Apple Time!

 So it has already been getting cold here and Grandpa came over yesterday with a bag full of apples for our family. (We love Grandpa!) It reminded me of these pictures of Will last year or maybe it was two years ago, wow time flies. Anyhow, thought I would share these with you and wish you a happy fall full of all those fall favorites: caramel apples, apple pie, apple crisp....

A Maple Syrup Mess!

How do you clean maple syrup off the floor? I recently got to find out the answer to this question when I discovered a Sam's club size syrup bottle completely empty on my pantry floor. I am not talking about real maple syrup, but the high fructose corn syrup stuff that is so much cheaper. Honestly when I first discovered this I think I stood in shock for a few minutes thinking how I would even attempt to clean up such a sticky mess. I don't even know how long it had been there smashed in the back corner of my pantry. I imagined one of my boys stepping on it trying to reach the bag of marshmellows that were now opened and hard. I wondered if they had noticed the top breaking off and syrup pouring from the container and debated in their mind to tell their mother but instead ran quickly away from the evidence of their mischief. Hmmm...I just decided to walk away myself for the moment and went to the internet to find out tips on cleaning up syrup. Some ideas I found were to use wax paper on top then scrape off, flour and then scrape, pouring a can of soda on top, freezing and then chipping away, and some others. Obviously freezing wasn't an option. I decided to try the wax paper first since it seemed to be the least messy. A big fail. The syrup would stick to my scraper and nothing else. Next I tried the flour. It made a huge mess but I was at least able to scrape off the syrup from the floor and into the trash. I won't lie. It was still difficult but workable.

 

Here is my littlest guy who thought that what I was doing looked like a lot of fun and managed to get through my "barrier" of items.

After scraping for a couple of hours (yes it took that long), there was still of bit of sticky residue left on the concrete floor. I decided to try the soda tip. I took one of my husband's diet sodas (I wasn't about to waste the good stuff) and poured it on top of the residue and let it sit for a little while.

I then took a rag and some hot, soapy water to the floor. It cleaned up nicely despite the paint marks that are still there, but I was really tired of scraping by then. Besides, I had a couple of boys coming home from school soon that I needed to have a little talk with :) and a pair of pants that now needed a good washing. 

He rules the roost.

I can understand how so many people say that the youngest child perhaps has it the easiest or gets their way...a lot. In my opinion it is because the parents are too exhausted from all the other kids to do much about it. Oh alright, and most of us have learned not to sweat the small stuff. This is true with our youngest and well, he is just so cute even with spit running down his face and hair that looks like pig pens from Charlie Brown. Yes, this one does get his way often and if he doesn't, we are sure to hear about it (and so are the neighbors).

Sorry about the flip of this picture but for some reason blogger won't import it correctly.

This winter has been slow and filled with the stomach flu bug that will just not leave our family alone. We are all tired of the sicknesses and are finally, FINALLY, enjoying some time of good heath which we are so very grateful for. Our 2nd boy recently got baptized and I have never seen anyone more excited to do so. The boy was grinning ear to ear for weeks. He also received scriptures from his grandpa and he was so excited to have them and wanted to keep them nice. On Sunday he happily took his scriptures to church...in the box! I told him he didn't need to take the box, but he pleaded with me to let him. Well, the box has disappeared now (hmm...) and my hubby and I purchased him some scripture covers which he was just as thrilled about. So grateful to have this boy in my life who fills my days with laughter and smiles.

Shocking!

Shocking....I know. I am actually still alive and have now updated the blog and am making a new post. Our summer has been busy, mostly just keeping up with the kids activities. I have enjoyed having my kids home from school this summer. It was nice to just relax and honestly, yes I'm going to say it, not argue with them about getting their homework done. That being said, it is also nice to get back to a routine.

The boys were not excited to go back to school, however, they were excited to see their friends and so far, things have been going well for them. Our little #3 has been trying preschool out. He is a shy little guy, so it has been a little difficult for him (and for me), but he loves being there after he gets over Mommy not being with him.

Our #4 just learned to climb the kitchen chairs yesterday which means he enjoys getting on the table, playing on the computer, and also moving the chairs to where ever he pleases. He is always so very busy and keeps me on my toes.

The hubby and I are doing great and enjoying the cooler weather. His shop that he has been building this summer is mostly finished with just a few minor touch ups left. Here are some fun pics of the boys to send you on your way. Thanks for visiting!

About My Mom

I was reading this morning an article about moms in the May issue of Parents magazine and thought that this might be fun to quiz some of my own children on. Their answers were interesting to say the least. This would be a fun keepsake to make for Mother's day.

What does Mommy do while you are at school?
C: Take care of the kids.
E: Work

If your Mom was an animal, what kind would she be?
C: A wolf because she taught the wolves (meaning wolf cub scouts here).
E: A dolphin.

What is Mommy's favorite TV show?
C: Chopped.
E: The cooking channel.

I love Mommy because:
C: she takes care of me.
E: she feeds me lunch, dinner, and breakfast.
 
What food does Mommy make best?
C: That chicken noodle soup. That is the very best.
E: Ramen
 
What makes your Mommy laugh?
C: When we say silly things.
E: Jokes.
 
How tall is your Mommy?
C: About 6 or 7 feet.
E: 20 feet.
 
My favorite thing to do with my Mommy is...
C: play games.
E: play.
 
Nobody is better than [she is at]...
C: making noodles.
E: making soup for us.
 
My mom says the most important rule is...
C: to love each other.
E: no saying bad words.
 
My Mommy is as pretty as...
C: anything (gee, thanks honey).
E: Elsa (the girl he really really likes, but we're not saying GF or he screams, she is not).

25 Rules

So 2012 has arrived and I have lots of goals popping in my head this year. I am usually one not to make resolutions but I suppose that is what the new year is for: changing things, improving things, having a fresh start. This past year has been busy and I am hoping in this year that I will have time for the things on my to do list, but I can imagine I will really be chasing after my boys (may it at least help me be fit)! I came across "25 Rules for Mothers of Sons" on Pininterest (yes, I am addicted too) and of course I loved it since I have four of these little guys. It is worth reading.
http://studerteam.blogspot.com/2011/11/25-rules-for-mothers-of-sons.html?m=1

Are you ready for some football....

Ahhhh...isn't this the cutest little football you've ever seen? Totally, right! This is our little Reagan supporting his brothers at their football games this fall. The boys have finally finished their football season. They played, well...they played and Ethan did a bit of twirling too. LOL. I got this cute hat from Etsy and Reagan has almost outgrown it already. He is going to be wearing it again this Halloween and will be Daddy's football and of course, Dad will be sporting the BSU jersey. The kids are busy, thus keeping me busy, but I try my best to do some girly things along the way. Well, now I have a screaming child in the background, so my post will have to end now, but hope you enjoy the pic.

School

 

Boys on 1st 2nd day of school

I have been so excited to have school start again and the boys, well, they didn't actually get excited until it really was the 1st day of school. It was more work this year to get all the necessities needed and thanks to Dad's help, we managed to be ready. The boys were up bright and early and we were all ready to go with 20 minutes until the bus arrived and when the boys actually have time, I let them watch some morning cartoons while they wait. Little did I know the bus was going to be 10 minutes early and I wouldn't have time to snap that 1st day of school photo. Luckily, I managed to see the it rounding the corner or we would have missed it completely. The poor kids had to run the whole way to the bus stop. Bad mommy! 

When they arrived home, I was quite confused because Ethan came by himself and Caden was nowhere in sight. Ethan walked in the door and said, "I missed you, Mommy" and just about burst into tears. Oh, melt my heart! After a confusing discussion and Caden arriving home 5 minutes later, I found out there had been some bullying on the bus and Ethan had been scratched on the hand by another boy. Caden had begged the bus driver to let them out at his friend's house for a band aid (because he didn't want to listen to him scream any more) and they let them out (WHAT!). So our neighbor drove Ethan to our house and Caden opted to walk home. Seriously I wasn't too pleased with the whole situation (I can be somewhat paranoid). I was quite heartbroken that Ethan had experienced this. I wish I could be there to protect my kids all the time. Kids can be so mean sometimes (and so can we adults), but that is just a part of growing up. Unfortunately, we have to learn how to deal with these things. After some hugs and kisses, things were better, and we talked about their day. I was happy to learn that that they both had a good time and E even managed to eat some of his lunch. So the next day we were up early again and this time I drove them to school to ensure I would get some 2nd day of school pics instead of the back of their heels running after the bus. :)

Good Morning, Sunshine

Our little Reagan is 5 weeks today and Sam and I say that it feels like it has been forever. Usually people say it has gone by so fast and while these past few weeks have somewhat flown by-our feeling of lack of sleep has not. :) Reagan was up bright and early this morning and I decided to take a picture of his morning hair do. He has such crazy hair. I'm just not really sure what to do with it but let it do it's own thing. Reagan is such a noisy baby; he grunts and does this (what I think is adorable) billy goat noise.  He reminds me of Caden when he was little in that respect.

