Saturday Night Dates

High paid models

After the blast they had last year, the girls were sure that a repeat on the Daddy Daughter Dance was in order. Mike was unsure - not because of the dance itself, but of the Great Front Cover Incident that happened last fall. I was in Austin at our sales meeting for work when my phone started blowing up with texts from all my S-town friends. The fall community ed catalog had hit everyone's mailbox .... and guess who took up two-thirds of the front cover: Mike and the girls.

Mike was less than thrilled to be a local celebrity (and our friends spared no opportunity to tease him), but the girls thought it was amazing. Their agreement this year was to hide from anyone wielding a camera.

The girls had so much fun getting ready. We painted nails and curled hair in preparation. At approximately 7:03 am, Quinn started asking me if they could put their tights on. At 4:45, I finally agreed. It was not at all a long (almost) 10 hours of tights requests. They both had "high" heels and felt (and looked) so grown up! Mike clearly felt like quite the lucky guy to have such beautiful dates, and even wore a suit coat and tie - to their great delight. Or maybe he was angling for another cover gig ...

Dec and I made plans with Katie and Jonah to go out for ice cream. Because of the rather significant snow storm, we decided to just go to Dairy Queen instead of all the way across town to Cherry Berry. When we got home, the boys excitedly put on their snow gear and ran around in the fresh powder. We even brought the dogs out and let them enjoy the new snow too. Then Katie and I stood there and reminisced about how last year, the boys were riding scooters in our driveway. This winter is so much snowier than last, and we are big, big fans!

The recap from the dance is that there were good songs, good friends to dance with, and face-painting ... I hear it was "the best." They even got to meet Princess Anna (of Frozen fame). Mike told me that the girls joined a million other girls on stage for a really solid rendition of Let It Go. They got home around 8:30 and it was 9:00 before everyone was in bed. A late, but very fun night for the crew.

Q is 5 1/2

Quinn and I have a routine that happens every night at bedtime - and has for months. As I'm tucking her in, she rattles off a series of questions. Any sirens? [we had some funky late summer/fall weather and the tornado sirens scarred her big time] Any big storms? Is it going to rain? Is it going to snow? [If "yes," I say If we're lucky. And if I say "no," she says We aren't lucky.] Is it going to wind? What kind of story should I make up?

I share this because it is such a true depiction of Quinn. She can handle anything - as long as she has warning and time to process it. She does not like, nor appreciate, surprises. She is thoughtful, methodical, and focused.

Kindergarten has been a game-changer for this new five and a half year old. It has helped her develop a confidence that we haven't seen before. She believes in herself more and is pushing to try harder (or scarier) things. We truly attribute her newfound willingness to learn to ice skate to this confidence. She works so hard in class and is finding so much success. We are all about boosting that confidence with positive outcomes!

Matching jammies
with her baby

Kindergarten also came with some serious attitude. Let's keep the confidence and return the attitude! She has a response (or an excuse) for everything. Our "favorite" right now is when we tell her to do something and she says "I am" when she is clearly doing anything but that. So we are reviewing how saying "I am" while continuing to play with Barbies is not actually the same as going to brush your teeth like you were told.

As driven as Quinn is, she is surprisingly not a perfectionist (that distinction falls to her big sister). She is rarely phased by mistakes and failures. Occasionally they will upset her, but more often, you can see her internalizing what went wrong and how to not repeat that misstep in the future. [Unless it has to do with following directions to get her teeth brushed. No learning will occur and we will have that conversation every.single.day.] She is working really hard on her reading and sight words, finding several books that she can read on her own. [Her incredible memory does not hurt either and there is often a parental debate around if she is reading or has memorized.]

Quinn has the best sense of humor and is so funny. She understands - and is starting to learn how to use - sarcasm. Her mind is incredibly creative and we love to see what she comes up with in her pictures, stories, and games. Her smile with melt you, her wit will slay you, and her sass will raise your blood pressure. We sure love this amazing girl!

She cracks me up!

