Evacuations and Toddlers are not a good combination

I was running downtown (about 20 minutes from home) when I got a call from Ed that 911 called and said there was a mandatory evacuation.  There was a chemical fire about a mile away. 

Of course, I had the van with all the car seats…so sweaty old me had to race home and his job was to get everything ready.  (I probably should have given him a more detailed list..no offense, but guys just don’t think of the same things was we do)  More clothes, a ton of diapers, breakfast, etc.  I do give him credit though, he did remember the chocolate!

Since my family and dh’s family were all being evacuated too our options were limited at 8:00pm, we didn’t want to call friends with kids and disrupt their household.  I talked to my aunt and she said we could stay there, so as we were heading there I received a call from my cousin (her daughter) and said to come there.  That was a smarter move, she has a huge house and finished basement with extra bedrooms and a bathroom down there.

It was nice to see my cousin who I hadn't seen in a few months and Braeden was having a ball playing with Madelyn who is a year older than him.  The great thing about a 6 year old is that they are adaptable and this was just an adventure for him. 

Liam and Brenna who normally go to sleep about 7:30 were up until almost midnight, they were so overtired they could not settle down.  They woke a normal time this morning and were soooo grumpy.

I was “that” mom at Walmart this morning buying diapers with two screaming kids.  I just smiled and kept walking as everyone watched, lol!  I did get a few sympathetic looks.  Got the diapers and bought some clothes so the kids didn't have to run around in their pjs all day and then headed to a playground that we had been meaning to go to for awhile...played until they were tired and then headed up to the old fashioned A&W where you order from your car and the waitress brings the food to your car.

While we were getting food in their bellies, I decided that we were just going to have to do a driving nap, Brenna was beside herself.  She was just so tired she was growling and kicking, she sounded like she needed an exorcist.  As I was driving I got a call that we were good to go home!  Woo-hoo!  There's no place like home!

Here is a link to a few of the explosions….scary stuff, hope everyone is okay!

http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/video?id=6949203

 

It’s not too early to be thinking Halloween, right???

Okay, yes I totally know its too early, BUT I love Halloween.   I started thinking about it early, I suppose because we are headed to Disney the week after Halloween, and my little girl who is OBSESSED with princesses right now, can be a princess and use the costume again for Disney.

Anyway, as I was looking for costumes, Liam was up on my lap.  I was asking him what he wanted to be for Halloween.  I’m not sure he even remembers Halloween, he does still play dress up in his knight costume from last year though.

He starts saying, “I wanna be a boy witch”.  I thought this was a bit odd…a boy witch.  My mind starts drifting off to warlocks or maybe he saw Harry Potter…wizard, maybe magician?

I start going back pages to figure out what he saw, and then I found it!

 

THE BOY WITCH

 

Will someone explain he has the wrong holiday?  I suppose we can reuse his again at Thanksgiving dinner.  I tried to convince Braeden that he could be Squanto, but he isn't biting.  Oh well...I suppose we do have three more months!

The kids loving on each other

Gotta love moments like these!

Giving Eskimo kisses…ignore Brenna’s crazy hair!

A Day at the Beach

Yesterday we headed up to the beach with the kiddos and my nephew Lochlan.  My sister is in Costa Rica on a mission trip (my mom is watching him) and we are trying to keep him busy.  I will say that two 2 yr olds, a 4 yr old, and 6 year old really love to drive each other crazy.  They did have fun at the “ocean” (Bay City State Park), the water was really gross, we didn’t venture out there.

We were actually there for our family reunion, but the little ones didn’t stay still that long. Our family reunions are pretty small and they get there and leave within about 1.5 hours.  We were able to visit for almost an hour before heading off to the beach. It was a beautiful day and the park is really nice, BUT the beach is just yucky!  I wish they would clean it up one day.

Liam had fun playing in the sand, Braeden and daddy dug a hole, Lochlan played in the hole. Brenna wanted to keep going to the water. The girl has no fear.  Lochlan fell off the picnic table and bumped his ear, thankfully the swelling is down today.

We were sooo tired at the end of the day, chasing them all.  I guess that might also have to do with the 10K that my mother and I ran that morning.  We will have to remember that next time!

                              On the boardwalk on the way to the beach.

                          Liam holding Brenna’s hand, something they never do, so I had to take a pic.

                         Nice pic of Braeden and Lochlan

                          And their goofy face one….you have to let them have this one to get the goofies out so they will cooperate with the nice one later.

Braeden in the hole, he refused to be buried any more.

A very quick moment when they were in the same place at the same time.

                           My boys in the hole!

                        Liam on the go at the beach.

                       My sis wanted some pics emailed to her of Lochlan, I thought she would enjoy this one of her son’s wedgie!

                     Rare pic of mommy and Braeden.

A bit of Red, White, and Blue

We had our annual 4th of July party and had TONS of fun!  Sharing a few photos from the day.

I keep cracking up at this one…as Brenna dumped the whole thing of sprinkles.

My cuties!

Sweet……………………………………………………AND

Not so sweet!

