Can't believe it's already Day 4 in Kiddieville

We woke up this morning to a forecast that predicted rain for the next few days, so we're pretty happy that the first three days were spent enjoying outdoor activities. Cannon started his morning as he did yesterday, sitting in the window watching the birds & chipmunks feeding outside. When he got tired of the birds and starting asking to eat (he signs "eat") he sat and enjoyed a whole pumpkin muffin as well as some watermelon. Just about the time he was done the others woke and ate a box of frozen waffles between them, along with fresh strawberries, bananas & watermelon.  Because Cannon was up at 6:00 he got tired pretty quickly, so I put him down for a nap around 9 while the others dressed, brushed teeth, and pitched in with Harry & Skip's usual morning chores. Reia loves feeding the indoor fish & frog, and Kai likes feeding the Koi out in the pond. Once they were changed and the have-to's were all done, they took turns on Kai's Gameboy and played Wii for a little bit. Once Cannon was soundly asleep I took the next smallest munchkins - Reia & Harry and ran to the grocery store  for a few things I HAD to have:  milk, laundry detergent, Cheetos and something girlie for Reia since she's surrounded by boy toys - literally.  By the time we got back it was pouring  so I tossed any hope of doing housework out the window (since the kids weren't going outside anytime soon) and instead played paper dolls with Reia til Cannon woke up. The boys played with Skip's Zero Gravity car, and Reia played with her little brother while I got lunch ready.  After lunch they played again for about an hour and then it was nap/rest time. Cannon, Harry and Reia all ended up falling asleep and the two older boys played & I played a few games of Blokus. Cannon woke up first and had a ton of fun playing with the boys' dump truck chair. He loved wearing the hard hat that Harry uses when he pretends to be driving the truck. He would take it off, put it  back on, twist it around, and make funny faces for us.

The other two little ones seemed to wake up around the same, and found ways to keep busy for the remainder of the afternoon, until their Uncle Steve -   my brother -  came to visit. He brought them a huge plate of  brownies that he had just made, and they were still warm. It was difficult NOT stealing one myself before dinner! While he was here we Skyped with the kids parents in the Bahamas. They were having SLIGHTLY better than we've had today, but their day sounded SO much more boring than ours - I mean really - pedicures, lying by the pool, gourmet meals, the ocean. C'mon - do these even compare?

Following dinner, dessert (brownies - yum) baths, and books, four of the five were off to bed by 8:30. Only Kai remains awake now - keeping Grammie company watching the Red Sox vs. Yankees on T.V. Kai is a Red Sox fan, Grammie a Yankee fan - a classic rivalry.

But, most importantly, for the second night in a row, Mike &; I are still wide awake long after all the little ones (minus Kai of course) are asleep! Yep, we've managed to get this down to a science on our last nite with the five of them!

Uncle Steve gave everyone rides...Reia first!

The funny thing about his picture of the three of them engrossed in books is that  none of them can read well enough to actually read a whole book!

Can we PLEASE have one now?

He's a little ham sometimes!

Sharing Kai's Gameboy.

Harry is enjoying the dollhouse I dragged out of the attic for Reia!

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Apparently Mike snapped this one of us while were huddled around the computer, Skyping with my Brother & SIL

Yum. brownies!

That's all folks!