Yesterday Happened

Clifford always comes

The girls were off of school yesterday for Presidents' Day (I think it was teacher prep day or something more official sounding. But it was Presidents' Day.) Instead of enjoying the day together with fun activities, we scheduled a minor surgical procedure for Fiona. She has a prolapsed rectum, which means that a small ball of rectum will come out of her bottom. Mike and I are quite adept at putting it back in - but it bothers her when it comes out. When we were in the Dells last year, she actually scraped it up in the pool. So not something that we wanted to ignore.

We had arranged for Quinn to spend the morning with the neighbors and had all our stuff stacked and ready on the table when we went to bed Sunday night. That was the last time that everything went as planned for the day ...

We had to get Bugs up even earlier than normal as we needed to be at Children's at 8:00am - and there was snow in the forecast. After I showered, I went to check something on my phone and saw a message from Dec's day care provider, saying she was sick and would be closed for the day. That should have been our first hint. Luckily, Ms. Katie was willing to take both Q and D, so we packed breakfast for each of them and dropped them off with their buddies

Meanwhile, back in the 'hood

The roads were fine on the way to the hospital and we made good time. Bugs was unhappy about the inability to eat breakfast and was pretty nervous, but overall in decent spirits. We got settled in her room and discovered a new Disney Channel Original Movie that we knew nothing about ... Zombies. So we watched singing and dancing zombies. As one does.

Surgery itself went well. We made it a "three for" as we did the procedure on her bottom plus got her button switched out plus drew blood for tests that endocrinology wants. She was pretty torqued that the IV was still in her arm when she woke up, but otherwise seemed to be holding her own. We got out of the hospital right around noon and dealt with snow-covered roads on the way home. Luckily they weren't too bad yet and traffic wasn't too heavy.

So miserable

Bugs wanted to go to bed, so Mike dropped us off and headed to the neighbors to retrieve our other children. I wanted to cath Bugs before she went to bed - and I'm glad I did. While we were doing that, the anesthesia aftereffects really got to her and she threw up all over her bedroom. We got her cleaned up and she came out to the living room to say hi to her sibs. And then threw up all over the living room. The carpet steamer was clearly going to get a workout. (Side note: two days later and I'm still steaming to try to get the smell out of the carpet!)

She did a lot of wandering around, wanting to sleep but not being able to, being hungry but having an upset tummy, and wanting to sit but having a sore butt. Meanwhile, Q and D were fighting cabin fever. And Mike was packing a suitcase to head for the airport. He wanted to be sure he wasn't late with the weather.

I made mac and cheese for dinner, but even that wasn't working for Bugs' tummy. About 5:50, she decided that she wasn't up for going to skating (Q's class). And Quinn told me how sad she would be to not go to skating. Lucky for me, Mike's flight was delayed so I sent him a text and he lined up one of the neighbor girls to come over at 6:15 and stay with Bugs while Q, D, and I headed to the rink. (Side note: it sounds a lot easier and less panicked than it really was. It was much more of 15 minutes of "will we, won't we" while I called half our neighborhood and then 10 minutes of "hurry and get your stuff on. Everyone go to the bathroom. Oh my gosh, I almost forgot the skates." But against all odds, Q was on the ice with skates and helmet at 6:29 for her 6:30 class. Whew!)

Feeling better today

As I drove toward the rink, I realized I had no cash to pay the sitter. So I brokered a deal for a loan from Quinn and her piggy bank. I don't have interest, but I did have to write "Mom owes Quinn $5" on the whiteboard and my repayment terms are "many days." She was very willing to loan me the money, but her terms and conditions would have made Gpa J proud!

Mike's flight ended up being delayed for over four hours because of the weather and he landed in Austin, Texas about 1:00 am. Fortunately he was the only Vanneste with a short night's sleep. Bugs got a good sleep and seemed more herself this morning. That is, until just before we were ready to head out the door. Luckily she has a tell and Quinn is wickedly fast. So we got a bowl to her just in time. And with that, she spent today home with me.

A six inch sub at lunch and the fact that she was bouncing off the walls tells me that she is back to herself and our wild experience may settle back down to the normal amount of chaos. Now I just need to find $5 to get the 5-year-old loan shark off my back.

