Camping Trip

We had an awesome time camping this past weekend. I wasn't sure how well it would go, but all four of our potty-trained kids came. That's our rule for camping -- you can go as long as you're potty trained. I have enough to do while in the mountains, I'm not going to change diapers too!

We got our favorite camping spot, complete with a stone fort somebody took a lot of time to make. The boys loved it! They also loved peeing in the woods. I think that might have been they're favorite part. There were outhouses available, but they preferred the really old-fashioned way.

We had great weather, no rain, wasn't too cold or too hot. We didn't catch any fish, but oh well. We left 2 1/2 hours after we had planned to go, and had to come back 2 hours earlier than planned because we had to get Joey to the doctor to see if he needed stitches. But we're looking forward to our next trip already! This is Joey fishing all by himself. I couldn't believe how well he could cast.

And here's the eye. It looked much worse the night before, when it was a big gaping gusher. He has a nice shiner on his eyelid. He was pretty tough about the whole thing. He got a little too close to the water pump while Andrew was pumping water. He got the metal arm right in the eye.

Haley had her first fire-starting lesson. My husband is an expert at fire. It was good to see him passing his knowledge of destruction to the next generation.

Here's a group pic, minus the photographer, of course. We had a great time at dinner, contrary to Grace's expression. Dad made his world famous hamburger, onion, potato, and carrot foil dinners. They were yummy!

The girls had a great time bonding in the great outdoors. Grace ate more than I have ever seen her eat in my entire life. Ben and I were making bets on who would be the first to vomit, and all bets were on her. We made it through the trip with no pukers!

The lake had this really cute walking bridge that you could fish off of. The kids liked fishing there, and Grace spent a lot of time squirting water into the lake "for the fishes". I'm glad I brought that squirt bottle.

Daddy, the fisherman. I'm glad he knows what he's doing, because I don't.

Andrew really enjoyed his smores. It was a great trip, although a lot of work for the adults, but we can't wait to go again! Thanks, grandma Jane for babysitting the baby!

This Week's Worth of Fun

Leave it to me, I forgot the camera for the Fourth of July, of course. When we got to the fireworks show, both Ben and I asked if the other had the camera. Nope. So this is all we have, after we sat for an hour and a half to wait for the show. By the time the show was half-way over, the kids had been whining "I want to go home!" the entire time, so we left. Joey didn't quite make it to his bed. I am looking forward to the days when we can go to the fireworks and other things like that, and all enjoy it. Shouldn't be long now...

Today was our Thomas the Train adventure. We got there at 8 a.m. and played at all the activities at the depot, including getting fake tatoos and making trains, we boarded the train and took a tour of the downtown alleyways, junkyards, and abandoned buildings. The baby was in need of a nap, so he cried the whole time, but luckily the train was filled with children so it didn't really matter. I could barely hear him from one row back.

This is Grace's "I'm about to do something really naughty" look:

On Tuesday we took a trip to the "zoo". We were greeted by this monster. The kids really thought he was great.
Joey kept a safe distance from Jake this time.

Haley seemed really interested in what was going on.

We found this nice little spot hidden away, and we actually got a shot of all the kids looking at the camera. Hooray!

We tried to go swimming Monday night, but the pool was closed because the lightning detector was going off. But that didn't deter our fun, even though it was really cold outside. They don't care. Since we were all in our swimsuits, we ran in the sprinklers in the front yard. This was a hoop from the elephant sprinkler, that you have to try to throw around the spinning trunk of the elephant. Grace thought it was a cute picture frame.

Andrew thought the elephant looked dangerous, so he wore his helmet for safety.

And here he is cheating.

We'll be off in a few hours to go camping, so I better get busy!

Haley's trip

Haley just got back from her trip to Oregon and Washington state with Dan and Bree. She had a great time, even with all the driving! They took a big van from the car lot that had a 27-inch tv/dvd so they watched lots and lots of Disney movies. They spent a lot of time with family in Oregon, swam in the pool every day, and went to the beach.

They also traveled to Seattle to visit more family. Haley had a blast being outside at the lake they live on. She declared their house to be awesome, complete with hot tub, a dock on the lake, and a loft above the garage. She found a little friend:

She had a blast eating cheese with Chloe and playing at the lake.


They also had fun seeing who could blast the biggest, best fireworks. She came back on the 5th of July, and can't wait to go visit again! You know Haley, she'll travel the world forever if somebody else pays!