Attempt at group photo…..maybe next year!

Serious

And happy!

The kids are always happy when cousin Melissa is over.

And a dirty Liam hanging out with cousin Nicole.   They do have 19 cousins, just on Ed’s side.  Just one lone cousin on my side.    

Hanging out with Aunt Amber (my sis)

Liam with Daddy….hope he wasn’t trying to get a sip!

And a funky purple firework we made for Brenna today….our firework pics were nothing spectacular, but Brenna loves the color purple.  

busy, busy!

I have been missing my computer time lately.  We have been busy…as in on the go, but also the little ones are keeping me on my toes.  I don’t sit from sunset until sundown most days.  Some days I feel like I need a visit from the Supernanny, until I watch it and realize things aren’t that bad…yet, lol!

The climbing is terrible, Braeden never climbed like this.  As I am getting one kid down, the next one is right behind me getting up.  This is really dangerous, especially when I am cooking.  I miss the days of the superyard and keeping the kids out of the kitchen.

Getting out of the house has been quite an ordeal….as I get one dressed and feel a bit successful and head off to get the next one dressed to turn around to a naked kid behind me…ugh!!!  Back to square one.

My sweet little Liam has learned the word “no”.  He has also learned to push and bite.  I am hoping keeping on him will make him realize this is unacceptable and it will stop really soon. 

He also learned how to climb out of his crib on Friday night, and we converted him to his toddler bed…oh the late night fun!

Braeden is out of school, he is doing baseball and basketball twice a week.  I was thinking when we signed him up, this would be something nice for him to do with other kids his age….I forgot I would need to keep the little ones entertained while he was doing it, which has been REALLY hard.  I have tried to let them play outside, but they run off in different directions.  One in a parking lot one way, and the other the other way….I did get to both in time, but man my body wasn’t meant to run that fast.

Any suggestions are welcome.  The past few days of baseball I have sat in the car letting them watch a DVD and eat a snack for about 30 minutes, then a 30 minute walk, then off to play on the playground for another 30 minutes.  For basketball(indoors), I am a bit more limited.  Last week we watched a DVD, and then regretted letting them out….they really didn’t care for the books, and tomorrow I have some bubbles….trying to come up with some more in the stroller ideas.

Here are some pics of some of the things we have been up to the last few weeks.

 

Fun with Abby at Vacation Bible School.  Brenna is in love with any Disney Princess and loves Abby, so when she showed up with a princess shirt, she was pretty happy.

Braeden’s VBS class singing on the last day.

Brenna’s first sucker at the parade.

Braeden on third base waiting to go home.

Not sure what Liam is doing here….he might be reading her behind, lol!  It said “Princess”.  This is her “Owt-ney” swimsuit….inherited from her buddy Kourtney.  

Playing in the pool this year.

And here is two years ago. 

Playing in the pool this year.

And two years ago…..she finally did get hair.

Braeden making a mud fort.

One of many climbing spots that they like.

Liam looking for the itsy bitsy spiders in the spouts. 

How we found him last night….sleeping with the lights on in front of the door reading quality books….like the Fairly Oddparents.

Look at Brenna!!!

Guess who is potty trained during the daytime?  She has been in underwear during the day for a week now.  We have made many outings and she tells me when she has to go.  When she has to go she will start to say “curly bear, curly bear” that means, I need to go to the bathroom.  Those of you who are confused, Elmo has a potty video and Curly Bear learns to use the potty.

She also converted to her big girl bed last month too.  She has about 100 friends she likes to sleep with.  Today I bought her a blow up sleeping bag to take with us when we travel.  We blew it up and she laid down in it and then started yelling for her dollies.  She ran upstairs and I kept hearing thud, thud, thud, until most of them were downstairs.  Then she was ready to “nuggle” with them.

She does have a few favorites….Rella (Cinderella) and Poo-poo dolly (she named her, not me).  She likes to take these favorites in the car and anywhere I will allow them to come.  She is very much into princesses right now, everywhere we go she will point out Belle, Aurora, Rella, and Snow White.  She got to pick out her own underwear last week, and I should have known who she would pick.

And check out the style on this girl….lol!  Elmo shirt, princess shoes, tutu from 1st b-day, and purple Dora backpack, love it!

She is quite adventurous, she wanted to go on the fast ferris wheel, but this face isn’t because she doesn’t like the ride.  It’s because they put us in a different car than Daddy and Liam.  She cried for Yee-yee (her name for Liam) almost the whole ride.  In the other car Liam cried for Mommy.  She is quite attached to mommy right now, she gets quite distraught when I am too far away.  She is always really clingy and a bit shy in the beginning, but watch out once she warms up she is a spitfire.  She definitely can hold her own against her brothers.

Definitely a country girl, she loves all animals and is not afraid of any of them.  She loves tractors and here she is milking a cow. 

Braeden is officially out of school, so we are looking forward to a fun summer for all of us.  We are off for a mini-trip to Ann Arbor tomorrow through Friday, so I need to start packing.  I’m sure we will have fun!