Oak Openings '09

Photo op with Gram; she has 14 great grandchildren, 18 grandchildren and 7 children of her own, she is amazing

God put trees on this earth for little children to climb, you can't convince them any differently

Such a poser

Happy, happy boy! That's what 5 donuts gets you with Mo

There aren't words.....

If you ever want to test yourself try this out: get up at 4am to feed a hungry baby b/c you worked all day so she refused to eat while you were gone, realize there is cold air coming out of the vents and it is 60 degrees in the house! wake your ever joyful husband (please note sarcasm here, as if it isn't obvious) to relight the pilot, then feign excitement when said husband tells you that it keeps going out. pray while husband calls heating and air serviceman (henceforth to be known as my hero) to come out at 530 in the morning to fix the stupid pilot light. meanwhile small children start waking when they hear all the commotion. begin to dress them for the very cold day ahead. breathe a huge sigh of relief when the hero arrives at 6am, fixes the furnace and tells you that it is only about 60% efficient but does not need to be replaced this year, next year when it must be done it will cost $3500! who has that kind of money sitting around! not me! get on the road around 715 to go to oak openings. fight with tired, cranky kids who don't want to sit in the car for 2.5 hours and can't hold their bladders for more than 20 minutes at a time. arrive at oak openings, enjoy wonderful family time and eat delicious food prepared over the fire. let the middle child eat as many donuts as he wants b/c it is easier than fighting with him, and what the hell, it's a special occaision. pack up and head back to dayton. now the children are more tired and more cranky. thankfully the oldest two fall asleep, as is daddy, while driving the car. take over the drive and let daddy deal with the screaming baby who just wants to be out of her seat. arrive home around 330, start dinner, feed the fam, daddy goes to bed at 530pm, bathe the kids while straightening up the pig sty and mopping the disgusting floors and scrubbing the bathroom that looks like a high school boys locker room, do 5 loads of laundry and get the kids to bed. lay down to sleep, sleep? what's that? make daddy get up with the baby at 6am, it's his turn and he slept a long time. get up and do it all over again, this time substitute the furnace with the dryer and the drive to toledo with preschool and piano lessons. some days i amaze myself. i know so many people have real problems, but this is enough for me. what did i do with all of my time before a house and kids?

love ya!

the mom