Kiddos and Pups » My life with four young kids and two puppies Kiddos and Pups

Summer!!

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Kelly Wymer

Well, it’s officially summer! Jason had his last day of school today. My oldest son is now a second-grader. When I picked him up, he had a full-sized Hershey bar in his hand, and he was waving at me. He had gotten it because he had successfully written all his numbers from 1 -1000, and he was very proud of himself, as he should have been. I was quite proud myself. :) He had his report card in his backpack, and his grades were great, so we were off to a great start. Both he and Troy did very well this year! I am one proud Mama!

To celebrate the start to the summer, we went to Russell Stover’s and got ice cream (and fudge, of course), and enjoyed our snack outside. There was cute little girl out there with us about Jason’s age, and I noticed my two oldest boys were showing off by climbing up onto a brick column that decorated and outlined the porch area and sat on top of it. They were acting a bit strange, but then I realized that she was watching, and I smiled knowingly to myself and thought it was pretty cute. She eventually joined them and then they were jumping off the column, and saying silly things to make her laugh. It was fun to watch, but a little heart-wrenching to see my little guys give another woman their attentions. They are growing up way too fast!

After we left, we came home and they played outside all afternoon while I did some spring cleaning in their room. Fun. I decided that one thing we are going to do this summer is to learn HOW to clean the rooms. Up until now, if they got their toys into some sort of container and off the floor so their room at least seemed clean, It was acceptable, but they are old enough now to learn how to make sure everything gets put into it’s own place. Jason is pretty good at it, but Troy still tries to get away with just throwing everything wherever he can fit them, and Derek is really good about taking so long to clean his room that his brothers do it for him. That ends this summer as well. I also plan to get them to make their own beds every morning. I have already taught them how to do it, and I have them do it on their days off (when I remember), but it is time they make it part of their daily routine.

Another thing I plan to have them do this summer, is to do some school-related activities. Both Jason and Troy came home with a packet of work for the summer. It is not something they have to turn in, but it is recommended that they do it to stay up on their math facts and site words, etc. I plan to have them work on those, as well as do flash cards with math and have them read books, either to themselves or to me. Derek is going to start doing work as well. I hope to have him know his alphabet and their sounds as well as recognize the letters, both upper and lower case by the end of the summer, and to have him count to 20. I also got a bunch of games from a friend that was selling them that are all learning games for kids their age, so I plan to play a lot of those games with them, especially when it rains or is too dang hot to do anything else.

Troy asked me to teach him to ride his two-wheeler this summer, so that is something to do, and I am sure that if Troy learns to do it, so will Jason and maybe even Derek. My parents got us a small pool that is about 8 feet in diameter and about 3 feet deep that I plan to put up in the backyard when it gets hot enough. I hope they can really learn to swim with that. One regret I have is that we are not around water enough each year for the kids to really learn to swim. They have learned to do it a little bit, but they are still not comfortable just jumping into the deep end of the pool and swimming around or diving to the bottom to retrieve a ring or something. I hope to change that this year, starting with our own pool.

I am really glad it is summer. I remember my mother telling me that I will really look forward to summer when the kids got into school. I thought she was insane when she told me that because I was so exited to get them into school so I could get a break, but for the last two years, I realized she was absolutely right. She also said that by the end of the summer, I would be so ready to send them back. If last summer is any indication, she was right on about that as well!

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Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: chores, last day of school, learning to ride a bike, learning to swim, summer, summer homework | Leave a comment

Graduating Kindergarten!

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Kelly Wymer

Today I had the great pleasure of “clapping out” Troy as he graduated from Kindergarten. Derek, Ashley, and I lined up in the hallway outside the kindergarten classrooms with all the other parents and younger siblings. Their teachers marched the kids down the hall and through the library and back to their classrooms while we clapped and cheered and celebrated their graduation from kindergarten and move on to 1st grade.

This is a picture of all the parents lined up along the hallway, clapping for the kids. You can (sort of) see the kids marching towards us.

