Dirt, Blood, and a BBQ

Today we spent the afternoon at Uncle Greg's house. He had a BBQ to celebrate his 37th (not really) birthday!

His house is a favorite of my boys because: 1. He is a ton of fun to play with. 2. He has lots of fun toys, including worker trucks and fancy hotwheel tracks, and 3. He's okay with whatever they want to do, even if it involves them getting way dirty!

Today was no different. By the time it was time to eat their hands and shirts were so gross with dirt. I tried to wash them off, but I wasn't very successful. I didn't want them touching any of my food, but they didn't seem to be bothered.

As soon as Henry sat down to eat, his nose started bleeding horribly--a lot of blood and it was coming fast. Lucas has had a few nose bleeds, but never Henry. We couldn't get it to stop bleeding and he was really hungry. I told him if he got his hot dog ready, I would pull the towel away so that he could take a quick bite. It sounded like a good plan. He ended up with blood on his bun. Isn't that gross? We tried it again with his drink. Again, blood all in his bottle. He wasn't grossed out the least bit by his blood contaminated meal. I was!

I was on the verge of taking him to the doctor, but then Cathy finally got it stopped with a cold compress made up of a washcloth wrapped around one of those frozen ice treats that are in the plastic sleeves. I have no idea what they are really called, but they were a childhood staple when I was little. Anyway, as soon as the blood stopped he wanted to eat the frozen part of his compress--the ice thing. That really grossed me out, but it was just delicious to HJ. Kids really are gross!

By the time we left, the boys were dirty messes from head to toe, but Henry survived his first nose bleed like a champ, their bellies were full of cupcakes and ice cream, and, best of all, they ready for a quick shower and some lovely quiet time!

Luke's Date

For each of the boys' birthdays Aunt Amy takes them on a special date. They get an invitation in the mail a week or two ahead of time and they anxiously count down the days until the big one arrives!

Lucas got an invitation to watch Pinocchio this past Saturday at Crown Uptown--lunch and a play! He also got to pick a place to go for a dessert of his choosing!

Before he left, he picked out his cutest outfit to wear, got a hair cut, and he even got to put on a bit of hairspray. He looked super handsome!

He had a really good time. He got to sit right up front at the play and he liked the lunch that was served--you never know with picky Lucas. He wanted a brownie for his dessert, but Chili's didn't have exactly what he wanted so he settled for a chocolate shake (Amy had to take off the whip creme because that just made it gross!) He also brought home some doughnuts for his brothers.

The boys always love getting to do things without the other two boys, but you throw in Amy and a special outing and it's just beyond amazing to them! I'm glad he had such a good time!

Copycat

Josh Oliver and I held a concert tonight. At times we were accompanied by Michael Jackson. (It was not by any means a good concert!)

Josh and I watched one of the many shows about Michael Jackson's life. The older boys started arguing in the shower so they missed out.

I can't listen Michael without breaking into song and dance. I especially love "Billie Jean" which I always feel like I have to sing super high. Josh wasn't offended by my horrid voice, in fact, started singing and dancing right along with me!

I must say he's a fabulous mimic! He did all the moves I would do and, if you didn't actually listen to the nonsense he was saying, he was singing the songs just like I was, too!

If only I knew how to actually dance or sing, Joshers would have been AWESOME! For his own sake, though, he should probably find someone else to copy!

Magazines

When we were over at my parents house on Saturday, Lucas eyed one of the most fabulous magazines ever!

It was Grandpa's new Field and Stream.

He was really excited about everything that was in it. I kept hearing him say, "Grandpa, did you see this picture!?"

When we were over there again on Sunday, Father's Day, Lucas flipped through it again. This time Grandpa J told Lucas that he could take them home if he wanted to. Luke was so excited! He was going to give them to Ben for Father's Day! After hearing that Henry decided to give Ben his half eaten box of Whopper's!

Lucas was so proud of his present. The look on his face as he carried those magazines was the absolute best. He had his perfect present!

I'm sure that magazine's weren't really at the top of Ben's wish list, but I think the presents that the boys come up with on thier own are the very best--Henry's gift giving maybe needs some work, though!

Self Photographs

When I got a new camera for Christmas I gave Lucas my old one.

He takes pictures of lots of random objects around the house. Or if anything "exciting" happens he immediately grabs his camera. It's kind of fun to see his point of view of things--plus sometimes I find little gems that I otherwise would have missed out on.

