The Report!

So, we survived the ultimate babysitting adventure! Meet the kiddos:

Wilson. We enjoyed numerous checkers games, dancing, searching for Show-and-Tell items, and his superb accomplishment of setting the table for dinner every day. Every evening at dinner, Wil wasn't shy about fishing for compliments. He would always ask, "Who set the table today?? It looks GREAT!!"

Alison. She wins the prize for the most creative and loud methods of making Carson laugh and smile (jumping, shrieking, dancing, singing, etc.). Ali also adopted Carson's preferred method of sleeping at night: swaddled very tightly. She seriously slept every night stiff as a board, arms by her sides, wrapped tightly in a blanket. Ali braved the cold to walk the dog every morning, and also favored us with Beverley Cleary readings, often to the tune of her sister's piano practicing.

Sadie. At first, I was apprehensive about letting the kids hold and carry Carson, but by the end of the week, Sadie was a pro. She would hold, rock and change Carson as much as I would let her! Sadie stayed up late one Friday night because I had said everyone had to either go to bed or help Rick and I clean up. She worked so hard doing laundry, cleaning the kitchen, etc. Sadie left us cute notes that we will treasure forever.

Sam. This social butterfly was sometimes difficult to track down due to his daily rendezvous with neighborhood friends. Sam woke up early most days we were there to participate in his school's Knowledge Bowl, and was a dedicated member of their team. He also did a great job on trash duty!

Spencer. Our go-to man! Spencer helped me out so many times to locate things in the house (I'm accustomed to a 650 square foot apartment!), get the kids the things they needed, clean up dinner, etc. etc. etc.! Anytime we were stuck, we could count on Spencer to help out. I also loved helping Spencer with math homework (which he usually figured out anyway).

Mike. This almost-high-school-graduate kept us up late at night for some fun conversation over ice cream (although he claims we kept him up). It was fun to share his moment of getting asked to a school dance with a decorated, candy and balloon filled car! Those were fun days!!


What a learning experience! Rick and I have a lot to talk about concerning how we want to discipline our children, what kind of family traditions/habits we want to establish, how many children we want to have and how far apart to space them, etc.
We love our nieces and nephews and had a great week, but I'll be honest: the number of children I think I can handle has significantly decreased. I like having time to just play with my baby!

Here are some extra pictures from the week, just for fun:

Ali's swaddle, or "burrito."

Wrestling with Wil.

Friday night movie theater in the basement, complete with a snack bar.

Celebration of the end of the week with a trip to Chuck E. Cheese.

Sharing family photos.

Carson's precarious perch.

One of those endless checkers games.

Pizza for lunch. The rule: each slice of pizza must be accompanied by 1 serving of fresh fruit or veggies. :)

Girls' night! The kids were so good to play with Rick in the basement for the event.

Our attempt at Family Home Evening. Wow, it's not as easy as we thought.