Family Reunion 2012 - Wednesday, July 18

Even though I was a guest at my parent's house for a week and a half before the reunion even began, I was just as excited as everyone else for the official festivity to begin.  My parents, Maureen, Sarah, Jennifer and her kids and me and my boys greeted Emily's family first at 3:40 and then I left soon afterward to pick up Jay and Seth, who I had left behind while they attended scout camp, at the the airport.  By 4:45, my brother Jon and his crew arrived and my sister-in-law, Tara, was worried they were they last to arrive and eliminated from the race.  They were relieved to note that Jen's husband, Christopher, and Ansel were still en route and scheduled to arrive sometime after 8:00 pm.

While the cousins reconnected, my sisters went to Costco to pick up 5 pizzas for dinner.  Planning meals for 27 has to be one of the least fun parts of a reunion and it was nice to have something hot and ready with very little effort.  Sarah sliced and diced up a fabulous veggie tray and, predictably for my family, there was a nice big cooler full of various sodas to enjoy.  We ate outside and found shade where we could.  Chocolate cake and gluten-free brownies were for dessert and suddenly, without warning, we were having a feats of skill contest with the basketball pole.  The gymnasts were all able to pull themselves to the top with ease and some of the boys figured out ways up to the top.  Sam was being very nervous about trying, something a perfectionist who doesn't know if he's going to be perfect struggles with, so when he made the comment that he would try if I did, I think he felt like I wouldn't call his bluff.  I did, as this unflattering photo proves, and that broke the barrier for all the less-sure-of-themselves to try.  I guess they figured if their awkward looking mom or aunt could try, then so could they.

After everyone was there, I brought out a family jeopardy game I had prepared.  My sister-in-law, Stephanie, had such a fun family version for us on New Year's Eve and I wanted to create the same kind of vibe.  It was hard with all of the age differences.  I wanted it to be challenging for the older kids and adults but not so hard that nobody could answer anything and I probably made it too hard.  The rule was if a child didn't know the answer, they could ask ONE adult for help.  Then, if answered correctly, they could choose a prize out of whatever number question (100, 200....500) it was.  This didn't work very well.  The bags were big enough to see into and everyone started handpicking their prizes.  As there were a limited number of 500 questions and they were pretty much guaranteed a right answer with the help of an adult, groans and complaints were made about certain people choosing certain questions and I kind of lost control of the group.  Anyone that has ever served in primary can appreciate the feeling I had that I was in the midst of a sharing time gone horribly wrong.  Still, because reverence wasn't really an issue, I just tried to talk over them and I hope everyone learned something interesting about the great people that make up our family.

Because my parent's home is not large, the sleeping arrangements included all the kids in two tents out in the backyard, three of the couples staying in hotel rooms and Maureen, Sarah and Jay and I in the three extra bedrooms at home.  There were perks to both arrangements (we didn't have to go anywhere and had a door to close if we needed to during the day.  They had bigger rooms and private bathrooms) but there really weren't any hard feelings about who got to stay where.  Until after the first night.  14 excited little people aged 14 and younger makes for a difficult crowd to calm down and when their hyper voices were still being heard way too loud after 11:00 pm, we house stayers got frustrated.  Some  parents had already left to the hotel but Tara hadn't as of yet and went and sat in a camp chair outside the tents until they had calmed down.  Because I was tired and probably way overstimulated from the Jeopardy game, after two warnings, I yanked my kids out of the tents.  In hindsight, I know I totally overreacted.  That hindsight kicked in about 20 minutes after my kids were in the basement in their sleeping bags but, at that point, Seth was so mad at me he would barely speak to me.  I apologized to both Seth and Sam (Henry was fine and already asleep) and promised they could be in the tent the next night and went to bed feeling really bad.  Until the next morning.

