Ding and Dong and Donger

I had to put a picture of our little Donger on the blog.  I've frequently called Joey and Grace "Ding and Dong", but now we've got our Donger (our version of Dumb and Dumber, and Dumberer).  On Sunday, we started going to church at 1 p.m. again (my least favorite time).  And since that is the middle of naptime, I tried to give him a nap at 11.  He would have none of it.  So at about 12, I got him up and he glared at me.  He seemed to know that I was trying to pull one over on him.  Daddy came into the room, and since he was still mad, he tried to show Dad his irritation.  However, he was sitting too close to the counter, and as he hurled himself forward, he crashed his forhead right into it.  After he got over it, we snapped this picture.  You can't see it very well, but it turned into a good sized purple knot right between his eyes.

I thought I'd also send this tip.  When you hear laughing in the bathroom, go check it out.  That's my policy.  I've inturrupted many interesting endeavors, including tea parties (you all know about that one), boat races, "cleaning", and sopping wet messes.  Here's what I found when I heard laughing after I sent Ding and Dong in to brush their teeth:

Why on the counter, I ask, why?

Read of our latest adventure in Union/Management troubles below!

Memo From Management

I have to do a lot of disgusting chores every day.  But there are just no words to describe the Steward's latest move.  This time, he seems to have collaborated with Grandpa Jerry, who sent him back ready to blow.  After the youngest Union members were brought back from Grandpa Day, and after they had filled their stomachs yet again, I put two of them in the bathtub.  The water had finished filling the tub, and peacefulness followed.  For exactly three minutes.  The next thing I heard was and explosion, followed by "Oh no!" shouted from an alarmed 3-year-old little girl.  I looked over (because I was standing not three feet away) to discover a cloudy mist of diarrhea swarming in one side of the tub.  The Steward had been standing, and shot it all over the place. 

I quickly grabbed Grace, hit the drain, then attempted to save the toys.  I'm out of bleach, so they are currently sitting, waiting to be decontaminated.  That tub was draining while I washed the perpetrator in another bathroom.  Then, after I had dried, creamed, and re-dressed the Steward, I had the worst task in front of me. 

Being a mother quickly desensitizes you to an array of poop.  In fact, before I was a mother, I didn't even know there was an array.  I thought poop was poop.  But all of you mothers and fathers out there know that is just false.  And of all the poop options, bathtub poop is the absolute worst.  That is because it is not only an ordinary revulsion, but it is a warm, soggy dispersion of human waste.  Especially when it's not even in one piece.  Even after emptying the tub of the water, what you have left is just horrifying.  So with my paper towels, plastic baggie, and lysol in hand, I did the task.  I've done it several times with each kid.  They've got it in for me.  I hope I survive.  I'm going to bed now.

End of the Year

Well, it's been a great week visiting with family and friends.  We had our major celebration last night, because Eric left today.  We rocked out on the Wii, playing Guitar Hero for a very long time, ate too much.  I'm getting better at the drums, but they are not my forte. 

I've been feverishly going through closets, cupboards, and toys -- trying to start the new year fresh and clean!  I love getting rid of stuff.  It gives me a rush.  I heard a saying a while ago: "Less stuff, more life."  I think that is absolutely true.  So we're working on less stuff.  Hopefully, we'll have more life.  I'll let you know how it goes.

This week, besides playing with cousins, we had a visit from Grandpa Bob and Penny.  Here's some of the crew waiting for them to come:

I've spent the rest of the week trying to get my kids to do something besides play video games and watch our new giant TV.  Here's Joey and Andrew after we put a 100-piece puzzle together.  It only took about a half hour.  Andrew decided to count the pieces, just to make sure there was no false advertising going on.  There were 108 pieces, so he was happy!

I can't say 2009 was my favorite year of all time.  I will not miss it, even though we had some great times.  I am really excited to have my kids getting to the ages where we can have a lot of fun, and go a lot of places.  Every once in awhile, I can get something done (when I'm not cleaning up something Matthew has destroyed).  So we'll keep feeding the kids, and they'll keep growing, and I'll be happy and sad at the same time.  Maybe they have medication for that, I don't know.

So that's the end.  There's nothing else to say.  Besides, everybody's waiting for me to get in the car. 

See you next year, and happy dieting, everybody!

Gem of the Day

We were playing with our new stud finder, a favorite toy of Ben's.  He likes to put it on his chest and strut around when it finds a "stud" on his chest.  So Andrew got going with it.  At one point, he put it on Ben's back, and it didn't work.  Here's the conversation:

Andrew: "Why won't it work?"
Ben: "It doesn't work on something that's too dense."  (I laughed, Ben glared at me:)
Andrew: "Why does Dad have so many dents?"
Ben: "Because I'm married to your mother."

The stud finder is now put away.

Christmas!

Here's two of my great-looking boys, ready for church.  Andrew has had his suit for the past year, but Joey got one from the Kazmierski Grandparents this year, and he has been dying to wear it all weekend!  Look how happy he was!  He was so exited to show everybody at church.  He wanted to leave it on after church, so Grandma Jane could see, but I told him I'd put it on the blog so he could wear play clothes.  Bye the way, this is the fourth or fifth picture I took.  The first few were pictures of wiggly little boys being silly.