He's favorite thing to take pictures of, though, is himself. I can't even say how many pictures of his face--only his face--that he has taken with the camera at arms length. I think he likes to use himself as the subject when he's trying to figure out "different techniques" with his camera!

This past week he learned how to use the self timer. It has opened up a whole new world for him!

He hasn't quite mastered the concept of propping the camera on things, so most of them are of him laying on the floor.

I'm just glad that he is including more than just his face from his forehead to his chin!

Quiet Please

We've been hanging out with this handsome (yet very sad looking) fella for the last few days while Amy worked at a Physical Therapy Clinic.

I love little Eli to pieces, but he wasn't really the biggest fan of mine, or the boys, while he was here.

The first day he just kept looking at me like I was not his momma, and he really wanted his momma. He was okay with Ben, though. The next day he was okay with me, but the boys were just being way too loud for him. Today was good, though! We were out of the house mostly!

My house always seems to be a little louder and a little crazier when Amy, Eli, and Dave are in town. It's not them, though. It's my boys.

They just get so excited. They talk louder than normal. They are constantly showing off--which means more running around. And, bless little Eli's heart, they like to get right up in his face and play with him.

He seems to do alright when it's just one of the boys playing with him, but when they seem to be coming at him from all directions he just starts crying.

Someday he will love the craziness that is my house, but for now I think he very much prefers his own house where he can be an only child--instead of the fourth!

Our Pink Cabana

I've been telling the boys all week that if they were really good we could camp out on Saturday night.

When I say "camp out" I mean set up a tent in the basement and watch cartoons all night long. I leave the "fun" outdoor camping for Ben!

A few months ago, Gigi came across our old Cabana tent. I snatched that thing right up. It's perfect for indoor camping!

When Amy and I were little--late grade school and probably early middle school--we use to camp out in our backyard in that tent. We'd hang a sheet on the open side to keep the bugs out. It was just wide enough for us to sleep side-by-side. We'd haul our little T.V. from our bedroom out there and run an extension cord from the house--we really liked to rough it!

We "camped" quite a bit, but it seems like Labor Day was always our big weekend. Every time I see the Labor Day tele-a-thon it reminds me of the times in our tent.

I must say the tent is not quite the same when it's set up in a basement. Although, they may not have the draped sheet, bugs, or sticky air, they do have a T.V. so it's kind of the same!

Just Being Boys

On Wednesday, the boys and I went to Great Grandpa's farm. I was helping him figure out some things on his computer, which meant that Grandpa J was left to keep an eye on them. When he became a Grandpa he lost all desire to keep kids in line. Why does that happen?

We had a very busy day on Wednesday. There really wasn't any down time for the boys and they were getting pretty tired by the time that we got there. That was the first big strike against me!

Grandpa J took them down to the lake and then showed them all of the ducks and other animals. They were really excited, and when they came back into the house they were wound up. They were also eating sugary Dots candy by the handful.

Three tired boys + an exciting outing + lots of sugar = chaos

They were being so crazy. I had to keep getting after them while we were all sitting around talking. They wouldn't straighten up, so finally I had to really lay into them. Really who wants to be around wild boys like that? I certainly didn't want to claim them as mine at that point.

When I went back to talking to Grandpa, though, he was laughing! It certainly wasn't what I was expecting. He said that he raised four boys of his own and he knows how they are. My Pop also said that he remembers his mom just throwing her hands up in defeat a lot of times--which is exactly where I find myself at more often than I'd like.

It's always good to be around someone who understands how boys are, even if I don't want my boys to "just be boys" in the crazy, wild sort of way. Certainly not when we're around other people!

Field Trip to the Optometrist

The other day Lucas, Henry, and Ben went to get their eyes checked by Uncle Brad, and it was the coolest thing ever!

Lucas, especially, walked in the door and talked non-stop about everything they got to see. He was really excited about getting his pupils dilated. He kept showing me how huge his eyes were!

They were telling me about all of the other cool things they got to do. Honestly I didn't really hear any of it because I had so many people talking to me at once--including Ben!

Who would have guessed a trip to the Optometrist would be so fun!

In the Dog House

Henry just can't seem to stay out of trouble. This week has been especially bad for him.

