The Puddles

There is a big group going to camp again.  Ben got a blanket this Sunday for going to camp for the first time.  He has slept with the blanket every night this week.  It will definately help him feel more secure at camp.  Now where is my blanket to help me feel more secure while Ben and Madie are at camp??!!

We are in a battle with these red wasps.  You may think they are dumb creatures! Oh, no. These pesky demons are persistent. Chris plugged all of the holes around the house where the wasps were crawling into and building nests inside our roof.  He used expanding foam.  These dang wasps are burrowing back inside the roof.  You can see the evidence all over the ground where the wasps have torn away the spray foam.

The wasps are particularly bad this year.  Not sure why, but they are all over the backyard.  They have homes in the ivy, the roof, the playset.  Everywhere.  Between red wasps and yellowjackets, the kids hate playing in the backyard.  Hopefully this will pass. Chris promises to come back home and take care of it.  I doubt he will let the wasps win this battle, but right now it is Chris – 0 and Wasps – 1.

So after the kids hung out with Grandma and Papa Grace for a week, Chris and I met the kids downtown to see the play “Hank the Cowdog”.  We LOVE this book series.  It is hilarious and kept Ben laughing while he was in the ICU the last time. So when I saw that this play was being offered, I jumped at the chance to buy tickets for everyone.  The best part was that we got to meet the actors and the AUTHOR!!  He even signed our books (or some of them anyways). Dad even wanted to go!  He loves Hank too.  Ben was a little apprehensive to meet Hank, but he whispered to me that he really wanted to meet Drover and Pete the cat.  He says that Drover is a lot like him.  So he wouldn’t even let Hank sign his playbill, he waited patiently for Drover and Pete.  The girls had no problems whatsoever!!!  They loved all of it. Plus Grandma got them a little stuffed Drover or Hank. (now they are playing out little scenarios from the books that we read.) It was a great way to end the week.

It’s a party at the Lake House!!!!  The kids decided to have a slumber party in the playroom tonight.  They brought down their sleeping bags and prepped the room for the night time.  They opened the futon to full-sized and gave that bed to Ainsley while the older two volunteered for the floor (silly kids).  Miss A was in heaven!  After 30 minutes of Madie and Ben struggling to get comfortable, all three finally joined Ainsley on the bed.  Very cute!  Now I just have to decide whether or not to sleep on the couch near them or go to my own bed.  The emotional side of my brain says . . . “Sleep on the couch so you can protect them from the scary people that are going to break into the house and hurt them.” The logical side of my brain says . . . “Crazy woman. Sleep in your own bed so that you will have a good night’s rest. The kids know how to come to your room if something goes wrong.”

Daddy finally comes home tomorrow from camp and they are all thrilled to see him.  We officially finished packing for Madie and Ben to go to camp.  Officially means that I labeled all of the items and placed them by outfits in labeled ziplock bags for each day of the week. I know that my organization will go out the window by the first evening of camp, but I know that they have outfits that match with enough underwear and socks to get them through the week. (Which was an issue with Ben, who had 2 dozen pairs of underwear but didn’t put any shorts in his suitcase originally.) Their suitcases and stacks are looking lovely.  I’m glad that I got in done so early, so that I can sit and admire my handiwork/organization for a few days before they are destroyed.

At midnight, the world is peaceful. But by 8am my serenity is gone and has been replaced by this crazy woman who has a list of things to get done.  I have to work on remembering these peaceful moments when things are getting scary around here.  There are good times too. I enjoy seeing the kids play so nicely with each other.  When they are genuinely sweet and thoughtful, it really makes the day seem brighter.  Today they played “Hospital”. Ainsley was the patient.  She had cancer (this is her fifth bout of cancer this week). Ben is the expert. Madie is the doctor.  They really do have a delightful imagination.  Madie has labeled on the doors for “Radiation”, “Labs”, “Patient room 107 and 108”.  Very cute!  This cash register is their ultrasound.  The scanner wand is what they use on the body while they stare at the machine for the picture.  The babydoll stroller is the wheelchair (thank goodness Ainsley is tiny).  They made her a hospital bracelet out of a white ribbon and decorated it with her name.  The whole scenario is enduring. I like their verson of cancer . . . easy to cure.  While I fixed dinner, I convinced them that Ainsley needed hydrotherapy and that they could use my bathtub to accommodate this procedure.  They agreed and proceeded to take a bath and get dressed in their jammies.  Good children.

So I am hoping that this week will end well.  It is a good beginning to the end.  We are going in the morning to clean the church and then back home again to hang out until Daddy gets back home!

We are packed for camp.  We don’t officially leave until Sunday, but the kids are packed with their stuff sitting in the living room ready to go.  Now, I really should make sure that their names are in everything and probably need to double check that Ben packed enough socks and underwear.  But if we left now the kids would successfully survive camp.

I am a little surprised at myself.  I can’t figure out if my chronic procrastination has died down a little or if I am really procrastinating about something else by packing a week early for camp.  Probably the later.

Either way the kids are excited.  Even Ainsley is excited because we are going on her “Birthday date with Mommy” (this has become a family tradition the last two years with all of the kids) while the kids go to camp .  Her plans change daily according to her mood, so I’m still not sure of the entire plan.  I’m sure she will clue me in soon enough.

“You are the worst parent EVER!” states both of my girls in unison on the way to church this morning.

“We want to go back to Grandma and Papa’s!” declares Ainsley.

I smile and turn the radio on in order to drown out the cries in the backseat.  Life has finally returned to normal.

Boy, it was hot!  We joined Aunt Deb, Uncle Dave, and Gordon at the Friendswood 4th of July parade. Ben and Gracie got dropped off with Grandma and Papa Grace to sit in A/C while the rest of us went to the parade.  Uncle Dave saved us a shady spot on the parade route, so once we got to our seats it wasn’t too bad.  We enjoyed the great parade and then went swimming with Grandma.  Once G finally got in the water, he would not let go of Grandma.  He did great.  Madie, Ben, and Ainsley were fish.  I had a hard time keeping an eye on Ben.  He just kept swimming off everywhere.  Ainsley thinks that I am Wonder Woman and will always save her.  She still needs a little more fear. Madie is ready for prime time.  She is really good.

It was a great day for all of us.  The best part of it all was that Grandma and Papa offered to take the kids for the rest of the week.  It was a good day for the kids, the parents, and the grandparents.  No sooner had the kids hit the door to Grandma’s they were unloading their suitcases in their bedroom.  I hope that the grandparents survive!

Sleeping bag relay

Bible Study and worship with Pastor Chris

Sardines

Toilet Paper Wrap Race

Sardines 2

Fun end to a great time

We had a really great lockin.  25 kids. Lots of games. A late night.  Horrible bad junk food. Good Bible study with Pastor. An early morning.  All the makings of an awesome lockin.  Look at their faces.  It was great success.

We met Aunt Debra and Gordon at the local theatre to watch Cars 2 in 3D.  I promised the kids that we could see this movie in 3D before I asked if Gordon would want to go with us.  But Gordon did great.  He kept the glasses on for most of the film.  He never fussed and was really really good.

My trio was awesome.  They loved the movie.  It was cute. This was my first 3D movie too, and I really enjoyed it. Poor G did not want to stand with the trio to get his picture taken, but we managed a quick smile with Mom.  These are moments that I am glad that we live so close to family.  It was fun just meetin’ in the middle and havin’ some fun!

So this troop decided to use some of their cookie money to go to Sweet and Sassy this summer.  The girls had so much fun. They got to pick out princess dresses, get their hair done, get their nails painted, and put makeup on.  Then the girls got to go and rock it out on stage to Hannah Montana and Justin Bieber.  They had so much fun.  The girls were adorable.   My camera died towards the end, so I didn’t get a final picture of Ainsley until she later when she was changing her clothes to jump in a pool.  Ainsley just sang and sang and loved every moment.  It was really adorable that when she walked the runway as her favorite princess the m.c. stated that her favorite thing to do as a princess was to clean the toilet.  She really likes to scrub the toilet (I hope this lasts a long time).  It is a new chore for her.

The girls were adorable and I’m glad that everyone got to go.