Ben's Christmas Eve tradition is to wake up the kids really early, take them to breakfast, and then shopping for my present.  This year, everybody but the baby went.  Grace looks a little disheveled, but she had a great time.  They ate at IHOP then went shopping.  Grace picked me out some very beautiful, very colorful socks with pink stripes and hearts.  The other kids picked out a nice, warm, red bath robe.  Thanks, kids!  I love them!

Later that day, Matthew fell asleep while cuddling with Andrew.  He never does that!  He just snuggled right up and went to sleep.  Andrew was so proud of himself!

Christmas morning started officially at 7:30.  However, Joey had walked into our room at 3:30 in the morning for some reason.  We cuddled a little while in my bed, and then I took him back to his room.  I don't think anybody peeked early, but what do I know?  I'm sure they'll all fill me in later on all the stuff that got past me.  Just don't tell me now.  Wait about 20 years so I don't punish you!

Here's the boys discovering things:

Grace's favorite presents were her pink cuddly bathrobe and her new pajamas from the Kazmierski Grandparents.  Her favorite thing is to be comfy!

Matthew noticed Haley opening some good stuff, and he wanted some too.

This is his favorite toy: a top.  Remember those?  I love it!

Even Shoji got in on the action.  She got a giant bone that scrapes the walls when she walks around with it hanging out of her big mouth (tail wagging the whole time).

The boys enjoyed their Star Wars helmets and "guys".  They'll be busy for weeks.

We got Jerry vintage Red Sox and Celtics shirts.  What he didn't know is that we got the kids some to match!  We just had to get a picture.  I better have them washed again before Grandpa Day!

Eric got the kids this great building set called Toobies, or something like that.  We made a big house out of them, and the kids loved the fort.  Grace got comfy right away, and Matthew just put up with it, I think.

It was a great Christmas again!  We are enjoying the giant flat screen in the basement.  After Ben installed it, he was standing right next to it, and I noticed how the guy on TV was the same size as him!  So now we watch life-sized TV.  It's very interesting. 

I hate to say goodbye to the holidays, so we'll leave the decorations up for another week or so.  There's just something sad about putting them all back in the boxes!

Gem of the Day

My favorite thing that happened today was when Ben was leaving for work while singing songs from Sesame Street!  There's nothing like a grown man with a suit on going through the door singing Sesame Street songs!  Thanks for making me smile, honey!

A Question for Grace

Yesterday, I asked Grace a question:

Mom: "Grace, do you think you're on the naughty list, or the nice list?"
Grace: "The cute list!"

Nice!  Grace, if there is a cute list, I'm sure you're on it!

Sledding Fun

Ben took the kids sledding the other day at the park.  It has a nice, long, slow hill for sledding.  It was Grace's first time, and they all had a blast.  And thank you, daddy, for going instead of me.  I'm not fond of standing out in the cold for any period of time.

Fabulous Friends

We've had a great week with our favorite friends.  When Melissa took the older kids to the rodeo this weekend, we watched her youngest two.  We had so much fun, and I'm so glad they love to come over and visit.  They just feel like family!  Here is Ryan enjoying dinner:

Then the monkeys had to get some energy out.  They decided jumping on the bed would be the best way to do that.

Here's one more of the monkeys.  I thought it was a funny picture, with Grace in the air, and Matt climbing up.

After a few hours, we got tuckered out and watched Tinkerbell.  The girls snuggled up together.

The boys found a spot with Ben.  Little Ryan snuggled there with him for an hour.

Matthew eventually went to bed, but Ryan was content.  Ben was tired.

We had our annual Christmas in Other Countries FHE with our buddies.  We learned about France and Mexico during the holidays.  They had some great traditions that we tried.  We ate a Yule Log (which I had no idea what it was before last night).  And we drank Mexican hot cocoa, which tasted okay if you like dark chocolate and not a lot of sugar.  Some of the eleven kids loved it, some not so much.

Ryan was happy to sit and share with Ben and Matt.

Can't wait until next year!

Tea Party Update and Joey's Christmas Program

Just in case anybody's wondering, I finally mustered up enough courage to go peek in the bathroom during the "tea party" (see below).  Here's what I found:

Matt had a lot of fun in the bathtub (which thankfully was void of water), but only AFTER he threw out all the toys.  I wondered what he was doing in there.

But who needs toys, anyway?  He found several things to occupy his time.  This was one favorite plaything.  It kept him busy for a full five minutes:

And here is the actual "tea party".  At least they were using sink water, right?

Joey had his preschool Christmas Program today.  It was every bit as cute as it sounds!  Joey graced us with his presence, then was totally bored, even before it started.

If Joey loves anything, it's girls.  After that, he loves singing.  He knew all the songs, but everytime he looked over at us and caught us making goo goo eyes at him (I couldn't help it!  It was so cute...), he rolled his eyes.  At least he doesn't growl at people anymore.

Matthew was entertained for about five minutes.  We were lucky enough to get out of there before he tore the place apart.  Barely, though.  I had to pick up several Hymnals and other random pieces he managed to scatter.

Grace almost fell asleep.  But she was a good girl, mostly just standing near Grandma Nan, and enjoying the music.  Gotta love the chubby cheek shot:

We got some good video, so I'll share some as soon as I figure out how.  I'm a little technically challenged, so it might be awhile.