Kiddo crazy

This past week all of our kids had fun things to do.  Brooke, Tanner, Annee and Chubba took our ski boat to Bear Lake with a reunion with Brooke's family.  We got to babysit Annee's frog.  Travis and Tenille went to Lake Powell with friends and family (not us)...and we got to babysit Nash and Boston for a few days.  Since I am still "in recovery"mode, I was really afraid I wouldn't be up to full-time kiddo sitting but David promised he'd help.  And he did!  He took them horse back riding and swimming several times.  We really had a great time together.  I had them cook with me and we made Corn dog Muffins.  They thought it was fun to help.  I'll put the recipe on the cooking blog.

 Boston and Nash's favorite thing, by far, was toad catching.  Apparently we have tons hatching down by the barn and the boys went nuts.  It started off with just two and I made a little house for the terrified duo in a food saver with a hole cut out on the top.  The next thing I knew, the toads had escaped.  I found one hopping on my kitchen counter and a couple of hours later, found the other one hopping down the hallway.  After thinking they were secure once again, they later escaped...and one has yet to be found.  Little boys!  So much fun!

 This was the first night....both conked out from all the fun.

The boys went home Sunday night....then Monday morning we picked up Ryan and Marci's 4 kiddos...and we'll have them for the week.  Marci has been in Guatemala for a week singing in a special choir, then Ryan left this past weekend and he'll join her, then stay for another week for business.  Again, lots of swimming and horseback riding.  Josh and I play dominoes and I conned the kids into helping me with projects. (below are cute storage containers I bought at Ikiea.  WHY do I buy things there that have to be put together????  Then after hours of the putting together, the bins were actually too big for my pantry.....)  (but heh, they are red and cute...)

So if you already have chaos with 4 kids, why not take on 3 more.  Brandi had a date with her friendaboy and Parker last night.....so I said the girls could come over as well.  I had made candy balls for Nash and Boston and they LOVED it....so I made some more for all these kids.  We had two of them going at a time and it is probably the funnest game we've played.  I wrote instructions about them a few entries ago.  If you are confused by how to make them or how to play the game, just call me or email.

So, truly, I am ready for a nap!  BFF Cathy has been out of town, and then had out of town kids for a month so we haven't really had any time together so while David held down the fort, I picked her up for lunch today.  A rehab center that her son-in-law runs (and Kirk is part owner of) caught on fire last night so we went way out west to see the damage.  (I thought we should take hot dogs and marshmallows but then realized maybe that wasn't appropriate.....)  They have things all under control.  Loved my break time...
then home to more games and taking the kiddos for snowcones.  We're having a (whew!) good time. (except for the last 4 kiddos brought their caterpillars that they are hoping will turn into butterflies.  Both the caterpillars escaped from their mesh home and only one of those has been found.  The kiddos "pets" are wearing me out!)


"Do you know why grandchildren are always so full of energy? They suck it out of their grandparents."  Gene Perret