A Flu, in Three Parts

Blech.

I thought about naming this post "My Couch Smells Like Vomit" 

I wonder how many would be repulsed at a title like that? (Or how many would be strangely attracted?)

or "Ode to Clorox Wipes ( How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways...)

But that could go on forever. And Im sure you have things to do.

Or Germs (a Haiku) 

Which would go something like this:

Germs

Invisible Foe

Sucking all the Christmas Joy

Bleach Bleach Bleach Bleach Bleach.

Festive, eh?

Well, around here, sharing is caring.

We did a bare minimum of school today and I did manage to make some coffee filter snowflakes and the kids made ornaments to decorate the window. I can count that, right?

Source

Of course, I failed to use enough felt so they look a bit like cheerleaders pom poms after a hard rain than this lovely photo from the Purlbee .But still, they are rather colorful in the window.

*     *     *
So did I tell you our xbox controller mysteriously broke? I say mysteriously because just the day before I had thought- man, I wish we could get away from watching movies as much as we have been. I wish we we didn't have the option...

doo doo doo doo...    doo doo doo doo...

Please don't tell my husband I told you that.

So it just stopped working. Like 3 weeks ago.

And its been glorious.
We've been playing games and we put together 2 puzzles (1500 pieces total!)
Caden beats us at Uno almost everytime we play. And the kids have really reached gold star level in the imaginative play area. Today they had been shrunk by a giant and wouldn't ever get back to their regular size if they couldn't escape from his castle( a blanket fort in their room) Now they are playing hide and seek. Caden is it - "11, 12, 13, 15, 18, 20, 21, 24, 20!"

I'm sure we will someday get a new controller, but its nice, right now, living in this world.

*   *   *
Oh, Charlotte turned 6 this week! She wants to get her ears pierced soon. 

While Im lounging around, how about some photos from her party?

I better go now.

Ethan is running around the house with a baby blanket tied to a yard stick shouting 

"Freedom Freedom! We've won the Revolutionary War!" 

and Caden's in handcuffs...

Our Summer So Far...

Things have been super busy here.We've gone to Powell Gardens and St. Louis and I'll post about that soon.

Also, our garden is going great! Much more on that later...

But for now, here is some of the fun we've been having so far.

Garage band.

Before Judah got his (third!) haircut, it was great fun to stick him in front of the air conditioner and watch it blow around.

That's all for now!

A Day With the Cousins

Due to all the rain lately, Ben and Alyssa's basement flooded and so today we invited the girls over to play while they cleaned and salvaged. It was an absolutely beautiful day. Jeremiah had to go to work earlier than usual so it was just me with 8 kids seven and under which was a lot of fun (really!)

Ethan is 7!

Well the flu has been kicking our tails for the last two weeks but I think we are finally in the light at the end of the tunnel. The kids are better, I am better, except for some headaches when I don't take it easy enough, and thankfully Jeremiah never got it. Hopefully he still won't. Alot of friends from church have been sick too but can I just say I love our church family? They are so so wonderful. We had people bringing meals and watching the kids and a sweet friend even folded some of our laundry for me.

We celebrated Ethan's 7th birthday yesterday. I can't believe its been that long since he was born. He's growing into such a smart, caring, gentlemanly little boy. I just love him so much. Here are some of my favorite pics of him when he was little- enjoy!