Troy was thrilled when he spotted us. He is a quiet kid that is not very comfortable being in the spotlight, unlike his older brother, Jason. He seemed shy and uncomfortable, but when he spotted us, he beamed and started walking with confidence and excitement. I gave him a high five as he went by, and he met my hand with a loud and enthusiastic “five.” He seemed so proud, and I was too. It was a great moment that made me have to choke back tears.

Troy right after the parade.

After the parade was over and all the kids went back to their classrooms, we all went in to see our kids while they got a treat and gathered up all their belongings. I talked to his teacher who also taught Jason last year, and again had to hold back tears when she said she would miss having a Wymer in her class until Derek came. She is a wonderful kindergarten teacher! I am so grateful both my boys were able to have her. I will miss dealing with her, but hopefully, after next year, Derek will have the pleasure to have her…unless I choose to homeschool, but that remains to be seen. I got a picture of Troy with her, but I think he would have preferred to be pulling his toenails out. I could tell he was terribly uncomfortable! He loved her to death, but he is so shy!

Troy and Miss Pike (Mrs. Douglas…she just got married, but I will always think of her as Miss Pike!)

After we got the picture and said goodbye, I went to gather Derek and Ashley and to clean up the toys they had played with. While we were putting the toys away, Troy said, “I wish I could stay in kindergarten.” I looked at him and saw true sadness in his eyes. I gave him a hug and he broke down into tears. He just held onto me, hiding his face for a few minutes. He loved kindergarten, and felt like he belonged there. That is huge for a shy and sensitive kid like Troy. I understood his sadness and fear of moving on. I am one that gets attached easily as well. He recovered, though, and we went to go find Jason and then headed home. By the time we pulled into the driveway, he was happy and excited for the start to summer! Jason has one more day, and Troy rubbed it in mercilessly!

Troy enjoying an ice cream with his classmates after the parade.

I am so proud of Troy. He worked hard, learned a lot, got good grades, and overcame his fear of being away from home. So much so, that he tried constantly to get me to let him be a whole-day kid instead of a half-day kid. Now he is whole-day for the rest of his school career, and I think he is finally ready. Go Troy!

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Categories: Kiddos | Tags: good teachers, graduating kindergarten, graduation, great teachers, kindergarten, sensitive kids, sensitive kids in school, shy kids, shy kids in school | Leave a comment

The Oklahoma Tornado

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Kelly Wymer

Having watched or listened to hours of news reports about this horrible storm, I don’t want to blog about it too, but as I sit here, I realize there is very little else on my mind. I can’t help but think of the terror those parents of those poor children are feeling. I am suppressing the desire to gather all my kids and bring them to bed with me. My heart is just breaking, as I think of those parents who lost a child, or don’t even know yet if their child is alive or dead. It is just gut-wrenching.

I have found a few videos of the tornados that have hit in the last two days that might be interesting. As you watch them, enjoy the sheer power of nature, pray for the families and those that were lost.

Action News 5 – Memphis, Tennessee

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Categories: Family | Tags: devastation, Oklahoma tornado, Oklahoma tornado video, tornado, tornado video | Leave a comment

Tornados and Other Severe Weather On the Way!

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Kelly Wymer

Could we see tornados tonight? We are currently under a Tornado Watch and a Severe Thunderstorm Watch, although one or both of them could become a warning soon. This is the first threat of real severe weather we have had in a long time, so it is exciting for a weather enthusiast like me! Of course I hope that with all the excitement, no one gets hurt or any property gets damaged, but I love to watch nature in its most powerful form! It is so beautiful and so interesting to watch. There is something very cozy about being in your house with your family when something so chaotic is going on just outside your house, too. Tornados are a bit scary, but the thrill of not knowing if they are going to hit or not is not too unlike riding a roller coaster! We are prepared and have our safe spot all ready. While I love to watch Mother Nature’s fury, I am also keenly aware of the danger tornados can cause, and will take the safety of my family very seriously. We have flashlights, cell phones, our weather radio (although, it reminds me of being pregnant in my first trimester with Jason and still makes me feel like throwing up whenever I hear it go off…), we have band-aids, gauze, blankets, pillows, and a good spot picked out in the basement away from windows and safe from anything too dangerous, but still protective from flying debris. Being prepared makes the excitement more fun, because at least I am ready to go if the threat comes our way.

