Christmas Break

Here we are, ready for another school day.

 

Seriously, we watch the sunrise while waking up and waiting for the bus.  Each next child piling on as we sit and try to remember what day it is.

 

Today is day one of Christmas Break.

Instead of snuggled and tired, they'll be out of bed and arguing over a video game not long after this posts.

And so it will go until January 5th. 

All.the.way.to.January.5th.

Elmore County Living

 

Not quite on the cover....

 

But there was a full page spread in there on how we seek stability.

Ha.  A family can dream. On the day the woman came out to take our photo, we had raced home to meet her from a soccer game following her the whole way to our house, sandwiched in a photo shoot, and then took off for an afternoon outing of some sort.

 

Can't tell you how many people approached us about this and we didn't even know it had been published--at the school, at the grocery store, at church, at the hair salon.  One of the girls finally brought a copy home from school.  There were two other families in there too--well dressed, color-coordinated, standing together perfectly families.  It must have been the dog (or the sheer number of us) that earned the full page picture.

 

So much for disappearing into the woods.

And yes, I did consider taking a picture of the picture to use for Christmas cards...

Christmas on the Coosa Parade

A little selfie with my mini-me while we waited for the Christmas parade to begin last weekend.  Waited with our shoes and socks off, jackets off, and wishing for a lemonade on a sunny, 80 degree day for the Christmas parade....

And then the best float of the parade (seriously) arrived toward the end--they had Snoopy and Snoopy music ringing out through the heat... Never mind all of my boys were in there.

 

Well there was this random guy in his hot rod, who kind of looked like he had just crashed the parade route somewhere along the way...

 

 

And later we hit our picture perfect city park,

 

to join the masses at a Christmas market with kid rides. 

Kid ride side--I've never had a chance to stop and notice how miserable parents can look standing in line sometimes...but I'll keep those photos to myself.

Happy Birthday Patric!

 

Hey, remember that day you turned 46, Patric?

The same day that Alida and I boarded a bus at 5:15 am for a field trip to Atlanta?

 

 

Where she and I went to see some horses at Medieval Times? 

 

 

And then we left that early, so we could run over to the aquarium and look at the fishes/jellyfishes?

 

 

And then we returned at about 7:30 that evening, and you had shuttled the other three through piano lessons and made sure they had dinner and then took them to Boy Scouts where you led that night? 

 

We met later that evening and opened some gifts and took some phone calls and wished you well.

And then we collapsed?

 

And then remember when by a wonderful feat of scheduling you turned around and performed the same field trip all day with Nicholas that Friday? 

 

Happy Birthday man. Living the dream.

De Fluery

Smiling and at ease at home.

 

 

Then all business when they hung that huge thing around his neck at the holiday ball. 

Double Digits for our Double Boys

 

Was it really a decade ago now that you were zero?

 

 

Happy Number 10 Boys. 

You amaze us, every day.

Carry On

Me: "Elaine.  Why do  you have rubber gloves with you in  your carry on?"

Elaine: "Well mother, you just never know when you're going to have to do  some research."

 

of course.

Cousins

Quiet morning boys, gaming.

Legos, movies, gaming and mess.

 

A small break for some wrestling.

 

A little gift giving.

 

And hanging with our older cousins all the way to the last flight.  Teenagers,  gracious enough to allow our girls to idolize them for a few days. So Ben, the alpha kids--they're pretty cool.

Snow

And after that flight, we found enough snow to make an oddly robotic appearing snowman.

 

And despite 23 degree temperatures, our Thanksgiving day park outing would not be stopped.

 

Where we found the slide I remember from long years ago.

 

Elaine made it to the top, and then rethought her decision.

 

Opting for the shorter version with daddy by her side.

 

Mommy was tucked in the car, thank you.

Bunking Together

Top Bunk,

Bottom Bunk,

Sub-bottom bunk.

 

It took a little rearranging, a few switches, some giving, and then we found the happy sleep spot.

And they all settled down for a long winter's nap.

The Stubers Take to Commercial Flight

A little initial trepidation.

Boys were quickly at ease.

 

And with some premium legroom for the ladies, all was well.

At least once we closed that window shade for Elaine.

Uncle Curt's Wish List

Murder at Doom Mansion

We hosted a little dinner party the other night, ala the game Clue.

Complete with socialite, hair tonic salesman, doctor, actress, maid, cop, general, lawyer, and ninja (of course...)

About as fancy a dinner part as you can accomplish with 8-10 year-olds.

Then they foud a dead body!

 

And a round of discovery, where we made our accusations.

 

And the big reveal, when the hair tonic salesman confessed.

 

We tried to figure out how to get a Boy Scout badge out of this, but had to give in and just admit that it sounded like a fun thing to do.  And it was.  The kids were amazing at staying in character and interrogating one another.

Thankful

For each and every one.

Spoiled Mornings

Waiting for the bus.

He's looking at me like he won a challenge.

Egg Roulette

Hard boil eight of a dozen eggs and mix them up in the carton.

 

Select said eggs at random and smash them on your head.

 

You are bound to break a few yokes.

 

The first with two yokes to break over their head is the loser.

 

Poor Alida is breaking her second here.

Then Elaine, the winner, just broke one over her head anyway for good measure.

More Ben Logic

 

 

As we're driving somewhere, waiting at a stop light, a girl is jogging toward the intersection just about to cross the road in front of us.

 

Ben: Is that a girl or a woman?

 Oh, that's a teenager!  That's not either.  Teenagers are just alpha-kids, and are annoying.  They're just evolved kids."

Pioneer Days

 

Couldn't tell you what was happening in Alida's head.

 

 

She picked up a touch at the roast beef sundae bar with locally brewed root beer.

Those bottles came home and they have been filled, re-filled, corked and uncorked all week long.

Exit Strategy

Thursday night cooking lessons, every week a new child.

This last week, Ben made potato soup and baked frozen yeast rolls with me.

 

When I asked him how we turn the oven on, he had no idea.  After some months of this, he will.  And he'll know how to use that garlic press, how to hold a knife correctly, and he may even be able to survive someday on his own.

Bake Sale

We baked and wrapped them up individually.

I hear they sold out quickly.

 

I honestly thought it was now illegal to bake for the bake sale.

I was tickled to participate in this fundraiser.