Haus House: 2012

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Playing in the snow!

We have had lots of fun in the snow. All of the kids love to be outside. So I decided to bundle them up and go out after nap. Man it takes a long time to get 5 kids ready. I got Olivia dressed, turned around and Elliott had pulled her gloves off! We finally got ready ( 1/2hour or so!) and ventured out. They all just wondered around for a while. Then they started playing with the toys that are still out. Olivia had to swing, she loved it, even could touch the ground with all the snow. They were all throwing snow at each other. Lots of laughs outside! The little boys put to good use the stocking hats that they got for their birthday from the Hawkin's!

Duncan with the snow he was eating

Elliott

Owen

Olivia had to swing

Ethan had to mow

Friday, December 28, 2012

Christmas

No cribs is sure an adventure! Bedtime is usually OK, put nap time is a different story! Today the kids( Elliott was the mastermind I am sure), got the gate open, were running around and knocked the space heater over and I am sure it is broken now. At least they didn't get hurt in the process. Make that 2 times getting out in 1 hour and 15 minutes. We played out in the snow for awhile this morning, all the kids had a good time. I thought it would wear them out so they would nap good, guess I was wrong about that! What a day!
They also are sitting at the table on big kid chairs, no booster seats, they are doing well with that too!
The other day I was having Duncan take a nap too, upstairs ( mistake). They made a slide out of the mattress. So I had Duncan come downstairs and the little ones did it on their own. What an adventure!
The week before Christmas on Wednesday, we had a snow storm. It knocked out the electricity here in town. We were without electric for almost 3 days. It came back on on Friday afternoon. We went to Adventureland Inn on Thursday afternoon, it was getting really cold and I knew when it got dark the house would cool off way fast. It was another adventure at the hotel. No one slept real well, but we managed. Tracy stayed home Thursday and Friday to help me, thank goodness, I would of went CRAZY!
We started Christmas off the Saturday before in Albia. Joni, Wayne, and Alex were back. We went to church with Grandpa, it went very well all the kids were very good! We had our gathering at an old church in Albia. It was lots of fun! Tracy and the kids came home, and I stayed in the hotel so I could actually visit! It was very nice. We spent Sunday morning at the hotel visiting and then the afternoon at Grandpa's house. We had lots of laughs!
Christmas Eve we had the Gruber get together at the Community Center in Runnells. It is always a fun time! We all gathered in the kitchen just like at all the Gruber get togethers! The kids had lots of room to run and play.
Mom and the Hawkins stayed the night on Christmas Eve. We got up Christmas morning and had a big breakfast. We went to mass at 11, Santa came while we were at church. It was really nice, the kids were good at Church again! We came home and Santa had been here. The kids got a train table, trucks, Olivia got some dolls. Lots and lots of new toys. They love them all. Aunt and Uncle and the Girls got them bathroom decor, the 5 little monkeys, Duncan loves it! I love it too, not something I would of bought for them, we just had a plain bathroom.
Duncan is on Christmas break, it is nice not to have to get up and rush around for school, but I will be glad to get back in a routine.

Santa at the Community Center in Runnells.

Duncan is the only one who wanted to sit on Santa's lap

Olivia finally would sit on Santa's lap for a candycane!

The only picture I got of presents! Duncan with his truck with a hook on the front from Santa

Monday, December 10, 2012

Begining of December

The start of the month hasn't been great. Duncan, Owen and Elliott were sick. They all had fevers, and just didn't feel well. Tracy came home from work so I could take them to the doctor. One upper respiratory infection, and two ear infections. Medicine for all. Owen and Elliott went back 2 days later and we got a nebulizer. That helped, thank goodness! Ethan and Olivia decided they didn't want to be left out and both had fevers, but just for one night. Thank goodness. It was a long week, up and down all night. It has been a while since we have had to do that, I forgot how hard it is to have lots of nights of broken sleep! We are on the mend now.
Duncan is still enjoying school! He is really into playing games and he has been writing alot lately too.
The "babies" lost their cribs this week. Tracy made a gate to go across the room so they have to stay by their beds and can't roam the whole upstairs! Nap time was hard today, Olivia did not nap and the boys only napped a little. Bed time was better, after about an hour or so they all went to sleep. Well the princess had to be held for a few minutes and then she went right to sleep. They have crib mattresses on the floor. Duncan wanted to sleep with them so we moved his mattress in there too! Could be interesting I am sure. Hope that they adapt to the change quickly! Naps could be a thing of the past, but we sure hope not.

Elliott enjoying his birthday cupcake

2nd Birthday

Owen

Olivia

Ethan

Taylor with her calculator cake Uncle made her

Duncan helped make it!

Ethan with his new stocking hat

Lighting McQueen,our crazy cat

Duncan and Mom made rice crispies with M&M's

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

October/November 2012

Halloween: Duncan went trick or treating with Gabi and the girls. The babies did not go because it was chilly and we did not want to get them off schedule! Amazing what getting off schedule does to this house! Duncan went as a bear again. This will be the last year he can fit into that costume! I sure got my moneys worth, paid a whole $1 for it a garage sale!

Ethan and Owen went for their check up with Dr. Clevena. He said just keep having them wear their glasses and he will see them in 6 months. If the muscle in the eye is not better he will send us to the peds guy and see if they need surgery. Owen is wearing his glasses more, thank goodness.

I ran/walked in the living history farms race, it was lots of fun! Maybe again next year!