I have to admit that the adjustment has been difficult. I have heard the 3rd is the hardest, well I have to say it is the 4th for me. Really, I think that probably depends more on the child. Reagan prefers to be held...ALL the time. Then you add in caring for 3 other boys and things become chaos. I really try to keep up, but right now crayon is on the windows and pencil on the wall, my laundry bin is overflowing, and we really watch our step in the baby/craft/computer room, but hey, at least I managed to clean the bathrooms. My hubby has been wonderfully understanding as most days he comes home to a not so clean house, noisy children, and dinner unprepared, and still manages to greet me nicely. So it has been hard not doing the things I think I'm responsible for and the things I want and would love to do. I'm not blogging about this because I want a pity session. My life is good and I am blessed with so many simple things, but I have felt like no one really understands what I'm going through (even though I  know better) and then I received a wonderful letter from my mother-in-law and a phone call the other day from my own mom. Here were two women in my life who let me know they loved me, were thinking of me, and just said things that affirmed to me that they understood. Sometimes we just need to be reminded. So my hope is that perhaps when you read this post that you will send a note or pick up the phone to call someone who you have been thinking of and remind them.

Boy # 4

We added another little boy to our family on Monday. We named him Reagan Michael. Mom and baby are trying their best to get some rest so we will post more on our new guy later on.

Butterfly Mobile

So a few months back I found some cute butterfly mobiles on Etsy and thought to myself, "I can make that". I decided to give it a try and cut some butterflies using my Cricut out of vellum and some sparkly white paper. I also picked up some crystal beads to add. I went to work not having any plan, meaning I just starting stringing them randomly with no measurements or how many to even make. A few nights into this and I began to think I would be adding this to my growing  pile of unfinished projects. I was also worried that it wouldn't turn out as it was just looking like a gigantic butterfly mess. So this last week, I decided I had better give this one more lasting effort and finish the dang thing. Amazingly, I did just that and it looks better than I expected. I would hope to have a plan if I did this again, but highly doubt it will be attempted. Here is my FINISHED project and just in time as I have only 5 more days until my due date. I certainly won't be putting this even close to little hands to grab and choke on, but for now it makes a cute hanging decoration in baby's room.

Krupp Scout Hollow

At the beginning of June, we took our den to Krupp Scout Hollow for day camp. The weather was just perfect (we were concerned about rain), and the groups were just the right size. This is the second year I have attended day camp and Caden's first year. They had some really great activities for the scouts and our den chose to do archery (this or the bb guns). Our theme was super heroes and each station did a great job of working the character connections with each superhero, such as Faith for Zorro and Courage for Superman.This photo below is all the arriving scouts playing capture the flag. The first year I went, I was so worried about losing a boy in the conglomeration but I have relaxed a bit since then. The boys did capture the leaders' flag a few times this year.

 These photos below are an obstacle course that each scout did on their own. We walked through it once and I was impressed with the set up. The scouts worked hard to get through this activity.

 

 

These photos show the scouts learning about different animal tracks. They stamped a bunch of the animal tracks on paper, which is more of a bears requirement to fulfill I believe, but they still enjoyed it.

 

Next we hiked our way to the archery grounds and the scouts were pumping with excitement here. With that being said they still managed to be still and listen closely to the leader explaining the rules of archery and how to hold the bow and release the arrow. They each got to shoot one with a leader and the rest on their own. Caden hit the target on his first try by himself. I was impressed as we leaders got to shoot also and it really isn't that easy. Ever since then, Caden has been practicing his archery skills, thanks to Grandpa Grover having some bow and arrows lying around at his place.

 At this station the scouts made leather bracelets that they engraved designs, names, or whatever they wanted into them. I thought this was a great hands on activity and it was nice that the scouts had something to take home to share with their families.

