I'm getting older!

This was a terrific week! I can't remember what day last week I posted to my blog and I could check but I am too lazy! So, I will start with Monday. Monday was a normal day. We are trying to get through school! Most years, we are done by now but this year that has not been the case. We only have 11 more days left!! Two weeks and one day!! We are very excited. We haven't played hooky very much but I think it's because we had to start later due to one of the children's curriculum being updated. That usually happens when important events in history occur and they need to be included. Tuesday we had a great day. We met a friend of ours at the park and the children played for a little bit then we came back to the house because they were "sooooooo hot"!!! The children were soooooo hot, not me and my friend. 

Here is one of my sister-friends' dogs - a lab mix - and her daughter's HUGE bunny!! He is a cute little bunny but he is sooo big. His name is Wocket and I call him Wocket the Rocket!

Wednesday was my birthday. I am 45 for those of you who really want to know. We really had a great day. We went to the nursing home, then to get John and Rachel. I wanted to do something fun on my birthday so we spent it walking around Mayfaire Town Square. It's kind of an outdoor mall. My sister-in-law, John and Rachel's mom, went with us. We had a great time! Then we came home and had a party for me. This is the cake - obviously.

Here is everyone waiting for me to blow out the candles. As you can see it's not always easy to get  seven children to smile. And in case you are worried, we DID eat dinner first. 

First Beatrice is grumpy, then Rachel is grumpy!! Go figure!!

Mr. Handsome only got 10 candles. I don't blame him. I probably would have set off the smoke alarm if he tried to put 45 on the cake. Or the candles would have melted all over the cake!

Here I am blowing out the cake!

Mr. Handsome does not seem to realize that little kids need little pieces of cake! This is Rachel.

Beaker. Doesn't she look cute in pig tails!!

John!

Beatrice

Lindsay 

Maddie - Take one

Maddie - take two - no better! HA!!

Robert!

One of my birthday presents. A laptop lapdesk - for the laptop I don't have! Don't ask. I can't figure it out either. But as the saying goes, it's the thought that counts! (I must have given him a present he really, really, really hated and instead of just TELLING me, he is going to make me pay, pay, pay, pay, pay forever and anon!!!) And he also gave me a big bag of Giardelli candy. Yummy!! (Don't think that I am upset with him about this gift. It is really nice!! He never forgets my birthday, our anniversary, Valentine's Day, etc.!! So who am I to complain about a gift when he has taken the time to go out and get it for me and I don't have to remind him when important holidays are!)

Thursday was a finish the banners day! I worked hard on them. And then one of my sister-friends came to visit. We had a great time. Friday, we did school and then headed to the beach for the first time this year. I don't include our vacation because that was not our beach. Wrightsville Beach is OUR beach but it really belongs to the tourists. They don't want locals so they jack the price up so high for parking, you might as well go to New York City and back!! It is like a Caribbean beach and it's the only one like it in North Carolina and South Carolina and Georgia - until you get to Florida!! That's probably why it's so popular. I have a love-hate relationship with tourists here. While I am so glad they bring money to our area, I am so glad for Labor Day! I know that is awful, but Wilmingtonians drive bad enough, add a bunch of tourists who don't know where they are going because Wilmington is laid out in a very confusing and twisted way, and you have mass chaos and traffic. It is typical on a road I travel at least three times a week - and that's being conservative! - that although the speed limit is 55 most people don't go over 45, actually don't even come CLOSE to 45!! Not kidding. In NJ, you could get a ticket for going under the speed limit!! Here is another example. At lights, most people stare dreamily at the green light for what I consider an inordinate amount of time and then go. As if that isn't bad enough, each car has to do that, which only affords maybe three cars the opportunity to go through the light. In NJ, fifty cars could get through that light in the same amount of time. (I know, go back north you say!) Anyway, after the beach, we came home and awaited the arrival of Shelly/Sheldon the turtle. We are babysitting a turtle this week. Kristinie the Great and Beatrice sit and watch Shelly/Sheldon(they aren't sure if it's a girl or boy) like they are watching their favorite TV show! After Shelly/Sheldon was dropped off, we met our friends for dinner at Atlanta Bread company - one of my favorite chain restaurants. Did you know after 8:00, their pastries and bread are half price!!!! HALF PRICE!!! WOW!! In the photo above are two of my children and my friends' children. She has five children too but three are out of high school. The younger two are Maddie and Robert's age. They have known each other since they were babies. 

Yesterday is a day that will go down in infamy. I finished the banners and rushed over to church to hang them. Much to my chagrin, I realized I didn't listen to my friend who sells fabric!! They were over a foot too wide!! YES THEY WERE!!!! HOURS and HOURS and HOURS of work down the drain?!! NOPE!! I prayed about it and I trimmed off 10" from each banner, repositioned two letters, got it done, after seven hours. Then I went back to church and one of my friends met me and we hung them. They look great!! This is a very arduous task I have volunteered for!! The more I do it, the more I realize I love making them but I am WAY over my head! It is a testimony of what God can do with a village idiot!! HA!! Just kidding! It's a testimony of what God can do with someone who is willing! 

Today was a great day in church. This evening we had our Get Wet night in AWANA! Everyone had such a great time!! It was soooooo fun! And everyone DID get wet. I wore my raincoat because I am a big baby. There is irony in that as my family is a water throwing, crazy pitch you in the lake kind of family! I did get our commander soaked so I feel like I accomplished my task. The evening starts out nice and calm and lots of fun. Then the little kids go inside and bedlam breaks loose!! An all out water fight ensues. I, of course, do not participate in that because I am afraid of getting hurt so I go in and help the Cubbies and Puggles get dressed. I feel obligated since four of them are from my family: Beaker, John, Rachel, and our grandnephew Aiden! That's half of the Cubbies! It was a great night and the last AWANA night before our Awards Ceremony next week.