1 until 7....

Last day to wear our #6 shirts!!

 Good night, Six Year Olds!

Did you notice how Carl is sleeping?  That is the same way they slept from the minute they were born.  I often find one of them with their arms over their heads just like that.

2 until 7.... a little party day

We didn't have a party with their school friends this year so instead, we invited Lindy to join us for a quick lunch and then an afternoon at Chuck E. Cheese's for some playtime fun.

Here are more than 2 pictures...

 They loved this water gun game!

 We had over 400 tickets.  Gretchen picked (and Carl wasn't happy, but went along with her) a stuffed Chuck E Cheese.  Daddy paid a little bit to upgrade their tickets so she could buy him.

It was raining cats and dogs.  I thought the place would be insane on a rainy day, but really, this rain was so bad I think it kept people home.  There were 2 parties going on, but wasn't ridiculously crowded.  The rain was crazy... it rained so hard and was so windy that it actually rained in our living room.  I mean, put-a-bucket-under-it rain in our living room.  Sandy did some damage to a spot that had been compromised years ago.  Then, this rain just took it one step further.  Gotta call the roofing guys!  The worst part is that there is no way to avoid fixing the interior this time.  It is a nasty, mildew-y cracked hole now.  Pieces of the ceiling have fallen to the rug.

3 until 7..... bedtime

Gretchen is a saver.  At school, they earn about $1.25 per week in "Hoppy Dollars" and can shop in the classroom store weekly.  Gretchen bought something once for $2, but now has over $12 in her bank.  Carl is a spender.  He shops in the $1.25 box every week.  He has made some wise choices, at least.

With their allowance, they are both better with saving for something big.  Carl saved up and bought a Kinex (Lego-type) set that made a yellow racecar.  He is now saving with no real goal just yet.  Gretchen had her goal from Day 1.  A big stuffed bear from Costco.  

Last weekend, she finally had enough money to buy him - including tax!  She had close to $33 in her bank.  The bear was $29.99.  We  headed to Costco to get him!  A 53" plush bear in the medium brown color.  This is what Costco calls the signature bear.  He is always usually for sale.  Back up to last month.  One day we were shopping in Costco and noticed they were selling some other huge stuffed animals and the bear bin was kind of low.  So, while Lew & the kids ate, I asked the people at the service desk if they would be getting more of him in or were they going to just do the other animals.  The guy said that is definitely the signature bear, but then again - sometimes the stock is low and they don't get more in for a while.  I told him and the other lady how I have this six year old who is saving her allowance to buy him and I did not want to be disappointed.  He couldn't guarantee me the bear would be available.  So, I did what any of you would have done...  I sneaked over to Costco the next day and brought this bear home!  

Yes, he traveled in the front seat - with his seat belt on.   I wrapped him in a king sized bed sheet and put him in my closet.   I figured, when she got enough money, she would want the satisfaction of going to the store with her own money and buying her bear by herself.  Then, if need be, I'd return this guy, but I needed him to give to her, I had him.  Good thing I did that!  Sure enough, when we got to Costco, there were no bears at all.  They had a bunch of other animals, but not even a spot with the sign.  We searched all over.  At that point, she was OK with it.  One other time she wanted a Webkinz and had to wait a bit to find the right one.  Well, once we got home and they got ready for a nap, she saw the huge bear-sized space she had cleared on her bed for him and began to cry.  I was going to offer him to her after nap anyway, so I went and got him before nap.  She was so happy!  And, she didn't mind that she had to buy him from me and not the cashier at Costco.  

We have agreed that the next time they decided on something to save for, we must take into consideration the size of the item and where we will put it.  We told her this was OK because we knew we had room for one bear.  She has not mentioned anything worth saving up for yet.  

Here they are that evening, going to bed....  the 3 pictures for the day!  3 until 7!

 Carl reading us the bedtime story

 Good night, good night, sleep tight

4 until 7.... 4 lists

4 cool things about 6 year olds....

   1.)  they still love to hold hands with their mom
   2.)  phonetic spelling is freakin' adorable
   3.)  they go get things.  Like if they say "Can I have more milk?" at dinner, you can say, "Sure.  Go grab the milk out of the fridge" and they do!  Lew doesn't do that.
   4.)  you get to do lots of cool things because you have kids along


4 let's say "not-so-cool" things about 6 year olds....

