Seven kids--7 and under

Since I survived a whole year of four kids under 4 years old, I thought I would give a week of seven under 7 a try. My brother took his wife on a cruise this week and we have their two kids for the week. After all, seven isn’t that far from our originally five. The energy in the house hold is definitely up and there hasn’t a day gone by that a game of chasing didn’t end in crying. The other bonus is that I watched their kids last month for a couple of days so they know the rules and we have most of the kinks worked out.

We had an interesting start to our week—my car battery died. I missed most of church on Sunday and then was stuck home on Monday. With school out for the day, we had to rely on bikes to get Jacob & Samantha to their friend’s birthday party. It was a squishy few moments when I had four loaded in the bike trailer, one more in a bike seat on my bike and Samantha & Jacob on their own bikes. After dropping them off, I made everyone else walk to the park where we hung out for the next two hours and had a picnic lunch from the Walgreen’s close by.

I am sure I was quite a sight with a sleeping baby in my arms and 4 toddlers walking behind me. At least after the party, we bummed a few rides. I guess I should explain that I could have called for rides in the first place; but everyone had wanted to go to the park and we tried leaving early so that we could stop at Walgreen’s on the way to the party to pick up a candy bar to add to one of the presents—it just took too long to get organized and out the door. However presents were at the end of the party, so I was still able to slip a candy bar on top of Samantha’s present.

The next two days all my kids disappeared and went to school. So the constant party toned down a little bit. Poor Carrie would walk around the house at 9 in the morning asking if it was time for Matthew and Joshua to come home yet.

Before my week started I had made sure I got all my shopping done, but over the week my errands started stacking up. Finally on Thursday with Samantha and Jacob still at school I loaded everyone in the car to make a few quick stops. Everything went so well that as we passed the mall I spontaneously added another stop so they could go in and play. At the store I had five kids piled in the shopping cart and just picked up a few items, at another store everyone was assigned a place to hold onto the stroller, and at the bank we opted for the drive through. (I left the bank for last so that everyone could look forward to a sucker as a treat fro being good.) It was a successful trip, but once again I knew that everyone was looking at me when they passed by.

Anyone who knows Carrie and Jonathan knows how happy and excited they can get. They are bright, loud and chipper at 6:30 in the morning, which doesn’t mix with my preference to sleep-in as late as possible. For anyone that has younger kids and is used to getting up super early you probably don’t have any sympathy, but when kids get older I love that they get more independent. My kids wake up around 7-7:30 and sometimes I can hear them tip toe in my room but then they walk right back out when they see I am still sleeping. School days I have to get up but on weekends Samantha is old enough to pour milk, so she helps get everyone cereal. Then there is Alex who usually doesn’t wake up until 8-8:30; I guess that is a long explanation for 6:30 is too early. Every morning I keep trying to go back to bed, but memories of last month with Jonathan leaving the fridge open and eating all the bananas haunts my dreams. At least they take naps.

My twins stopped taking naps over a year ago, but these early risers are still some what regular in needing extra sleep during the day. The problem, both at nap time and bed time, is just getting everyone to stay put. Luckily I have a good book to read and I have found that the watch dog approach works well. Carrie was adamant this morning that she wouldn’t need a nap today, but after a lot of tears at lunch from everyone they were all put down. Even the twins, but I can hear them playing very quietly in their room.

With two kids at school, two playing in their room and three sleeping even a mother of seven can find a moments peace. Too bad it will only last for the next 26 minuets till school gets out. I did want to take a nap myself but I couldn’t bear to waste this time on sleep.

The Best and Worst of 2007

The results are in, and here is the list!

BEST:
-Samantha’s Birthday (Feb-Samantha)
-Valentine Baby announcement surprise (Feb-Jacob)
-Grandpa Coleby visits and going to IHOP (March)
-Mommy’s camping trip birthday (Apr)
-Mommy and Daddy’s cruise- sleep over with friends(May)
-Bed rest got to help mom (Summer-Samantha)
-Completed 2006 scrapbook (summer-mom)
-Alex joined our family (July)
-Grandma DeAnn comes for Daddy and Alex’s birthday (July)
-Going to Salt Lake alone (Aug-Samantha)
-Staring Kindergarten (Aug-Jacob)
-Scott’s first Solo ride in an airplane (Sept)
-Scott’s Live Strong ride (Oct)
-Starting preschool (Oct-Josh)
-Grandma Coleby visit and beach day (Sept.)
-Thanksgiving with Laura, Brian, and Grandma DeAnn (Nov)
-Mike and Julie visit (Dec)
-Coleby Christmas (Dec)

WORST:
-Everyday was a bad day (Jacob)
-Scott sick with pneumonia (Jan)
-Salty Lasagna (March-Matthew will never eat Lasagna again)
-Matthew had to have his tonsils out (Apr)
-Going to the beach without a swimsuit and sitting in the car for 1 hour till clothes dried (Apr-Samantha)
-Sold our Wave-runners (May)
-Jacob teasing all summer (Samantha)
-Bed rest- family had to stay home all the time (Summer)
-2 hours preceding Alex’s birth (Kim-July)
-TIME OUTS (Jacob-(I think he needs a little more love in his life))

7 things I am thankful for-- 7 days late.