Currently it is 81 degrees and very humid. We have yet to turn on our air conditioning, but I think Jason is about ready to bend on that! I am a hold out, so we will see what happens. It is pretty hot and sticky! The show is set to start sometime between 7pm and 9pm central standard time. I will keep you posted on what happens, but for now, here are some awesome pics of radar and some maps explaining what they expect for my area.

There was a tornado sited southwest of us just a little bit ago. We will see if the excitement gets here!

We are located on the northern edge of the red circle. The 15% means that we have a 15% chance of a tornado of F2 or higher hitting within 25 miles of our home. That is actually pretty high for tornados.

***First Update***

I just hear the very first clap of thunder and got the Thunderstorm warning on my phone about 5 minutes ago. Here it comes!!! Here are some photos I took over the last couple hours of the clouds rolling in.

This was about 6pm. It started to get cooler, and windier.

This was taken just after 7pm, which is when I first got the warning for Severe Thunderstorms.

This was at 7:30, as the storm stared coming through. The wind seriously picked up, lots of rain, thunder and lightning.

The rain is pretty stron, lots of thunder and lightning, but not too much more than that. The cooler air feels great coming through the windows! Ahhhhhh!

Uh-oh…everything went completely still…be back later…

***Second Update***

It was nothing, really. Just the end of the storm. It just ended so suddenly. That was very strange. The sky had that greenish hue that it gets during a severe storm, so I thought maybe something serious was about to happen, but it did not. All is well, here! There are some other storms on the horizon, but I am not sure they are even going to hit us. Even if they are, they don’t seem to be severe. This will be the last update unless something exciting happens.

All in all, not a very exciting storm from our house! In Oklahoma, the story is very different. Please remember to pray for the families affected by that storm.

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Categories: Family | Tags: hail, high winds, lightning, severe thunderstorm, severe thunderstorms, severe weather, super cell, thunder, thunderstorm, thunderstorms, tornado, tornados | Leave a comment

Spring is Here, So That Means…Mud!!!

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Kelly Wymer

My kiddos are drawn to the outdoors and mud like a fly is to…well…you know. They only wear shoes when threatened, and apparently think I love worms as much as they do. (Worms are OK, but I prefer them to remain outside.) Now that winter has finally left and is now replaced by a pseudo spring (we went from 32 degrees and snow to 91 degrees and pure sunshine in a week), the kids spend more time outside than they do in their own beds. I love that about them, but it has its drawbacks. For instance…

A couple of days ago, it was in the low nineties and clear as a bell. The kids were outside climbing the tree, making dirt pies, playing with the dog, and sword-fighting with sticks. All that work made them HOT! Troy runs in and asks if they can play in the hose, so I agree. He runs back out and I hear the hose turn on. About 5 minutes later, I walk out to check on their activities, and I see them crowded around a bush by the side of the yard…and I couldn’t see their feet or lower half of their legs. I walked closer to investigate, and I saw them standing in a hole with the hose. They were filling up a hole that Echo had dug with water, and standing in it to cool off.

Derek and Troy standing in the mud hole.

This hole was not very big, and it was not a rock quarry-like hole, but instead, a mud hole. Now, I am not a mom that gets all bent out of shape over a little mud…or even a lot of mud, for that matter, so I wasn’t too upset, but I could see this becoming a bigger disaster than I was willing to tolerate. And then Echo entered the picture.

Echo digging in the hole.

Echo marched straight over to the hole that was now full of very muddy water, and for no reason at all, dug like a mad man in that very hole! He splashed muddy water and mud glops all over the kids I had just coaxed out of said hole, defeating the very reason I pulled them out! Now I didn’t just have wet and muddy children, but now a wet and muddy dog, too!

Ashley is covered in mud. Troy had rinsed his feet off, but not very well.

