Camping

We went camping last weekend with my brothers and college friends. There were 12 kids and 8 adults (and I use the term adult loosely with this group!!). It was an experience! The kids had a blast. The old folks had a little rougher time. 

First off, Aaron hurt his knee playing ultimate frisbee. 

Then my allergies kicked into overdrive. Lovely, aren't I?! I haven't had allergies this bad since I was a kid. I woke up in the middle if the night with my eyes matted shut. The last time that happened, I was spending the night at Grandpa & Grandma's farm and Grandma came in with a warm washcloth and gently cleaned my eyes. I couldn't have been more than 8. And she broke open my allergy capsule and mixed it in some Cool Whip for me to take since I couldn't swallow pills. Thanks, Grandma, for taking such good care of me! Back to the present... :) I had almost no allergies last year. That's never happened to me before. So I wasn't exactly prepared for this massive flare up of allergies. Turns out the grass pollen for that area was very high last weekend. Not fun at all. 

The most entertaining part of the weekend was watching the men "gather" firewood!! We brought a couple boxes of chopped wood, but we quickly went through that between cooking and keeping warm in the evenings and mornings. So the men went in search of more firewood...with no tools except their bodies and an extension cord!! The results were comical. I'll have to try posting the videos I have sometime. All I have to say is that those 4 guys...once they get together, they act like college kids again!! :)

All in all, it was a great weekend. I'm excited to camp many more times this summer!

This is why I haven't posted lately...

*this post has a LOT of pictures...just a fair warning!*

So I've been busy. That's the short answer of why I haven't posted for a while. Let me show you some pictures, just in case you don't believe me...


This is what I did all day on Wednesday--

Count 'em folks...that's FIVE kids ages 3 and under (and Jacob was outnumbered 4 to 1!). Now, I wouldn't mind having 5 of my own kids (Aaron, get up off the floor). And I don't think it would be as exhausting as this day was for me. Here's why: These kids are close enough in age that it's not the same as twins (except for maybe Anna and the other 3 yr. old). The youngest baby is 6 months, the next is 8 months, and then Jacob at 12 months. So one was sitting up but not crawling, one was crawling but not walking...oh wait, Jacob isn't walking EITHER! Plus, when they're not your kids, they're missing their own mama! See the following pictures for proof (and in case the mothers are worried, I promise I didn't let them sit there and cry just so I could take their pictures!!).

She was happy most of the time, but of course, she decided that since the other babies were crying, she might as well join in!

This one was NOT happy at all! And she's got a set of lungs, lemme tell ya!

And naturally, the day I've got 2 other babies to take care of, Jacob decides to be clingy and fussy too!

Meanwhile, the 3 yr. olds were in heaven b/c I wasn't paying much attention to what they were doing (such as emptying the toy box of practically all its contents!)

What's that? Anna's playing with a baseball bat in the hallway? I didn't notice...

These 2 just wanted to be rocked, so I obliged. Is there anything better than having TWO babies to snuggle with?! Give them their pacifiers and one them her blankie and they were content to rock!

Sweet silence of sleeping babes!

Even the big girls took a nap. And they didn't even giggle and talk forever. They were out within 10 minutes!

I wasn't stupid enough to go in Jacob's room and take a picture! That dadgum door is so stinkin' noisy.

Did I mention that we just got back from a long weekend in Iowa on Tuesday night? And that the ENTIRE time we were there, neither of my kids slept through the night?! Good thinkin' on volunteering to babysit 3 extra kids the day after you get home! No, I'd agreed to do that long before we went to Iowa. Besides, how was I to know that Anna's allergies would come back with a vengeance and Jacob would just up and decide he should wake up screaming hundreds (okay, just a few) times every, single night?!

On to Iowa's pictures :) We went up early on Friday (earlier than normal anyway)--Cassie came with us (Aaron rode up later with Jamie) and we stayed an extra couple days after the Daddies went home on Sunday. It was fun, but it was crazy with 3 little ones! The trips up and back weren't too terribly bad. Except I forgot to put Anna's potty chair in the van, so we had to make more than one quick potty stop! It is so much easier to have that chair in the van! It's not easy holding her legs up and staying dry!!!!! Needless to say, I picked up another cheap potty chair for the ride home. Naturally, she only used it ONCE--5 minutes from home! Figures. Anyway, we had a lot of fun up there and Papa & Binga had fun playing with half of their grandkids :)

Aunt Cassie made a venture to the very back to read some books to Anna. She usually travels very well, but sometimes she gets bored of just watching Veggie Tales (unlike Jacob, who becomes a zombie when that movie is on!). So Cassie got back and read books. I think she read one book at least 5 times!

Mercy, he likes Iowa sweet corn! He ate practically that whole ear!

Papa, this is what the formula is! Don't you know anything?!

