Winter?

Could those be snowflakes on our roof?
Let's throw our wellies on and go investigate.
Yep, winter is coming!

Nature Walk

Where's Waldo....I mean Gabriel?
The kids brought bags to collect leaves and nuts so we could "look them up" when we got home. 

Some of them are yet to be identified.

At this exact moment I'm thinking:  A trip to Urgent Care would mean no nap for Gabe.  

I'm just saying.

Comments

Couple fun comments from today:

Abigail: holding a Gospel Bill VHS (yes, VHS, they are from when I was a child)

"Gospel is the Bible guy and Bill is the one that is really sly."

(And just to clarify, Gospel Bill is one person)

Madeline: after sneaking down to watch Abby and I pull summer shoes out of the "Size 9 shoe bin" (yes, that really exists)

"It just really made me smile to see my little sister trying on my old shoes."

A Lesson in Humility

So, I let my kids run around in the rainstorm today.  A huge thunderstorm with bucks of water pouring down.
Why, you ask? Because I didn't want to. Because I was too lazy to deal with the mess of it all.

Let me back up and share this from the beginning which actually started yesterday.

I am running around doing laundry, picking up the house and who knows what else and I see the girls come around the corner with HUGE shopping bags. 

Immediately, I am annoyed. Not too proud to admit it either.  Just putting it in very small print so maybe you'll miss it.

The girls have started a tradition where they pick items from around the house and give them to us on special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.)  I once received a pair of sandals I didn't realize I owned.  Its fun to see all the things you never even knew you had. Believe me, these girls can dig through drawers and closets like Indiana Jones searching for the Holy Grail. They don't miss much.

Anyway, I can see from the bulky bags that they have accumulated about 2,469 items from around the house.....the house I was in the process of cleaning.  Here's where Mother of the Year Award goes back up for grabs:

As if it was ever mine, I just burst out laughing.

Me:  Hey, watcha guys doin?  (praying I am somehow wrong and they have actually gathered shoes from the boot box and are putting them back in the appropriate closets)

M&A: (very excited voices)  We are gathering things for Daddy for Father's Day!

Me: (trying to hide annoyance in voice)  Oooooh.  Let me see.

And then I error.  Big time.  I start to explain that we don't really need to give Daddy all of this stuff.   I'm trying to clean the house right now and couldn't they just help clean instead of un-cleaning.  (nice grammar lesson Mommy)

I see these big crocodile tears start forming in Maddie's eyes and I feel like a real schmuck.  So much so that I am considering deleting this. No, really. 

I back peddle as best I can but I still feel like a schmuck.  Still, as in, this very moment.  Still.                   And, yep, Still.

And so today when they ask if they can strip down to their undies and run around in the pouring rain I say, "Yes." 

Definitely. 

Absolutely.

So, I have a few wet towels to deal with (and hair and undies and the floor and Gabe...who's really keeping track) 

Get over it.  Honestly.

I'm hoping years from now they'll remember the run in the rain and not the shopping bag incident.

Funny Stories from this Week

Gabriel:

Waved for the first time today!!!

Lauren:

As she was milling around in the pantry yesterday, (where she likes to hang) she brought out a container of sunflower seeds and said, "Mom, is this DOG FOOD?"

On our way to pick Maddie up at the bus stop she was singing:  

I don't wantcha blow

I don't wantcha blow

I don't wantcha blow my horn

to the tune of "Dinah, Won't you blow my Horn"

Abigail:

Announced at lunch today that when she turns 5 she is going to write a book.....about me....should I be scared?

Madeline:

Sent an email to her friend Kate (only Kate doesn't have email so in the email address line she typed, "Kate" - naturally) that said:

 "I know you like socer.  I was thinking we could play on the same team."  

Oh, and she sent it from Ron's phone.  He found it in his sent box.

And even funnier was our breakfast conversation:

M: I am related to the Chinese

Me: I'm sorry, what?

M: I'm related to China

Me: Sorry, still confused

M:  Well, I have the shape of head that a lot of Chinese people have and I also have the same kind of hair.

At this point, I'm trying to figure out what I'm supposed to say.  I explained how ethnicity works, etc.  At the end she said, "Well, I want to be Chinese!"

This might have something to do with the fact that she has 2 beautiful cousins who were blessed enough to be born in China and are now living just down the street.  

Too cool.

Snow Day!

