Six under 6

While our friends sunned their buns in blissful Mexico and my husband exuded some testosterone on a guys weekend at a cabin up-North, I spent part of my weekend enjoying the 'organized chaos' of six children in my house.
And really, aside from mealtimes and a short craft/activity time that I orchestrated I barely saw them. The great thing I realized about having a crowd of kids together is that they entertain themselves more and whine less because they're too pre-occupied with having fun! My house was inundated with forts, lovies, and popcorn kernels and everyone just had a blast. I can tell you for certain that six kids slept soundly and deeply that Sunday night when it was over (and so did I)! Marbles were flying all over my living room and it was so cute to see them cooperate and take turns with Hungry Hungry Hippo-even though the noise-level of that game can make me crazy

Call me Becky-Home-Ecky but I do love the idea of crafts and the Family Fun magazine sucked me in with this super-easy Rice Krispie Caterpillar snack. AND it kept the kids giggling and contained at the table for almost an hour!

These two are the cutest buddies. I honestly could listen to them talk to each other for hours.

Winter Blahs

We are trying to beat the winter blues around here any way that we can. Thankfully the routine of school coupled with days of rest/stay-at-home-cozyness in between have helped keep us in a good 'place' mentally around here. Now if my girls (esp. the Middle) would just sleep in once in awhile things would be perfect. ;) Syd has an 'overachiever' (but I love her) Preschool teacher. I feel like every other week via the class newsletter, we're being prompted to bring something, make something, contribute something, or volunteer with something in her classroom. Guess that's what we get for choosing a teeny tiny little private church school.
This past month they studied Transportation and the kids were all encouraged (required) to bring in a vehicle that they would then drive to the gym to have a Drive-In Movie themed day.

Nothing like a little 'shameless' self-promotion of my new home business coupled with Daddy's awesome construction skills to create the ultimate Pink Jeep!

On one of our days "off" recently we met Nana and the cousins at a neat little indoor mini play area of sorts in Holland. The kids LOVE this place and it's so nice that it's a wide open room so you can always keep an eye on your crowd of kids without being right next to them.

My little attention-lover thoroughly enjoyed having the dress-up stage all to herself

And of course who can really complain too much about being cooped-up inside if we get to spend time with our baby twinner cousins. Evie & Eli are at a very fun smiley age. Lots of love goes around when they are near!

Watch out for the Eye-Poker! MV has discovered the game of "where's your eye?, nose?, etc" and thinks it's great fun to find those things on her pudgy cousin's faces. I guess I really don't blame her, but we're still working on the 'gentle' touch...

Hallmark Day 2011

My three sweet Valentines. Cute outfits c/o Grandma & Grandpa's special V-day package (sure do wish you could have been here in person!)

Okay, sometimes they're not so sweet. Just HAD to add this photo so you can see what I was really working with. 'Sweet' Molly is not so tolerant of photo sessions these days.

Raegan's class party pics. I was a good mom because I made it to her party, but a bad mom cause I couldn't make it to Syd's. She'll understand someday right? Middle kids are very understanding I'm told ;)

Raegan and one of her little besties, Riley. Sorting through their Valentine boxes.

I do love class parties. They're a little hot and sugar-filled but the kids are just on cloud-nine. So fun.

Annnd our day wasn't complete until we had a visit from the twinners.

Guess who also had her first 'date' this holiday weekend? She was SO excited.

And the best part of the V-day weekend for me? Not the funny card from my man, not the sweet phone call from my dad, not the shiny red balloons for the girls, but hearing Raegan say to her Daddy as she sat in his lap, "Daddy, last night (the Father/Daughter dance) was the best night of my life!"

Garland Getaway

Brad and I set up a kid-swap with good friends and headed out for our turn for a romantic getaway this past weekend. I am forever thankful for a husband that loves to research vacations and always finds both fun adventures and good deals! (I'll never forget our honeymoon when he hauled out 2 guidebooks on the plane and I thought, "Are you serious!?", Only to be blown away by all the exciting activities and 'secret' off-the-beaten-path spots that he found for us to explore). Seriously, if it were up to me, we would never go anywhere because researching is definitely not my thing!
Anyways, Brad found this great location 3 hours North that offered several outdoor activities and packages. We chose the "Gourmet Glide" which was a 4-7 hour, five mile cross-country skiing adventure that included five gourmet food and libation stations along the way. It was an absolute blast! No kids, no distractions, gorgeous scenery and weather, and a great work-out to boot. The pictures don't even begin to do it justice. We had an awesome time.

Cozy villa #629. Our haven for two nights.

1/4 mile into our 5 mile trek and we were both sweating. Profusely. Considering neither of us had ever cross-country skied we weren't sure what to expect~ but we now know that multiple layers are not so necessary.

Our second "station" and a favorite for sure. A roaring bonfire, ice-fishing, pan-fried trout and a large vat of beer cheese soup ready to warm us. Fun times!

Giving it a try. We're pretty sure it was mostly a gimmick. There were no trout caught on our watch, but we had fun trying.

This guy was hilarious! A real, dead black bear fashioned into a hat on his head. We saw all types this weekend; if you catch my drift.

The cozy bonfire at the Ice Fishing Station

Rested, relaxed, and still in Love after 8 years. :) Awww!

MV-(almost) 15 months

(yep, I still only have 4 razor-sharp teeth!)

Molly is really growing up (well not really 'up' so much, she's still kind of a shorty) lately! Or maybe what I should say is that she is learning so much lately! For what this little peanut lacks in height she makes up for with personality and spunk.

Things she has mastered in the last 3 months include:

Climbing up and down the stairs and down from furniture (not up yet cause she's too short to hike herself up)

Getting into any and all mischief that can be found. She will be my kid that markers my walls and eats cleansers if I don't keep them locked up.

Blowing kisses and giving kisses. This is exceptionally cute because she puckers up her little lips like a fish.

Making animal noises like 'woof' for a dog and 'mow' for a cat...which should not be confused with 'mow' for a cow too ;)

Hitting. Yes I have a hitter on my hands, and she thinks it's funny. And she's not just a hit-you-in-the-arm kind of kid, she's a let-me-slap-you-on-the-face-and-then-make-my-surprise-face-kid. If she wasn't so goll darn cute (and much too little), she'd be permanently in time-out.

She still sleeps great. Goes to bed about 8p and sleeps til 8a. Seems to be on the way to phasing out of the a.m. nap (for sure in the next couple months if I can help it!).

Generally she is a hoot and a half to have around and she is well-loved by both her sisters. Although she has already figured out at her young age how to push her very-sensitive 3 1/2 year old sisters' buttons and does it often. She L-O-V-E-S to try to keep up with her sisters and be a big kid. She is NOT the laid-back third child I thought I might get. This girl knows what she wants and will do what she can to get it!

She's growing up and fitting right in to this hen house~

"Blizzard of 2011"

I love that even MI natives still get so (worked up) excited when we get a bunch of snow! Meterologists are in a frenzy with 24hr updates on the "Snowpocolypse", Closings are rampant, and Nervous Nellies are racing to the local grocery story store to stock up on food and water supplies for what surely will be weeks before they can leave their houses again. :)
Well, here at the Kreiders, we don't get too worked up (although I did run out the night before to grab a gallon of milk, but mostly because we really only had about 1/2 a cup left) but we DO love having Daddy home for a day during the week and a reason to cozy up, lay low, and make lots and lots of snow tunnels!
Standing next to the cars in the garage to show how deep the snow was.

Venturing out for the first time.

Drifts on our big Pine.

Look at our tree near the garage~ It looks like a bush!

My Abominable Snow Man, after plowing our driveway for 2 hours straight! What a guy.