Alex has PE this month and is not happy about it. He is grade on how many situps and pushups he can do in a set amount of time. It turns out Alex can’t do very many pushups so we have been working with him at home. Wade tried to show off a little with Ben and then remembered he wasn’t in his 20s anymore.
These two have worked all morning at the pancake breakfast and are quite ready for a break.
The entire family spent the morning at the elementary school working at the Waddles Winter Wonderland Pancake Breakfast, a community event sponsored by the PTG. Wade was a chef, I was at the entry collecting money, Alex helped out as needed, Teague was in charge of seating people, and the younger two ran wild. We had planned for 300 people and and had over 500 people attend, which is amazing. It also meant we had to make an emergency run for more pancake mix.
A local photographer, Deirdre Rakus, donated her time to take photographs of people attending the breakfast.
Alex didn’t get his laundry done in time and is forced to wear his last resort shirt – the neon green Fun Fair t-shirt from last spring.
After getting back from KY, we had to wait a few days to get our tree. First it was raining, then the boys had bells, then it was something else. Finally we got a tree and had a free evening to decorate! We put on some Christmas music, pulled out the ornaments, and I even convinced the kids to wear matching pajamas.
The tree is trimmed!
Alex and his friends have named Thursdays “Homie Hyper Freeze Thursdays.” They walk up to Cumbies and all get drinks for $1.
Family movie night
The boys alternate dishwasher/recycling days and over the years taking out the recycling has gotten a tad harder. Now they have to breakdown the boxes too, but they would still choose it over dishwasher.
Today he decides breakfast sounds good.
Alex couldn’t wait to get back to his computer. Evidently a week away was too long.
Paducah good-bye.
We spent the day in the car. Wade seems to have come to terms with our crazy travel ways. We did 12 hours today with a stop at Waffle House and then on to the hotel. We didn’t have a suite like on the front end so it was two hotel rooms (and it was kind of nice). Wade took the big kids and I got the littles.
Bingo!
I knew it would only be a few years before Ben’s birthday would fall on Thanksgiving Day. Today was that day. He woke up and requested donuts. I went in search but it turns out no donut places were open on Thanksgiving Day. The grocery store was open and chocolate muffins were a crowd favorite. Then we spent the day watching the parade, cooking, eating, visiting with family, and celebrating a birthday!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Alex joins us late at night at Gram’s house just like at home. Tonight the boys played video games while Mom and I talked and prepped for tomorrow.
Ben started this little game and the photography was so fun we got the entire family involved.
Hello Alex.
Kaitlyn couldn’t wait to get a game of Bingo started. It has become one of her favorite activities at Gram’s house. Wade was happy to join in the fun and we were all shocked to realize he had never played with us before. Kaitlyn won a growing dinosaur, which she gave to Ben. Wade won snowcaps, which he gave to me. Then it was bedtime.
Mornings at Gram’s are very slow and relaxed.
Late night snacks at Gram’s are always in great supply.
It should surprise no one that our first stop of the day was Waffle House!
Alex’s bedroom is on the second floor but his bathroom is on the first floor. Every morning he runs up the stairs in his towel and I get a kick out of it. (Of course, I am a get-dressed-in-the-bathroom kind of person.)
At the end of last weekend, the kids wanted dessert but were adamant that we didn’t have any desserts in the house. Kaitlyn immediately got creative with what she could find. The boys were impressed and followed her lead.
Ben always gets to celebrate a couple of times for his birthday – once at home and once on the road. Today was the day we celebrated at home.
The plan was donuts for breakfast. I had planned to get up and go to Dunkin. Alex had taken orders the night before and told me he was going to walk down to pick them up, but I didn’t quite believe him. I knew it was going to be early, cold, and dark. Imagine my surprise when I got downstairs this morning and there was Alex sitting at the table, drinking hot chocolate (our favorite is from Dunkin), with a box of donuts.
We had candles in donuts and then Ben chose a present to open. He chose the biggest and it was the Gabby Dollhouse he has been hoping and hoping to get. I put it together and he and Kaitlyn played until the bus came.
Ben and I had a sushi lunch (his favorite) and then he picked Chick-fil-a with milkshakes for dinner. His cake was paw patrol but we did presents first, at his request. He had a fabulous birthday and he can’t wait to celebrate again in KY.
Because we will be gone on Ben’s birthday, we had our own celebration today. (You can just feel the excitement a 13 year old feels while watching a 4-soon-to-be-5 year old open presents.)
9:02 pm (The homework was supposed to be done immediately after school.)
When I took Alex shopping for clothes this fall, I learned that he loved purple. I have no idea if this was a new thing, or simply that it’s an “in” color and now easy to find purple clothes.
Alex traded coding time for cooking dinner. I am enjoying these deals more and more.
Sunday roundup.
Saturday chore lists.
This is 13.
We ended up with another bird in the house (see here), but this one was not my fault. This bird flew in the front door tonight when Wade opened the door. Alex blocked off the main opening, and I got a chair and blocked off the space between the door and the ceiling. Wade used a broom to convince the bird to fly towards the door. Thankfully the bird did choose to fly outside!
It was agreed that cookies were needed. Alex volunteered to bake.
Family movie night – A League of Their Own.
Alex has been looking for extra jobs in exchange for extra electronics time to code. Tonight I traded him cooking dinner for time to code.
Sunday roundup.
He likes to pretend he is shocked and upset by the chores on his Saturday chore list.
Alex decided to start eating breakfast again. The breakfast of choice is English muffins because he can eat them while he walks to school.
Alex was having a blast trying to pelt Ben with those two balls. (This is why Ben built the pillow shield.)
It has always amused me (in a good way) that Alex makes his bed every day. It is not made exactly the way I would do it, but HE MAKES HIS BED without being asked.
That is the face of a kid excited to do morning chores!
Alex being Alex.
Halloween is always a little more tricky when it’s on a school night, but the kids were up to the challenge. We started the night at one of my friend’s houses for a little party (pizza, bouncy house, etc). The best part is she lives on South St – THE Street for trick or treating. The street is closed down and people come from all over. There is a definite party atmosphere with music, glow sticks, and candy – lots of candy. Alex joined us for dinner but headed home afterwards to watch an outdoor movie with friends. We met up with some of Kaitlyn’s friends and proceeded up and down the street.
Side note: Ben’s costume was the best! Having him in a costume with lights made it so easy to keep up with him! I’m going to try to push a light up costume of some kind next year too!
Alex decided to go to church youth group at the last minute – which required a costume. We came up with a “burglar.”
Today was the Trunk or Treat at our church. We had a whirlwind day full of activities, so Wade and Ben went first in the minitruck (our “trunk”). I arrived with the other kids and then we got to the candy portion of the afternoon. Ben loved running wild, Alex loved scaring little kids in the “Scary Hallway,” and the other two loved traditional candy acquiring.
Trunk or Treat at the church.
Alex and a huge group of teenagers showed up after school today. He likes to have his friends over but sometimes his friends come with more friends. Alex came inside several times to tell me he wasn’t sure he wanted that many people at his house. I told him to roll with it and meet some new people. He came in a few more times but seemed to enjoy himself overall. Some days he wants to be social and some days he wants to do work on his own projects.
My yard was full of teenagers today. Alex informed me he only knew half of them and really wanted them to leave so he could code (his new project). I told him he should go make some new friends.