Flowcharts? Really?

So, I don't know if I would ever have believed that a family would need a flowchart to navigate a Saturday until two Saturdays ago. I think that this is the phase we have now entered. The Saturday before last started with a basketball game at 8:30, testing from 8:45-noon, a birthday party at 12:30, a ballgame at one, a nap from 1-3, another ballgame at 2, math competition practice from 4-6, another birthday party for ALL the kids from 6:30-8:30, and a father/son night out. All of these events were in separate locations, and NONE of them were in Duvall where we live. Two of them were in Carnation, which is only about 14 minutes away--and we were grateful for that.

Spence and I sat down with a pad of paper and willing hearts as we mapped out who would "D.O." (drop off) and who would "P.U." (stop chuckling Spence, we both know I'm not stooping to restroom humor here--Pick Up). We also had to figure out who would have which kids in their car at what time. We each got our schedule, and then perfectly performed our choreographed day. It truly was amazing, like a work of art forming before our very eyes. Spence even got our basketball hoop put together and up, and I even cooked all our meals. Who knew that we could stand up to the heat SO well? And come out on top!

Well, that's all fine and dandy untill you realize that every Saturday for the next sixteen years is going to be like that. This isn't going a one-hit-wonder, folks, because it CAN'T be! We must pull this off time and again if we want to give our kids the opportunity to be athletes as well as "mathletes," as our friend Jeff put it. Not to mention have social lives!

Yesterday shaped up to be much the same as the previous week, only take away the birthday parties and the testing, add a primary activity, baseball tryouts, a "girl's night out, and an intensive workout for Mom's new obsession--triathlon training. And that about sums it up. I was so confident after the previous Saturday, that I didn't even really prepare. Have you ever heard the line, "If you fail to prepare, then prepare to fail?" Well, that applies here.

The morning started off horribly, with me still in bed and Elyse panicking that I wasn't downstairs reading or fixing her breakfast. I heard her crying on the stairs, and yelling "Mom! I can't find you!" The stress increased as Spence had to make a mad run to Target for baseball gloves for the boys, and a swim cap and goggles for me. And I lost Elyse's friend's birthday invitation, so I had to call and find out if the party was indeed the 24th (and thank goodness it's on the 31st), WHILE I was trying to get everyone ready for the day. The day just took off without me-without a real plan. What can I say? It was intense. I still had confidence we could make it while I was asking Coulson to keep Kian out of the toilet and the refrigerator for 10 minutes while I finished our "plan." And then he started to cry. He's too cool to cry by now, so he had my full attention. He said, "Mom, can't we just all stay home and play like we normally do? I don't want to do this. I hate this."

Talk about a stop you in your tracks moment. I looked at myself and thought, "Am I the over-scheduling, stressed-out, yuppy parent that I never thought I'd be?" What am I trying to accomplish here? So I asked him if it was the tryout. Yes. Did he wanted to play baseball? Yes. He just hates the tryout. He was the same for basketball, but has LOVED playing! And he was just fine the previous week when he didn't have to witness the careful planning it all took. Execution was fine; the stress of planning was not. So, executive decision made. He tried out, and we proceded with the day.

The result of the day wasn't exactly pretty! Coulson's tryout went over 20 minutes, which made him miss his basketball game completely. Aiden was 20 minutes late to his basketball game. They both missed the primary activity. Spence had to sit alone with 5 kids for Evie's game; everyone forgot about Coulson's math competition practice, and I missed the girl's night out (which was FINE by me). Maybe I've been deluding myself in thinking we can juggle all these schedules. But hey, it's not my kids' fault that their parents chose to have so many kids, and I don't want them to miss out on anything.

Maybe planning will solve all our problems. Maybe I should start Saturday's planning tomorrow (Monday). Maybe I'll post flowcharts in every hall and door in the house; everyone will know exactly where they're supposed to be and when. Maybe? Maybe I should just bag it and let them play all day on Saturday. And get in eachother's hair, and get bored, and jump on the furniture and get food all over the kitchen, and yeah, we're stickin' with what we've got for now. But I'm taking any suggestions from you veterans out there. How do you make it work? Does anyone have a flowchart I could borrow?