Girls' Camp, as promised

Alright, as promised, I will now share about Girls' Camp. I'm so sorry there's not very many pictures to share, but I was literally in the kitchen ALL DAY LONG! We (the three cooks) cooked for 130 people every meal, every day. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I haven't worked physically so hard since we worked on the ranch. We were up at 4:30 a.m. to be in the kitchen by 5:00. We would start breakfast, serve, it, clean it up, then start lunch. We'd do the same thing over and over all day long. Every once in awhile we got to put our feet up for a few minutes, and one day I decided to forgo rest and ride the zip line instead. It was so fun! But very high. The hardest part was getting up there (40 feet up a narrow post), and the second hardest thing was getting enough courage to take that first drop. But once I was in the air, I was fine. I'd totally do it again. I gave a little waive before I plunged:

I originally wanted to go to camp to spend the week with Haley. But she was busy most of the day, and so was I, so we really didn't see each other much. But at least we were near each other all week. So I guess that counts. She slept in a tent with some friends. I think that was her favorite part: socializing with friends. She just loves Girls' Camp. This was her second year, and hopefully I'll get to go back next year, but maybe not as a cook. Or maybe as a part-time cook, if they have that position. I'll be sure to bring ear plugs. We had a snorer in our cabin. But thankfully, our high councilman ran to the nearest town pretty much every day to get needed items, and he picked some up for us. I was able to sleep for a few hours each day, and I even took two showers!

The best part was the scenery. I had no idea it could be so beautiful in central MT. We woke up with deer grazing on the lawn, and it reminded me of the days at the dude ranch. I love being up in the mountains, so all the work was worth it!

July fun so far...

Last night we decided to have our annual backyard fireworks show. We can't do it in the front because a patrolman lives just a few houses away. We don't want another ticket. So we started out fine, with the boys still patient and controlled, and Grace waiting in unexpected bliss:

But that scene only lasted a few minutes. When we let the tanks loose on each other for our annual war of the tanks, Grace and Matthew both started crying, and the boys were jumping up and down laughing. It wasn't long before I had to take the little ones in and have them watch (still crying) from a bedroom window. Can't wait until tonight...

Matt's new favorite place is on the deck. It's like a new room out there with the roof. We put some plants and chairs and a coffee table out there, and we all love it. Matt especially likes it because that's where the dog's water dish was, and he would go splash in the dog drool water. We've since moved the water dish to under the deck, and Matt still likes to go out and play.

Doesn't he look like a big kid here? Breaks my heart...

He even has his own little chair. It's really cute to see him try and back up to sit on it. He loves his graham crackers, and sometimes shares with the plant.

He also likes to cram himself into places he really can't fit that well.

The basketball hoop is a big hit. We're always out there every day shooting hoops. Matt didn't want to be left out, so he grabbed a ball (soccer ball, but a ball nonetheless), and tried to shoot it all the way up in the hoop. It fell a few inches in front of him, and he laughed and clapped for himself every time.

Matt's not the only one enjoying the new deck. They just make themselves right at home. Even Mojo (Sam's dog) loves it!

Andrew got home from his trip to Utah. I'll publish those pictures as soon as I figure out how to get them off the email my mom sent and onto the blog.

Next week we get to ride Thomas the Train when he comes to Billings. Can't wait! They've never ridden a "real" train before. I have only in Boston, so it's been awhile. Speaking of Boston, GO RED SOX!!!!!

What the kids think of Dad

I thought this was so funny, I had to share. For Father's Day, I asked the kids some questions about dad and Grandpa Jerry. Some of their responses were pretty cute, funny, weird... I added some comments about their comments FYI in (). I asked them these questions separately, so they couldn't influence each other.

Here's what they think of Dad:

1. What does Dad do for a job? Haley: “Works at Kazmierski Agency.” Andrew: “Helps people.” With what? “A pen.” Joey: “Work” Grace: “Work”
2. How old is Dad? Haley: “33” Andrew: “33” Joey: “Fifty-one” Grace: “One”
3. What is Dad? Haley: “Interesting.” Andrew: “Awesome.” Joey: “A father.” Grace: “A Dad”
4. What is Dad’s favorite food? Haley: “Watermelon” Andrew: “Chinese food.” Joey: “Eggs” Grace: “Chocolate Milk.” (I've never seen Ben eat eggs or chocolate milk)
5. What is Dad’s favorite TV show? Haley: “Deadliest Catch or Wipeout.” Andrew: “Star Wars.” Joey: “Cops” Grace: “Drake and Josh.” (We never, ever watch Cops or Drake and Josh. In fact, they're on the "no watching" list at our house)
6. What is Dad’s favorite thing to do? Haley: “Sleep or fart.” Andrew: “Play Zelda” Joey: “Build stuff.” Grace: “Go to work and play outside and jump on the trampoline.”
7. Where is Dad’s favorite place to go? Haley: “Home” Andrew: “Chinese restaurant.” Joey: “Work” Grace: “To work.”
8. Where is Dad’s favorite place to eat?Haley: “Golden Phoenix.” Andrew: “Chinese place” Joey: “His house.” Grace: “The family room”
9. Who is Dad’s favorite person? Haley: “Me” Andrew: “Mom” Joey: “Mommy” Grace: “Mommy”
10. What is Dad’s favorite movie? Haley: “Star Wars” Andrew: “Star Wars” Joey: “Night at the Museum” Grace: “Garfield” (He's never seen Night at the Museum or Garfield)

