Rectangle Fan

This post is out of order, but I had to document because it was funny. Tonight we tucked everyone in bed and when I walked past the thermostat, I looked and saw it was 78 in here!! We went the whole day with the air off and the windows closed. I didn't realize it was toasty in here, because I didn't leave the house! I told Matt to open the windows so it would cool down. Carly came out of her room about 10 minutes later and she said she was hot. I told her we were working on it and it would cool down in 10 minutes (just said something to get her back to bed). Then she looked at us and said, "Turn on my rectangle fan!" Matt and I were looking at her like she was crazy and told her they don't have a fan in their room. We said her window was open and to stay on top of her covers. She was adamit and kept telling us that she wanted that rectangle fan on. We had no clue what she was talking about and she described it for us. "The rectangle on top that blows - the FAN!!" AHHHH - the ac vent!!! Matt and I burst out laughing because we finally figured out what she was talking about. She wanted some AC!! We couldn't stop laughing. So we told her to stand in front of the window and she could feel the cool air. With a big smile, she retreated back to bed satisfied that she would cool off soon.

A day at the Beach

So 2 weeks ago, I texted Matt and said that he needed to have the next day off. He asked why and I told him that it was necessary that we go to the beach. With a new baby coming in March, we may not want to make a beach trip (I don't like babies and sand mixed together). So I told him we needed to have an overnighter in North Myrtle. He spoke to his boss and she let him have it off!! So I made some hotel reservations at 9:00 that night and the kids had no idea. We actually had hotel points so our room was free - even better! In the morning, we fed the kids and told them we were taking them on a surprise trip. I gave them clues once we got in the car about every 20 minutes. After a good hour and a half, gave them a big clue and they guessed the beach. They were so excited!! We got there around 11. I had packed a lunch and we went to see if our room was ready. It was, so we unloaded, fed them lunch, got suited up and hit the sand!!! It was beautiful! The wind was blowing there was no humidity, it was hot, but you couldn't tell - perfect weather!! This was the first time Finley had actually played in the sand and she liked it of course.
Here she is on some sort of mission. Notice her tongue handing out, so she probably is on her way to eat one of those shells - yes, she eats shells too. Matt had her stand up and he backed up a little bit and she took her first step!!! We were so excited. I quickly got out the camera and was able to record the second and third steps :) I was so happy that he was there to see her first steps. She was proud of herself too.

Here is Daddy teaching them how to make a pool. They ended up making about 4 of them, but they kept washing away because the tide was coming in. The hotel was actually on property of a time share place, so it had a nice water park as well. The kids absolutely LOVED the water slides. They could all go down together and I think they did about a million times. At the end, our poor Chloe got her finger all sliced up. She was bleeding all over and it was a pretty long cut. She was a trooper, but it was still very painful.

Finley decided to take a stab at building a sand castle. Don't worry, she didn't sit her long!

We got in from the beach/pool around 4:30ish and took showers and got ready for dinner. We took them to Red Robin, where Finley was quite excited to get a balloon. After dinner, I told Matt we needed to take Chloe back to the scary plane ride she was tortured by 2 years ago at Broadway. When we got there, they remembered where they were and were SO excited to ride the planes! Here is our Chloe proud as punch in her plane alone! Carly and Harper had a blast and had their planes going up and down. Chloe was still hesitant so she stayed low to the ground and her hands couldn't have been any further away from the controllers. But she was so proud she didn't cry and she conquered her fear. Her smile was spectacular.

As well as her first steps, Finley also had her first ice cream (despite what TJ did at Chic Fila - I don't want to know what happened)! She wasn't too thrilled with it. She ate it of course, but I think it was too cold. Of course it was Chocolate Peanut Butter - my favorite so I was glad to help her out (good old Ben and Jerry's).

As we were in line getting the ice cream, she riped her hair bow out, so we had to keep her upwind so her hair would blow out of her face for these pictures!! Got to love the hair!!

In the morning, I took the girls for a walk on the beach while the little 2 were still sleeping. It was so pretty out and the girls enjoyed picking up sea shells. Chloe had picked up one shell and Carly and I were walking looking for a good one. I looked in the water and saw a pretty good sized one (biggest I have seen at Myrtle) so by default Carly was the recipient of the big shell. Chloe just looked at it and said she was going to look for a big one. We looked and looked and finally Carly said, "here Chloe you can have this one!" It was so sweet. What a thoughtful thing to do for your sister. The smile on Chloe's face was priceless!!

After our walk, we went back to the room, ate breakfast, and got ready to hit the beach before we left. They played in the sand for a while building sand castles and then Chloe's finger started to really hurt so I told her I would take her and Finley to the pool so the salt and sand wouldn't bother her any more. We swam and then Carly, Harper, and Daddy met us and swam too. We then headed up to the room around 11 to take showers and pack up and we were checked out at 12:00 on the dot. We had some Wendy's and then buckled up and took naps (everyone except for Finley!!) Our little day trip hit the spot! It was so much fun and we enjoyed our family time!

