Hodge Podge

So Ms. Lisa at church has some really fun Book Club parties, and one was at our house.  Sam's book club is reading the Narnia books.  Ms. Lisa is also starting a Magic Tree House book club with Davis, and he is very excited.  The teens came over to our house, and at one point decided they all wanted to drive around our neighborhood on one of the teens new 4X4s...after I explained that their parents would all beat me to death if I allowed this to happen, they resorted to play games in our garage.  

Ms. Lisa wrote Belle "Curley Top" a wonderful poem.

We met some old friends from Dothan.

The pictures of the kids all on the couch reminds me of a modern day parenting story.  I walked through the living room one morning and was happy to see the kids all happy and quiet...playing their tablets together, but at least all quiet.  Then while in the kitchen, I heard the high pitched screaming of both boys at Belle, and then sounds of fighting...I ran back in the living room expecting to see someone in a headlock, but instead saw three little ones spaced evenly apart on the couch.  "What is going on" I said.  Then Sam and Davis speaking over one another told me about how Belle was bothering them in their virtual minecraft world and tearing up a building they were helping one another build.  Not really having an idea at how to solve this issue, I tried to use the real world scenarios to tell them "Well, can't you just lock her out of your room".  "We can't she has the key to this world" was the reply...so defeated I just said "Belle, leave your brothers alone, and go play in another area of that world".  So weird...

Our cousin Leslie sent us some really cool pictures of destroyers that he helps build.  Sam and Dave have them pictures all over their rooms already.  

And Mr. Howard is one of those guys that is using himself up in serving God.  Wonderful man and leader in the family of God at Chelsea...and great to see him and Ruby smile as they "drove" around the foyer of the church building.

Visit from MawMaw

Great to have our MawMaw come visit and watch the kids while Magan was working at the consignment sale.  Sam had been sick all week, but luckily was finally starting to feel better, and glad he had one more day of school to stay with MawMaw.  They sewed several pillows and I was told he was learning a lot and learning quickly.  

I wish we could have gotten a picture with Ruby, but she was fussy, so we put her in bed early.  MawMaw stayed to see Davis get off the bus, who was very excited because he thought she would have left before he got home.  Everyone loved the treats, but I think the best treat was for Sam, who had the whole day with a fun sewing partner.  

Outdoors at Nanny's

So I don't know how well you can see the boys in this picture, but they are about 20 feet up in the tree at Nanny's house.  Belle made it about half way up to them.  Everyone enjoyed the beautiful weather on this day, while I tried to perfect the new Boomerang obtained from the circus.  We missed the picture of Davis crawling across the metal roof to get to the boomerang that we lost up there...Me, him, and Sam decided he was the lightest so he was least likely to fall through.  Luckily he made it, and boomerang was back in our hands.  The kids liked the swing, but Davis cried out "Oh my peanuts" after his turn of swinging.  Funny guy.  

Circus to the EXTREME

When you think of Circus, you think of Chick-Fil-A...right?  Oh well, they sponsored this, and provided a good family picture.  Inside we went down to the floor to see the elephants, some clowns, and then Davis even got to walk the tightrope.  Ruby right now is just a handful, and after stuffing her with Mentos, cookies, passing back and forth from Magan to me, we made it through, but she is one unhappy little girl sometimes.  Cute as a button, but she likes to hollar.  Sam and Davis' favorite was the trampoline guys and BMX bikes.  Me and Magan liked the wheel of death.  Belle liked the weird mermaids hanging from the ceiling doing what I think would be considered acrobatic movements...I don't know...some of this new circus stuff is just weird.  

The Wolf Scout

Davis cooked hamburgers on some coffee cans.  He had a great time, and I was impressed at how quickly these things worked with some waxed up fire underneath.  Davis also at another meeting was awarded the "Awesome Stick" for his good behavior during the den meeting.  He has already selected to give up his Surfer Lego Dude to put on the "Awesome Stick" which really is an awesome addition, and Davis' favorite guy.  The "Awesome Stick" gets passed from scout to scout collecting awesomeness.  

A time to laugh, A time to cry, A time to BOWL!

Magan said she wanted to go bowling.  I really don't know what prompted this visit, but I think it was a good call.  The kids loved it, it was cosmic bowling, and loud enough we didn't mind Ruby screaming at us all the time.  We used the bumpers which was perfect because we STINK...  

I know all had fun, but I can't seem to remember much about this day other than my little girl rolling that ball (gorilla arms is what I teach...as opposed to the granny roll) toward the pins, then running back to sit in my lap as we watched patiently the ball move down the lane.  I can't think of to many more perfect moments then that little gal hugging my neck, and then her shrieks of joy when she actually knocked all the pins down one time.  

So I barely cracked 100, but we all left with a score of more than zero, which would not have been the case given no bumpers.  :)

"Frozen" night at Chick-Fil-A

So we heard that Chick-Fil-A (or as Belle calls it "Chickilay") was going to have a frozen night, and we couldn't miss it.  The girls dressed up.  The place was packed.  All the girls in the restaurant were beaming and singing frozen songs.  What a phenomenon Disney has created.  And then...the real Anna and Elsa arrived, and we got pictures with them.  Magan said that while Belle remained excited, after seeing Anna and Elsa at Disney (even at a distance), she was a little disappointed.  Oh well, the anna girl did look a little like a hobbit from LOTR...bless her heart.  Oh, and Sam and Davis...hmmm...well, they liked the chicken nuggets.