Here's what they think of Grandpa Jerry:

1. What does Grandpa do for a job? Haley: “He doesn’t work anymore.” Andrew: “He’s retired, silly!” Joey: “Garbages.” Grace: “Work”
2. How old is Grandpa? Haley: “Fifty-seven. I think.” Andrew: “58” Joey: “Fifty-one.” Grace: “Fifty-eight”
3. What is Grandpa? Haley: “Cool.” Andrew: “A Grandpa.” Joey: “A grandpa.” Grace: “A grandpa.”
4. What is Grandpa’s favorite food? Haley: “Coffee.” Andrew: “Coffee.” Joey: “Smoothie.” Grace: “Watermelon.”
5. What is Grandpa’s favorite TV show?Haley: “Anything on the History or Discovery Channel.” Andrew: “Cartoon Network.” Joey: “Cops.” Grace: “Ice skating.” (That one was hilarious. I have no idea where it came from, but Grandpa does not watch ice skating on tv!)
6. What is Grandpa’s favorite thing to do? Haley: “Play basketball.” Andrew: “Play with me.” Joey: “Watch tv.” Grace: “Play outside.”
7. Where is Grandpa’s favorite place to go? Haley: “Grandpa Day.” Andrew: “City Brew.” Joey: “City Brew.” Grace: “To Donald’s” (McDonald's)
8. Where is Grandpa’s favorite place to eat? Haley: “City Brew.” Andrew: “City Brew.” Joey: “City Brew.” Grace: “Wendy’s”
9. Who is Grandpa’s favorite person? Haley: “Joey.” Andrew: “Grandma Jane.” Joey: “Grandma.” Grace: “Mommy.”
10. What is Grandpa s favorite movie? Haley: “I don’t know.” Andrew: “Star Trek.” Joey: “Star Trek.” (That was weird, because I asked them separately, and I don't think Grandpa Jerry has ever watched Star Trek.) Grace: “A scary one.”

We made these lists into Father's Day cards for them. I think I'll try to do one every year. It was pretty funny.

BTW, Haley took her camera on her trip to Oregon, and on that camera is all my pictures of Girl's Camp, so I'll have to wait until she gets back to blog about that. Meanwhile, I think I'll take some pictures of the kids watching the sprinklers at the park. Every time we drive by and the sprinklers are on, they think it's a "Sprinkler Fight" and we have to stop and watch which sprinkler wins. I know, they're really weird.

Catching Up - Soccer, Father's Day, and Daddy's Week Alone

Okay, I've been away ALL WEEK at YW Girl's Camp, so I'm a little behind. I didn't even post about last week's events much because I was so busy getting ready for camp. Wow - even as I type this, my fingers aren't working on the keyboard because #1 - I'm tired beyond belief, and #2 - I haven't used my fingers for anything besides cooking and cleaning this week. When I got into my Honda to drive home today, I felt disoriented because I haven't driven a car in 5 days! That felt weird.

I've gone off track. Let me digress. Last week was the British Soccer Camp Challenger Sports puts on. They have soccer coaches from Great Britain come and teach the kids soccer skills for a week. We put Joey in it for something to do. Andrew would have gone too, but he had Cub Scout camp. This was Joey's first time playing a sport, and he did really well physically. But do you ever get those moments when you see how well (or badly) you've been parenting? When you learn what you have been lacking in teaching your kids? Well, we'll be working on paying attention and following directions with Joey. He's the middle child, and sometimes gets a little lost at our house. As I reflected on my bad parenting skills while sitting watching him interact with his coaches, I realized that I probably too often give him something to do and never follow up. He just wanted to play the games his own way, and didn't pay attention to the rules too much. But he's Joey, so the coaches loved him to bits, and he has several new fans.

Here are his two soccer coaches, Jack and Kat. They were awesome. They were perfect for this age group. British people are quite funny in their own way. The parents enjoyed their dry humor, I think. Here's Joey trying to be patient and listen. At least he tried, right?

On the last day, they told the kids that they could bring anything they wanted and the coaches would wear it. This is Jack dressed up in all the beautiful things the kids brought:

Joey brought a Spider-man mask, but he decided it would look better on his own head.