At 5:30, I woke up after the fifth time that night (Daniel was absolutely awful the entire time.  I have never been quite so sleep deprived) to loud little voices outside.  The sun wasn't even up and all the tent dwellers were awake and being loud!  Again!  I heard my sister, Sarah, scolding them for being too loud so early in the morning and then I heard my dad scold them for being awake and loud and in utter frustration, got out of bed after nursing Daniel back to sleep (again).  Jay had already left for a run and so I was hoping that Daniel would be ok if I went on a walk to work out my sleep frustrations.  Since Sarah was up as well (everyone was actually up except for the poor children whose mean mother made them sleep inside.  They were out cold and got two extra hours of sleep than their cousins) she went with me.  We vented our over tired thoughts to each other for an hour while we walked.   I feel bad that the cousins don't have a memory of all sleeping together because each night after the first, parents took a few of their kids back to their hotel rooms or some of the older kids made the choice on their own to sleep at the hotel.  Not as festive as a group sleep over but the result was, I think, everyone got better sleep.  Well...maybe not the adults who originally had their own child-free hotel rooms.

Now for some pictures....

Caleb eating his favorite meal.

Connor having a slice.

The four girls stuck together most of the time.

Henry being....Henry (notice the orange soda already spilt on the shirt)

Dessert!

The adults finding the shade and having a "singular" conversation:)

Daniel entertaining all of us on the grass.  Notice the saying on his shirt.  It's been our mantra this summer.

Everyone was so great with him but it was especially cute to see my nieces love on him.

Natalie (only 7!!!) had no trouble getting up to the top.

Either did Ian.

  Sadie loved having a turn.

But....that chick struggled!

Even my dad got higher up than I did.

Sam finally tries

Henry gets a little help from his friends.

The boys are growing up.  Brendan is officially taller than his Aunt Tara but she's excited to still have a hair or inch on the rest of them.

These six boys are such fun to watch.  And, of course, Henry and Sadie, being the youngest, are always ready for a photo op.

The Jeapordy game.

Trying to engage them with loud, animated talking but I'm not sure it worked.

Natalie gets her question right...and some applause to boot!

Teens and tween boys express their love with lots of high fives and fist bumps.

It could have been the start of a rocky day but it wasn't.   We were ready to caravan to Drummond, the small town where my parents met and grew up....

Daniel - 31 Weeks

Daniel - 30 Weeks

Daniel - 29 Weeks

Bolder Boulder and Last Week of School

I’m that far behind. It’s tempting to ignore these old picture posts and just begin again afresh but every time I think that, I think of the many missing picture posts from last year when I was pregnant and I don’t want to miss two summers! So...fewer words and more pictures to catch up.

For the past four years since we’ve lived here, school has ended the week before Memorial Day.  As the Bolder Boulder always takes place on Memorial Day Monday, we have been able to drive up and make it our first summer family event with possible trips to Six Flags Elitch Gardens or a Rockies baseball game in Coors field.  This year, it was a quick weekend trip with one fun day at Waterworld and celebrating our nephews, Michael and Jacob, graduation from high school.   For some reason, I didn’t take any pictures of them or their party or their new house.  I was really off my game.

Road trip!

Henry is not into having his picture taken.

It was warmish but definitely on the cooler side when you were wet because it was so windy.

Jay had zero desire to get a sunburn or suntan, for that matter, and made sure he was covered up.

Sarah came to do the race with us and it is always nice to spend time with her.

Henry’s bed at the hotel.  He thought it was pretty cool to have a couch bed.

This was Henry’s first year to do the race.  Seth and Sam both got their inaugural run when they were six and so it was only fair to extend the same invitation to Henry, although both Jay and I wondered if he could or would actually do it.  Thanks to Jay’s amazing patience, he came back after running his blazing fast 35 minute 10K to do it with Henry.  They finished in 2 1/2 hours.  Jay said it was like holding hands and walking with an anchor.  But, Henry thought it was great.  Seth and Sam ran it on their own even though Seth started throwing up after mile 1.  Like a concerned brother, Sam took off without him but they still finished within minutes of each other.

Sarah and I walked it with me packing Daniel.  He was on my back for the first two miles and then wanted his comfy front position, which was harder for me.  We didn’t break any speed records but we were both proud of ourselves for doing it and it was a lot of fun.

Going up that last killer hill into folsom field.

Running into the stadium of adoring masses.

After their big finish.  Henry is still happy!

Then...just like that, we were back for the big last week of school.  I know they need a certain amount of days to get accreditation but every day was either a field trip, field day or performance.

The 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade music concert.  It was so well done.  Probably the best elementary music concert I’ve ever been to.  Sam is on stage dancing with a scarf.

I had signed up to go with Sam’s class on a field trip.  Here they are playing with a parachute.

Didn’t know where to throw these pictures in so I’ll just stick them in here.  Jay taught Seth how to mow with the riding mower.  They cut the weeds to a manageable height.

Seth really struggled during the last trimester to get his work turned in.  He knew the consequence of not getting his grades up was forfeiting participating in any extra curricular activities next fall.  He got everything turned in and got his grades up but it frustrates me that A) he could get all that work done in 2 nights.  I mean...it isn’t that the work is overwhelming him. and B) that the teachers were so o.k. with him, and lots of other kids it turns out after talking to them, turning stuff in late.  I wish they had a better system to help these kids learn the skills to either get the work done during class time or turn it in within a certain period of time.  Seth was complete assignments from over a month ago.  Grrr...

Up late finishing assignments.

I went into Henry’s last day of Kindergarten for a program.  He loves it whenever I am in his classroom and I feel bad that I was in there so rarely.

His teacher had an award for every student.  Henry was award the super reader and super speller award.

Outside at the end of the day.  Sam bringing home some of his art.  Yay for summer break!

Say Anything

There isn’t one dominant reason as to why I have been so silent this summer break.  Of course, every day, there is usually one dominant reason:  I’m traveling, I have company staying with me, Daniel is sick or fussy, it is too hot in the house (my psyche is very sensitive to heat), I’m trying to do something...anything to make my house and life less cluttered and so on.  Occasionally, these forces combine and I am completely overwhelmed.

But those to-dos and day fillers aren’t really the reason I haven’t written.  My motivation to write usually stems from wanting a record of my memories, a desire to interact socially with family and friends and to be creative with my thoughts and opinions (i.e. book reviews).   Occasionally, I have used it to confess weaknesses or purge toxic ideas, although I know this is much less acceptable in the blogiverse.  Especially my blogiverse.  I am trying very hard not to do that anymore.  However, that plug in my pie-hole affects all my other motivation.  

It is said if you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.  I thought I was following this advice.  But, I DO have nice things to say and I should say them.  We have been having a lot of fun this summer and I’ve seen some beautiful friends and shared wonderful experiences with family in amazing places and the fact that I’m going through some kind of pathetic mid-life crisis (should I die at age 72 which is on the young side of old age but not out of the question) that makes me question and doubt everything I do doesn’t negate those events.  But, I think for my own authenticity, I had to post this first.  As a kind of disclaimer, I suppose.  I already feel better.  It is such a disadvantage to be a sharer when things aren’t perfectly peachy.  I envy you private people.

Here’s to saying something...which I hope is better than saying nothing at all.

Daniel - 28 Weeks

I didn’t take any pictures on Monday so this is two days late. It shouldn’t matter but you are changing daily! You now get up on all fours to crawl. You haven’t figured out the moving of your knees but you get up, move one knee and collapse forward. Then, you get up and do it again, getting wherever you need to go. You even have managed to push yourself into a sitting position a few times. You roll ubiquitously. You throw major temper tantrums if you feel ignored or put in your bed too soon. You have two teeth! You still like to nurse but I’m not enjoying it as much with your teeth. You love books. Unfortunately, you don’t enjoy board books nearly as much as paper books. Hymnals are particularly entertaining to you. You have decided to sleep through the night. It works for me!