Back to school campout

We just had our second (unofficially) boys back to school camp out in our back yard.  10 fabulous boys showed up around 5pm for the start of the festivities.  Now, don't go getting some idea in your head that imagines an evening full of planned activities for the kids.  No sirree.  We are on the fly and off the cuff.  Once Tim got home they all walked down to the ball field and played a game of baseball and from there it was (breathe in) sports, (breathe out) sports and (repeat) more sports. 

I don't have a clue what the teams were, though I know they could rattle them off in a heartbeat.  All I know is that they got filthy dirty (most on purpose) and they had a blast!

This is how they all got "cleaned up" for dinner...mass public shower!

If they'd just sit still long enough to capture a clear shot...but naaa, fooling around is more important.

I know you can't see what this is, so I'll tell you.  After dinner, while the kids played in the yard, Tim hooked up a projector outside and shot a movie onto the side of the house.  We started off with Stargate, but due to some unexpected expletives streaming their way through our neighborhood, we put in Napoleon Dynamite.  We ♥ Napoleon. 

I sent these two inside to play the wii when we had Stargate on because it was a bit much for them.  They didn't care.  Apparently I did them a favor.  Each of them having several older siblings, they never get to play the wii by themselves.

Getting to bed at midnight makes for an extra early 6am.  Isn't that right Tim?  Tim was more than wonderful through this whole thing and if I had to guess, I would say he even enjoyed it when all was said and done.  Is he tired?  You bet he is...because after all this, he went to my grandpa's house to help my dad install wood flooring...but I have to say that he made the camp out the success it was!   ♫♩What a man, what a man, what a man, what a mighty good man♪♫!!!

For breakfast was pancakes and waffles.  He even let some of the boys flip their own pancakes.  Now THAT'S saying something for anyone, much less a sleep deprived parent!

This is what the divine breakfast looked like, if you chose the waffle...slathered in butter...then slathered in peanut butter...then slathered in syrup.  Need I say more?

Well, I guess I should say something to show it didn't all end right after breakfast.  The boys played a game of soccer followed by a game of football, and I only had to tell them once that "using" the great out doors is for cover of night only!  By the end of the football game, parents started showing up bringing the rain with them.  It was a great camp out with a great bunch of boys and in my opinion, ended with a perfect rainy day complete with thunder and a cup of coffee. 

Lavender Fresh

You know, who would have thought that doing laundry takes mental prowess?  Clearly you cannot set a poorly capped jug of freshly purchased laundry detergent (Lavender Fresh) on top of a running washing machine full of bulky blankets and sheets.  Who knew?

MicahJoy is 4, and every bit of it!

Today our "baby" Micah Joy has turned four years old.  Wow!  The other day, due to an injury from a year ago, she had her front tooth pulled and was drugged.  Today she turned four and I think she is still high on the gas because all of a sudden she is more boisterous and more dynamic and more dramatic and more chatty...did I think any of that was even possible?  No!  But here we are with this kid that doesn't stop.  She has truly been a total joy to us all.  She has been making us laugh since she was around 6 months old and I don't see her stopping any time soon.  We have been so blessed with her and by her and we are excited to see what the future holds with her in our family. Thank you God for placing her in our care.  You couldn't have been more right.  Grin.

Happy Birthday, Micah.  We love you so so so so much!!!

Our baby is here!!!

After much anticipation (not as much for us as for Phil and Shelley, for sure) and a whole lotta patience, we now know who Wesley Bob really is.  Flashback:  Shelley gets pregnant.  A little while later they "are pretty sure it's a boy."  A little while later and out of the blue Titus says, "I hope aunt Shelley names the baby Wesley" and Levi chimes in, "yeah, Wesley Bob."  Today at 3pm Massachusetts time, Quinn Gabriel Svoboda was born, weighing in at 7lbs 6oz and measuring 20" long.  We couldn't be happier for the former trio and are ever so eager to see them again and meet our nephew.

 Proud parents Phil and Shelley (with an "e") Svoboda.

 

I can't say for sure who I think he looks like, but I can definitely say he has some of Nadia in him...at least for now!  He is beautiful and the perfect addition to our family.  Now, in discussing his name, our boys have decided that they are going to call him Gaber.  Or just Gabe.  I don't know that they will follow through with that, but that is the boy's decision.  Eden says, "No, his name is Quinn.  I am going to call him Quinn."  Micah couldn't care less!

Not been one of those days...

You know how sometimes, you get up and you hug the kids good morning and you ask if they slept well...then you make them pancakes because you haven't made them in so long, but you don't have anymore "just add water" mix so you gladly break out the internet to whip up a batch from scratch...everyone sets the table together and then eats breakfast while thanking mommy for making their favorite breakfast and afterwards they put their dishes in the dishwasher as they have been asked to do after every meal since they could walk...you tell them it's time to clean up their rooms because you'd love to take them to the pool on this very warm Summer day and because they want to go swimming so badly, they all say "yes ma'am" and run off to do the 20 minute job...the necklace that has been sitting on the floor at the top of the stairs for a week gets picked up by one of the boys on his way to his room and he kindly drops it off at the girls room, since he's passing by anyways and his pair of shorts and the light saber that have also been stepped over by everyone in the house also gets picked up by someone, even though he didn't play with it and leave it there...the girls don't fight about who's cleaning and who isn't and because of all that you can actually get your own "chores" done with out breaking up fights and checking attitudes and babysitting the kids to make sure they can get over themselves enough to clean up their rooms even when they may not have touched the specific item that needs to be put away...?  Yeah, well, it's not been one of those days.