I picked up the hose and called the kids to me and proceeded to drench them and their clothes with water until all the mud came out. I then sent them to the garage to remove their clothes and to go change into a bathing suit before they came back out. (I had to especially stress that last point to Derek or I would have had a naked 4-year-old prancing around the yard covering himself with more mud in place of clothes).

Troy is covered in mud with Echo in the background

Then I called the dog. I smiled a wry smile and started cackling. I informed him that his little stunt back at the mud hole did not come without consequences! Echo hates the hose. With a passion. He started running at a full sprint in a circle, with mud all over his paws, legs, and muzzle. I just slowly walked up to the chain, stepped on it and walked along it until he was trapped. He statred jumping from side to side, but it was no use. I got him. (He got me pretty good, too, but it was worth it). I sprayed down his legs and paws first, but then I took a small delight in getting his muzzle. (Before any PETA folks start writing some nasty emails, don’t worry. I don’t have any attachment on the end of my hose, and I didn’t use my thumb to make the water come out faster when I got his face…I actually kinda like this old oaf, so I had no real intension of hurting him). I did enjoy watching him rub himself all over the grass trying to get the water off…as if that ever really works. He shook himself a few time, and then just started running full speed…as if he was trying to be a dog-made hair dryer or something!

My crazy dog with mud all over his legs, paws, and muzzle. You can see Derek's dirty leg in the background!

My crazy dog with mud all over his legs, paws, and muzzle. You can see Derek’s dirty leg and mud on Troy’s hand in the background!

The kids came back out with bathing suits, turned on the hose, and proceeded to march right back to that dang hole. Echo stayed away.

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Categories: Kiddos and Pups | Tags: dogs digging in mud, kids playing in mud, kids playing outside, mud, springtime | Leave a comment

Attacked By Geese! And Homeschooling???

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Kelly Wymer

After I picked Troy up from school, we went home, packed up a lunch, and met friends at Antioch Park. I love Antioch Park. We spend hours there and still have to drag ourselves away. We sat at a picnic table and ate our lunch, and then we set the kids free to play at the three different playgrounds that are there. The kids ran around and played on the equipment. Ashley was the boss of everyone there, or so she thought. Derek was the one-shoe wonder, and Troy climbed the rock with the sole goal of jumping off of it by himself. He did it twice! He was so proud of himself!

I found this picture of the playground area that has the rock in it that Troy loves to climb and now jump off of.

Our friends had to leave after about an hour or so, but we opted to stay for a while. I saw a group of women that I wanted to talk to for some reason I couldn’t explain at first, so I made the kids play on the equipment a bit longer before we went down to the pond to feed the ducks. I sat near the women and joined in their conversation. It didn’t take long before we started talking about homeschooling. I had a strong suspicion they were homeschoolers, so I am pretty sure that was the reason I wanted to talk to them. I have been grappling with the idea of homeschooling for a long time. One of the women and I connected on several levels. Her daughter had several special needs and was wearing a boot much like what Derek wore. While our situations were quite different, there were several similarities that brought us together and made an instant connection. We talked for quite a while. My kids came up and begged me to take them to the pond to feed the ducks, so she and her kids, and I with mine, headed that way. We talked about homeschooling, and discussed my biggest concern, which is how I could manage four kids which would have four different curriculums. I had just received a preschool curriculum for Derek from the friend we had met at the park earlier, and now this other woman was telling me about ways to combine some curriculum for all the kids while separating the math and reading. I told her some of my ideas, and she gave me a few of hers. She was definitely had more ideas than I did, so she was a wonderful resource!