 

We then enjoyed our homemade picnic lunches and the scouts played some fun activities and visited the store (can't remember what they call it, but full of fun items for boys to purchase). I followed some of our group to the parachute and that was just fun to watch them playing in. I might have joined in if I hadn't been so pregnant.

 

We finished up the remainder of our day with other fun activities and closing ceremonies. By the time 2:30 pm rolled around, I was ready to get home and rest, but I was glad for the opportunity to see my son enjoy his first day camp and hopeful he doesn't get tired of me always being there, at least for a while.

Our wolf den at the end of day camp (of course my son is not smiling)!

Update

Life at the Grover household is going well. School has been out for almost 3 weeks now and the boys are enjoying it so far even though the weather hasn't been so great. We will get one nice hot day and then a week of rain and wind. I am enjoying some days of actually sleeping in. The oldest boys are up early, but turn on the TV in the morning and Will has been sleeping in occasionally. It is absolute bliss on those mornings when I might get to sleep in until 7:30 or 8:00 especially now that sleep is becoming more difficult for me these days. I think pregnancy sometimes prepares you for the little newborn. I see that our pregnancy ticker has us down to 47 more days. WOW! We are so not prepared. I have purchased a box of newborn diapers and white onesies, but that is the extent of our preparedness. Not knowing the sex of the baby does have its disadvantages...but the decision was made and at least I'm sticking to it. Sam insists it is a girl, at least to me, but he insisted we were having a girl with our first and you can see how that turned out. :)

Speaking of Sam, he has now finished his master's degree. I believe it took 3 years to finish the task. I am so very proud of him. What an accomplishment! He is happy to be done and not spending his weekends on homework. Good timing, too, as life is about to become even busier for us.

Here are some photos of our Will keeping busy himself. He is into everything and goes everywhere now and is just as clever as the rest of the boys at finding ways to get what he wants.

The Trampoline

I have always been against having a trampoline despite the fact that my family had one growing up. I blame it on watching too many episodes of America's Funniest Home Videos. I am just terrified that my kids will get seriously injured on one. So when Sam asked me yet again this year about getting a tramp for the boys, even I was surprised when the word yes came from my mouth. I am not sure why I did; perhaps because I am pregnant, or perhaps I didn't want to hear it anymore, or perhaps, after so many stitches, I have realized my kids will get hurt one way or another. ALL the boys were so excited when the trampoline arrived.

The wind was so chilling this day but the boys were so excited that they all worked to get it together. Getting those springs hooked were the worst part. It got to the point were I couldn't even pull them hard enough to get them hooked in. I'm not really sure how Sam managed it.

We did get the netting, but we let the boys jump a bit before attaching the rest. William even enjoyed it. He would walk on and immediately call for Caden and Caden would jump with him. I was shocked to see him loving it. Will is much braver now and likes to jump on his own even when the other two are jumping about. He is a tough kid. I have to admit that the tramp has even become one of my favorite toys. No, I haven't been jumping on the tramp (bad idea when your this pregnant). But the boys love it and can entertain themselves for a while, which is just heaven for me, and I really LOVE seeing them have so much enjoyment from it.

So Many Projects....

We are trying to make room for the new baby that will soon be here and that means moving my craft room to well...I don't really know yet, but in the process I have been trying to finish up some projects that I have stashed away. I have finished piecing two quilt tops together that are now ready to be quilted. This is the most recent one that I have done.

I actually won this Moda fabric from the Quilt Shoppe that was in Rigby and have finally gotten around to using it. I am a beginning quilter so I purchased a book of quilt patterns that uses jelly rolls, and totally ignoring the part that said this pattern was for advanced quilters, I picked this star pattern. I mean really how hard could it be? Yeah...okay. I cannot tell you how many times I was using my seam ripper on this. With a baby on the way and so many other projects to do, I finally gave up on perfection and just sewed on despite the flaws. I think it is still cute. Speaking of cute, here are some pictures of my little helper who likes to take out the pins for me.

Will does a good job taking out those pins and even putting them away, but you have to keep up with him! I learned my lesson when I tediously pinned two large pieces together and then left it to run some other errands only to find that all of my somewhat perfectly placed pins had been removed! Oh well, I still adore him. So now I have packed up all my sewing supplies and fabric and placed it in the basement storage. I now move on to catch up on my scrapbooking. That will be a challenge.