mellow monday

our long weekend is over and life with a routine is back in session. Zack and Roma are feeling a bit under the weather and they are sleeping. Simon is busy playing with blocks but 20 minutes ago, he was putting "stickers" on in the bathroom... I ran to the car to get the camera and when I came back, he was at the top of the stairs saying, "cheese!"

Our weekend was a fantastically busy one. Thursday we spent out and about. Friday we stayed indoors. We SOCIALIZED all day! One of the biggest issues with homeschooling is "socialization". It was the topic that everyone asked me about.. But since being in school, I've realized that what my kids miss MOST about being in school is not being able to play with their friends. Yes, they do play at recess and they have PE twice a week, but they don't get to socialize like they used to. Having friends over just doesn't happen anymore. So Friday I told the kids to each pick a friend and we'd have a party. Well, their friends each have siblings and we love them too, so a party of 8 quickly turned into a party of 15. (thankfully not all were on the trampoline at the same time.)

It sounds a lot crazier than it was. The kids played and played and played and I was in the kitchen making bread and soup and goodies. At the end of three hours of play, 8 loaves of banana bread were out of the oven, two big pots of soup were simmering, and the kitchen was spotless.

After lunch, the three oldest boys went to a party with homeschooling friends while Simon, Roma and I took a long nap. Friday night was date night and the kids were THRILLED to go play at another friends house (party, party, party!) while Aaron and I did some early Christmas shopping.

The next day was SOUPER SATURDAY for our Relief Society. Roma and I spent the morning at the church making fun Christmas crafts!!! The event was so organized and fun. I absolutely LOVE the women in my ward. Roma was pretty grumpy (she didn't sleep much the night before) but I was able to get all my projects done because there were so many friends willing to hold my fussy baby. It's so therapeutic for me to be socializing with MY friends and being able to do something creative at the same time. Gurl power!!

When I came home from Super Saturday, Aaron and the boys were rearranging bedrooms. We've been talking about moving Ben and Luke downstairs for a while now (all FOUR boys have been in the same bedroom since the baby was born) but we just haven't had the time to do it. I just LOVE when my big strong boys are able to do all the work for me. Zack and Simon now share a queen bed upstairs and Ben and Luke are downstairs. They are excited about having their own room.

Saturday night Ben and Luke went to a late-night birthday party in Blue Diamond... Aaron and I took the three littles shopping. Everyone would see us with three kids and say, "you have your hands full" or "you finally got your girl" and we would smile thinking they don't even know the half of it. Truth is, we do have our hands full when Ben and Luke aren't with us. They are such big helpers, it's easier having 5 kids than 3. At the end of our date on Saturday night, Roma was partied out. Poor little thing was so congested. She didn't sleep at all that night and every time I fed her, I had to squeegee out her little nose. Zack went to sleep early and woke up Sunday feeling sick too. So we stayed home from church and tried to get better. There are so many germs going around and this time of year is the worst for catching bugs!!

Last night Aaron and I made the final decision to STAY HOME for Thanksgiving... which was not part of the plans. We're super bummed about it and won't know what to do all by ourselves! But after a long successful weekend at home together, I am counting down the days until Thanksgiving break... plans or no plans! Until then I will be concentrating on keeping my kiddies warm, clean and fed. That's not an easy task, but it's not so bad when they're this cute...

6 weeks old