I came home from running errands to find that Ben and Kaitlyn were attempting to create a big leaf pile. They were working so well together and had created a cute little pile. Then Alex heard about it and ran and jumped in their pile. They were so upset that he jumped in it first. Thankfully Alex stayed outside and helped them create a HUGE pile and the three of them had a great time.
Grafton – Oak
Kaitlyn and her friend were thrilled last night when they went to put on pajamas and realized they had matching pjs. This morning they made pumpkin-shaped pancakes and ate them our favorite way – with cinnamon sugar and powdered sugar (hold the syrup). Then it was time for the trip across the street. I looked outside to see that the girls had attempted to dress alike and were driving all the overnight items in the Jeep.
Then Ben and I wanted to introduce Kaitlyn to Mount Watatic and its incredible view. The big boys were adamant that once (see here) was enough and they would rather stay home. Last time we hiked there was no one on the trail. This time we passed quite a few people and the top was almost crowded. Kaitlyn once again started out running and was determined to stay ahead of the rest of us the entire hike. Because the top had so many people, there were lots of people offering to take pictures. I rarely get a picture with all of us on a hike that isn’t a selfie (which means the view is never included).
Kaitlyn had a packed day today. We started in the morning with a football game in Grafton. Kaitlyn cheered and had a great morning.
We made it home for a quick lunch and then our neighbor came over for a playdate. The girls were so cute and played so well together all afternoon. As the playdate was ending, they begged for a sleepover and we were able to work that out. They ended up cooking dessert, having dinner, and watching a movie with popcorn.
Wade is leaving for a week of mission work in Virginia. He is joining a group of guys that go every year. They left early this morning and won’t return till late next Saturday night and will spend the week doing house projects of all types.
When I got back to the house, three of the kids were up and Ben had a recipe for donuts in his hands and was begging to cook. It’s a holiday weekend and most of the sports this weekend have been cancelled so we have a very relaxed weekend planned. I said yes and we got to cooking.
Everyone wanted to bake tonight. Sometimes we only have desserts on the weekend. Sometimes we only cook one dessert per night. Tonight I decided the more the merrier. Teague made churros. Ben wanted to make chocolate crepes and Alex was helping before too long.
After a bit of a wait, the men arrived today to cut down our tree. Although I’m glad to have my yard back, I hate that we had to cut the tree down. The backyard feels so empty without it!
This fall is one of the busiest we have had. Because we actually wanted to be able to enjoy Korea Day, we pushed our celebration from September 26 to a few days later. We tried to order takeout from our favorite Korean restaurant and were sad to hear that it had recently been sold and was under new management. We tried a new Korean restaurant and some new dishes!
Kaitlyn got a baking kit from Raddish Kids last week and has been anxious to make a Victorian Sponge Cake. Our days, and especially evenings, are always hectic, but we finally had a bit of time today before I started painting the laundry room. Kaitlyn did a fantastic job and made a lovely cake!
Half-days are always crazy. I feel like Alex is coming home just after I got Ben out the door. Then poor Ben doesn’t get off the bus till 1 and is starving for his lunch.
Today Kaitlyn had a playdate. Alex had a friend show up at our house and they disappeared toward the middle of town. Teague then showed up at our house with two friends and one little sister, who happened to be friends with Kaitlyn and her friend. There were people coming and going all afternoon, but a lot of fun was had!
Ben has been carrying around a pile of Raddish recipes for a week or so that he desperately wants to cook. Top on his list is Family Fun Fondue. Tonight we finally made it happen, but of course Ben added his own flair.
Ben has had quite the weekend. He had one birthday party yesterday and another today – both at the same place! He was very excited to return to Apex today for a new friend’s party. This one was quite a bit bigger than yesterday’s but equal fun! Ben loved playing with his new friends and the Pokemon theme was perfect.
We got home right before the downpour to find Alex had friends over. It wasn’t long before the three goofballs were outside playing in the rain…
A few days ago, Ben saw Pepper drinking water from the toilet. It bothered him quite a bit for some reason. Today he decided to do something about it. Now there are signs outside each bathroom showing dogs aren’t allowed to drink out of the toilet.
