Waiting for the Bus

These must have been taken well before the dark winter days here as we waited for the bus.

Because it is far too light outside. 

 

And at the end of the day, the bus will pull up and vomit back these children.

The girls will come home covered in good behavior slips of paper;

My phone will start blinging with texts from the driver on the boys.

 

Hang in there girl, it gets better

 

We almost couldn't talk you into going once you found out your dad would make you suit up for the ride Elaine because you said you looked like a boy.

 

And then you wouldn't let him stop until after it turned dark, and we couldn't wipe the small off either of your faces.

Entertainment

Comes in all forms here.

Thank you for taking care of my shred pile, ladies.

Outvoted

Heaving a heavy sigh, I went with them when I was outvoted 5-1.

The Waffle House.

They loved it.

Home Alone

Dear Elaine,

If you ever recall that Christmas when you didn't get many gifts to open on Christmas morning, we're sorry.  We signed up for Parents Night Out; we sent in the check; he came home early from a trip out of town to shop with me for your gifts; we left the front door unlocked, just in case, as we left a little before you would have returned home from school.

And he and I went shopping, in a town 30 minutes away.  And we laughed on the ride over.  We bought coffee.  We joked at all of the crap out there.  We had a long conversation with an 11-year-old about Nerf guns. 

Then we thought to call home, because we had told you to go to Parents Night out at the school after dismissal, but we realized that we hadn't really heard anything more about it.

And you answered the phone.

You: "Hello"
Me: "Elaine?!  Hi, um, how are you doing?" 
You: "We're good.  We're eating macaroni and cheese, and the boys are fighting over the Wii.  We just came home because we didn't know where to go."
Me: "Okay, sweetie.  We'll be home really soon!  We're just down the road," said while I attempted to contain the shrillness in my voice.

Hang up; race around the store with our heads cut off; check out as quickly as we can (ha); race home--because we just left our kids home alone at Christmas time! 

And so, we didn't get your present, which was next on the shopping list, and it was our last chance.  And we found the note above in the bottom of Ben's backpack when we returned to a quite normal house.

When we sat down on Christmas day and shopped the Ty store for you, that was why we did that.

Love you and glad we aren't in jail,
Mom and Dad

A few of our favorite things

Motorbikes

And axes.

 

Boys will be boys.

And Then We Settled In

And Jake and I spent our first week together as the kids went back to school.

And we found his favorite chew toy quickly.

 

And Alida lovingly taught him to climb the stairs, with a hamper on her head.

 

And we figured out that he needed a smaller food dish.

 

And while he may grow larger than any one of us in the end, right now cute, small-ish puppy rules the days.

Tuckered Out

And after we were done mauling him that first evening, they lovingly tucked him in to sleep.

Complete with the pillow and blanket that Nick made him.

 

That pillow: "Nick and Jake"

Newest Member

Waiting was so hard.

And then we took him home.

And we all took turns holding him in the car.

And smiles abounded.

Even this guy was a little excited.

Thank you Alida

For helping me make cookies.

Although I suspect you had your reasons for helping.

Girls

Alida.

The only of four brave enough to eat that sucker with a scorpion embedded in it from Aunt Kate.

 

Elaine opening her first charm bracelet.

Much more her speed.

We attempted to attend his office Christmas Meal

Serious

Not So Serious

 

Fail on our part for making it to the meal.

Ben didn't mind so much when we told him we would head to Golden Coral instead.

Because Every Christmas Parade Should End Like This

Nicholas. 

Found this ahead of all of us.

Rides were free, and he had already been by the time we made it there.

 

His rides were many but short.

 

Ben didn't take long to give it a whirl.

He lasted a little bit longer.

Alida did not hesitate.

And either she is a natural,

or the driver took it easy on her.

Either way she had the longest Stuber ride.

 

Elaine: No, thank you.

Two of My Favorite Photos

Elaine and Daddy.

comfy and reclined and relaxed.

Alida and Daddy.

jumping and climbing and exuberant.

Good Grief

We celebrated the boys' birthdays over two different nights, neither of which were their birthdays.

But we managed the Minecraft cakes, as requested.

 

We were in a parade.

 

We had a visit from grandma and grandpa.  During which we quit our Girl Scout troop on the boys' real birthday, but that is a different story.

We rode the bull.

We made a mess, and showed extraordinary good will when boys unwrapped girls gifts...

 

We ate chocolate, in many forms.

We got some really good presents.

We took our only chance to see Ben and Alida sing in choir at 7 am one morning in the hallway at school.

Parents Night out was canceled, only we didn't know it.

But that is another story.

We made cookies.

We picked out a dog.

We rode.

We visited Strategic Air Command.

We found snow in Nebraska.

We spent New Year's with grandma and grandpa airplane.

We came home and replaced the attic ladder, so we could store all of the Christmas mess.

 

And they are still not back to school yet today.

The sun will come out tomorrow.