decisions

We are probably 90% packed.  Now we just wait and hope everything works out.  Either way, we'll need it packed so we can sell this house.  We have a little more painting to do to make all our walls a nice, boring off white color, and then we'll be good to go!  It'll be nice to be past this point and settled wherever we settle (hopefully in the new house we want!).

A couple funnies:

We were in the van driving somewhere and we had the following conversation:
VIOLET: (crying) "My brother and sister won't call me by my name." (sob)
DAD:  "What are they calling you?"
TS:  (in a quiet voice) "Chicken head."
(maybe I'm a dork - well, we know I am! - but that struck me as soooo funny, though, he's not allowed to call Violet that since it hurts her feelings.  He wasn't trying to be mean - just funny.)

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The kids were outside playing on the swing set.  TS and Emma were swinging on the two-seater swing and Violet ran in the house, very concerned.  This was our conversation:

VIOLET:  "Mom!  They are swinging so high!  I'm worried they are going to swing into space!"
ME:  "Really?  All the way into space?"
VIOLET: "Yes!  You should have them stop!  I don't want them to swing into space!" (as she covers her face so she doesn't have to watch.

That was mostly just super adorable how concerned she was.  Later when I told Emma & TS about it, TS said, "Why didn't you tell me?!" as he covered his face, thinking of what would have happened if he had swung into space.  haha!  weirdos.

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I don't go places with all five kids very often.  The worry of germs makes us be pretty careful.  But sometimes I don't have a lot of choice and bring them all (and pray the germs leave us be).  We were all getting ready for a doctor appt.  I was doing really good.  They were all dressed, shoes on, hair done, and we were getting ready to head out the door.  We were a tiny bit behind, but compared to normal, we were doing AWESOME. 

Then I turned and saw Violet laying on the kitchen floor with her mostly eaten bowl of oatmeal spilled.  It was one of those moments where you realized it should have been obvious this was going to happen.  Things were going a little too right.  She apologized and obviously felt silly for falling.  Then she was proud that she had made me laugh hysterically.  It was especially funny when a few minutes later she assured me she had cleaned all the oatmeal out of her hair.  haha!  I'm sensing this is only making me laugh, but still.  It still makes me laugh hysterically if I think about it.  It sometimes feels like NO MATTER WHAT, something happens to make us late.  Next time I know to leave a little bit of time to clean oatmeal out of Violet's hair. 
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Since we have two Tyler's in the house, I'll sometimes call Tyler "Tyler husband!" when I'm wanting to make sure he knows I'm calling him and not TS.  I'll call TS, "Tyler son" if I need him. 

Violet will sometimes holler "Tyler husband!" when she wants TS' attention...hehe.

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Emma being hearing impaired leaves us with some funny misunderstandings or she'll get her phrasing wrong.  For example, she had a runny nose, and she told me, "My nose is runny!  I'm going to go blow it up."  (instead of "go blow my nose")

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I do have many more, but I'll leave it at that for now.

Here are some photos of the kids on the trampoline. Our little neighbor friend was over playing outside.  She's famous with the kids.  They think she's the funnest, sweetest little girl ever.  And, she pretty much is.  (Yes, we used hand sanitizer to kill any potential germs since we're germaphobes with Emma's wimpy immune system!  That's also why we only play outside with other kids, especially during flu season.)  I love my camera.  For years I've wanted to be able to take good action shots, and now I can!

 

They reminded me of little fairies, so I made them little fairies...

And, lastly, this is what happens when Emma watches the baby for a few minutes.  She ends up with lots of bracelets: