Channeling Richard Simmons?

It's more fun with just the girls...

Especially for a parent...so when Emma told us she was going to homecoming with a group of girlfriends, I was all for it. So much less stressful than a "date". And less awkward. Remembering those feelings just makes me cringe. Emma looked gorgeous--I know I'm biased but it's totally true. After the dance, she went to a friends house and toasted marshmellows. A fun night!

Surviving the flu

So the last two weeks here have been NUTS. So sick. Everyone. Well, not Scott. He never gets it. High fevers, coughs, sore throats, you name it. The little ones were particularly sick. But today, we are getting better. Adaecia is the only one with a lingering fever. We're hopeful she'll be better by Monday. I need to get out of this house. I was home sick with up to 10 kids at a time. It's just no fun when you don't get to lay in bed yourself. The kids were really good, and we had lots of supplies. I checked out the CDC website and apparently Washington State had the 2nd highest outbreak in the nation. Scary. Well, hopefully we're through it now. I wonder if you can catch it again? I've heard from several people that the stomach flu is going around too. I think I would shoot myself if we got that. Enjoy some pictures of our plight...

Lifesaver.

Essentials.

Trying to keep the germs to a minimum, I sterilized the toothbrushes every few days.

Ahhh...yucky medicine, as Koby & Zella call it.

Ginny & Selena--the chills is more fun with a sister.

Home with the flu...and 7 kids

Sure. Stomach flu would be much worse. I keep trying to tell myself that. But I feel lousy. Super lousy. And the seven kids that are home with me are in various needs of care...some on the mend and ready to go back to school, some just starting. Several have to use the nebulizor every few hours (including me!). Is it H1N1, you ask? Not according to the two that were actually tested, but what difference does it make? It feels like a really lousy flu...high fever, cough, aches, chills, stomach ache. Ugh!

So here are all the questions William has asked me this morning. My tylenol is kicking in so I thought I should document this for humor's sake:

1. Where do owls go when it's windy?
2. What about birds?
3. What about whales?
4. What about sharks?
5. Do whales and sharks eat grass?
6. What is a bird's nest made out of?
7. Do bird’s eat sticks?
8. How do owl's wink?
9. Do sharks fins get warm under the water?
10. Do me have a fever?
11. Is me still sick?

BACKPACKS!

Back to School!

Well, there have been some big changes around here over the past two weeks! Scott is back to work full-time (although it is only a temp job). He took a position as a meter reader for the utility company...yes, it's the same job he did for 20 years before he started his career as a house-husband and full-time dad. But, our grocery budget was really in need of some supplementing, so when the opportunity came up, we jumped at it. This means that Kiki and William are in full-time preschool at the YMCA. They are so excited. They get swimming lessons twice a week, and our downtown Y is brand new. Tootie goes to a 1/2 day program at the Y before her afternoon Kindergarten starts. The rest of the kiddies are in school all day. So, I have morning duty and drop Tootie, Kiki and William off, and Scott has afternoon duty. He gets off at 3:30pm and should be home just in time for the kids to get off the bus. It is certainly going to be nice to have some extra income, even after daycare expenses.I took today off work so I could get everyone off the first day, and it is so scary quiet around here right now. I can't remember the last time I was completely home alone in this house! Good things the dogs are here to totally bark at nothing every five minutes. Otherwise I might go insane with all the silence.

Posting 1st day pics here! Enjoy...

Wow! Long time no blog!

Summer has been flying by and it seems I haven't caught up on my blogging since our big vacation at the Oregon Coast. Yep, we loaded up 12 kids (13 if you count my neice) and drove 12 hours to the Oregon Coast where we played for a week. It was so much fun. Of course, it was a bit disappointing to have the boys declare that the lego cars from McDonald's were the BEST PART of vacation. And then when pressed, they decided maybe it was watching Cat in the Hat (with Mike Myers) about 15 times a day. Wow! So the tidepools, hiking, kite flying, ocean swimming, skim boarding, marshmellow roasting and shell collecting was secondary to McDonald's Happy Meal toys and a DVD movie? Completely good to know for next year. Much cheaper to just to McDonald's and Blockbuster!

Of course, I think they did enjoy all the other things, and I know I enjoyed being in a ginormous house with 4 bathrooms. That was a slice of heaven! Here are some more choice pics from our big adventure: