07-31-15 Can't believe it's already Friday

This week has just flown by, as vacations are prone to do. Tomorrow will be our last full day and the actual reunion. Sunday afternoon will bring the long trek home. :(

Today was fun. We spent time at the lake, we rode the gator, we played in the sprinkler, and we had a mini reunion with the closest families. It was a chance for the kids to play with the 'Ohio Boys' (their cousins that live in Ohio.)

The weather has been perfect, the skies blue, with puffy white clouds. Now we are snuggled in at the hotel, the kids sharing a bed and sleeping hard. Sweet dreams, little ones!

07-30-15 Just me and Goobs

Tim is taking the big kids out to the cabin to spend the night. I admit I am a sucker for electricity and running water so I opted to stay in the hotel with Goobs. Right now he is sleeping in his bed and Independence Day is playing on tv. I'm waiting for a load of laundry to finish.

Today was another laid back day with no plans to leave the farm. The kids played down by the lake. We took naps. We spent time together. I love how there is nothing we have to do. We can just relax! 

Tomorrow night we will have a cook out and then Saturday will be the big reunion. I hope the weather remains much like it did today. It was beautiful! I can't believe we only have a few more nights. We are all going to be pretty sad to leave! 

I was lazy today and didn't really take any pictures, but here is a shot of Goobs sleeping here in the hotel!

07-29-15 If you build it, they will come!

More family showed up late last night and this morning!! By this time tomorrow we will all be here! Just close your eyes and imagine a whole farm full of Pearsons! 13 children six years old and younger... With acres and acres to roam, a playground to conquer, and a lake to explore! 

Today was a low key day of playing by the lake, and then playing in the sprinkler by the house. I got my haircut, which I am totally going to regret the first day I go back to work and have to spend 20 minutes taming it in the morning, but I was ready for a change! 

I'm really wishing we had a computer with us, but snap shots of the camera screen will have to do for now... The iPad is just too bulky to be carrying around! :)

With C starting school in just a few weeks, I'm trying to sneak in a few more adventures. So last night we decided to take the kids to see the new Minion movie. It just so happens that we are staying very near the town that my friend shot his film, "Old Fashioned" in and that town just happens to have a classic old movie theater in it so we thought it'd be a great chance to hop over and check it out. The town was really cute. Unfortunately it was late when we got out of the movie and everything was closed except the coffee shop across the street. But we got a cup of coffee and walked around the town for a bit before heading back. It was a beautiful night to be out!

07-28-15 A ride through town

Tim and I slipped away during nap time to get haircuts. He had better luck than me as the local salon couldn't take walk ins but the barbershop was wide open. I'll sneak a picture of him tomorrow :) I think he looks great!

I am so tired tonight, but tomorrow I will fill you in with all our adventures from today!

07-27-15 This Place

I first came to Tim's grandparents farm long before we were married. I mean long before we were married. I had just graduated high school (I think) and his brother invited a bunch of us up for a week. We stayed in the cabin by the lake. We swam, had bonfires, went to the county fair, etc. I enjoyed my time here, but I didn't really fall in love with the place until we visited the summer after C was born. Now it is hands down one of my favorite places! I love how peaceful it is. There is no bustle, no hurrying, no commuting, and no deadlines. What you will find are dirt roads, friendly faces, calm waters, and seldom used train tracks that stretch for miles in each direction. 

07-26-15 Vacation!!

We made it to Ohio around 8:30 last night after eight hours of traveling. The kids did great. Baby E slept on and off and only fussed for a total of five minutes during the whole trip, what an awesome baby!

After greeting great grandma, the kids ran around and wore themselves out. We got to bed very late. As I was laying in bed, beginning to drift off, I heard one of the kids throw up. Poor C had thrown up all over herself and bed. Ugh. Clean up time. An hour later, she did it again. So, what started as a late night turned into an all nighter! Baby e was restless so by daybreak, Tim and I had only gotten a few hours of sleep. What a way to start vacation!

Thankfully today she has been much better. We had a slow morning with lots of resting. After that, no more upset tummy and she was eating, running, and playing. The kids got to go down to the lake and play on the play ground. We went shopping with great grandma. They got to ride their bikes, and this evening Big E rough housed with his great grandpa. It was wonderful! 

At one point, Big E came running in, breathless, "Mommy, come see what I found!!! It's a bad worm!!" I followed him outside just in time to see a small garden snake slither under a bush.

Big E is also having a hard time remembering what to call great grandma. Besides "grandma," he has called her "ms. Grandma," and "that lady we came to the store with." 

I only took a few photos on the iPad. Most are on the nicer camera, so I can't upload them until I get near a computer. 

Love this place. 

Playground time!

Three generations of Pearson men. I love this!

07-25-15 Travel Day

Finally vacation! (It's late, so I will write more tomorrow!)

07-24-15 Good bye old friend

Many years ago I got a cat. He was a special cat. I looked for the largest cat I could find and I came home with a huge white cat named Romeo. I promptly changed his name to Eli. (I know, I know)

He was an awesome cat that loved to talk, cuddle and escape outside. He once escaped into a snowstorm, wandered around the yard and returned twenty minutes later. He had a large pink nose and a flabby belly that bounced around as he ran. He was silly and fun. 

When we hit hard times, we had to give up our kitties. It was a very difficult time, but I found a nice home for him. I've seen pictures of him now and then, and he always looked content. Tonight I learned that he passed away. 

Maybe it's silly to be sad about a cat I haven't seen in years, but I am. I am just grateful that he was loved till the end!

07-23-15 A day of blessings

Notice something about this thermostat?

It is set to 74 and it is 74!!!

Our AC unit was finally replaced and for the first time this summer our air conditioning is working!!! It's been a hot sticky summer in our house, but that is all behind us now! 

This evening, C went on a date with one of our favorite people, Ms. Rebecca, and her daughter. They  went to C's favorite restaurant, ihop.

And they went shopping and rounded off the evening with a trip to Rita's!

Charlotte had a blast and couldn't stop talking about it. She was so happy. Thank you, Ms. Rebecca for loving my kids. We are truly blessed that God brought you into our lives. We love you! 

07-22-15 Soon... Very soon!

07-21-15 This picture

I love everything about this picture!

The oversized head... The wispy hair... The goofy, toothy grin... The over the top enthusiasm...

It really cracks me up!

I can't believe that in exactly five weeks, my little girl will be starting kindergarten. The "too soon-ness" of it all is sinking in. 

07-20-15 Stalling Tactics

It has been a lazy evening tonight. I don't mind really, as today was so hot and the window units have not been able to keep up. So we are having a quiet evening. The kids are playing on Mobigos and Baby E and I have been making faces at each other. There is a timer set and the kids have about four more minutes to play before we all head upstairs. 

I was able to pull them away from their games long enough to force mommy selfies out of them.

Ok, timer is going off! Bedtime! 

I'm guessing difficult bedtimes are a normal ritual for most people with small children. I'm half convinced my kids spend most of their day planning bedtime stalling tactics to use on us the second we tell them it is time to go up. All of a sudden everyone is hungry, or thirsty, or just too tired to climb the stairs! These approaches never work, however they are executed nightly. One current favorite stall tactic is to keep adding things to their list of prayers. This one is particularly tough to combat, because do you really want to be the parent that says, we've prayed for enough already!!! 

Let's see, there is also the changing pajamas technique, the over brushing the teeth, and the I have to go poopy even when they clearly don't need to. 

These are just a few in a long list of interactions that push Tim and I a little closer to madness each evening. Are there any such rituals in your house? What are your kids' favorite stalling tactics?