Mommy and Me Date - Evelynn

I so love doing this!  We started these special "dates" with our kids a couple years ago when Evie turned 5.  As each kid turns 5 we start taking them out on dates.  Sometimes it's simple, like going to Costco, just the two of us, with a sundae to finish off the night.  Sometimes it's a bit more elaborate, like going ice skating and lunch or pedicures and treats.

Tonight was an impromptu date night thanks to one of my best friends on the island here.  Renea is my next door neighbor, life saver, last minute babysitter, and all around fantastic friend.  She had tickets to see a movie, but decided it wouldn't work for her family.  Instead she offered them to me!

So I decided to take Evie to the movie Max, about a military dog and his handler's little brother.  She loved it, even though she talked all the way through!  Cracked me up.  She said her favorite part was the happy ending.  My kind of girl!  After the movie she even was brave enough to touch the "working dog" the MWR had brought in to highlight how special these animals really are.  I was very proud.

After the movie we dropped by McD's for a late dinner and a yummy strawberry milkshake.  Of course I showed her the ONLY real way to eat a milkshake: with fries dipped into it.  She liked it or so she said, but she'll probably not do it again.

We had so much fun together tonight.  I so enjoy these one on one times with my biggest girl.  She is such a sweetheart when she's not trying to be in charge or fighting for my attention.  I adore her and her quirky thoughts that just pop right out of her mouth.  I swear that girl has not one thought that has run through her mind that hasn't come right our her mouth.  So funny.  At least you always know what's going on with her.

She is so amazing and I'm so blessed to get to be her mom.  She's pretty patient with my attempts to do right by her and I'm grateful for my right hand gal.

So love her!  Yay for mommy and me dates!

My House Almost Burned Down - or Close to it!

So my Evie is wonderful and fantastic and totally thinks she is super able to do whatever she wants to do.

With that knowledge about my beautiful Evelynn, you have to also understand that she really does know a lot.  When I say "a lot", I really mean it.  She's my go to girl for so many things.  She helps with the littler kids, she likes to help with shopping and chores, she likes to be in charge.  She is my 'babysitter helper' for when I have an uncertain sitter.  (I have five children under 9, all my sitters are uncertain to a degree!)

So when I left for a dr. appt yesterday leaving my kids with a very good friend of mine and Visiting  Teacher who had never watched my kids before I was unconcerned.  I walked her through some things, but knew that most of the sitter's questions could be answered by Eve.  I was confident that things would be fine, like always.

That's what I get though for being too comfortable with my big little girl!

So my poor, kind friend is surprised by a house full of smoke about an hour before I get home!  She runs inside and finds out that for some reason Evie thought it would be okay to pop her own popcorn. She's never touched the microwave before or even asked about it before, for that matter.  But now, all of a sudden, she thinks that it's okay for her to use it on her own?  I have no clue what was going on and after a discussion with her, she hasn't got a clue either.  Apparently the idea popped in her head and she did it without any thought whatsoever.

I don't know, but the fact that she could have burned down my house because she randomly wanted to use the microwave was a huge wake-up.  I took her abilities to help for granted.

I'm very happy with how I handled it though.  I didn't get angry and I didn't yell.  I asked her about the incident and then told her what she was not going to be able to do as a consequence.  Then I told her why what she had done was wrong.  She was really embarrassed by her behavior and disciplined herself much more harshly than I would have done.

All I have to say at this point when she asks why she can't do something is that she almost burned down my house and her behavior changes/stops immediately! I don't think it will last for a long time, but I'm using it while I can.

Ahh, kids.  Not sure if it will get worse on her end, but I've got five so my odds aren't good on this not happening again!  Good thing I have a short memory and a forgiving heart!

Onizuka Play Park

We are so blessed to live on base at this time.  In our neighborhood there are so many little play structures throughout the area that we are often at one of them just to get out some extra energy.  Tonight they were still a bit wound up so we walked less than a minute from our house to the big park in the middle of our neighborhood.  We love it.

Ally loves to play pretend!  These dials often become a computer, a cash register, a telephone or whatever other tool she might need.  She's so imaginative.

 Lizzy is such an adventurous little spirit.  I don't think anything REALLY scares her.  She's such an inspiration to me to let go a little bit more and smile.

 Vaughn makes me so nervous when he hangs out next to an open space like this sometimes.  He's still so little, but so brave...

and sometimes very naughty!  I told him to stop and he leaned out further!  Little turkey!

looking out over the park

Not one child can play on a jungle gym like this without using it improperly.  As long as there weren't other kids playing on the structure too, I stopped worrying about it and just let them have fun.

DC- Humpty Dumpty

I so enjoy homeschooling some days.  Watching that little light flicker on in their minds and the resulting sparkle in their eyes and smile on their faces is priceless.  I love it.

This week we continued learning about traditional nursery rhymes.  Today was Humpty Dumpty and oh my goodness were these girls adorable.  We read the rhyme, watched a video of the rhyme, sang the rhyme ourselves and then acted it out.  It was so much fun.  The girls had heard the rhyme before, but it was today that Lizzy actually knew all the words.  That little light popped on when she finally realized what she was learning.  She got all excited and then said it about a thousand times like Lizzy does when she figures something out.

After all the learning, we did an art project which is pretty much a guaranteed hit with preK and Kindergartners!  Loved it.

Evie and Joe were doing such a good job working while the girls did their lesson.  I was so pleased by how everyone did today!  It was a good day to be a homeschool mom.

A Boy is a Boy

I know that my girls are pretty adventurous and that my boys can be sweet and sincere.  But every now and then, I am reminded just how boy my boys are and how adorable it seems to be to me.  I'm so grateful the Lord blessed me with two of them.  

Washing the Car

Normally doing a chore like vacuuming, sweeping, or taking out the garbage is one of those annoyances you deal with because it needs to be done so you do it.  Then you have kids and chores take on a whole new meaning!  All of a sudden vacuuming has turned into "a monster's gonna eat your toes" time, sweeping has become the most adorable picture moment when even the smallest child wants to "help", and taking out the garbage is a contest in who can get it in the can before it eats your fingers time.

daddy tries to direct and teach

So it is also with washing the car.  The car gets so dirty so quickly with five kids!  We also don't have the best habits.  We like to eat in the car and throw our sandy things in without doing much about it.  Well, no more!  After all the icky stuff we got out of the car today our habits are changing (I hope).  So this is what washing the car looks like with five kids under 8 "helping" out.  I giggled and laughed and of course, got wet.  I had so much fun!  Not sure if dad did, he actually wanted to get the car clean.  Eventually though the car got clean and so did the kids.

some of the kids listen!

Lizzy gets the dirt off!

he loves water anyway, so convincing 

him to help wasn't difficult

this is how Joe helps

 my kids are so cute!

 can you find the baby amidst the disaster that is our garage?

spraying each other is our responsibility as a family