We finally had an activity-free day. Some of us took naps (mostly Wade and I), some of us played video games, some of read, some of us cooked, and some of us played outside. It was a pretty perfect end to the weekend.
I got Ben a new costume on our local free Facebook site. Ben was so excited and wore it all afternoon.
Wade and I were having a conversation and used the phrase “it snowballed.” Kaitlyn heard this and got a grand idea. She pulled out our “snowballs” and orchestrated a snowball fight with Ben. They had the best time until she had to leave for cheer practice. In fact she was rather annoyed she had to leave.
These two sometimes play so well together. I was running the big kids all over the place and then had to get dinner ready. They seemed content to entertain themselves and it was perfect. They even swept the floor when they were done!
There is nothing like waking up and seeing storm damage. We have had a lot of heavy rainstorms lately and normally we don’t have to deal with anything afterwards – no standing water, limbs down, water in the basement, etc. This morning we had a different story. I looked out our back window and saw a tree split in half. Thankfully the part that fell only hit a tent we had set up in the backyard and not our barn. This also is one of the few days we didn’t have something under the tent – a project, kid toys, a car, etc. The tent has gotten a lot of use the last few weeks. Now onto finding someone who can take care of the downed limb and probably cut down the rest of the tree (sigh).
We are having a crazy heat wave here (maybe the hottest of the entire summer). Schools were only in session a half day today due to the heat (most schools don’t have air conditioning). But I also noticed a few fall leaves on the ground today at the bus stop. Fall is coming.
We’ve been having a heat wave the last few days. Alex and his friends decided to play tag and were incredibly hot and sweaty afterwards. I told them if they were 6 years old I would set up the sprinkler for them. The next thing I knew, there were 5 teenagers playing in the sprinkler in my front yard.
The big boys alternate unloading the dishwasher. Today I was reaching down into the cabinet for a mixing bowl and had to laugh at someone’s laziness. Obviously one of the boys couldn’t take the time to figure out the correct sizing order of the nesting bowls. Lazy!
Kaitlyn and Wade spent the weekend cleaning and organizing the barn. She was intrigued with the go-kart so Wade decided to fix it for her. She loves it and Ben couldn’t wait to drive. We finally agreed to teach him and he did pretty well (only running over small bushes and hitting the house once). Teague even got on for old times sake.
For the first time, all four Burch children are in full day school. Alex and Teague are in different schools, but they are on the same campus and start within 5 minutes of each other. They also both have to walk (we are too close to justify paying for the bus – which is charged for middle school and high school). After Alex’s awesome big brother ways yesterday, he had quite a different attitude today. Teague asked to walk with Alex this morning and Alex responded with, “You can follow behind me”
Next up was Kaitlyn. Her bus comes about 30 minutes after the boys leave. Thankfully our neighbors ride the same bus so she enjoys the bus ride and has fun waiting for the bus with friends.
Ben is the last to leave and his bus is about 45 minutes after Kaitlyn’s. We have been using the time waiting for the bus to review his sight words.
Our schools have a practice day for kindergarteners. The day before school starts, the buses run their routes and pick up the incoming Kindergarteners at their normal time. The kids go to school, meet their teachers, and spend a little over an hour in the class with the other students. Then the parents go to school to pick them up and meet the parents. It’s a great first introduction to buses and school before adding additional students into the chaos.
Ben was excited for school, but a little nervous to actually get on the bus. Thankfully a teacher was on the bus today and she was great at making him feel immediately comfortable. When I arrived at the school to get Ben, he was playing with some new friends and not ready to leave.
Kaitlyn had picked out several recipes she wanted to cook and today we finally made Won Ton Soup. It was on the menu last week, but we never quite made it happen. Today she made it for lunch and everyone enjoyed it – although I’m not sure it will be requested again.
Ben showed up in the kitchen with a piece of paper and lots of questions. Evidently he and Kaitlyn had a little fight and he wanted to write her a note. I was expecting something along the lines of “I am sorry.” Instead he started writing and didn’t stop till he had thirteen words and had used both sides of the paper. I was so impressed.
I was doing a quick clean of our kitchen cabinets when I realized someone had added a little decoration to some of my drawers. There is no doubt in my mind who decided to embellish them.