I'm Soopuh Guhl!! I can't remember what she called the paper around her neck?? Poor girl can't say her "r"s just like I couldn't at her age. It's pretty cute though :)

And then today...well, just look at that boy's face!! He was a little devil today! Ornery as all get-out. Evidently today was "Scream Your Head Off Day". I think I've lost a little hearing...

I'm not telling what time this picture was taken since Anna's still in her pj's...I was instructed to come to the other side of the table and take her picture. One time she accidentally marked on the fridge (it came right off) and she said "Uh oh Mama...I wasn't watching what I was doing!" Hmmm...think she's heard that phrase a few times?!?

Again--he was just pure mischief today!

Have I mentioned that Anna is a SNUGGLER??? No? Well, she is. Has been from the day she was born. I love it! Except when she's sleeping in my bed--then it gets a little crowded! She's in our room on the matress again. The allergies...again. She just wakes up coughing and gagging on all the gunk. Plus we could let Jacob cry it out the first night. He's slept thru since (pretend I didn't say that b/c now he'll wake up numerous times tonight!). I don't know how on earth either one of these two are sleeping, but they're out cold!

So there you have it (and the proof). I've been busy! And now I think I'll go to bed somewhat early. Tomorrow is Saturday! Yippeee!!!!

Cooking with Mama

Anna is my right-hand girl...she loves to help me, especially with cooking and washing dishes (seems like I used to be a lot like that...right Mom?) Anyway, yesterday afternoon we made some more salsa (I had 2 buckets full of tomatoes!). And yes, it's already gone! Binga brought Anna and I some matching Amish-made aprons (thanks!!), so we wore our matching aprons, chopped up veggies, and made salsa! Anna has allergies and they just started in again this week. She gets completely stuffed up-sneezing-coughing-gags on the gunk at night. It's miserable (don't I know!). So she carries a box of tissues around with her and she's such a little old lady about it! She keeps one tissue and uses it several times, tucking it away in a pocket in between! Hilarious. So this day she was keeping her tissue in her apron pocket. It was absolutely adorable to see her tuck her tissue away in her apron pocket!!!

Look at me Mom! -- she calls me Mom most of the time these days :(

Tucking her tissue into her pocket.

Helping Mama chop up the green onions (she likes to use the Pampered Chef chopper)

Since Jacob was already up from his nap and wanting my attention, I put a Berenstain Bears movie on the computer. Anna stood there and watched and stirred for the longest time! In fact, she got mad when it was time to put the salsa into the jars!

This is what Jacob did while the girls cooked (I'm sure it won't be long before he'll be watching ESPN while the girls cook!!). *he didn't actually sit in that chair the whole time--I just plopped him up there for a picture! he's growing up too fast!!! :(

Daddy had Anna bedtime duty tonight. Not sure who fell asleep first! She was watching a cartoon after her bath (remember when I said she doesn't like to be cold? Even in the summer time she likes to stay in her towel where it's "warm". So she usually gets to watch 10-15 min. of a cartoon after her bath.) I was working on the computer and realized after a while it was pretty quiet in there. Like father like daughter! I've always said they have the same sleeping habits (such as they have to be covered with blankets-big ones-no matter how hot they get!). And b/c of her severe congestion right now, she's been sleeping on a mattress on the floor of our bedroom so she doesn't wake up Jacob. She gags multiple times during the night on all the gunk, which makes her half-way wake up and cry quite a bit (who can blame her?!).

One of those days

It's just been one of those days today. Both kids were grumpy...Jacob's getting more teeth in, which means he's fussy, clingy, and his nose runs like a faucet. I have to put Vaseline on it b/c it gets red and sore and has even gotten so bad it bleeds. Poor baby. I think he might be getting some back teeth in the way he sticks his finger (or anything for that matter!) clear back in his mouth. So it's long days and long nights, too. Anna's allergies are getting bad again, so she can't breathe very well through her nose. I told her to blow her nose and she got mad (at her nose) and said "It won't cub out!!!" ha. I know the feeling. Luckily the OTC allergy medicine works for her.

"Don't take my piture!!"

WHIIIIIINE :(

Ohhh, he got so mad when I shut the bathroom door! He sat there for a good 5 min. and whined and pushed at the door! Nevermind that he had a gazillion toys to play with and all the other rooms in the house to explore...he wanted the bathroom!

But, I still have some wonderfully good kids :) Anna with her matching doll (again, thanks Uncle Windell!!)

They love to play on Anna's Dora couch. Jacob really likes Dora--he takes off really fast for that thing and gets his face right up there to look at her. It's quite funny!

Is it just my kids?? Anna would play forever on the dishwasher...of course, she wasn't as big as Jacob so she could actually crawl up ON the door and play. Jacob just stretches and tries so hard to get something. Usually he'll settle for a spoon and sit down and chew on it.

My TV junkies ;) I didn't figure Jacob would like TV as much as Anna does, but there are some shows he gets absolutely mesmerized with!

I have to admit, he did have his happy moments (however brief they were!) today. He loves playing with the handles on the dressers.