Down and Back!!

Today was a whirlwind and the kids were really great through it all! We drove to Naples - we had initially planned to stop and get lunch along the way but ended up pushing through and taking care of kid naps and content behavior. We went straight to Royal Scoop and had lunch and ice cream. Then, while I finished folding some laundry we'd left in the dryer the kids got to swim out some sillies. We weren't in Naples long before it was time to load up in one car and head to Port Charlotte. We stopped at the grocery store on the way and picked up dinner for all of us. We enjoyed visiting and the kids snuggled and giggled and did all the things they do and soon it was time to load back up and head the rest of the way home. Oh, and the whole reason for our day trip...when we split up at the end of our Naples vacation I borrowed the car to get home and it ended up being a huge life saver to fill the gap before my car was ready at the shop! So, we needed to take it back. By doing it in one day we still have tomorrow to try to get a few things done around the house!

Leadership Slumber Party

Kyle is at a leadership retreat that had an overnight last night and a late work dinner on Wednesday night...by this afternoon, this little boy, and this mama were missing him! We survived but I'm beat! There's been a lot of fighting, a lot of whining and a lot of sillies! We were originally planning to head to Naples tonight but shifted our plans a bit.

Ups and Downs and All Around!

This morning Otto and I decided to tackled the weeds that had overtaken the kids little play area in the back of the yard next to the shed. I was pulling, he was playing, it was going really well. He went inside mumbling about a drink and potty and after about 10 minutes and him not coming back out, I went in. And found this...but no Otto. I called for him, ran all through the house looking for him, went out front yelling for him. I was as close to freaking out as one can be without actually freaking out...I came back in and he was casually standing in the family room. He informed me that he had been hiding in a closet. I asked him what he did and he told me he dumped chemicals. I enlisted the help of my mom to FaceTime sit while I cleaned up the mess. This kid is A LOT!

After the impromptu floor washing I took Otto back out to the porch and put up the round swing he's been asking for. When he found out he could stand on it he was soooo excited! He was not happy to take a break to go get Lincoln but was happy when Lincoln wanted to stand up on the swing with him. Happy guys - at least temporarily! After school today the kids all got their wish and our neighbor got to come over and play with them! It was so nice! All 4 kids played so well together and I was able to clean rooms!!

Cats on a Dark Car Roof

Our neighbor's cat Lucky is a frequent star of the security cameras but tonight he was joined by a costar. There was a bit of a stare down on the roof and eventually the other cat took off, but it was amusing to watch the whole interaction and our neighbor thought it was hilarious!

Pedaling

Her lock arrived and she's off! Nora was soooo excited to ride her bike to school today. She left before I took Lincoln and we passed her on her way up the hill, cheering her on as we went by. She's doing all these new things!!!

Clean Get Away

I've been working my way through the house this week trying to organize and clean things up a bit. It only does so much though...today we got our butts in gear and tackled the back porch...which mean Kyle first had to tough it out in the shed to make room to move a bunch of tools and stuff off the porch. We enlisted the help of the kids, and after a hard days work it isn't perfect by any means but it's A LOT better than it was! One down side to our porch clean up...while I was changing out the water in the turtle tank, the kids convinced me to let both of them play out in the yard - they were going to watch them. They did watch them for a while...then there wasn't a Sheldon sighting for a bit...and now there hasn't been a Sheldon sighting for hours and as over grown as the yard is...and as many hiding places as there are, I'm somewhat convinced he took advantage of the Aardvark's burrow under the fence and has hightailed it to freedom. Scoonie is safely back in the tank but I think our days of caring for Sheldon are over...a turtle wants what a turtle wants. The good news is, there's a creek in the backyards across the street and it is home to A LOT of turtles just like Sheldon. Hopefully they'll welcome him with open...shells?

Going on a Bike Ride!

We were not quite as productive today as I would have liked to be, but we made it out and had some fun. While Otto was napping Kyle took Nora and Lincoln up to the school to ride bikes and when Otto woke up (5.8 minutes after they left) he wanted to go too...in jeans! Lincoln is still honing his bike riding skills but look at that look of proud determination and his work to get up the hill! With everyone hot and sweaty we headed home to relax a bit.