Begging for a date night

Kase has been begging for a date night with his dad all month. With Dan's busy work schedule, it was long over due and Kase was beginning to wonder if he would ever get his one on one time he was wanting. So, tonight, Dan came home with a surprise for his little man. It dang near made all of his dreams come true.

After work Dan pulled up in front of the house on one of my dad's motorcycle. He just sat there reeving up the engine until Kase noticed and went running outside. Kase went nuts when Dan asked him, "Are you ready to go out on a surprise date with me?"

Kase didn't need to be asked twice. He was hopping on the back of the motorcycle within seconds. SWEET!

What Kase didn't know was where they were going or what they were doing. He was just excited to get a date. And the fact that Dan was taking him out on a motorcycle was a really cool start.

Dan had packed some swimming stuff in the saddle bags of the bike ahead of time and arranged with some of Kase's friends and their dads to meet up with them for a treat at Dairy Queen and then a trip to a swimming pool. The fun part was that instead of just going straight to the DQ (about 6 blocks away), Dan took the long route to get there. With a drive out the canyon, and all around town, it took about 45 minutes of motorcycle riding to finally reach their destination where all of Kase's friends were waiting to start the fun. After treats, the sun was setting and they all went to Holle's back yard, where Dan had arranged with the Holle's to bring the boys over for a night swimming party.

To go swimming is cool enough, but to go swimming in the pitch black night with nothing but a pool light on and a bunch of your friends hanging with you too.

Our little Kase was loving the way this date was going.

Thanks to Dad, from Kase. Thanks to Kase for being a rock star kid, from dad.

Where's Hudson?

I left Alaina in charge while I went to run a few errands today. When I returned home I found all of the kids (except for Hudson) watching TV. I asked Alaina how everything went and where Hudson was. She told me, "I think he's playing in the playroom." I looked, but he wasn't there. She looked a little panicked when I said he's not in the playroom because she didn't know where else he would be. We called for him and searched all around the house for him, but no Hudson.

K... now I'm starting to get a little panicked too. Finally, he heard us yelling for him and came walking in from the garage...

...and this is what he was wearing.

Hudson had been playing dress-up with the girl's old hand-me-down clothes tubs in the garage.

(Can anyone say BRIBERY picture)

A first and second for Hudson

Last week Hudson was trying to out run his 17 yr old cousin, Kayleb as he chased him through the house. They came sprinting around the corner, through the office where I was sitting and into the playroom. With Kayleb hot on his heels he leaped in the air hoping a soft bean bag would break his fall but instead... he made direct contact with the back of his head and the rocks that surround the fireplace.

We headed out the door and returned 1 hour later with 4 stitches in the back of his head. This was a 1st for him but he was very brave and he didn't even cry once. But on the car ride home he said,"Mom, I don't want to go back to that squeezing doctor again."

Today our neighbors left on vacation and asked us to grab their mail and paper while they were out of town. They also told us feel free to use their pool while they were gone. So today on Dan's lunch break he ran the kids over for a quick dip in the pool. Not 15 mins later he came walking back in with Hudson who had blood running down from his eye. He explained that when Hudson was climbing up the ladder to get out of the pool he slipped and slammed his eye into the metal hand rail.

Another trip to the ER here we come. I made sure to go to a different ER this time, I mean... come on... twice in 1 week? I didn't want some ER nurse calling CPS or anything. :)

Luckily they were able to use the glue stitches on this one. As we drove home today Hudson said, "Thanks for taking me to the soft doctor and not the squeezing one, this one is my best."

Good “Clean” Fun!

The kids worked really hard today, and after a long day of Saturday house cleaning chores, gardening, and yard work, I finally told them “ Okay, jobs are done, it’s free time.” They quickly ran out in the backyard to play and use the rest of the daylight hours they had before I called them back in for the night.

As I was looking out the window at how excited they were to finally be finished with chores, Dan and I decided we would play a little prank on the kids. (yeah, we’re mean like that.)

While they were playing in the backyard, Dan and I snuck out the front door to spread a huge sheet of plastic across the front yard. Once that was all set up I grabbed a bottle of Dawn dish soap and marched into the backyard to where the kids were playing and with a very serious voice I said to them, “ Sorry guys, I thought of another job I need you to do.” I heard immediate moans and groans as they begged and pleaded to, “please be done with jobs for the day.” I told them, “It has to get done. I need you to go wash something in the front yard. It’s going to be hard but when you’re finished you can get back to your playing.” I handed them the soap and said to head to the front yard. They slowly and unhappily made their way to the front yard and when they saw the plastic they were like, “What in the heck???” Dan and I just said, “ I know this is gonna be rough, but get to cleaning.” They did a pretty good job with the “chore” of “cleaning the plastic.” :)

One depressing day in the life of a 10 year old boy :(

Crappy thing #1: No tooth fairy

Ky came into our room this morning to tell us that he lost his tooth yesterday and secretly tucked it away to see whether or not the tooth fairy would come if Mom and Dad were kept out of the loop. Well, as coincidence would have it.....that very night, the tooth fairy was so preoccupied in other kids homes that the trip to the Ostlers couldn't happen that night. Talk about a let down.....Ky was left disappointed wondering why he was forgotten by the all important fairy.

