Girls Camp and Surgery on toes and fish

Today was an eventful day which warranted an current blog post.  (I know, it's been a while since I posted in real time)  Anyway Mer went to girls camp this week.  Because I work with the YW now I got to go up a few times during the week and help out.  It was so fun. The girls are so sweet.

 
I think Mer got her fill of girl time. She was exhausted when I picked her up this morning.  I came to the camp to pick her up a little early because she had a very big day today.  She had surgery to take her screw out.  We had to give her a quick post-camp pre-surgey pedicure.  She walked around barefoot all week and you can imagine how filthy her feet were.

We took a very nervous Meredith to the surgery center.  She was a bit of a wreck as the anesthesiologist came to star the IV.   I was having flashbacks of the time we took her to the ER and she wouldn't let them stitch up her split open armpit.

He gave her versed which did nothing to calm her nerves.  Poor girl I'm sure the sleep deprivation was not helping either.  But she eventually got through it.  The screw came out and all is well. 

 She just has a couple of stitches and she can walk when she feels like it, run in 2 weeks and play soccer in 3. Not a bad deal.

To pass the day the boys scouted out fishing locations and Doug and Jack went back to the beach this evening.  Jack caught a fish and they brought it home to gut and cook it.   

Boy was he excited.

Gross! I'm glad Doug was doing the gutting, not me.  We will be bleaching the cutting board.

And now we can officially say that we've tasted Whiting.

Always an adventure over here.

Family Untiy

This was my post from last Thursday that somehow didn't get published:

Today we put our paint brushes and rollers down and headed to the beach for the morning.  The waves were perfect.  Safe.   Safe enough for cautious Luke to give boogie boarding a try.  He figured it out.  Perfect for a day when there was no one else his age to play with.

I love summer! I love having all my kids home. Having time to read them chapter books, play games and do crafts with them.  But, raising these 4 is rough most days. I won't deny it. Mostly I just feel like I play referee.

Tonight since Doug was not home for dinner it was endless hooliganism at the table.  Instead of continually reprimanding I escaped to the back room.  I told them to finish eating and do the dishes (thinking, yeah right, as I walked away).  They proceeded to half heartedly unload the dishwasher and then got sidetracked with acting out scenes for a movie they are thinking of making.  Then they abandoned that plan and made a movie that they already had the script for.  One that Doug wrote last month for an FHE.  Enjoy!

To heck with making them clean up, I was just glad they weren't fighting and they were working on something creative together and getting along.  THANK YOU!!!  Maybe there is hope.
Really my kids aren't going to be perfect.  I just want them to be able to get along.  I'm hoping this summer work idea is helpful... so far so good.

Piano and Painting

Yesterday afternoon rolled around and Mer and Max did a little happy dance.  "No piano lessons today!! Hooray". I just rolled my eyes. Stopping piano lessons has been a great debate at our house for months.  We told them they could take a break after the next recital, which was on Saturday.  (Mer took lessons for 2 yrs, Max, for about 8 months).   Our fabulous piano teacher persuaded them to do a duet.

Here it is if you'd like to hear it.



For Max's solo he played the Scarecrow Scherzando.  He has been playing this for months and usually plays it a top speed.  He slowed it down quite a bit for the recital.



Here's one of Mer's songs




Luke and Jack have been best buddies.  Last week they made an apple pie together.

It was Jack's idea and Luke is always game for some cooking fun.

I did indeed get my house painted!! The kids have been painting a little every day and we are so close to being done. 

I'm so proud of these kids. They have really worked hard.  Mostly Mer and Max did the painting but Jack and Luke did a lot of prep work and other jobs too.

The kids don't like our new gray walls, but I told them not to worry because they'll have chance to choose the paint colors when they own a house too.

We have had a little more feeling of family togetherness and a little less fighting as a result.  And I haven't once heard them say "I'm bored" this summer.  Hmmm...what big project can I get them to do next?

I'll get a picture of the house soon.  And I'll leave you with one more photo of Meredith Mishchief.

Update. Mer turned 13!

Good Morning! Summer has come. It has been fun to have the kids home but it is always a little crazy having everybody get used to being together 24/7 again. Doug has declared this the "Summer of Work" so at this moment the older kids are clearing out the dining room in preparation for painting. I just might get my house painted this summer. Ha!

Mer turned 13 last week, or was it the week before. :) 

 Mer's birthday was fun. Low key and a little uneventful at her request.  Here are some photos from the day.

Morning presents...

We watched a movie, went swimming, baked a cake....

chocolate through and through with touch of soccer ball on top.

 She had a friend come over and hang out for the evening.

pretty girl.