Sweet Kids

Our backyard is torture for my sweet kids. It never fails, the second they go out, they get eaten alive!! Yesterday was no exception. I told them to go out and I would be out there shortly to spray them up. By the time I got out there - no more than 5 minutes - there were a total of at least 12 bug bites!!! 3 of them being on all their heads!! I thought it was funny that Carly got hers on her right side (she is right handed) and Chloe and Harper got theirs on their left side (the lefties). So now the cortizone is out and their legs look horrible, but soon it will be cold and I will be wishing for some warmth!

Another Proud Moment

Chloe decided to write her story today. I just showed her where the space bar and the back space keys were and she went to town. She did want her word cards to type the word like. She said she sounded it out and it didn't look right, so she needed to see her cards. I am very proud of my little bug spelling all those words right! Way to go Chloe!!

Story: Rat can pat rag cat (don't think the word cat is supposed to be there)

ben can rub the dog

I can woos (wash) rag

cat and rat like to run

pigwig likes to job

chloe riffle is 5

Smoothie

I got this receipe from a blog I read and it is quite yummy and seems kind of healthy. In a blender mix: 3 frozen bananas, 2 tbls. peanut butter, 2 cups chocolate milk. Blend and it turns out thick like a milk shake. Matt really enjoyed it the other night when I delivered it to him as he was plugging a hole in his tire. Try it out!

One proud girl

I was out shopping today with Chloe and Carly was home with Dad, Harper, and Finley. She told Matt she wanted to type. He said ok and opened up a blank document. She only asked where the space bar was. He came in to check on her and she was typing a story!!! She did a really good job spelling everything and had no assistance. Later on she added pictures to the paper and she has it all ready to read tonight before bed. I love when they are proud of their work and they do a really good job. Way to go CARLY!!!

Story Translation:

A cat run in to a big cat

A pig run in to a dog

Ajaff (giraffe) bup (bump)in to a big this (I don't think this was supposed to be in the story) sneck (snake - it originally didn't have the k and after I asked her what the word was she said she needed to add the k)

Carly Chloe

Meal Time

If you have ever dinned with small children, I am sure you have your handful of stories to go with meal time. This morning Harper said something funny and I realized I never post about what really goes on in this house 3 times a day. First the funny thing Harper said: I left his precious grits a little unattended while cooking them this morning (which he had his heart set on them when he woke up, because he came and asked me if I had time to make them with tears in his eyes because Dad filled his bowl with Cheerios - how could I say no to that!) So the cheese in them burnt a little bit, but when you stirred them up - know one could tell (so I thought). So the cute 3 year old was enjoy his coveted bowl of grits and he looks at Matt and says, "These grits have a lot of chicken in them!" At least he didn't complain that I messed them up! He just assumed the burnt parts were chicken - he is a hoot. Meal times.....the dreaded meal times!! First of all, we don't have enough chairs at our table!! That table was purchased way before there were 5 kids in the picture. So we have 4 chairs - Carly and Chloe have high riser things on the bottom of theirs so they can reach the table, Harper sits on a folding stool I used to use when I taught and Finley is in a high chair. Needless to say that will be the first thing we purchase when we get a new house - that and a KING size bed so snuggle time is actually doable. Back to meal time - There is always something funny or obnoxious taking place at any time. Then there are the incessant bathroom breaks! As soon as they sit down to eat, one is up to use the bathroom and then a line forms or they break and each kid mans their own restroom. Which of course results in every door knob being extremely sticky -gross!! And it never fails, as soon as I sit down, someone needs a refill on milk. Finley loves to squeeze the living day lights out of her fruit, which results in a severely sticky tray, arms that have fruit juice down to her elbows, clothes are wet and then stained, and lets not overlook the hair issue - she loves to mash food in it! So baths are a must because her hair always has something in it! Now, the floor. Remember all those bathroom breaks? Well they don't happen until they have shoved some food into their mouths, so when they stand up, all the food goes to the floor. My floors have an incredible amount of food on them. I have given up and just sweep once a day. Finley does a pretty good job eating all the big chunks off the floor once she is through eating :) (30 second rule is more like a 30 hour rule in our house) I just love the feeling of food sticking to my feet!! Then there is the gaging. My kids know that if you don't have a clean plate, you don't get anything extra - whether it be more food, fruit, or a dessert. Harper is one dedicated eater. He will eat it all! But if he doesn't like it he will shovel it in and gag. So attractive while eating. Now by the time I have all the food on the table, bathroom breaks are finished, the prayer has been said, they are all done and I have to leave my plate of hot dinner to wipe them all up, clean their place mats so that they can clean up after themselves. I feel like the Mom on A Christmas Story who will never get a hot meal!! I shouldn't say never, I will once they are all grown up and gone and then it will be very lonely and I will have really clean floors and that just doesn't sound fun to me at all!!! So I am thankful for my meal times, even though they are a lot of work, it is special time I get to spend with my favorite people!!