishwasher was full, but when I showed them that you can pull the racks out, there was much more room. I think that maybe I am failing as a mother!-at least in teaching home making skills to my people.