Six in the Mix

Amazing, but true--I've neglected making an announcement on this blog. Of course, everyone who reads this pretty much knows already, but here goes...I'm expecting #6. So it will be back to just plain "Six in the Mix" for the blog title. Found out on Thursday that it is going to be a girl. So, we're going to have three boys and three girls. Everyone seems to be happy that it is a girl.

We've already made adjustments in preparation. We sold our van and got a Suburban. We're also planning on moving Sugar in with Gem to leave the nursery free. Of course, that doesn't have to happen very soon, but still, it's something to change. Thankfully, the nursery is already decorated for a girl. How nice not to have to change that.

I'm due August 13th. Sinatra keeps asking me if it is time for the baby to come out of my tummy. It's beginning to become something like "Are we there yet?". I just tell him that it is still a long time, but he still asks regularly.

I felt her kick for the first time during the ultrasound on Thursday--two good strong kicks!

Belated Birthday

Happy birthday to my sweet girl! Gem turned 12 on February 24th and I haven't blogged about it until now. She was the one to get the party this year, so she invited 5 friends to go ice skating and spend the night.



We started with presents and cake.



Then we headed to the ice skating rink. Friday night was packed. Open skating was from 7-10:30. We stayed from 8-10:15. I even skated for about 15 minutes. What an experience. I hadn't been on skates in about 13 years. The girls did really well.



They started a chain.



And it grew.



And grew.



Who ever heard of a snow cone at an ice skating rink!

Happy birthday, sweet girl. I'm going to enjoy the last year of pre-teen.

Shakespeare at 10

Well, the boy broke into double digits 3 days ago. Here is the celebration! He had an impromptu party at home with three boys from our homeschool group. We just invited them over for a play date after our group met and had presents and cake and pizza. No one had to bring presents and we didn't have to plan anything extra. Lovely!

It's Gem's year for the party. She's having a slumber party tonight with 5 girls. Pictures will surely follow.

But, here is the boy blowing out his candles and opening his presents. So fun!





Anything Lego and Star Wars is always a big hit. He also got the mid scale Star Ship.

Wheel of My Sister-in-Law's Fortune

Watch my sister-in-law on last night's Wheel of Fortune!

Here's the first part:



Here's the second part:

7 Years Young

Popcorn turned 7 years old on Wednesday. Next Tuesday is Shakespeare's 10th and next Thursday is Gem's 12th. Three birthdays in 8 days. This year Gem gets the friend party, so Popcorn celebrated with us.



This is the cake he wanted. Gem made it!



He and his daddy decorated it.



The birthday boy won!



Some presents were liked.



Others were not. It was a cheap cloth-type frisbee from the dollar isle and the first present he opened. He was thinking grand and got ???? What is this?



We sang happy birthday and clapped as he reached for his first present.



He requested Chinese take-out for dinner. : )



Earlier in the day, he requested brunch at Cracker Barrel. He enjoyed his pancakes and sweet tea (hey, you're only 7 once) and then all the birthday kids blew birthday cash on Webkinz and Mazin' Hamsters (which were buy one get one!).

What a wonderful 7th birthday!

Sleeping Sugar

3 With One Blow

This daddy loves to wrestle his boys...



and pin them down.



Three with one hand is the goal. Jon thinks he still has a couple of years before Shakespeare gets too big, but then he will only have to go to two hands for all three.

D.C. Sans Kids

Last week, Jon was in Boston. He drove--all 13+ hours. Uggg. I was in North Carolina. He was supposed to leave on Saturday morning, but ended up delayed until about 11am. That meant that he wouldn't be home that night. I hung up the phone, sighed, then picked up the phone again. I called a good friend who agreed to watch all my kids overnight. Then I talked to another good friend. She would take them the second night. Then I called Jon, booked a hotel, and headed north.

That night, Jon and I arrived at the hotel only 10 minutes apart. We went to a wonderful Chinese restaurant. The next morning we got up and went to a great place for brunch. The servers all wore suspenders and bow ties and there was more Mahogany trim and paneling in that place than I have ever seen. Gas lights, original paintings, gorgeous flower arrangements and a crowd even on Sunday morning. Lovely brunch.

Then we bundled up, braved the elements and headed down the street for the Smithsonian museums. We went to the National Archives and the National Museum of Art--both things we wouldn't dream of taking the kids to. I lugged that big camera everywhere and only took one picture the entire trip. Actually, Jon took it for me.



You would think that I would choose the Washington Monument or something iconic, but this painting was a must take. It is the painting that is depicted on one of our timeline cards that the kids study--St. Benedict and Monasticism. They had to see me standing next to the original. Of course, I couldn't use the flash, so even this picture isn't good. But, there it is.

That evening we headed back to the hotel and ordered pizza and a Philly cheesesteak. I asked the concierge where to find a good Philly cheese and she laughed. She is from Philly and used to work at a hotel in Philly and was always asked that question there. She hadn't heard it in years. She named a place that almost gets it right and we ordered delivery. She was right--almost right, but not quite. I love the real deal.

Then we got up the next morning at 5 and left at 6. Jon had a lunch meeting.

So, that was our whirlwind excursion without kids to D.C. It was lovely.

Myrtle Beach on a Whim

We woke up on Saturday morning and Jon had the itch to travel. It was Martin Luther King Jr. weekend and the extra day was tempting. He got on priceline at 11am and by 1 we were frantically packing for Myrtle Beach. We ended up at the Marriott resort in North Myrtle, where we had stayed with Jim and Natalie (cousin) years ago. (Nat, they finished the complex and it is amazing).

We only stayed two nights, but it was glorious. They heat their outdoor pools to 85 degrees during the winter. The kids and Jon spent 4 hours in the water.

Sugar and I visited, but mostly hung out at the villa. There was also a treehouse playground that was a big hit.

One evening, the resort hosted marshmallow roasting over big fire pits. Great atmosphere and great fun. We only caught sight of the ocean for a moment, the morning that we left. It was way too cold to enjoy the beach even though the gray-blue water was beautiful.

Christmas Cont...

Grandma and Grandpa V. sent Christmas presents a few weeks ago and it was wonderful! What a great thing to have Christmas again. So much fun watching the kids enjoy their gifts.

The excitement!



What was all the excitement about?



Thrilled!



Even little one got into the present opening. She had slept through present opening on Christmas day so this was her first exposure to it.



That is GIANT sidewalk chalk!



Happy girl!