   1.)  they talk constantly...and loudly.  Did I mention constantly?
   2.)  they do not listen (when you want them to)
   3.)  contrary to popular belief, I do not want to play Barbies or doll house or dolls 24 hours a day
   4.)  they like to hog my computer


4 flashbacks....

4 random things they love...

• Frostys from Wendy's
• stickers  
• going to the Children's Museum
• you!

5 until 7 .... the interview

OK.  If you are going to ask two 6 year olds some questions - even with mixing them up - you ought to just ask one 6 year old the questions and copy the answers.  Or, don't even bother asking the questions to them. Just look around the room for the closest object that will answer each of your questions and record that.   Even with the lack of individuality and creativity - or even honesty - here are the results:


CARL

What have you learned in past year?
I learned to be respectful, responsible and be a good worker.

Do you have any advice for people?
Always listen.  That sounds like it.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I want to work at Johnny's (a restaurant we have never even been to) and serve Indian food. (Johnny's is a burger joint.)
Really?
No, I want to make roads!

What is your favorite thing about yourself? 
I'm good at running.  (He wanted to say his hair color, but since Gretchen had just said hers, I refused to let him skip out on really answering the question.)

What is your favorite toy?
my fire truck

What is your favorite food?
cheeseburgers and popcorn chicken (popcorn chicken was what he had for lunch)

What is your favorite outfit?
My Angry Birds Halloween shirt.   (He tried to say "this one" and point to what he is wearing now.  Pants and a shirt he has never worn before.  Sorry Buddy, can't say something is your favorite if you have never seen it before.)

What is your favorite movie or TV show?
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
Really?
Yes, I watched it in the condo.  (Oh, so it is your most recent show, not necessarily your favorite.  His true fav right now is Wild Kratts on PBS.)

What is your favorite thing about school?
Playing outside.  I mean learning.  Learning about new stuff.

What is your favorite book?
The Berenstain Bears Blaze a Trail.  (He tried to say Danny and the Dinosaur like Gretchen did.  I don't think it is either one of their favorites.  They were just glancing around the room.)

What is your favorite restaurant?
McDonalds.  No, Fuddruckers!

Tell me 6 of your favorite toys
(this was like pulling teeth with both kids.  At least with Carl, they are correct favorite toys)
cars
Legos
doll house
trains
swing set
stuffed animals



GRETCHEN
What have you learned in the past year?
What 'oviparous' means.  (She needs to move on from that.  That was in kindergarten.)
Tell me something else.
Be responsible.

Do you have any advice for people?
(The child who talks incessantly had nothing to say.)

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A veterinarian.

What is your favorite thing about yourself?
My brown curly hair.

What is your favorite color?
Pink.

What is your favorite toy?
Baby Simba.  (stuffed animal she got on vacation last week.  Most recent toy.)

What is your favorite food? 
Elbow noodles. (what she had for dinner last night.)

What is your favorite outfit?
My leopard vest thingy.  (finally - a real answer!)

What is your favorite TV show?
Wild Kratts.

What is your favorite part about school?
Math.

What is your favorite book?
Danny and the Dinosaur

What is your favorite restaurant?
after a long time of saying, "I don't know"...  I guess Golden Corral.

Tell me your 6 favorite toys  (or, just list as many of the same 6 you heard Carl tell me earlier...)
stuffed animals - Baby Simba
trampoline
Playmobile set
mini grill thing ( kind of doll house toy)
Legos
swing set

6 until 7... hmmm...

Nope.  Not happening today either.  Gretchen has strep throat.  So, between time spent in the waiting & exam rooms, stopping for her pink stuff at CVS and then working on dinner, homework, bath and bed...  I didn't get to do anything creative with them.  Gretchen will stay home from school tomorrow.  Her first sick day of elementary school.

Good night.

7 until 7

There are only 7 more days until the twins turn 7 years old.  I had intended to ask them to tell me 7 of their favorite things or something equally cute.  Well, today, they returned to school after 9 days in Disney World.  Then, after school Gretchen (and therefore Carl & I) had Daisy Scouts and at 6:30 tonight, Lew & Carl had a Cub Scout den meeting.  So, any free time was spent doing homework and serving dinner.  I'll have to talk with them tomorrow.  6 until 7.

So, how about 7 random recent photos instead?