I Believe in Magic!

You may call it Disney's shameless marketing, but I believe in magic. Just the mere fact that we flew just about as far as you can within the continental United States with our five children under the age of 11,

got to watch the New Year's fireworks from the airplane as we landed in Orlando, Florida
and a whole lot of TV before that (Spence),

and still had smiles on our faces when we pulled up to Grandma and Grandpa's at 2am is proof that magic is real!

It was a great trip, which included a visit to:

GATORLAND, Orlando, Florida!

"Yes Grandma, they are all real."

Apparently, they have more than gators at Gatorland.

"You want to pay five dollars to hold what?"



Don't try this at home, folks!

We may be all smiles, but we wouldn't think of touching anywhere near the mouth--this baby would draw blood!

This handsome little guy was floating right below us.

WonderWorks!
No, she's not on the catwalk! She's experiencing hurricane-force winds--and loving it!

Aiden made all sorts of giant bubbles--he even made one go over ME!
Coulson wasn't too sure about this bed of Nails thing. But the Laser Tag at the end was the real bomb--so fun I don't even have pictures.

a frigid day at THE BEACH

Aiden body surfs!

Kian tried the ocean, and between getting tumbled and getting icy cold, he decided to stick with the sand.

The Darringtons and the Shirts on this cold beach day.

Our freezing bathing beauty who didn't want to go!

a sweltering day at Hollywood Disney,

so hot, in fact, that Evie got heat exhaustion and threw up on the way home, and I got heat exhaustion and was up half the night wishing I could do the same.

A magical evening at the Magical Kingdom.

Because I was sick, Spence took the boys to Magical Kingdom's big rides in the morning

They had fun, and got as much out of the amusement park as possible. But the park didn't hold the same magic for them as it did for the girls. Maybe it was all the awesome stunt shows they had seen the day before that made the Magical Kingdom seem "little kiddish." Maybe it was because they are older or are boys. Or maybe it was just because the girls did a little preparation in the morning when the boys were gone.

And what did we girls do when they were gone? Evie and Elyse watched TV for five hours (a vacation in and of itself) and I slept in the new LaZBoy Grandpa got for Christmas trying to recover from heat exhaustion. After a couple of hours, I pulled myself out of the chair, dressed the girls in free hand-me-down gowns, did their hair all up to get them ready for the date of a lifetime--a hot one with Dad!

Elyse truly thought she was a princess!

Didn't she look pretty?

Reminds me of a magical night 16 years ago at my Junior Prom where my Dad danced with me!

Spence: "I danced with my little princesses during dinner (there was a dinner show), the employees bowed and curtsied to them on several occasions and said "hello princesses", one employee gave them "pixie dust" for their hair, it was quite fun. Lots of people smiled at them. I think Elyse felt like she owned the place. We spent the whole time in Fantasyland and never left it...they truly were in Fantasyland. It was every Daddy's dream to have his two princesses, one on each hand, for an entire afternoon together. I would do it again in a heartbeat, and I'll be sad when they're too old to "dress up" anymore, because it was dang fun. Elyse actually bought a Minnie princess hat that was pink, had sequins, and ears. when she got tired of wearing it, i did and we got the greatest looks. One 3 year old girl even pointed at me and said to her mom, "Mommy, that man is wearing a girl hat!" It was great."

Daddy really pulled through and saved the day! I felt bad I couldn't be there, and really wanted the kids to have a great time. He was our royal prince! Who cares if he couldn't pull the sword?

And there was even a kiss for me when they got home.

The trip highlight though was Grandma and Grandpa, who had hospitality and love to spare! Coulson told a friend's mom, "We went to Florida to see our Grandma and Grandpa. Disneyworld was a bonus." And you can see why. . .

They love their grandkids! Grandma played with them the whole time,

And Grandpa told stories and rocked the little ones--even after LONG meetings.

They are busy missionaries, but they sure love their family!

What a great trip!

Wait until you hear what we came home to!