Our kids played very well together even though hers were older than mine. We had a really nice time, until we got to the edge of the pond and started feeding the ducks and geese. It started out awesome…there were both ducklings and goslings They were adorable…and so close! That should have tipped us off, but we were so enthralled by their cuteness, that we missed the obvious. The geese were all around us and the kids. The got closer, and closer, and closer! Holy cow! They were right in front of us! I even fed one a cookie straight from my hand! We were sitting on the bench and found ourselves severely outnumbered and completely surrounded. This feathered mafia started extorting goldfish from us like champs! They were honking and flapping their wings, and one even hit my new friend in the back! We were laughing hysterically while panicking at the same time. Her daughter and Troy booked it about 30 feet away and hid behind a tree. Ashley balled herself up on the bench and snuck behind me, practically throwing me into the clutches of the now gigantic crowd of hungry geese, and I was out of goldfish!

Those are mine and Ashley’s hands in the picture. If we leaned down, we could have touched the goose, but it was kinda scary…they weren’t mean, but they weren’t friendly either!

Derek and her son were the brave ones that thought we were in the coolest situation ever. They were touching them and screaming about how cool it was and running around, having the geese chase them. One even pooped right in front of us! Does it have no shame? It was kind of scary, but hilarious at the same time. Eventually, she and I decided we better get out of there or we were going to be goose food, so we gathered up the kiddos and made a run for it! The geese followed us at first, but I guess they figured they had tormented us enough, so they turned around and headed back to the pond, while we went to our cars. She and I connected on Facebook, and she is going to push me to homeschool per my request. I am not sure what I have gotten myself into…

My phone camera makes things seem further away than they really are, so I got my friend’s daughter’s foot in the picture for perspective. Look at how close these geese got! Also, in the background there, on the rock at the water’s edge, you can see a mama duck and her ducklings. They were so young, she didn’t seem to want to put them in the water yet!

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Categories: Friends and Family, Kiddos | Tags: attacked by geese, baby ducks, baby geese, ducklings, feeding ducks, feeding geese, goose mafia, goslings, homeschooling | Leave a comment

Raising a Little Girl

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Kelly Wymer

How nice it is to dress a toddler boy. So simple! (So what if they put their pants on backwards??)

After raising three boys, raising a little girl is like having a new baby for the first time all over again! There are so many differences between the two genders. This morning, Derek and Ashley got up after I got the other two boys off to school. I immediately fed them breakfast, had them brush their teeth and then get ready for the day. For Derek, I handed him a pair of shorts and a shirt, wet his head and tousled his hair a bit, and he was done. It took a total of what, 3 minutes?

Sometimes she can really make herself look cute! I think this was her 4th outfit of the day a few days ago.

Then I went to get Ashley dressed. I started off in a pleasant mood, making plans for the 90 degree day ahead of us. I brought her over to the dresser, and I pointed out a few things…shorts, skirts, dresses, T-shirts. She kept repeating the same thing over and over, “No!”

I started to get a little frustrated, so I asked her to pick out her own clothes. She grabed pink sweatpants and a polka dot turtleneck. I tried to explain to her that she will be hot in those clothes, but she insisted. So I insisted. We fought, she pierced my eardrums with her screams, but I eventually wrestled the outfit from her grasp. After the tears were wiped off her face, we tried again. This time, I laid out a series of shorts, skirts, and dresses first. She chose a skirt. Success! Then I laid out a few tops with short sleeves.

Ashley’s floor while she picks out her first outfit for the day. Dressing a toddler girl can be pretty tricky and can require some manipulation.

“No!”

Grrrrrrrr…..

She grabs another long sleeve shirt out of her dresser.

“Fine. But you are going to be hot later!” I figured it was a compromise.

I grabed a diaper to put on her, but she screamed, “No! No Biper! Unnerpants!”

*sigh* Ashley is partly potty trained. She knows that she is supposed to go in the potty, so therefore, she thinks she can wear underpants instead of a diaper. The fact that she leaves me little puddles around the house or balled up underpants with poop in them all day long doesn’t seem to bother her. I tried to explain in a very gentle tone that she has to wear a diaper right now because we have to go bye-bye and she doesn’t put the poop and pee in the potty yet. I promised she could wear underpants when we got home.

“No! No Biper!”

So another fight ensued. Putting a diaper onto this little girl is like wrestling an alligator! When I was done, I wiped the blood from my nose and iced the bumps and bruises all over my body…(mild exaggeration). Then I started to put the clothes on that she had picked out, BUT, she no longer wanted to wear them.

Anyone have an icepick I can put into my forehead?

Eventually, she picked out a tie-dye T-shirt her cousin made her and black stretch pants with pieces of candy all over them. Worked for me! Sheesh!

Next to do her hair. Sometimes I can ask her if she wants a bow, and she will sit still for me to put her hair in pigtails, but usually, it results in me trying everything I can to make it hurt as little as possible by running around behind my little girl with the pigtail in my hand, winding the rubber band around it with the other as fast as I can while she screams and tried to get my hands away from her hair. The pigtails are usually lopsided and placed a bit funny, and she is still screaming bloody murder. That was how it was today.

When it was all over, and she was finally ready for the day (about 45 minutes later), I held her in my lap, rocked her back and forth while she pulled herself together. Throughout the rest of the day, she changer her clothes 6 times. 3 times because she peed in them, and three times because she was either hot (imagine that…) or just got tired of what she had on. Seriously? The boys would have worn the same clothes for three weeks straight or until they walked down to the laundry room on their own! Her clothes barely get to see the light of day before she changes them again. And I hear it only gets worse…

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Categories: Kiddos | Tags: dressing little girls, girl, girls, little girl, little girls, parenting, raising toddlers, toddler girl, toddler girls, toddler girls vs. toddler boys, toddlers | Leave a comment

A Mother’s Day Post

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Kelly Wymer

Happy Mother’s Day to all you wonderful mothers out there! I hope your families took good care of you today. I know mine did. I just got to spend the whole day with my four kiddos, which is the best gift I could ever ask for, but the cards, pictures, kid-coupons, plants, and “I love you!” gifts were very much appreciated as well. Before I continue, I just want to thank my own Mother for being my best friend and the greatest inspiration in my life. I could never be the Mom I am today without you, Mom!

My post today is actually a repost of a poem I wrote to my kiddos, but I felt it was appropriate because so many Moms can relate and appreciate it. I hope you all enjoy!

This is Jason at Christmas when he was six days old with me and his daddy.

You have filled up my life

In the last 7 1/2 years

With joy, love, and happiness,

And occasional tears.

When you were babies,

Baby Ash-Bash!

We’d snuggle a lot,

Well all except Ash,

Who’d rather we not.

Your first year was filled

with trials and feats,

and dreams of all four

Wearing my cleats.

And in this corner…

And then you were toddlers,

And I would pull out my hair!

You’d throw soap in the toilet,

And I’d try not to care.

You break everything,

And I mean it all,

And with your crayons,

You’d color my wall.

Derek chasing everyone with the hose.

You torture the puppies,

And each other too,

And when I’m not looking,

You’d play with the glue!

In kindergarten and preschool

You learned lots of new stuff,

Not that you told me,

Getting info was tough!

But your grades were the best,

Troy’s First Day at Preschool. He attended St. Paul’s Preschool.

You were Student of the Year!

You performed in a play,

That brought me to tears.

You’re strong and you’re brave,

You’re smart and you’re sweet.

And now, thanks to Derek,

You stay out of the street!

Jason’s First Day of Kindergarten.

One broke his femur,

And one got hit by a car.

One got stitches,

And one is unscathed so far.

We go lots of places,

We have lots of fun,

Here is a picture of Jason in his cast after he broke his femur. He was wearing cowboy boots in the grocery store, tripped, fell, and broke his leg.

You play outside,

and smell like the sun.

I am so happy and proud

of how you love each other.

And I am so, so glad,

That I am your mother.

You have changed my life,

in more ways I can say.

If I could do it all over,

My absolute favorite picture of me and my Troy!

I would do it the same way.

I am so proud of you now,

And you are still so small,

I know when you are older,

You will accomplish it all.

I love you all four,

All four kiddos this past Halloween (2011)

With all of my heart.

When I look back on my life,

You are the best part.

So thanks for the fun,

And for the craziness too.

I just want you to know,

I really, really love you!