Kaitlyn has loved this blanket since she was a baby. It has a hole, that is slowly growing, but it still goes with her most everywhere.
We are only in town a few days, but we tried to get back to some of our summer routines.
Today was carw ashing day – for everyone!
Wade and I were sitting outside talking when Ben showed up and requested the sprinkler. Being the cool parents we are, we quickly agreed. Ben happily played in the sprinkler by himself for quite a while. Then Alex randomly appeared and joined in the fun. (On a side note: Last night Ben was going outside to jump on the trampoline and I suggested he ask Teague to join him. Ben said “No. I’m going to ask Alex. He’s been really nice to me today.”)
Teague made sugar cookie dough a few days ago and then forgot all about it. Tonight he remembered that he needed to make cookies. He made the cookies and then recruited Ben to help him decorate. They had a grand time experimenting with new techniques and creating masterpieces.
Ben lost his frist tooth! (Another last “first” in our house.) The tooth has been wiggly for over a week but wouldn’t quite come out. The permanent tooth behind it was almost in before the baby tooth finally came out tonight. Ben was SO excited. He has been waiting and waiting for this to happen. Not to mention he got to use the super cool tooth pillow that Granny made for him!
These two had a playdate and for most of the afternoon I didn’t seem them at all. They did appear at one point wanting to bake so I helped them make strawberry cupcakes. They were definitely most interested in the decorating part and it was fun to watch them create their masterpieces. I wish I had taken pictures of their final products!
Ben and Kaitlyn wanted to play in the water today so we made it happen. They had so much fun just the two of them. I couldn’t convince either big boy to join them, but that probably would have ruined the fun anyway.
Our house has a side porch that opens into our living room. We don’t really use the door for company/visitors, but the porch is where all our packages are left. It’s also where I leave items for people to pick up (Facebook free site or items I am selling). With all of this, the door gets quite a bit of use. Ever since the house was painted, the door is stuck and we can’t get it opened. I was complaining about it tonight and that I couldn’t easily get the box I could see sitting there out the window. Alex offered to get it for me and then went out the window!
Kaitlyn had a friend over today and they couldn’t wait to blow up the slide and splash around. They played for over an hour before moving on to something else. While the slide was still up, I asked Teague and Ben if they wanted to play in the water. They quickly changed into swimsuits and went outside. Before long I looked outside to see that Alex had joined them too.
One of our big projects this summer was to have our house painted. One of the biggest challenges was finding a painter willing to strip all the old paint from the house. Quite a few painters weren’t willing to do it or their quotes were crazy high. We found a few that specialized in painting older houses and went from there. Then we got a last minute call from someone on our list. He came by to give us a quote (a little lower than almost everyone else) and agreed to start the next Monday. We had seen a house he had painted down the street so we quickly agreed.
The entire process took a little over two weeks. These guys were amazing. They were thorough, cleaned up everything every night, and worked crazy long hours (when the rain allowed). The only part we didn’t like was when the windows were wrapped. Due to the rain, the windows were covered for over a week. It is quite disorienting to be inside, but not quite able to see out. We were quite excited when the plastic came down and the house was done. It looks amazing!
Today we had to say goodbye to Granny and Pop. We spent the morning and early afternoon talking and playing. Then they packed up their things and had to get ready for the airport. There were lots of hugs and a last few funny comments from Ben.
Today we did all the things – practiced roller skating, played games, cooked lunch, read books, and made a protective net for the strawberries.
We let the kids have a lot of input into the plans for the day on their birthday. Kaitlyn had her entire day planned out. She wanted to start the day with Danish star bread, which we did.
Next up on Kaitlyn’s birthday agenda was a trip to Chuck E. Cheese. Granny and Pop were supposed to fly in early this morning but had quite a delay getting a rental car and eventually were able to join us as we were playing games.
When we got home, Kaitlyn couldn’t wait for cake and presents. Her favorite gift was definitely the roller skates from Granny and Pop. They will be perfect for her party in a few weeks.
Because we are leaving town today and will miss Father’s Day with Wade tomorrow, we celebrated today! Wade’s favorite gift is one I have been waiting for just the right moment to gift – an encounter with otters at a local establishment. We even get to feed them lunch!