Yes, its cold again but at least we have the bonus of a snow day. The girls played outside in the snow for 3 hours this morning.
After lunch I made them "snow cones" -- my sibs and I used to make these growing up....with grape juice and water and sometimes a lump of sugar if we could find it (you could rarely find refined sugar in our home for a number of years....my Mom went through a health kick on steroids)

At the girls request, we added blue food coloring to our recipe. All I could think about as they were happily slurping their cones was acid rain and how snow is probably so bad to eat. And so, of course, what do I do? I google it.
Which isn't always the best idea. Google has been both helpful and dangerous in my life.
Dangerously helpful? Helpfully dangerous? I'm not sure.

"Snow healthy to eat?" (I'm hoping for good things here)

The first thing I click on says, "it is full of chemicals and very bad to eat." I keep going until I find:
"if you live in the suburbs and you only eat a little, its probably ok."
And that is where I stop my research.

Eat away girls.

FFY

Ron was gone last night so it was "FFY" -- Fend For Yourself -- night - which someday will mean you fix your own meal/leftovers. At this point, in my life it means Mommy fixes you leftovers. ;)
Oh, FFY is a stolen acronym from family friends of ours who have 5 children....and need to call an FFY night sometimes.

Anyway, I offered the girls pasta from Thursday night's dinner or oatmeal..."breakfast for dinner".
Madeline starts grumbling that she doesn't want either one. I asked her again and when she responded with a whine I said, "You can have pasta tonight."
Was I teaching her a lesson or was I out of oatmeal?? Lesson, people, Lesson! Well, that, and this is not a made-to-order kitchen.

Fast forward 12 hours and we are at breakfast. Ron is gone (are we seeing a trend here? I'm kidding - he's at a Men's Retreat) and I had planned for the girls to have this fun, new peanut butter cereal that I bought. I think I'm being the cool Mom but when I tell them Madeline says, "Oooooh, I don't care for that. I wanted Kashi." Now, I will admit I am a bit annoyed. She would want organic granola instead of the "fun" cereal....and she's never even tried this cereal! I explained to her that we discussed this last night and the next time it happens she would need to skip her meal and take the time to think about being thankful for food. As I'm explaining this I said, "I'm just tired of it" to which Lauren responds, as if on cue,
"And. I'm. Lauren."

At least I didn't launch into how there are children starving in Africa.....ok, I went there once. I did. But it was a long time ago.

Oops, better run. Abigail is walking Gabriel around on her hip as he is crying and she is saying, "Don't panic buddy. Don't panic."

No Worries

Had several interesting conversations that I have to remember:

Tonight as Madeline and I were cooking dinner:
Me: (holding Gabe, cooking dinner - per the usual)
M: Mom, you never hold me anymore

You better believe I stopped what I was doing, put Gabriel down, and picked her up....all 41 pounds of her. You never know when they will stop wanting to be held!!!

Me: I'm holding you right now!
M: Are you going to hold me when I'm a teenager?
Me: Yep, you bet I am.
M: How many of us will be teenagers together?
Me: Say what?
M: Just me and Abby?
Me: Oooooh. (think quickly) Actually, all 4 of you. When you are 19, Abby will be 17, Lauren will be 15, and Gabriel will be 13.
M: Wow. Well, when that happens, you won't have ANYTHING to worry about Mom!

On Sunday after church with Abigail:
A: Mommy, when I grow up and live right next to you we're going to lunch together!
Me: That sounds great.
A: And could you keep the same 336 phone number so I know how to get a hold of you?


And today as I was standing outside Lauren and Gabriel's door (he was fussing in his crib)
L: Gabriel, Puh-LEEESE stop crying! You are inner-rupping my nap time!

Good times. Good times.

Home Again, Home Again

Back to reality and loving it.

I have to say it was 7 days of paradise....but there is nothing in the world better than running down the concourse to your 4 amazing children who are waiting on you to arrive. It was especially emotional because it was exactly the same spot that we waited for our beautiful niece, Hannah, to come home just 3 months ago. Talk about the ugly cry.

While the sounds of the ocean were tranquil and serene, I can honestly say that listening to Abigail announce Madeline's debut recital on the piano (Happy Birthday is the song of choice this evening.....and just to be clear, she randomly strikes keys as the song plays in the background) is just as wonderful.

She has Gabriel on one hip and is playing the keyboard with the other hand. Life is good. Life is very good.

