We're Back! Or...Ilene's Post Vol. 2

Doesn't this look like fun?

The kids and I went up north to visit my BFF Missy and her gang this weekend.  Her husband had to take her son, Jedi to a hockey tournament, so we were left with her two at home, and my five.  Ages 3, 3, 4, 7, 10, and 11.    Jedi is 6 and joined us on Sunday.  :)

Farm Girl (as Missy likes to call her) and Noah had a great time playing Wii together.  They are so comfortable with each other!  It is just the cutest.  I harbor a not so secret fantasy that they will grow up, fall madly in love, and give me lots of grand babies.  I can't help myself.   Noah would love his MIL, I would love my daughter in law....we could spend all the holidays together!  Ahhhh... I can always dream.  :)  My husband says I am a nut, I say that with 8 kids between us, the likelihood of someone getting married is pretty good!  :)

Missy has a new dog.  My girls LOVE him.  He does not love them nearly as much, but was a real trooper about all the loving.  It was especially good to see Ruby willing to get so close to a dog.  She wanted to take him home! Clara smiled a lot this weekend, but I was unable to catch it on camera except for here!  :)  Matthew actually took this picture!  (Much more appropriate than pictures in the past!)

There is no story to this picture, I just thought it was too cute not to share.  :)   I suppose I could share that Ruby wandered off into the woods on Missy's property (without any of the kids noticing) while looking for her mitten thus giving me a heart attack, stroke, and strong desire to start drinking heavily, or jump off of a bridge, but that would be kind of a downer to such a great weekend.   This was the picture that you would have seen on the news as the missing child picture had Missy not found her before I put out an Amber Alert!  I tend to go worse case scenario when I am in a panic about the safety of one of my children!!

Aside from that,  we had a great weekend.  Missy made adorable princess outfits for the three little girls.  We kept meaning to take a picture of them together, but with the whirlwind of activity somehow I kept forgetting!  

I consider myself very lucky to have Missy in my life.  We are so opposite, and the distance keeps us from getting together as much as we'd like but both she and I, and our kids always pick right back up where we left off as if there had never been any time spent apart.  My husband often accuses us of "sitting around and staring at each other", but aren't the best friendships the ones that can withstand, or even enjoy comfortable silence, ramble on about nothing, and share a good laugh, or a heart wrenching cry?  

God is good.  All the time.

Check Mate!

The big boys and I went up to Lansing this weekend for the Chess Tournament at MSU. It is a very fun, but stressful adventure every year. Ricky did great! I was very proud.

He lost his first match, but after lots of tears, a few threats from me, him threatening to not play the rest of the day, and the bribe of a dinner out with just mom we got him back in chess playing order.

My little man is a perfectionist, and does not like to lose. He strives to be the best at everything, which will take him far some day, but makes for a very uptight seven year old at other times! After losing his first match, his heart was pounding a mile a minute. I hate to see him get so upset, but when the opposing team sat down, I knew we were going to be out played. It was painful to watch. All four of our players were picked off like flies!

To take the edge off, we went for a latte between matches. He and I both got some heavenly creation called a Teddy Bear. White Chocolate Caramel latte. I decided to un-diet this weekend! Good thing I can't afford to buy fancy coffee all the time, or I would be the biggest gainer! The coffee helped calm his nerves, (kind of like a Ritalin without the prescription) and he played with dignity and grace the rest of the day. He did lose again, but there were no tears, which to me was a victory. The two children that he did lose to were playing at the top table (meaning highest ranked kids) during the last round. His ending stats...2 wins 1 tie and 2 losses.

The rest of the weekend was spent at the hotel. There is an indoor pool and the kids swim until their eyeballs can't take it anymore. In addition, they just enjoy hanging out and DS'ing together. Us parents enjoy chatting, playing cards, and sharing stories. Squishy and the "weleeted picture" was a story that I was forced by others to repeat many times this weekend!

To finish off the weekend, we went to The Parlor in Jackson. Ricky didn't go because he had a birthday party to attend, but he only went after I PROMISED him a trip to The Parlor over spring break. Here are Noah and the girls with their BABY Dare to be Great sundae.... I've included a before and after picture. They were still smiling at the end, but even with four they didn't actually manage to finish it all!

God is good. All the time.