Smores!!

Yesterday after dinner we (or Graham/Susan) helped the kids make smores in the back yard!  I held Eric and of course ate some.  The day before we tried but a thunderstorm came up at dinner time and even though the fire was prepped and ready it was raining.

Will helping Graham get the fire ready.

Caroline helping too.

Now the weather is better so now the fire is going.

Caroline enjoying hers.  Never mind Sophie in the background!

Will kept asking for more!

So fun and delicious!!

33 years!

I had a delightful birthday!  The swimming pictures in the last post were actually from my birthday.  I had honeybun cake for breakfast and then when I put Eric down for his morning nap I also took a nap!  Then when we went swimming I got to swim laps for the first time in 9 months!!  I got to do 2 of my favorite things before lunch!!  Then we got to skype with Justin and then dinner, cake (chocolate!), and presents!!  Caroline was quite worried I would forget to open them and would remind me throughout the day.

Helping Susan put the candles in the cake.

Some of the candles might have seen better days!

I had lots help blowing out my candles.

The cake had also seen better times.  But, when you put it in the oven to keep the dogs from eating it when you go to the pool and then preheat the oven for dinner, the icing doesn't stay where you put it!!  It still tasted yummy.  Thanks Susan for helping make my birthday so special!!

We made it to VA!

We left Thursday afternoon and stopped in Boardman, OH for the night.  After breakfast the next morning we crossed into Pennsylvania to get the rest of the way to Gaithersburg, MD.  We stayed with one of our old neighbors, Ellie, and her family.  I even got to go inside our house (everything was fine).  We did have some drama Saturday late afternoon.  Caroline and Juliet (4) were playing in the basement and Juliet fell backwards, hitting the back of her head on the corner of a glass coffee table.  She didn't cry but had lots of blood.  Susan was the first there and carried her upstairs holding a towel on the back of her head.  She and Ellie went to the ER while Rob, Caroline, Will, Ashley, Eric, and I stayed at the house preparing dinner.  Juliet had a CAT scan (all clear) and got 1 staple.  The brave little girl didn't cry once!  We also went to our former church and were greeted like rock stars!  IT was so nice to see some of our favorite people again.  After church we headed to Chesapeake, VA to Susan and Graham's house!  We are staying here for the rest of the month!!  When I told Caroline that we are going to put her clothes in the bottom drawer she asked if we were moving in!!

The front seat was full!!

As was the back!  Susan didn't get a picture of the car top carrier!

They had so much fun jumping on the beds in the hotel.  They can't jump on their bunk beds and aren't allowed to jump on my bed so they thought this was super fun.

Grocery shopping with 3!!  THey may or may not have been threatened with broken arms if they didn't stop grabbing for food while moving!

First time at a pool!  He splashed himself in his face.  But liked it!

SHe passed a swim test to be able to go down the big slide.  She swam 25 yards freestyle and had to tread water for 30 sec.

Random pictures

So playing dress-up with another little brother continues for Caroline!  So far it is just the hat but I know there is more to come.

Look at those eyes!

The backyard fun continues.  The kids and neighbors are busy for hours every afternoon.

He now has 3 bottom teeth and a 4th on the way.  The 2 top teeth are starting to come in too.

Crazy hair day

Today is crazy hair day at Caroline's school.  When she found out it was crazy hair day she asked if she could use pipe cleaners.  Sure I told her, why not?  This is what we came up with!

The top curls are braids with a pipe cleaner braided into it.

Taylor Swift concert

Last night Caroline and I enjoyed a wonderful evening.  We left the boys with a babysitter (2 actually!) and went out to eat and then to Ford Field (where the Loins attempt to play) to see Caroline's favorite singer.  What an evening!!  It is hard to describe just how awesome the entire show was.  We barely made it in time though.  It took 2.5 hours to get 14 miles!!  The planning geniouses scheduled a concert with 50,000 people coming and a Tigers game to start at the same time!!  The venues are side by side and use the same exit off the highway.  And unlike most major cities there isn't any public transportation in Detroit.  So all the cars had to go some where.  Traffic was horrible and parking was a joke.  We finally found some where to park but it was about 10 minute walk away.  Caroline wanted to run so I ran too.  I haven't run that much in about 6 years!!  We made it just as Taylor started singing her first song, whew!!  We got our ear plugs in and went to find our seats.  

She had 9 outfit changes, ballerinas, aerialists, fireworks, and all kinds of fun!  There was constant screaming, singing, and flashes from cameras for the 2 hours she sang.  It was fun!  Caroline sang along to all but 3 songs and we stood the entire time!  I held her for some of it too.  I was tired.  

Our pretty great seats!