We had a great Father's Day, too. We started with breakfast in bed for dad. We got up early (Ben's usually the first one up, so I had to beg him to stay in bed until we were ready) and made cinnamon rolls. We made daddy a great card. I asked the kids (those who can talk) questions like: What is daddy's favorite thing to do? What is daddy's favorite food, tv show, movie, place to go, etc. What does daddy do for a job? Things like that. My favorite one was when I asked Andrew what was daddy's job. He said, "He helps people." I said, "Helps people with what?" Andrew said, "A pen." Cute! Daddy does usually have a pen, so that makes sense.

We did the same thing for grandpa Jerry, and Grace said that Grandpa's favorite tv show was ice skating! He laughed at that.


So as I mentioned before, I went to Girl's Camp this week, which I will blog about when I find Haley's camera to offload the pictures. But I'll tell you about what happened around here while I was gone.

Grandma Jane stayed with the kids during the day. She's off for the summer, so that was great. The trampoline is our favorite toy, followed by the basketball hoop. I bought the hoop, but the trampoline, a new Wii game, and a new bike for Andrew are courtesy Grandma Jane. Thanks Grandma!

Daddy had the kids at night, and did safe things with them like having them stand over a pot of boiling water.

This will probably ban this behavior in the future. I'm going to have nightmares tonight.

As we pulled in to the church parking lot to let off the other girls I brought home (we laughed the whole way - they were a funny group!), Haley sent a text to Ben to let him know we were near. So as I rounded the corner by our house, the boys were on the there waiting for me. I decided to race them home. (We tied.)


This is Matt and the other boys waiting outside for me. My baby doesn't crawl anymore! Too sad for me.

I'm just glad they remembered me (although I did get a text yesterday at camp that said, "Can you please try to call tonight? Joey just said he doesn't remember his mommy." I almost cried a little).

I'm so glad to be home. Really, really tired, but glad to be home. And glad to be cooking for only 7 people, not 130 for each meal (more on that later......)

Big Mistake

If any of you are wondering, the idea of taking all five kids at naptime to the movies was not one of my brighter ones. I bought the kids two $5 medium sodas, sat down to watch the previews, and saw exactly fifteen minutes of the movie before the baby decided to start screaming. We went out in the hall where he continued to scream for an hour. I decided to rush back into the theater to get my keys and tell Haley I'd wait for them in the car. Then Grace wanted me so Haley had to bring her out. Then she had to pee, so I decided to drive home (we live just around the corner, basically) and let her pee. Then I went back for another five minutes, and the kids were out. Not fun. But at least I got a lot done while the baby slept for a couple hours!

The Summer So Far...

I've fallen pretty far behind this week. I spent the beginning of the week at Cub Scout Camp with Andrew and nine other boys. When I wasn't battling the lightning, downpours, and the ticks I was battling the two boys in our group who were from another planet. I didn't know children could act like that. It was a long two days...

We have only been to one baseball game this summer. We've just got to make more time for that. Haley, Joey and I went to a Legion Baseball game between the Scarlets and the Royals (both Billings teams). It rained on and off, and Joey had three bloody noses during the first three innings, but we had fun anyway. It was baseball!


Here's one of the only pictures I managed to get at Scout camp. This was one of Andrew's favorite stations: bb guns. He did really well shooting. He also liked archery. But it almost gave me a heart attack having to keep track of 10 boys with guns and bows and arrows in their hands.

Oh ya, and Monday was my birthday. I'm not telling you which one. But we decided to go out to dinner that night because I was gone all day and didn't have time to cook. We went to Dos Machos, and Ben, of course, somehow notified the waiter that it was my birthday. That explains the following picture. I can't believe I'm publishing this.

The kids got me some great Red Sox gear. Please excuse the way I look. I had been at camp all day long. Gross.

Later that night, Joey decided to grace us with this outfit. This is what he came up with for pajamas. He could not for the life of him figure out what was so funny.

Joey's been attending a British Challenger Soccer camp all week. He's really enjoyed playing soccer for the first time, and he really likes his coaches, Jack and Kat.

Joey also decided it was okay to take the training wheels off his bike. So we did that, but then noticed that his knees were touching his handle bars, so he graduated to Andrew's bike, and Grace got his. Now we need to figure out what to do with Andrew!

I went over to help Joey on the bike, but then Ben informed me that it was his job to do that. I didn't argue! Here he is keeping Joey safe -- along with the elbow, knee, and wrist pads that Joey insisted on.

With all the camps, sports, and playing outside, the boys have really tired themselves out. They were playing on Andrew's bed, and apparently fell asleep there. This is the first thing I saw in the morning -- Joey's little foot sticking out.

Here they are passed out on the top bunk. I panicked when I didn't see Joey in his bed, I figured it out pretty quick.

We're about to attempt to go to a movie. I've kept the baby up in hopes that he'll sleep during it. He'll either sleep or scream, we'll see which. Grace will probably have to potty every thirty minutes or so. Wish me luck!