Tiger

He's finally here.  Our newest family member made his way home on Friday.  (Sorry Mom, I let Hayden bring him home in one of your famous "containers".  You know, the ones with the red lids).  He has a nice home in Hayden's room and gets "night - night" kisses from the boys every night.  So far, so good.  Once Mommy has to take over his care, I will send him where I send all "aquatic" pets that have lived longer than my kids attention spans: down the potty.  Hopefully it won't come to that since his life span is only supposed to be about 3 weeks or 3 months or 6 months.  Hayden wasn't exactly clear which the teacher said.  I'm too scared to research it.  I'd rather just be surprised.

Mickey D's

I've crossed the line -  Even for McDonald's.  I didn't have a set plan for today.  I thought I would at some point vacuum out the van(Easter grass) and possibly run by the grocery store.  Nothing in the house sounded good for lunch, so I thought I might run these errands around lunch time.  The boys played around the house for most of the morning, while I put laundry away and straightened up my bedroom.  I am trying to be a good role model and all.  The boys decided Sadie needed to go for a walk so we headed outside.  Shorts, shirt, socks, shoes, wipe faces and comb hair.  We walked Sadie/rode scooters down the street and back.  We loaded up and headed to the vacuum station.  5 minutes and 3 quarters later, I can now see the floor of the van.  I mention to the boys we would run by McDonald's and pick up lunch.  My "typical" trip to McDonald's involves the drive thru and no playground.  The boys are on to me.  I hear complaints from the back "no take home, no take home".  So of course I must ask, " Where can we take our lunch".  In the best enunciation a 2 year can muster, he replies "McDonald's".  Well of course.  You guys have seen that playground from the outside way too many times.  It's time to check it out from inside the gate.  I'm game.  We get there and head immediately outside to play.  There are a couple of "groupie" moms there and I spy my dear friend from my Publix altercation with the rocket cart.   The boys get their shoes off and take off.  They play for about 30 minutes and I decide it's time to eat.  We put our shoes on and go order.  I wanted to eat inside and then go back out to play.  However, since I wasn't ever in charge of this outing in the first place, I lose.  We go back out to eat.  The boys eat their food and half of mine in record breaking speed.  Shoes off again and they are gone.  I get our mess cleaned up and move back to the bench to free up the tables.  Did you hear me "all you other take your kids to McDonald's to eat lunch moms?".  It is common courtesy to not hoard all the tables after you've eaten. Ok, I feel better.  The boys need to go potty.  Let's go.  We get to the bathroom and there I discover my mistake for the day.  Joshua is missing an article of clothing.  Yep, underpants.  You might be wondering how on earth I could have forgotten underpants.  Well, I have no answer.  It only makes me wonder what on earth my parents and parents-in-law can expect if I'm left to take care of them.  And better yet, what payback can I expect from my own kids?  I'm only hoping the excitement of being at McDonald's for hours playing on the playground will help mask any negative effects not having underpants on might have on him!  To end a long story, we played some more after potty time and left without too much kicking and screaming.

Easter.

Joshua

Caleb

Ally

Hayden

We've had a pretty big weekend.  It started with getting to go to a "grown-up" social outing at one of Ben's professor's "manors".  I've seen stuff like this on T.V., but had no idea real people live like this.  It was amazing.  The best room in the house was the laundry room.  Ben's favorite was the media room . . . something about a fur blanket.  

Sunday morning was filled with finding baskets, scrounging around for breakfast (or not), putting everybody's ensemble on and doing hair (or not).  We were able to take pictures BEFORE church and still make it on time.  Sunday school was very entertaining with "no coffee Ben" helping.  He was very patient as he argued over no more chocolate milk!  I stayed in Worship Care for church and Ben and the girls went to big church.  I moved up to the 3's which seems so much easier.  I must say though I don't know what these parents are doing to these kids.  They wanted  a banana instead of cookies.  I guess that means more for me.  Cookies that is.  After church, we zipped by the house for a quick change and to pick up Easter baskets for Nina and Pop Pop.  Then it was straight to Starbuck's.  I could sense the relief.  We went to Nina's for a rather quiet dinner(Pop Pop didn't have much to say and the Evan's family and Kelley family were MIA).  We hung around until the boys couldn't maintain the chocolate "buzz" and we headed to Wal-Mart for a weather radio.  

I must say I heard something this Easter that I don't think a parent should ever have to say to their child and I said something no child should have to say to their parent:

(P to c)  "If you have to dig in your crack to get it, don't put it back in their basket"

(C to P) " There are no brown jelly beans."

Easter Activities

We've kicked off our Easter "week" with several fun activities.  On Sunday, while Ally was at a Birthday party, Hayden and her cousin, Erin(daughter of my sister Robin whom I've written about several times) made an Easter house.  I have refused to purchase a gingerbread making house in the past but for some reason felt it completely necessary to buy a kit to make a bunny house.  I've lost brain cells over the years.  Or, I'm tired of fighting.  In my defense, it was on sale. 

Last night we were persuaded (ok, really just me, but Ben went along with it) to dye eggs.  If I were a smart person, I would have put the boys to bed and let the girls have at it.  However, I am more of a "let's ALL have this life experience together" kind of person, so there we were - 18 hard-boiled eggs, 6 different colors, a million stickers, 1 wax crayon, egg wrappers that don't work at our house, Hannah Montana egg holders, 2 dippers, 4 kids and 2 adults.  I prepared the area and made the executive decision to operate the camera.  Thirty minutes later we had 17 dyed and decorated eggs,  40 colored fingers and 1 broken kitchen chair.   We can now put a check mark next to "egg dying" on our list of family life experiences for this year. 

Our beautiful eggs!

It's all been true.

I finally saw it with my own eyes. 

He hasn't been "vacationing" 

every other weekend.  

He hasn't been just talking 

with his buddies for 2 and 3

 hours a couple of nights a 

week and some weekends.  

He hasn't been staying up 

until 4 in the morning 

playing the Wii.

He has really been in school at Vanderbilt getting his EMBA.  In fact, all his hard work came to fruition last night. He was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, the international honor society for collegiate schools of business.  Only 10% of his class of about 5o people were inducted.  Quite an achievement for him with his crazy work schedule, 4 kids and a wife who speaks the love language of quality time!  

We're proud of you Ben!