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Really fuzzy, but she walked through the crowd and went to another little stage out in the middle of the crowd and sat  by the "tree" which spun around and sang a few songs.

the big screen near us

some of the aerialists 

floating over the crowd in a balcony singing the Romeo and Juliet song

That was one tired, happy, little girl!  The stage is to the left of Caroline's head.

The singing ended about 10:45 and we finally got home at midnight.  Caroline fell asleep in the car and slept in until 8:30.  I on the other hand was up at 3:30 with Eric and then up for good at 6:15.  Eric was back down for a nap before Caroline even got up!

Caroline has told me several times today how much she loves me and how much she liked doing that with me.  

My sweet Caroline, I loved being able to go on this very special evening with you!  I had the best time with you.

Here is a little video of one of the last songs she performed.

How's Justin doing?

I hear this question ALL the time!  It's not a bad thing, I love that there are so many people that care so much about him.  I almost hear that question as much as I hear, "mom, I need ....."  

The kids and I have several things we do as a way to remember Justin and count down the days until he is back with us.  One of them is the calendar below.  In the beginning Will was having a hard time with how much longer until we see dad.  It's hard since he doesn't really grasp how long a week is much less a month or year.  So how do I get that across to him?  Justin had the idea actually!  I took apart a calendar and hung it on the wall.  Then Will can mark off each day and when the month is done we flip that page over and get to see a cute picture of a baby animal.  He knows when we see all the baby animals Daddy will be home!  The stickers on the calendar are holidays and the Canadian holidays.  I have also written birthdays and when people are coming to visit.  It sure helped stop the incessant questions about when is daddy coming back.

You might notice May isn't turned over.  I took these pictures a while back but haven't gotten around to blogging about it yet!

 Another is a paper chain that Melanie gave us.  We add a link everyday and write the date and something that happened that day.  The kids love adding a chain and seeing how long it is now.  Caroline is getting good at writing the date a something about our day.

Then we have "flat daddy".  My sister-in-law got this for us and the kids love being able to have meals with dad.  He sits at the table with us for every meal.  

Our friend Todd thought Justin might like a beer!

We also get to skype with Justin most every day and sometimes even get phone calls!  Because of the time difference Caroline only gets to skype with him on the weekends, which is hard for her.  (she's a BIG daddy's girl)  This week has been a little challenging with skype.
So how IS Justin doing?!  In a word busy.  Super duper busy.  Right now he is doing 2 jobs.  He has been asked by a 3 star to manage his calendar while his usual scheduler is on leave.  SO that means he 1. can't say no, and 2. has to then get someone to do his job.  He is working both right now.  His boss is also going on leave and he was going to handle some of those duties too so potentially he will have his hands in 3 full-time jobs!  Most nights he gets 5 hours of sleep, is up at 5 to get some exercise in and works until 10 on a good day.  I'm looking forward to his R&R in August but I know he is even more so than we are!!
There are still tears and lots of asking for dad but I feel everyone is doing pretty good!  Almost half way!!

Busy bees or people

We have been pretty busy around here and it doesn't look like it will be slowing down for a few weeks maybe months!  But I am looking forward to all the help I will have while being busy.  Last week Caroline had a drama club showcase Wednesday afternoon.  It was a great demonstration of what they have been learning.

Caroline playing the improv game "bus stop"

Then Thursday afternoon was Caroline's promotion from Daisy to Brownie.  They did the cutest little skit.  All the daisys  added the Girl Scout laws to a circle making brownies.  Then they all crawled into a cardboard oven to bake (really went to the hall to put on the brownie sash).  Then the timer went off and the brownies were done!  Then the girls crawled back out of the oven as brownies!!

 Then Friday was Will's last day preschool!!  He has had a wonderful year and loves his teacher.  As do I, she is great with 4 year olds!

His best buddy, Aidan, is on his right.

Kylie, also a buddy.  You could find then holding hands walking into school or sharing an umbrella if it was raining.  Super cute!!

Mrs. Kotlar!

 So with all that going on the kids still had time to push each others buttons!

 OR sit and snuggle with teddy bears.

 Or just smile for me!

So what's next?  This is Caroline's last full week of school.  She is done next Thursday.  In the mean time I still have laundry to do, meals to fix, a dog to walk, exercise to find time to do, mow the yard, get the oil changed in the van, give baby stuff back to a friend that is moving, talk with the ped. about Will's stomach, take care of 3 kids, clean the house, go to dinner w/ 2 friends from bible study to discuss what we are going to do in the fall, take Caroline to the Taylor swift concert, and the biggest of all

pack and get the house ready for a 2.5 month vacation!!  We leave the day after Caroline is done with school!!  Susan flies in the 15th to help with everything!  I hope I make it until she gets here.