Valentine's Day

Mike made a heart in my latte

We really enjoyed celebrating Valentine's Day this year. Mike and I aren't big on gifts/dates to celebrate ... although he did wash my car and put gas in it, which was pretty much the best gift ever. But we do enjoy celebrating it with the kids ... and using it as an opportunity to talk about kindness beyond one day a year.

Last Sunday, we made cherry koolaid cupcakes and frosted them with hot pink icing. Then I got out all sorts of sprinkles, put some trays on the table, and let the kids do their thing. We had some beautifully festive cupcakes as a result. Then they got super excited and packaged them up to bring to the Pilchers at hockey and to all their bus stop buddies. I got the privilege of taking them on their neighborhood delivery mission and was so proud to watch them walk up to the door solo (together, of course) and surprise their friends. They loved delivering happiness - and getting hugs from their friends.

We weren't sure they were pink enough

The kids woke up Wednesday morning to new books and Twix hearts at their spots. They also each had a heart poster at their spot that said "We love you because ..." and each member of the family had written (or told me to write) one reason why we loved that person. The girls could read their own hearts and were so excited. Dec was thrilled when I read his heart to him.

All three had parties at school and Fiona's class also went on a field trip to see Frederick at Stages Theater. They all worked really hard on putting together their Valentine's and were so happy to pass them out. Oh my goodness, the sugar high when I picked them up! They spent time today carefully going through their bags and pulling out all the treasures.

The girls and I finished up the day by heading to sports camp to watch Dec play floor hockey. Then the girls joined D and a couple of their buddies and played a little hockey after class was over. We got home just in time to get some snuggles in with Daddy before bedtime.

As is our typical for Valentine's Day, it wasn't over the top in any way. But it was special nonetheless and we loved being able to spend it together. Some of us also loved the full gas tank and shiny car the next day!

When you just want a nice picture,
but you have a pre-tween ... sigh ...

Winter Games

We’ve had a love/hate relationship with Mike’s hockey schedule the last couple seasons. It’s been really great because he’s had a lot of late games, so he can spend time with the kids before heading out around their bedtime. However, he’s had a lot of late games – which means the kids and I don’t get to come watch. We’re pretty big fans of our guy.

So, when the schedule showed a 5:45 game on Sunday – with the bonus that it wasn’t all the way across the cities – we jumped! Mike plays on a team with Brad (obviously), but there’s also another Proctor HS alum on the team (well … a couple actually). Both C and Eric’s wife brought their kids to the game as well. We got some mama visit time as we watched the game and ensured that the eight kids running all over the bleachers were safe(ish) and behaving(ish).

The guys played a good game and we got to see them win. Hard to say if the kids were more excited about watching their dads … or seeing the Zamboni. Becca and I had to keep quite the eye on Dec and Oden … they were a split second away from heading out on the ice after the game!

Even though we got home and tucked in later than normal on a Sunday night, it was the perfect way to end our weekend. I love how well our kids do at a game and how proud and excited they are to cheer on their daddy. We also don’t hate seeing our friends – big and small.

A lot of big kids

Seize the Day ... or the Gold

Blogging may be spotty for the next couple weeks. It's Olympics time, so we are awfully busy watching snowboarding and figure skating and skiing and luge. And of course, hockey. Also, why is curling always on?

In the meantime, we're preparing for Newsies, which is the next play at the dinner theatre. Dec is not old enough to go yet (you have to be five). However, since Mike works there and showed off the little man's skills to the marketing folks, he may have an "in" to take Dec for a viewing in the Director's box. We are hoping it works out, because the dude will LOVE the show!

He's our gold medalist for teeny tiny Newsie!

Week in the Cheese

I strive to make this blog a true reflection of our life. In addition to the chaos - which is very real - there are also a lot of smiles in the normal, every day moments. Here are some of the things that happen regularly ... or not so regularly ... around here. The moments in-between the blog posts.

We do a lot of art projects. Including painting a fairy garden.

We help clean up the messes we make ... 

and sometimes use the broom as a microphone.

We continue to be excited when we meet a cheerleader.

We get outside - and build a snowman.

We celebrate Wacky Hair Day at school.

We take a break from driving each other crazy.

