They are Magical...

Little boys are magical.

 

They can turn anything a different color.
 

(purple nail polish in my sink)

 

They can turn ANY object into 2 objects.

 

(I loved those glasses)

 

 And in 2 seconds flat,

they love to turn Grandpa Cuddles...

 

 

 

 ...into Grandma Cuddles.

 

(They found "My drawer" this week.)

 

But the most magical thing they do is make me smile!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Only boys would insist they need a helmet to rake.)

 

If you need a smile get over here.

I've got lotsa little boys who give free smiles.

 

(Yes, I just made up lotsa...but that's how many I have!)

 

One Night, Two Parties...

Usually on a Saturday night we are doing...

well, not much.

Like last night for excitement the kids were riding their bikes through the sprinkler.  My new neighbor was out tending her lawn & I saw her and peeking over with just her eyeballs, I'm sure wondering what the rowdy bunch was up to now.  I yelled a greeting & she called back smiling, "I think it's awesome."  I think she was just glad we actually were watering our lawn!

But LAST Saturday...

ooooooo...did we have fun!!!

 

 

First, we were invited to the kids' party of the year...

 

Marble painting & spin art...

An Arcade Tent...

Even Swimming!

 

But the kids had crazy fun when they pulled out camo marshmallow shooters handmade for each kid!!!

 

 

4 for my family alone!

 

The girls posted up top to shoot

at the dozen boys running around below.

 

Roo just walked around eatin' the ammo :)

 

All too soon we left the kids with the sitters

& headed to my little sister's housewarming party!

 

It was decorated by

 

And was it ever fabulous! 

 

 

It felt so ritzy that I almost felt like a movie star :)

but then I looked down at my hands...

Okay, so I am not movie star material...

I'm okay with that...

and glad that it soon got dark so
no one could see my spin art hands.

And as night fell...it just got more beautiful.

 

Too soon the clock struck "midnight"

& the Cinderella magic was gone.

 

Back to our own,

ride our bikes through the sprinkler on a Saturday night,

fairytale.

 

But these pictures are my glass slipper...

I'll always have them to remind me

of our magical night.

 

 

 

Auntie Cake's Facebook Link

 

I cried...

What you know about Bo is his craziness

& his curiosities that lead him to trouble.

 

He will leave a trail of mess behind him. 

He might have dismantled your lamp,
and cleaned your whole bathroom for you
with your toilet brush & toilet water,

but his smile will charm you right back up

& you'll end up giving him cookies. 

(Well I don't but I am his mom). 

He IS Dennis the Menace.

 

But what you don't know is that Bo is PAINFULLY shy. 
It's hard for him to even say hi to people.
  He doesn't like to go many places...he loves...home. 
So the thought of sending him off to
Kindergarten today made me cry yesterday...twice. 
And when I prayed last night...I sobbed...

 

But today came & I tried to make the day special. 

He was soooo excited to use his new back pack & lunch box.

 

And since I like us all to look like we belong together

I laid out "uniform" shirts for all the kids.

(My friend Sarah says I always dress them in "uniforms" anyway :)

 

 

And then Bo woke up & changed his mind,

"I want to wear the Blue shirt."

 

So I scrambled to get new shirts.

 

Even Kit was in his uni.

 

 

Then, I started snapping pictures like crazy.

 

Annie is always up for a pic,

 

 

 

And to my surprise...Bo was up for it too!

 

 



 

Our "bus" pic:

 

Then...magic! 

They all looked at the camera at the same time!

 

My mom came over to stay with the other boys & off we went.

 

I heard Bo ask Annie, "So what day do I get to NOT go to school?"

"Saturdays."

"Then Saturdays are my favorite." He decided.

 

 

Way too soon we arrived at school.

And just like a big kid he jumped out and headed in.

 

 

I was thrilled to have captured this exchange of looks with the principal...but very bummed it was blurry!

 

Then while I tried to stay a step behind

& tried to breathe without tearing up...

...his teacher stopped him on the way in & prayed over him.

 

 

 

and I had to slip these down from the top of my head.

 

 

He didn't even wonder why I was wearing my sunglasses inside...

but the other moms knew.

 

And I left him looking like an angel.

 

 

and cried all the way home.

 

But when I picked him up he just wanted

to know why he couldn't stay all day.

 

Thank you Mrs. Troost!

You have given me a gift today...

My Bo loves school.

 

:)

I Learned a Lesson...

I gotta admit...

ungratefulness has been rearing its ugly head.

I have been working hard to get it in check.

 

One day I had the kids sit at the computer & watch videos of the kids who live in the garbage dump as I explained how blessed we are...all the kids were in shock.

 

Out of that came a heart to serve those children.

We feel the best way to provide for those kids is

FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN.

 

Not just making the meals but paying for them.

 

So last week Annie made lots & lots of her bracelets.

 

 

 

Then at our garage sale she sat out for 3 days selling them.

 

 

 

My poor husband had to make the booth for her

with scraps from our basement.

Annie loved writing on the chalkboards :)

 

But even more she loved...

customers!

 

 

And when I told her she was able to donate 80 meals...

she was thrilled!

 

And  she can't wait for another chance to serve.

 

I wonder what other good things would come if in moments of "ugliness" I took the time to teach instead of just...well let's call it "preach."

 

  :)

 

Looks like I learned a lesson too!

Tea Party Manners

Being the only girl in the family doesn't stop Annie

from doing all the "girly things."

 

Instead she ropes in her brothers.

 

Last night she was teaching them how to be proper tea party guests.

 

 

 

Lesson 1

How to Pour Very Carefully

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson 2

Add Sugar & Stir

(although the sugar was just water too:)

 

 

Teach,

 

Practice,

 

Make sure they did it right.

 

 

Lesson 3

Pinkies Up

 

 

Rocco tried & tried but he just couldn't get his pinky up.

 

 

 

 

Thumbs up had to do :)

 

 

And just when things were going so well

 & we thought she had pulled off a miracle.

 

 

 

Bo came out of the house with a big jug of water

& said, "I'll show you how it is done!"

 

 

At least he didn't burp!