Crappy thing #2: Ky's 3yr old little brother throwing his DSi in the kiddie pool

Not just any DSi. The very one that he had just bought days before WITH HIS OWN HARD EARNED MONEY. Ugh! There isn't anything worse then having to do chores and work for a few bucks here and a few bucks there, THEN having to stick half your money in savings, cover the Lords portion in tithing, and patiently count for many long months as the pennies finally turn into dollars and dollars turn into $160 so that you can buy the most popular game systems on the market today.....only to have your little brother chuck it into the pool a couple days after getting it.

I did my best to help him get it working again, but it was a lost hope.

Crappy thing #3: Missed Cub Scouts tonight

Now to a mom or a dad, having your kids miss the blue and gold banquet isn't all that bad of a thing. One less errand. One less headache or hassle having to keep the rug rats settled down through one of those events. But to the Cub Scout who is supposed to be earning some awards, and who looks forward to these for weeks ahead of time.....You dare not miss!!

Well when the evening came and went tonight and I discovered that I had completely spaced it on getting to this, I told Dan we needed to keep our mouth shut and hope Ky forgot too. I think the plan would have worked if it wasn't for the ENTIRE cub scout group coming to our door after the event to tell Ky that they really missed him. AND to rub it in....they made sure to tell him just how much fun he missed out on. Giving him gifts and posters and finished activities that they all enjoyed doing that night. After all.....they didn't want him to feel left out.

Can his day get any worse......I don't think so.

Something to do when you're bored

What to do on a Sunday afternoon?

How about using your imagination!

Dan called all the BORED kids into the kitchen and made them gather round the table. They didn't know what was coming but when they saw a bag of marshmallows get dumped in the middle of the table, they got un-bored really quick. "Rice Crispy's" some yelled out. Others guessed "Hot Chocolate". Even the baby chimed in with "Cooking Far-Fellows in da fire???"

Nope, said Dan....Then the tooth picks came out and he began to demonstrate the Tinker Toys concept of using your imagination. After creating a contest for the most cool design and the most imaginative concept.....the kids engaged and began having a blast.

I even tried my hand at marshmallow architecture.

Ky, wins!

So this is what 33 feels like...

This morning a few friends kidnapped me for a birthday breakfast.

Right when I walked through the door from breakfast my boys took me on a bowling date.

Next it was off to meet the rest of the family for lunch and birthday cupcakes made by Dan and the girls.

After lunch we went to the movies as a family. (Karate Kid)

After that we dropped the kids off with a babysitter and Dan and I had a date night together. (Dinner and a movie)

My favorites from today... I had a husband home from work, definitely did not stick to my normal schedule, no housework for me and yet my house is spotless (the little cleaning fairies came), eating out for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and 2 movies in one day... Now that's my kind of birthday.

Thanks for making me feel special today.

Birthday Wishes for this year...

I wish to own more than one good bra.

I wish to loose 80 pounds to be able to shop in Apricot Lane like every other person my age.

Cooling Off

This little slip and slide, with a tunnel "Looked Cool". It stayed standing long enough for Hudson to go through...

Hailey got a turn...

Ky went through next...

Here comes Kase...

Last but not least... Alaina.

"SWEET... THAT WAS AWESOME, LET'S DO IT AGAIN!"

After each kid went through once, the tunnel collapsed and would not stay standing unless the kids held it up. "Not so Awesome."

$39.99 not well spent :)

The kids gave up on the flimsy slip and slide and spent the rest of the day running through sprinklers and jumping on the trampoline with ice cubes on it.

Lesson learned: Cooling off = ZERO DOLLARS :)

Celebrating the 4th again… On Monday the 5th :)

Since today was a federal holiday and everyone had work off, Dan’s dad invited the family over for a little fourth of July celebration. Dad barbequed shish-ka-bobs for dinner and then we did a few fireworks of our own in the backyard.

We only had done a few “illegal fireworks”, most of them were the plain jane good old fashioned back yard family style fun kind. BUT…..Dad was constantly looking over his shoulder for the cops because he wasn’t sure if it was illegal to be setting them off on the 5th instead of the 4th.

So….Dan and I decided to have a little fun. A good friend of ours is a Richland Police officer, and happened to be working tonight. After calling him up and asking him to come over with lights flashing and crash our party, Dan told me to grab the camera. We sat in anticipation knowing what kind of a reaction this should get under the circumstances.

And it worked like a charm. A few minutes later two cop cars came screeching into the cul-de-sac, lights flashing and a huge spotlight pointed down into the backyard. A voice came over the loud speaker and says, “Step away from the fireworks”. Dan and I were trying to keep a straight face as the adults all argued about who was going to be the one to go up and talk to them. A few of the kids even thought that we were all going to jail.

After the police officers left, having harassed Dad for a few minute and then gotten a chuckle out of it with us, Dad reported that he needed to go inside for a moment and change his pants.

We love ya Dad. Totally worth it!!

Sunday, July 4th

After church today we spent the afternoon making a few Fourth of July treats with the kids. We made…

Popcorn covered with white chocolate… YUM!

Red, White, and Blue Flag Rice Krispy Treats…

and Firework Fruity Pepple Krispy Treats…

After dinner we went out to the baseball field in Pasco to set up camp. While waiting for the fireworks show to start we played games, did a little face painting, and ate our yummy treats!

The kids had a lot of fun and want to go to another “big” show next year.