We have a Valentine creation assembly line.

We make goofy faces when Mom says to "smile."

Hockey After Dark

The gang is not small 

Last Saturday was our fourth annual college gang sledding party. What started four years ago as seemingly endless effort to wrestle incredibly short people into winter gear for them to get outside and be cold in 10 minutes has turned into fairly self-sufficient outside prep and bribery to get the children off the ice for bedtime. Life is good, you guys!

There were so many moments during the day that reminded us that we could not love this group more. It's one big family - completely full of love for each other. Doesn't matter whose kid it is, if someone needs something, a tall person steps up. And, for random example, if a blonde seven-year-old simply cannot put her own boot on (even though she can totally put her own boot on) and a red-headed mom has about had it with her, it's highly likely that Uncle Joshie will step in, give her a pep talk, and get that dang boot process back on track.

When we got to Phil's, we realized that we had forgotten the kids' skates. Our people were NOT happy about this! As strange as it sounds, we were thrilled that they were ticked - because a couple years ago, no one would have cared that we didn't have skates. This year, I ended up borrowing a slightly too big pair from Phil that the girls shared.

It was the most perfect day for the sledding party. Sunny, not much wind, around 20 degrees, and a light snow. "Snow globe snow" as my boss calls it. And even better, there was enough snow on the hills for some great sledding runs. Quinn wasn't too interested in the sledding, but I convinced her to go down the hill with me a few times. Then she ran around the ice in her boots for a while. With that, she was temporarily done and headed inside for hot cider and free reign in the basement playroom. Fiona and Mike powered it on the hill, finding the longest runs, and letting Fiona's belly laugh echo through the hills. Dec played on the ice and the playset for quite a while and then decided on hot cider as well.

When Fiona was done sledding, she pouted about the fact that she didn't have skates. By the time I went and grabbed Phil's skates, most of the kids were getting off the ice. We were a bit worried that Fiona was going to be super upset, but once Miranda and Olivia saw that Bugs was getting skates on, they retied theirs and hopped back on the ice. Fiona was so excited to skate with the big girls. Once Jack saw kids back on the ice, he turned around and rejoined as well. Mike stayed out to supervise the skating and I headed in to check on the rest of our children.

Eventually the rest of the kids came in and joined the wild tribe downstairs. The adults took shifts supervising the gang, but overall, we were able to visit upstairs with only limited interruption. Usually related to a) food or b) injuries.

We ate way too much food and enjoyed Phil's homemade mac and cheese - which the kids look forward to every year! I also got to go "shopping" in the cellar and came home with homemade plum jelly, salsa, and two jars of pickles. Dec is deeply disappointed that we haven't already polished off a full jar of pickles. We hope to head back to skate again soon and he's pretty sure that's a good opportunity to swap out an empty jar of pickles for another full one.

I was about to start mobilizing the gang to head home when people decided to go out and hit the sledding hill and rink in the dark. Our kids wanted to join ... and we just can't say "no" to requests like that. So back out we went. Quinn took a turn on the skates and joined the in-progress hockey game. Mike and Fiona joined as well. Fiona even dragged a chair onto the ice and sat in the goal to play goalie. We figured it was a pretty revolutionary new technique. Dec and I grabbed a sled and took a few runs down the sledding hill before we joined the hockey game as well. It was so much fun and the kids were extremly unhappy when we finally decided to be responsible parents and call the game.

We worked hard to keep everyone awake on the drive home and there was not a lot of complaining about bedtime. We had the greatest day with our friends!

**Probably my favorite moment of the whole day: when Fiona and Uncle Joshie were chatting about the aforementioned boot situation, they also compared war stories. Because Uncle Joshie has cystic fibrosis and understands more than any other person she knows (including Mike and me) what Bugs is dealing with. My heart burst as he got down to her level and talked to her about things that are very real to her, assuring her that she was not alone. And sincerely telling her that she could call him anytime if she wanted someone to talk to.

I'm telling you ... I don't love the term "framily" (friends who are like your family). It's a weird sounding word. But I like the concept. And this group is the real deal.

A Vanneste and Pilcher. As it usually is on the ice.