A week ago our family celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday with Scott’s mom, his sister Laura and her husband Brian. We had a week full of fun, but I wanted to write about our Thanksgiving and remember what we were thankful for.

Since I have been married to Scott we have adopted the tradition to express the things that we are thankful for before we eat pie. This tradition has developed over the years through his family. They used to use matches and have each person take a turn saying what they were thankful for before the match burned out. Eventually someone started bringing long match sticks, but now our family has just adapted to a candle which you can blow out when you are done. Since my blog was tagged a few times to name 7 random facts about myself, I thought I would adapt to the 7 things I am most thankful for. I know that I am a week behind, but with family in town for the holidays I got a little behind.

• First I am thankful for 10 years of marriage. Scott and I celebrated our 10th anniversary the day before Thanksgiving. It is amazing that a third of my life has been spent with Scott, and I couldn’t ask for a better husband. He is a wonderful father, and he is such a good example for our boys. I thrive when he is around and find myself missing him when he is gone. I am so glad to say that after 10 years I still can’t get enough time with him.
  
• I am thankful for the gospel and the direction it has given me in my life. I will admit that having grown up in the church that I don’t know any different, but I can’t imagine my life with out the atonement or the joy the gospel brings. It not only gives me direction but I am also thankful that I can teach my children about Christ.
  
• I am thankful for family, especially those that are able to come visit us. We had such a great time this last week with some of Scott’s family and I am looking forward to Christmas with my family who will be coming to Texas this year.
  
• I am so thankful for all of my children. I love to watch them grow and can’t imagine how they will change next. They are always full of surprises, and I learn so much from them. I am also grateful for such wonderful children that have the desire to do what is right, it makes parenting a little bit easier.
  
• I am thankful for food. What would life be with out mint chocolate and ice-cream? This past week was a week of wonderful food. Although I love to eat, I don’t have the talent to always prepare things the way I want. It was fun to be around Scott and him mom in the kitchen this last week. I will admit to disappearing while taking care of the baby; but it was so nice to not worry the Thanksgiving or Sunday dinner.
  
• I am grateful for my health. You don’t know what you have until it is gone. There have been those random times where I have been really sick or have had pain from an injury and it really made me appreciate all those pain free hours I used to take for granted.
  
• Jacob laughed when the last thing I said was that I was thankful for my computer. It seems funny that I spend so much time looking at the computer screen, but I like to think that I accomplish a lot with the computer. I keep a record of my journal, I organize family pictures, I have made family videos, I try to update relatives with our website and my blog, I keep track of our finances and pay bills, and I try to stay in touch with family and friends through email.
  

The thing to me that was most special on Thanksgiving was the true sincerity that Jacob showed durning this time. Samantha was a little shy and dodged her turn a couple of times. However Jacob really took the time to list the things that he was thankful for and then after his turn was over he moved seats to take another turn because he had thought of some more things he wanted to say. Next time we should get a tape recorder because he gave such a sweet testimony too. One of the things he mentioned were “roads” so that we can travel and so that Grandma’s can visit. Joshua has developed such a little sense of humor and started giggling at the mention of roads; but Jacob didn’t let that stop him. Later, when Joshua had his turn he also came up with a list, mostly toys and cars but I noticed that he too mentioned roads.

"...when he grows up."

It is so much fun to hear the things that kids say and the ideas about life that they have. I over heard the cutest conversation between Jacob and his friend Jayden the other day.

Jayden: I know where your dad is—He’s at work.
Jacob: Nope.
Jayden: Here’s taking a nap?
Jacob: Nope. He’s flying in a real airplane.
Jayden: Really?
Jacob: Yep. He's taking flying lessons and he is going to be a pilot when he grows up.
Jayden: Isn’t he already grown up?
Jacob: Nope.

Obviously Jacob doesn’t talk much, but it is profound to hear the things he will say. I always like to think that I am young, but assume my kids think I am old. It is nice to hear that Jacob realizes that we still have a lot of growing up to do too.