He is such an outgoing, chatty, friendly, and a genuinely nice kid, but he just has so much trouble controlling his naughty behavior. He's my boy at both ends of the spectrum--naughty and nice.

He doesn't really do bad things, just naughty. The thing that makes me so crazy, though, is that typical punishments just don't seem to get through to him. In most cases the punishment seems to be totally worth the crime.

I've been trying to think outside the box with him. I haven't quite come up with the right solution. The best thing seems to be when he misses out on an outing or something "big", but then I feel like he gets left out a lot. I'm thinking that I need to start a reward chart for everyday that he doesn't sneak food into his room--that's by far his most common offense and it's often with ice cream, or cottage cheese, or something equally gross and messy.

I try to keep telling myself that one day I will look back on this and laugh, but while I'm actually dealing with it, it is making me crazy. I noticed my first gray hair when I was pregnant with him--I think it was a sign of what was to come.

He really is a super great kid--he just makes me want to pull out my hair at least once a day. I need to figure out a way to channel that part of his personality for good!

Lemonade for Sale

Gretchen had a garage sale over the last couple of days. The kids got to try their hand at entrepreneurship.

Everyone seemed to sort of have unofficial jobs. Gillian was the head boss. Lucas took care of the financial aspect of it. Henry earned his keep by being the head salesman. Josh Oliver and Olivia were sort of greeters--cute, chatty girls and boys with black eyes really bring in the crowds!

They started off Thursday by selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts. They tried their darnedest to get people to buy them, but I think they ended up eating way, way more than what they sold! Who would have guessed so many garage-sellers were such dedicated dieters?

The next day they had a lemonade stand. They had better luck selling that, although I'm pretty sure they also drank way more of it than what they sold, or should I say drank and spilled more.

We've decided that Henry is indeed a born salesman. It was a real crack up to watch him in action.

There was one girl who was about 8 who told Henry she didn't want any lemonade. He disappeared for a minute and came back with a full glass of lemonade. He walked up to her like he was the coolest guy at the party and said, "See I told you we had some lemonade." Then he took a long sip and said, "Are you sure you don't want some?" It was all very slick! She didn't give in right away, but by the time she left she had a glass in her hand!

Henry even stayed behind when Ben and I took the other kids to Cici's to eat. He wanted to stay with the lemonade stand--he was dedicated! While we were gone he apparently started pouring glass for people before he even asked if they wanted some. Really how can you say no to a cute kid who already has a glass ready for you? It was a good approach.

By the end of the day on Friday, Henry, Olivia, and Josh had made such a mess with the lemonade that they didn't get to sell anything on Saturday. Plus, they were all cranky messes so none of us really wanted to deal with them, let alone them trying to sell things.

It was a good garage sale. Gretchen made a killing and I think Linda did pretty good too. I was just happy to get rid of some of my stuff--the money is just bonus.

Our Date

Today Ben and I had a date of sorts.

We cleaned the garage!

My Aunt Michele asked if the boys could come over to play and the garage has been begging to be cleaned for a long time, so we got busy!

We got everything moved and swept. We got rid of a lot of stuff and we scrubbed everything clean. We found one very disgusting cooler that had empty cans in it from probably two years ago. Seriously, why would that get put on a shelf to ferment?

It took us three exhausting hours, but we have a really clean garage, well except for a few things, and Ben and I got to spend good quality time together, minus the kids. Really it was a lot of fun!

Our dates usually consist of getting the kids to bed early, ordering in food, and watching all of our favorite shows, so this one really spiced things up for us!

Plus is there anything hotter than a boy who cleans?

Accident Prone

Josh Oliver fell off of a bench at Gigi and Grandpa J's yesterday.

He now has a very swollen cheek along with a bruise on his lower eyelid and his cheek.

He also still has a mark by his left eye where he hit a popcorn tin at the very beginning of April.. The scar by his mouth is looking a lot better though.

He looks pretty rough!

UPDATE:

When Josh woke up from his nap (about 6 hours after this picture) his whole bottom lid was a dark purple and even more swollen. He also now has yellow nasties coming out of both eyes. I have been assured he hasn't broken his face in any way, but it's absolutely disgusting! Sadly I think it will look even worse in the morning.

We may not have very many pictures of Sweet Joshers for the next several weeks until his terrible eye returns to normal. Frankly I'm not sure how he is even going to be able to leave the house!