Alex had a big day today. It hasn’t quite been two years and his braces are ready to come off! I dropped Ben off with a friend so he could make it to school on time and then Alex and I went to the dentist office. He was in the back about 30 minutes and then came out with the biggest, whitest smile. Here’s a picture taken in 8/21 versus today.
The orthodontist office sent him out with a goody box of sticky candy (which has been off-limits with braces) and we made a stop at the grocery store for some of his favorites before I dropped him back at school. I had them all waiting for him when he got home from school.
We’ve had some extremely warm weather the last few days and the littles wanted to take advantage. They tried two different sprinklers and were so happy they were even holding hands..
We have had some major events at our house recently. Ben has finally decided to give up his sippy cups. When he made that announcement the rest of the family jumped on it and we said a quick goodbye to them. Thankfully Ben hasn’t expressed any regret but his milk consumption has gone down significantly.
The other major change is we sold Ben’s learning tower. We bought it when we moved into this house and it has been wonderful. It added an extra seat to our kitchen island. The best part was its stability. Ben has always been a climber and it was pretty impossible to tip. The last month or so, Ben has refused to use his tower and instead been using one of the stools. I rarely have all four kids around the island at the same time so it hasn’t been an issue.
It was so nice to have a holiday today. Here’s our day in pictures.
You might ask why Ben is holding an ice pack to his tongue. Let me tell you why. It’s Sunday morning and inevitably somebody needed something ironed. I set up the ironing board and iron in the living room and was doing a few touch ups. I walked away for a minute and heard a scream. I turned around to find Ben yelling and dancing around. He quickly explained that he LICKED THE IRON and now his tongue hurt. As I was laughing (because…he LICKED AN IRON), I suggested an ice pack might help.
We still aren’t sure why he decided licking the iron was something he wanted to try, but it seems like a very typical Ben thing to do.
Ben decided to pose for another photoshoot this morning – in the middle of morning chores. Ben only has four chores and one of them is emptying all of the small trashcans in the house. He decided Wade’s new office trashcan provided the perfect prop.
Ben decided a few weeks ago to write to Santa Clause. I have no idea why he decided May would be a good time to write, but he vividly remembered that both he and Kaitlyn got a response in December. He drew pictures and asked me to write words. I was so glad that the request was somewhat reasonable – a picture of Santa with Rudolph. I was also somewhat hoping that he wouldn’t demand the letter be mailed. However, later that day, Ben brought me an envelope already addressed. I love his determination and helped him put it in the mailbox.
Now I had to figure out a way to make Santa reply. During the December month, the USPS takes care of the replies for me. I didn’t even begin to think they would respond in May. I had Wade grab the envelope from the mailbox on his way to church that evening while I decided how best to “reply.”
Ben asked daily if there was a letter in the mailbox for him. I finally found a perfect picture and had it printed. I found blank letterhead and printed a letter. Then I decided a letter from the North Pole needed a Christmas stamp.
This is the one year I bought “winter” stamps instead of Christmas stamps so I didn’t have the right thing. I went to the post office, where everyone knows Ben. The lady told me they return their holiday stamps after Christmas. But she did give me her cell phone number and told me she might have some at home. I checked in with her the next day and she had checked her house and with all her friends, but no luck. I posted on our local Facebook free site and had a stamp within 30 minutes.
Ben asked today about a reply and I told him we should check the mail. He carried his letter and picture around all day long!
Wade has been building some signs for the school FunFair on Saturday. He was adding another layer of paint this afternoon and the littles wanted to help. Since it was only the first coat of color, Wade decided to let the kids have a turn. Ben was so frustrated that he couldn’t spray on his own, but he was determined to try. Kaitlyn just had fun with it.
Mother’s Day started with breakfast in bed. Kaitlyn evidently got up extremely early to make me donuts (a Raddish recipe). Wade joined her at some point to help put them in the oven and hep cut the pear.
Then we were off to church where a flower bar had been prepared for all the ladies. The kids made pictures frames in Sunday School and then Wade took me out to lunch. The boys treated me to dinner. Alex made fajitas and Teague made a chocolate chip pie.
The late afternoon Wade and I spent at Kaitlyn’s soccer game.