Weekly Wrap - #3

 Since there are no more Quick Takes : ( let's go with a Weekly Wrap of all things... 

~ 1 ~

Christmas Programs...

Neither school had in person Christmas programs this year.

So we got all dressed up for Christmas program taping! It was actually waaaaaay easier than getting dressed and racing to the plays at 5:49!

~ 2 ~

The muppet tree!

We got our tree - it is still happily outside. Lee nixed my muppet tree but I loved it. It is was really cute!

~ 3 ~

The windshield...

A windshield ding turned into a full on windshield crack. That was great. I held my breathe EVERY single time I went over railroad tracks or a bump on the highway. I go over more railroad tracks each day than I imagined. 

~ 4 ~

St Lucy's Day rolls.. 

Good things I got friends who actually do liturgical living and want to share!

~ 5 ~

The big kids (not the preschoolers) helped with a Christmas nativity

H started as baby Jesus in the pic only 

R got to be Mary a bunch of times!

A was a shepherd and a wise man and had lots of hot chocolate. 

~ 6 ~

H has been a bed hog so...

she got sent to the crib and has done quite well!

~ 7 ~

The weather has been great. 

There was a soccer game organized and we went to the field for a stroll

All The Dressing Up - 2021

Seeing that it is nearly Christmas its about time to chat about Halloween... 

We have: The Hulk, The Wicked Witch, H who was too happy in her carseat to put on the pumpkin get-up, a ballerina, a vampire? - maybe, Yoda, St Monica

There happens to be a whole lot of back story to the costumes this year... Sometime in July the bigs were in a bit of a bind because they were supposed to clean up the playroom and they didn't so Lee and I took everything and bagged and boxed it up and told them they had to sort through EVERYTHING before it was put back into the playroom. Trash to the dump. Toys to the playroom. Well it turns out there was only supposed to be one bag of trash and the other black trash bag had ALL the costumes in it. EVERYTHING. Star Wars, Wizard of Oz, saints - everything. It is enrages me to even type it. So I told them they had to buy their costumes this year because I wasn't. I think I would have if there was a theme but some people are too cool for that so they shelled out money and reused what didn't get tossed. 

St Lucy, St Olga, St Monica, St Michael

We got over the not-so-late-night Halloween and put on our game faces for All Saints Day - I think I told Lee he HAS to block off All Saints Day morning to be at the house until we leave because most Catholic school parents will say it is one of the tougher mornings to have costumes the night before and then the next morning!

A was all about St Michael - and has since decided that Kindergarten is angels in the Christmas program that he needs his St. Michael costume for the Christmas play

R's costume required the most hands on work and she made her crown of lights which I think came out great!

E repurposed her royal costume from last year when she got wind of the costume punishment decree so she found another queen saint. 

I've hoarded the costumes in my room so as to help people save their pennies next year.

 

7QTs - All the September Things

Linking up with Kelly ... Still working on my 7 different updates posts but here's to September

---1---

E swam in another open water meet

It was a 3K this time instead of 2 like in the summer. She was worried about not finishing in the alloted time - but she did (and didn't come in last either!)

---2---

That same day (our schedule was messed up because we were dealing with the stomach bug - which reared its ugly head every 2-3 days so we thought we were out of it and then someone else would get sick - fortunately this time Lee and I were spared) I took A and H for hand and foot painting traditions.

Baby footprints and Kindergarten handprints. We'll see how they turn out

---3---

Trail Life and AHG started... 

A was super concerned his Papa wasn't there and ALL the other little boys had their dads there so 

The following week I stayed home and did fun normal little kid things - like taking a bath. J and C are cheated out of lots of bath time because normally we have zero time for that so they splurged and had a half and hour plus bath!

 

---4---

H is going to be 2 months this week!

She's pretty stinking cute and will sleep for some long stretches at night!

---5---

Can we talk about this guy!

He's going to be 2 tomorrow!

He's very into all things trucks so when the tractor was plowing the field at the end of the street we HAD to check it out

---6---

Soccer started last weekend. R, M and C all scored goals in their games. Cs team of 3-4 girls is so funny. Some are in the zone and other are checked out and other refuse to play (looking at you Lady C) 

 

R's team got put in our place with a 6-1 loss. That was tough to coach

M's team had a competitive game but emotions got the best of us in the loss. Life lessons people. That is why we play sports - or at least one of them. 