For Thanksgiving we went to Abby and Rodney's house for dinner. It was beautiful outside. The big and little kids played outside before dinner and then we went for a walk after dinner. It took a long time to get around the block with everyone walking. The kids love to walk now! It was a no nap kind of day so Tracy and I brought the little kids home and put them to bed at 5ish, and I went back to Abby's and played games. Duncan was playing with Hannah too. We came home early evening and went to bed!

The babies are 2! They aren't really babies anymore, but that is what I will always call them! We had a little party with the family and Roxie. It was fun. They loved the frosting on the cup cakes that Aunt bought them. They also loved Taylor's cake too! Thank goodness they went right to sleep at bed time.

Olivia went to the NICU for her follow up, of course she wouldn't do anything they wanted her to! She wouldn't talk, run, jump or stack blocks. The nurse was concerned, and said she could see her in 6 months. She suggested the AEA come once a month for a few months to see just were Olivia is at. They come next month so I will ask them then. Of course with in the next couple of days she is doing everything she wouldn't do there! She is stubborn!

I have worked a few shifts lately too, it is always nice to see everyone at work!

We went and got family pictures done and then went out to eat. It went very well! The kids all did well, and they sat down when we needed them too. Dinner at Applebees went well too, for no high chairs. I decided to let them sit in the booth since we got rid of the booster seats at home! (They are still sitting next to the kitchen table just in case!) The kids all do pretty well sitting on the chair to eat. They all 5 are getting big and growing up way to fast.

November 2012

Elliott adjusting Owen

Elliott being funny. Swimtrunks over pj's

Aunt let the kids dance on the table at their birhtday party.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

What was I thinking

So we had plans to go to Living History Farms Family Halloween today. I thought, we should go to church first! Well we did, we went to All Saints because they have a 4pm mass. I told Tracy that there is a cry room if it gets out of hand.
Well we went to church, and right before mass started the kids started to get restless, so we decided to go to the cry room. Well Duncan thought he didn't have to pay attention since we were in there. The rest of the kids were running around and beating on a stain glass window. Well we did survive mass, but decided the cry room is not a good place for our 5 kids, and we/they are not ready to go to mass with just Tracy and I!
So after church off to living history farms. Thank goodness Tracy said we should take the big stroller. We loaded everyone up and off we went. We did park the stroller by one of the little stores and let the kids walk. Then we got to the top of the hill and Tracy had to go back to get the stroller. ( I offered to go get it and he could stay with the kids, he chose the stroller!). So then we had to wait in line, what seemed like forever. The kids ate snacks they had gotten. We finally made it to the popcorn stand, decided to skip the horse drawn wagon ride, that is what I wanted to do, but the line was very long! We finished up with a marshmallow roast, no one liked them. Everyone crashed on the way home, Olivia tried her hardest to stay awake like always.
We got a cat yesterday too. Aunt and Uncle brought one home to the kids. His name was Monster Truck for the night and this morning Duncan decided Car was a better name. Who knows how many times the name will change.

Walking with Dad

Waiting on the stroller

Duncan helping get Owen for Mom!

Everyone: Ethan and Owen in front, Olivia and Elliott in back. Duncan the bear

Waiting in line

Duncan and Ethan

Everyone crashed on the way home!!

Monday, October 15, 2012

Begining of Fall

It has been a busy couple of weeks!
At the end of September we had a birthday party for Mom. She turned 60 this year!! It was a good time. We collected laundry soap to take to the homeless shelter in place of gifts. We got enough soap for about 3 weeks, it feels so good to be able to help others! The party was lots of fun, lots of visiting and dancing. We had a DJ again this year. It is lots of fun to be able to dance the night away. Duncan had a blast. He danced and played with Trey and Little Kenny. The babies had a very good time too, they ran around the whole time they were there.

Duncan started going to RE at Christ the King on Wednesday nights. I thought because it is school he would be ok, but I was wrong. The first night he lasted about 1 minute and then went to his Aunt's room and was her helper! He really enjoye that. When he got home I asked how it was and he said Great! Then Abby told me to ask him how his class was, I did. He told me oh, I didn't like it so I was Aunt's helper! He called Sarah on the way home to see if she would go with him the next week, she said she would. Then he asked, you will go every week right? She does go with him. Hopefully he will get comfortable and go by himself soon, we will see!

Duncan had picture day at school, we will see how well he smiled this year!!
We went to the Apple Orchard as a family! The girls went with us also, it was lots of fun. Our friends The Etters went too, we all had a great time! It is lots of work with 9 kids 4 and under, but way worth all of the work. Really it went very well. The girls are a huge help and just knows what needs to be done. This year was way nicer than last year, it was not so windy. Until we sat down for lunch! The kids had fun on the tractors, seeing the animals, goats, pigs, chickens. They feed them too, and seemed ok with that. There is also bouncy horses, adult size tractors, a super slide, hay maze, a huge pillow to jump on ( that was interesting with the little ones), not my most favorite thing! There was a little playground the kids played on at lunch too. Duncan, Sarah and Hannah and Tracy loved the adult size pedal tractors. They took the little kids on rides too! I think Hannah and Duncan rode thoese things for an hour. We ended the day with a tractor ride though the apple orchard, We did not get off to see pumpkins or the corn maze, Tracy and I didn't think the babies would last through that.

Owen got his glasses today, he did well this afternoon with them, I hope that continues. He is getting more and more ornery! All of the babies are talking more and able to let us know what they want. They also are trying to not take naps this last week. Olivia can sure keep herself awake. Owen is the only one that will lay down and go to sleep.
I have been going to the gym while Duncan is at school. The babies go to the daycare there, they are getting use to that and do well. I have kid leashes that I put on there arms, and we all walk in. Most days it goes well, some days are a challenge.