Happy Birthday, Jack!

Well, technically, Jack's birthday was back on the 16th, but we wanted to make sure that Jared would be around for it, so we did it today. Jack wanted to invite a handful of friends and go to a movie and dinner. So off to the Alamo Drafthouse we went - that's one of those places that serves a full menu of food that they serve to you during the movie. I was a little worried - we had 5 rambunctious boys plus Ellie (who is sometimes equal to 5 rambunctious boys) and her friend. Jared and I sat on either end of the horde to hopefully maintain control (and if not, at least prevent escape). But all our contingency plans weren't needed, because - in a true birthday miracle - every single kid behaved wonderfully during the movie. Really. No, I'm serious, they really did. Perhaps it was the

7 milk shakes
5 pizzas
2 bowls of popcorn
1 chicken strips
1 grilled cheese

that did the trick. Whatever it was, it worked. They were awesome.

Then it was back to the house for cupcakes and lots of playing. I haven't tried to get them to settle down for bed yet. I'm thinking around 10pm I'll just fill a dart gun with Sudafed, Army-crawl into where they're playing, and just shoot away. It's worth a try.

Happy 8th Birthday, Jack!

%*#% Picture Day

I officially hate Picture Day.

Last year I did not hate Picture Day. Last year, I chose outfits for my two kids, they put them on, and they went off to school.

But this year, my kids are older. And are apparently suffering an inappropriately high level of teenage hormones for their tender ages, because getting ready for picture day was TORTURE. Like waterboarding torture. Actually, waterboarding would have been a refreshing change of pace after this torture.

I tried to get ahead of things by sitting down with Ellie last night to pick out her outfit. Which I thought would be easy. I even laid out 4 or 5 outfits to choose from. Except those weren't good enough. No, Ellie wanted to wear ... a sleeveless polka-dotted party dress. You know, complete with all the fluffy slips underneath it. Because that would be TOTALLY appropriate for playing kickball at recess and working on that clay project during art. So I said no, absolutely, I would rather you wear anything but that sleeveless polka-dotted party dress. Until she chose to wear her Easter dress. So then I amended my statement to anything but the sleeveless-polka-dotted party dress or the Easter dress. So then Ellie goes into her closet and comes out wearing her shortest short-shorts and a glittery v-neck sweater, looking like a Charlie's Angel. And it doesn't end there. It goes on for another half hour of a fashion show of the most bizarrely inappropriate Picture Day outfits you could choose. Finally, I admit defeat and let her wear a sweater dress - it's frankly too small at at this point (Ellie has freakishly long giraffe legs), but I threw on some leggings underneath it and just hoped she wouldn't come up with anymore bizarre outfits before morning.

So morning came and luckily she stuck with that not-as-offensive dress. But then she wanted to wear her hair in a bun. So then it took 20 minutes of arguing and me trying to explain that - even if we could manage to wrestle her too-short hair into a bun - it would look silly in a picture.

But I didn't have more time to argue that point, because then Jack started wailing that he had a zit that made him look HIDEOUS and he couldn't go to school. I personally didn't even notice the zit until he showed me, but apparently to him, it elevated him to the Elephant Man level of freakishness. It took another 10 minutes of begging and pleading with him, and then we had to deal with the 'hideous hair' issue.

By this time, I'm ready to jump out the window, run screaming down the street, and run away and join the circus. But we were 5 minutes late for carpool, so I finally managed to drag the kids out to the curb and, in the most embarrassingly insincere voice possible, I croaked out "you guys have a great day and be your best! Love you!!"

Before heading inside and locking the door. Because I'm not letting them back in. Possibly ever.

I hate *%*#% Picture Day.

National Book Festival

Yesterday was the National Book Festival, down on the Mall in D.C. It was a beautiful day outside, so we decided to take a meander down there and check it out. The kids love going down there - we're not huge fans of trying to find parking, but after quite a bit of driving up and down (and up and down) streets, we found an open parking garage. There were a bunch of authors signing books, lots of lectures on literary topics (which, of course, we skipped considering that we had two kids and a dog with us), and some activities for the kids. Jack and Ellie loved the Pavilion of the States, where you would go to each state's table to get stickers or stamps (and sometimes some cool swag) to fill up your U.S. map. The kids were very proud to finish their maps - and we even got interviewed for Library of Congress TV! After a couple of hours of literary fulfillment, Jared had had his fill, so we grabbed some vendor hot dogs and pretzels, and then headed on home. Of course, halfway home, the kids complained that, for a "Book Day," wasn't it unfair that they hadn't actually gotten an actual BOOK? After all, said Jack, "Book Day" without a book is just "Day"! So we swung by the local Target near our house (drat the disappearance of actual bookstores!) and grabbed a book for each of us. Crisis averted, and a Happy Book Day it twas.


Checking out all the events at the festival

Jack and Ellie, trying to squeeze their way up to the states' tables

Got 'em all!

Ellie, heading home with her hard-earned swag. Once we got in the car, we realized that we had indeed missed the stamp for Pennsylvania - "who cares," Ellie said, "I still got my prizes." Yes, we're teaching her good priorities.

Trying to find our car again - that in itself was an activity

The bosom of the literary world - the Target

Run, Baby, Run!

So, Jack has set the goal to run a 5k this year. And yes, that goal MAY have been somewhat suggested by Jared, who himself is trying to run more and would love a running buddy. So Jack decided to do his first official run on his 8th birthday yesterday. Jared and Jack ran from our house to our nearby town center (1.25 miles), where Ellie and I met them for a celebratory frozen yogurt. (No, Ellie and I did not run. You make me laugh.) Jack had to stop for a breather a few times, but did really great considering it was his first-ever run. 5k race, here we come!

Here they come (Ellie ran out to meet them as they neared the town center)

Almost....

Almost....

And they made it!

Well deserving of a celebratory fro-yo!

Happy 8th, Jack!

Happy 8th birthday, Jack! It was 8 years ago today that, as Ellie would say, Jack 'jumped out of Mom's tummy' (we're all about the accurate biology in our house). Our boy has simple tastes - for his family party, he wanted only three things: (1) a game of Monopoly, (2) a dinner of only finger foods, and (3) to be woken on his birthday with a candle in an Eggo waffle (don't feel badly if you're not as classy as we are - not everyone can pull off an Eggo birthday waffle). We successfully met all his requirements, and as a result, we've got a happy birthday boy.



I present to you - the Eggo birthday waffle - yup, that's it - slaved over that toaster for a good 30 seconds, I did

But hey, it's all our Jack wanted

Opening his presents - per usual, Jack didn't ask for anything for his birthday (did I mention he's a man of simple needs?), so I took my best guess and bought him a new Wii game, a new cool frisbee, and a set of scriptures

Getting ready for the Monopoly game

And of course the finger foods

There's a happy birthday boy

FYI, our Monopoly game lasted a full two hours before the kids got bored and started stealing each other's money

Happy Birthday, Jack!

Year of the Bear

We're back at school now, and have started up our extracurricular activities again. Both kids are doing taekwondo, Ellie is doing jazz/hip-hop, and Jack is happily back in cub scouts. He's a bear this year, and is quite excited for the year - ok, in the interest of full disclosure, he's most excited to finally get a knife, since they have a whittling achievement he gets to do. Not sure I'm exactly ready for him and a knife, but hey, everyone's emergency-room-free-streak must come to an end at some point.

Besides, I just love a man in uniform.

My Favorite Handyman

Reasons why I like it when Jared does the home improvement around these parts

1. He's cheap
2. It's socially acceptable for me to flirt with THIS handyman
3. And plumber's butt? Yes, please!

Fashionable

Me: "No, Ellie, you can NOT wear that outside to play"
Ellie: "Why not? I think it's very fashionable!"
Me: "Well, for one thing, you're not wearing a SHIRT"
Ellie: "Sure I am - it makes me look like a princess!"
Me: "It's not a SHIRT. That's a SKIRT that you're wearing like a tube top. And you are NOT playing outside in it"
Ellie: "You just don't know fashion like I do."


Ahhhh...so THAT'S the princess look she was going for

Last and First

Yesterday was the last day of summer, and today was the first day of school.

Phew.

We had a fun summer, but these past couple of weeks, we've all been looking forward to going back to school. I'm looking forward to being back on a real schedule, and the kids, well, I think they're just sick of me and want to get back and see their friends. Which totally works for me.

Yesterday, we went down to my folks' place for a Labor Day picnic. It was a nice day for playing in the river and hanging out with the cousins, and we got back in time to hose everyone down and get in bed by a decent hour. This morning, no complaints as we got ready for school, and the kids seemed excited (albeit nervous) when I dropped them off at their classes. Ellie's in first grade now, and very excited to have the teacher her best friend had last year. Jack is in third grade, and his teacher seems really nice. I'm crossing, crossing my fingers that they'll have a good year. Because of course, if THEY have a bad year, I have a bad year. And if I have a bad year, well, Jared just better stock up on the chocolate.

According to Jack, he was riding his magic carpet

All the kids loved the swing - and all the kids got dizzy, and tripped over themselves when Aunt Lydia stopped pushing them. It made Aunt Lydia giggle.

Yes, those are my kids and their cousins, playing far, far away. Because Lydia was too lazy to get off her beach chair and sludge through the wet sand to get closer for a decent photo. So just use your imagination.

Jack and Jared participated in the corn hole tournament. Jack's team was out in the first round, but he did pretty well considering it was set up for grown-up-sized throwers

Jared's team made it to the finals - he didn't win, but he was by far the handsomest competitor. In my unbiased opinion. And considering that I'm biologically related to the other competitors and therefore it'd be gross if I thought they were handsome.

First day of school!

Remember This, Not That

Snapped this photo so I can remember how cutie-patootie Ellie looks with her missing front tooth (the other front tooth soon to follow - it's a-wigglin'!).

And hopefully I WON'T remember the half-hour fit she threw this morning because our tooth fairy only left her a 'stinkin' dollar.'

That wasn't so cutie-patootie.