This last weekend, both Eddy parents had to work--one at a swim meet, one taking call at the hospital, so we invited the Eddy children down for some good ol' cousin time.
Having 5 kids 5 and under is never dull. Ever.
But, we're finding the troupe is getting to an age where they are easier to take places (thank you, potty training!), less tied to a schedule (adios naps--that's a mixed blessing), and more interested in playing with each other.
The weather this weekend was pretty unsettled--cold weather, snow flurries, rain and huge wind gusts. So, we had to make the most of our time with indoor activities. It was a productive weekend; how about some photos of the fruits of our labor?
You already know how I feel about painting, so we made these lanterns with the letters of each of their first names on them. We even made one for Baby Elizabeth.
If you attempt this project at home, here's a nickel's worth of free advice. Strip everyone naked. Don't let them pick a bottle to paint (it's hard to stuff a tea light down there and it gets really, really hot). Have a glass of wine handy during the painting frenzy (that's for the supervising adult, not the kids).
One low point of the weekend occurred when I was changing ND's poopy pull-up. Sam was running after Kate and Glory and managed to step right into the poopy pull-up. Of course, I began screaming, "Don't move! Stop!" which only caused him to startledly hop around and step in it even more. I thought we had escaped with zero poop collateral damage, but later found a small smear of poop on my socks.
I stripped them off and Kate & Glory came running over to admire my pedicure. (I guess their 9-month-pregnant mother doesn't paint her toenails that often...it must be hard to reach them :). So, we painted their toenails. (We also painted their fingernails, but that was an adventure in frustration. Fingernails are just too easy to smudge and it's too hard to keep still when you're only 3 years old).
The rest of our weekend included buying a new vaccuum for Lala at Sear's closeout sale (and playing red light/green light in the back empty aisles), putting together puzzles and playing with blocks. Phil and Joe took the boys to "a gun shop" to get ready for their upcoming African safari, which Noah and Sam thought was a great adventure! When they got back, the Middles wanted a picture of their puzzles and lanterns all together. (The lanterns aren't dry, so that's why I asked them to pose with "moose antlers"...their little hands are just drawn to that wet paint!)
We survived the weekend with only one time-out (ND for pushing Noah) and minimal fighting. Everyone helped clean up and no one balked at bath time. 80% of our kids slept well (that's 4 out of 5 for you who are less mathmetically inclined; guess who was the nonsleeper of the bunch?). It was great weekend and we can't wait to do it again in 2 weeks when Baby Elizabeth arrives and Kate & Glory come to stay with us for some fun time.