I didn't see As game because it was at the same time as C's but he said he had fun and Lee said he almost scored. 

---7---

History repeated itself... 

Another Kibbe broken arm. It is strange because I was doing the EXACT same thing 12 weeks to the day to the minute. Taking a kid who fell to get an xray of their left arm. Break was in a different spot and E has got a pretty light blue cast instead of a sling. NO more soccer for E for a least a month 

7QTs - Lent and the Last Man Standing

Linking up with Kelly ... for Lent

---1---

Lent started... 

So we had BIG DESSERT night the Sunday before. We did not have any ice cream so it was anything and everything you wanted from the treat box

A is the boy after his mama's heart and pulled out as many chocolate candy as he could find. He can C lasted the longest at the table and finally we told them enough was enough after about 20 minutes because they might have gotten sick. 

C loves a DumDum and of course was double fisting them. 

Now the constant topic of conversation is when is it going to be pasta? Pascha - I ask - so you can have dessert? It will be a little be longer : ) 

---2---

Backtracking to January... 

On theophany/ January 6, we blessed the house. Or I guess Papa did. Prayers, chalk, holy water.

---3---

Kibbe Swimmers - The Next Generation!

I've taken A and C to the rec pool while the bigs have swim practice a few times. J hangs in the stroller so I don't want to push my luck. Since masking is required for soccer they won't be playing this spring so maybe I can suit up J for the pool and we can all go. 

---4---

How we Roomba...

With big siblings entertaining him.

J has to be contained when Roomba runs around. Sometimes he’s in his chair and other times he’s in a basket 

---5---

Valentine's Day, so you know what that means...  

Flowers for the girls, balloons for the boys, heart shaped muffins and a swim meet for E 

---6---

With the girls I did lots of matching pics...

 

 

So here's one of the boys who desperately need haircuts. I think I'm going to have to breakdown and trim up Js. 

---7---

We are in the throw of the stomach bug. I thought just half the kids had it because we had a pretty quiet day at home but this afternoon me and R succumbed to it and then E and A weren't far behind. Papa appears to be the last man standing. We'll see if that holds. Praying he does.  

We've been battling it since Tuesday afternoon. Fortunately the weather has been nice so the non sickies can go out. 

Valentime's Day 2020

Valentine's Day this year has come and gone

Lee and I went out the night before and I grabbed heart donuts on the way home for in the AM

They were a hit

The girls got their flowers 

to go with the donuts 

and A and J got balloons : ) 

Then came the class party sugary goodness

ALL OF IT.. the big girls had a half day so EVERYTHING was unloaded and looked over all at the same time 

My first Valentine : ) who had to go to the doctor for a check up and shots : ( Also, we did cards at the end of the day because I still am getting up when the kids get up (instead of getting up earlier to have time to collect my self/thoughts/life) and wouldn't you know I could not find the crazy Valentine's Day cards I had bought just the day before and put my hands on that morning!!!!!!!!

Infuriating people I tell you! And just for the record I still haven't found them. So thank goodness for blank cards I got for writing E letters at camp over the summer! Once I find those cards I'll be all set for next year!

Eight is GR8

That grin!

R turned eight the other day. We had her party over the weekend. She requested spaghetti and meatballs - which was a crowd pleaser! She chose to invite her friend from preschool even though they aren't in school together anymore because she said - they're still best friends.

She doesn't love being the center of attention : ) 

So we ate and R opened her presents - Legos, American Girl stuff, Barbie stuff, a scooter, an art project and an art kit! - all everything she really really likes.

Then it was time for birthday cake (made by Grammy)

On her actual birthday R requested waffles for breakfast - another crowd pleaser!

Dinner that night was tacos (her next favorite dinner after meatballs) and leftover cake which she had one piece of her piece that she didn't finish and she wouldn't let me throw it away 'because it's too good to waste it'

7QTs - Hard Rice Krispies, Dances, Outdoor Habitats

Linking up with Kelly ... first week of February 

---1---

This week has been an interesting one culminating with some whacko weather yesterday afternoon that canceled everything. The wind was pretty scary. Today the big girls had school and the preschoolers were on a delay which meant we did not opt in for preschool. So they enjoyed a morning of PBS and general fighting and bickering and snacking while I attempted to get work done pretty well if I may say so myself. 

Also this week, much to E's great disappointment the AHG summer camp she went to last year is not operating this summer - I'm telling you last summer she had the best summer and didn't even know it. So that was a tear-filled conversation which is strike number two against summer 2020 because her (and mine) favorite local drama camp also got axed (we found out about that late last year and she was depressed for a week). So I had high hopes to try a non-AHG camp that is only an hour away and after careful coordination with her friend from school and getting R on board... E got in and R and her friend are on the waitlist!!!!!!! because registration opened last week and I said no to this camp originally because of the AHG camp. The irony of it all. So we are crossing fingers for two openings. 

Finally in other I don't want to hear it news... we met with the builder about our addition plans, cut the fat and talked about a bare(-ish) bones addition to the kitchen and laundry room - I mean the whole thing is truly a want as opposed to a need but you get the point... before he left I asked him if he'd do what we were talking about and he basically said no. For a variety of reasons, sinking money into this house... trying to live in a house without a kitchen for AT LEAST 45 days... nothing major or anything. 

ALL

THE

SIGHS

So now I will stop the whining and because there's a whole lot more to be grateful for...

---2---

Tonight is the Daddy Daughter Dance at school 

M insisted Papa not see her until she was ready

E insisted that she not match her sisters 

R, along with the others, was thrilled for the flowers and the dab or two of lipstick I let them wear

LOVE THEM!!!!

2019 - didn't post pics!?!?!
2018
2017
2016 - I think they went?

---3---

Today was Pizza Lunch at school which it is required of each class once a year to do the treats for pizza lunch. I have and probably will always do Rice Krispies - because I'm OCD like that. No deviation, please. So E's class had treat duty two months ago and there were reports of crunchy Rice Krispies, which normally would mean nothing to me but Lee said something about them and how they were REALLY crunchy... too crunchy (insert all the annoyed-ness because he's probably right, and nobody has EVER said anything about the texture before and heck I'm making homemade treats instead of getting Zebra cakes people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) nothing against Zebra cakes or anything but you know

Eating the last one...

Well, let me tell you. If you Google hard Rice Krispies then you will know the problem because I am always running short on time. Turns out if you power-melt your marshmallows your Rice Krispies will be rock SOLID. Well you know what happens if you DON'T rush through the marshmallow melting process... 

THEY ARE WAAAAAAAAAY better. 

So after five years of making Rice Krispies for pizza lunch treats, guess who won't be rushing marshmallow melting EVER again. MOI - it is worth the wait and makes all the difference!

---4---

Why can't all the bananas have stickers?

This girl might just drive me over the edge with her sassiness at school. Continuing to try and reign her in but not break her spirit because I love her. 

This guy might be driving me crazy but not taking his rests nicely so I'm trying to figure out alternatives for afternoon break time.

---5---

I'm pretty sure boys were meant to exist outside. I really think that outdoors is A's habitat. He loves to be outside and the warmer weather this week has meant even more outside time. 

He loves to dig a hole and this week he decide to dig a hole by the gutter to which I asked him if he thought Papa wanted him to dig right there and he said 'probably not'. But he did find a 'sleeping snake' - an earthworm. Then when all the rain came it was filled up with water to A's delight. He would have been outside all day today had I let him but it was blustery and cold so I nixed his hole digging plans. 

---6---

I mentioned here that I evicted J from the nursery bed. Well that didn't last long but he is falling asleep in the crib now so I have the bed to myself for part of the night. 

---7---

On tap for the weekend is practice and pancakes, church, celebrating R's #8!!!!!!, and hopefully running 12(ish) miles. The half marathon is two weeks away and I finished the 12.5 miles last weekend so I know now it is possible to finish - maybe not in the time I'm hoping for... but then my crazy foot decided it needed to hurt but it has been getting better over the course of the week so I'm banking on a solid run before the party. 

Next week is R's actual birthday and Valentines Day with all the valentines that are needed for school plus dinner with Lee and our third wheel J because he still doesn't take a bottle because nobody's tried...