Florida, First Plane Ride....and Disney.....Priceless

Entry to The Magic Kingdom: $800
Food, water and souvenirs for our children: $34 (sorry Disney, we packed the Mother Load)
Watching 84,000 strangers blankly stare and/or whisper, "Look how many children they have!": Priceless



Btw, yes, you do see 10 kids. Ours and my SIL's. Ages 12, 9, 6, 6, 4, 3, 2, 2, 2 and 9 mos.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

"For unto us a child is born, a Son is given...And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9: 6

Florida, First Plane Ride....and Disney?

We are heading to FL (very last minute - in true Scherer fashion) to spend some holiday time with Ron's family over the Christmas holiday....AND making a trip to Disney World. Our home has been nothing short of completely amazing to live in since this discovery!

Telling the girls was only 1/2 the fun - here is some of the other 1/2:

The girls have invented a new game called, "airplane" where they act out exactly what our journey will look like from Ohio to Florida. Everyone takes a turn being the stewardess and the most coveted role of disgruntled passenger.
(I think she didn't get her snack??)

Lauren tells everyone we are leaving tomorrow. Even the mailman. Everyone she sees: "We go to Disney tomorrow!"

I thought Abigail had the time frame down but last night I got a call from our preschool carpool and the Mom says to me,
"Umm, so you won't be driving tomorrow since you are leaving for Disney World? Abigail said she won't be in school."

Its still 13 days kids. 13 days.
This week has been a complete blast. I can't wait to actually FLY to "Grandpa BAG's house" and actually GO to Disney.

Ice Cream and Underdogs

I wish I had time to post all the funny things that have happened in the last 24 hrs!

Hopefully, I will have time to post a picture of us all eating ice cream cones in bed this morning at 8 am....Daddy's out of town!
We started a tradition several years ago that whenever Ron has to go away on business, the kids get to have ice cream for breakfast.

"Before or after you eat something healthy" -- had to add that disclaimer after Madeline went to Kindergarten last year and announced that her Mommy gives her ice cream for breakfast. Oh boy.

Anyway, I was just in the laundry room (my home away from home) and heard Lauren,
"...two....free.....UNDERDOG!"
I come out and see that, yes, she is giving Gabriel underdogs in his jumpee. He is flying high with a look of panic on his face. Holy Moses.

Ding Dong

Yesterday, I look outside and see traveling salesmen (more like teenage boys) making their way down the street. Since I haven't figured out how to get on the "Do not call" list, I always answer the door. Its very awkward because I don't want to buy what they are selling, they definitely want me to buy what they are selling.....you've been there.

So, I decide to try a new approach: We're not home?

I asked Madeline to close the blinds on both sides of the front door and not to answer the door when the doorbell rings. Of course this starts a barrage of questions.....Why aren't we answering the door? Who's coming over? (or not coming over) Why do we need to be quiet?

"I will explain it in a few minutes" (my arms are full of laundry)

I head upstairs to Gabriel's room and sure enough the doorbell rings a couple minutes later. I don't hear anything from the kids and I am relieved. This is much easier than I anticipated. Why, why have I answered the door all these years???
--------
Ok, I need to stop here and apologize to anyone who has children that have to sell popcorn, magazines, gift wrap paper, encyclopedias, greeting cards, discount cards, coupon books and just about anything else they can think of for children to peddle door-to-door. I am not a fan.
Have your children call me, snail mail me or hit me up at church. I'm a real sucker then.
The one and only exception? Girl Scouts. They definitely have a hall pass -- who doesn't want 14 boxes of Girl Scout cookies?!?
A quick tip: Hit my neighbor Mark up - he will buy anything. (You’re the best Mark!)
--------
Back to my story. I am almost laughing (so mean) and thinking how great it is that I have outsmarted the traveling salesmen/boys. That's when I hear the window blinds making a lot of noise.....like a hurricane is blowing through. I peek over the railing and....yes, its that bad.
I see Abigail holding Gabriel in one of the windows and Madeline and Lauren peering out of the other window. They are literally flanking each side of the front door, faces pressed up against the window, WAVING at the salespeople on the front porch. Oh, and did I mention a good FOUR minutes has passed since the bell rang? Oh yeah.

Now what do I do? Run to the door, seemingly out of breath, and pretend I was just able to get there?
Open the door and say, "Oh my, you should have rung the bell?"

NOOOOOOO! I whisper in my loudest and most authoritative voice, "Children, get away from the windows!" "Quickly, come upstairs!" "No questions!"

I watch from the window upstairs as they finally walk away. Phew!
I am left feeling horrified, embarrassed and cheap. Should have just spent the $20 for the discount coupon book.