Easter 2012: Me, Derek, and Ashley.

Love,

Your Mother

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Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: kiddos, kids, mom, Moms, mother, Mother's Day, mothers, parenting | Leave a comment

Drive-In Time!!

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Kelly Wymer

Yes, folks, it is that time of year again! It is when the air is warm and the drive-in is open! (Actually, the drive-in has been open for about two months, but the weather has been severely confused as to what season we are in. We went from 80 degrees one day to three days of snow…last week!) Anyway…we absolutely had to go this weekend, no matter what. Why? Iron Man 3, of course! The boys were so excited, they almost didn’t make until the end of the day. I have to admit, I was pretty excited, too. So, we gathered up our chairs, filled our cooler up with soda and water (and Reese’s Pieces, of course), and gathered up all the blankets we could find. It was going to get down into the mid-fifties, which is not that cold unless you have been sitting in it for a few hours! Then I ordered Chipotle for Jason and I to be picked up at 7:30 (thought it really should have been 8, but oh well). I fed the kids, got them bathed and into some warm PJ’s and then woke up Jason. While he was joining the land of the living, I was packing up the van and making sure I had thought of everything (Of course I didn’t…but I I gave it my best shot).

We got to the theater and found the perfect spot, kind of close to the front, but not so much so that we had to crane our necks. We set up the chairs and cooler, opened the back hatch of the van, set up the back seat to be used by kiddos, and turned the radio to the station playing our movie. Jason and I sat in the chairs and ate our dinner while the kiddos ran around and played together for a little while until the movie started. Then, the kids gathered onto the blankets I had set out on the ground for them and started asking me for candy, soda, water, more candy, to go to the bathroom…but after about 35 minutes, everyone was settled in and we watched most of the movie in relative peace.

It was dark, of course, but this was our drive-in set up! It was so much fun!!!

Iron Man 3 is as awesome as the other two. Robert Downey, Jr., IMO (in my humble opinion…for the older generation…), is the only person alive that can play Tony Stark that well. He is the absolutely perfect casting choice! I love these superhero movies anyway, as Stan Lee is a genius, and the writers and producers of these movies are brilliant, but when casting hits a home run like this as well, it just makes for cinematic perfection! The kids just thought it was cool, and Jason, Sr. had fun as well.

At the end of the movie, it was getting cold. I had Ashley curled up in a ball in my lap under my blanket, and Derek sitting on my left, almost completely covered except for a small peephole he had created to allow him to see the movie. It was hard to untangle myself, firstly because of logistics, but also because they made me so warm! But I needed to put Ashley into her seat so she could sleep and I could get the blood back into my right leg. The second movie was Oz the Great and Powerful, which was also pretty good! Living in Kansas, this movie was more of a requirement than just something to be seen, so it was convenient that it was the second movie playing. It was about how the Wizard first got to Oz and how he actually became the Wizard…and all about the bad witches as well. It was really good!

By the end of the movie, Derek was fast asleep sitting next to me in my chair, and I was snuggled up with him as close I could be just so we could feed off of each other’s warmth! It was getting really chilly, but we also had three blankets, and we stole Jason’s chair so I could put my feet up. Jason was sitting in the back of the van with Troy and Jason, curled up under another 48 blankets…or maybe a few less. By the end of the movie, all the kids were asleep, so it was just Jason and I. We gathered up all our belongings, set the seat up correctly in the back of the van with the older two boys still on it, and creatively buckled them in without waking them, moved Derek to his seat and buckled him in, and then piled the rest of our stuff into the back. Then we each turned the flashlight app on our phones (how tech-y of us!), and looked for any stray blankets, toys, trash, etc., and then we went home! It was really fun, really nice, and a great start to our summer!! I am really surprised more people don’t take advantage of the drive-ins around here, but maybe I shouldn’t say anything…it is not too crowded yet!

Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: drive in movie theater, drive-in, drive-in movie, drives-in, family night, i-70 drive-in, Iron Man 3, kiddos, kids, movies, Oz Great and Powerful | Leave a comment

A Walk Home from School

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Kelly Wymer

It may be possible that winter is finally beginning to go away and grace us with the warmer weather of spring and summer, making it possible for Jason to walk home from school. This is good for everyone, because, in order for this to happen, I have to gather up the other three kiddos and walk to school to go get him first. THEN he can walk home from school. We don’t actually live that far from the school, so it is not really that big of a deal, but when you are toting 3-4 kids along with you, the possibilities for disaster (or fun and imagination) are endless! Well, anyway, we decided that the weather was perfect yesterday for a walk home from school, so we decided to surprise my oldest son (again…).

Jason walking home from school.

I got the stroller out and placed Ashley into it, with my fresh cup of coffee in the cup holder (that might as well just be a cup slide for all the good it does), and called out to the boys and got going. Within about 3 minutes, Derek was balled up in the bottom carriage part of the stroller where I would usually put my purse/diaper bag, but since I knew he was going to do that, I freed up the space by leaving that gigantic thing at home. Troy then pointed out the white dandelion heads, causing Derek to burst back out of the bottom of the stroller so he could find some too. It was when we were about 1/2 way to the school when I realized I was the only one wearing shoes. I smiled to myself because I thought it was funny I thought it would be any other way. Even before Derek was hit by a car he was always barefoot, probably because that is what his brothers always did! Ashley is like any two-year-old, and takes her shoes off within the first 17 seconds of having them on…unless they are her sparkly boots or white patten leather ones with the flower on the toe…those last about 35 seconds…more than double!

These were like gold along our walk!

As we made our way to the school, I marveled at how easily the boys could run the entire distance without so much as losing their breath! I could maybe make it three houses before I collapsed, running as hard as they do. They would go a short ways ahead of me, and then wait for me, chasing each other in circles, picking dandelions, or talking to the barking dogs that actually stay in their fenced in backyard. Ashley just sits in her seat in the stroller, babbling away about puppies, flowers, her brothers, and, I think aerodynamic aviation or something…I’m not sure, but that was what it sounded like. I just acted like she was telling me the greatest story ever told. As long as she was happy, she was more likely to stay in her stroller seat.

Ashley pointing out something fascinating!!

By the time we got to the school, we are all starting to get a little winded, but the exercise feels really good, the warm sun feels even better, but embarrassing my first grader by waving at him through the window definitely is the best! Apparently, the few seconds it takes for Jason to spot us and to run outside as fast as he can to make us stop waving is enough for his siblings to catch their breath and to get their energy back. Derek was running, jumping, and skipping the rest of the way home! Troy might have been more tired, because he tried to squeeze into the stroller and sit by Ashley, but that just made Ashley squirt out of the stroller.

Awesome pic of Derek skipping…neither foot is on the ground!

No sooner do we leave the school grounds, and I am now pushing my 6-year-old in the stroller, nervously walking just behind my two-year-old, and watching my 7-year-old and 4-year old scamper around, finding dandelions again. Without shoes. Jason took his shoes off right after we passed the crossing guard. Why? His feet were too hot. So, I just piled his shoes…and mine…into the back of the stroller, and off we went!

Jason taking his shoes off for the trek home.

Of course we pass some decorative brick wall structure in someone’s yard right next to the sidewalk, and of course all three boys jumped onto it and then off of it again. They ran ahead of me, making me grab Ashley and plop her back into the stroller against her will just because there was no way I was going to let her run ahead with them. We were walking along a very busy street, and I was not going to take any chances…been there once already…that was enough!

Jason, Derek, and Ashley are seen here jumping off the brick wall. Troy had already done so and escaped the photo.

As we turned to get back onto our own street, the kids waved at the neighbors and demolished all the dandelions with white heads. I am sure the neighbors will be grateful. Ashley squirted out of the stroller again, and this time I allowed it because everyone was staying closer. I discussed his day with Jason, and Troy filled me in on a few more details of his day, and then we got home! And then they acted like they hadn’t eaten in four days and were starving and that they would die if they didn’t get a snack in the next 6.4 seconds.