Matthew turns 10!

Just some pics from the 10th birthday party for Matthew. We hit a new hot spot called GlowPutt. The pictures don't really capture the fun, since everything was in the dark, lit up by black lights. We loaded up the kids with glow-in-the-dark necklaces, bracelets and flashing magnetic lights that most everyone wore as an earring! Everybody had fun hitting their fluorescent balls around the 18-hole course.

Afterwards, we went home to enjoy pizza, a football made out of cupcakes, ice cream and the biggest Nerf war that our basement has ever seen. Everyone went home happy and exhausted!

Quote of the Day

Molly - upon returning from her first day of Kindergarten as said to Poppy and Nana who were getting the full report . . . "Oh, riding the bus was really cool. We don't have to wear seatbelts, but the driver does. Tee, hee, hee!" Oh the joys of breaking the rules!

School Days, School Days . . .

The house is finally quiet. My littlest one went to her first day of Kindergarten. I was amused by the way she did it. In the past I have put each of my children on the bus. Each was a little apprehensive, maybe even a little confused about where to sit, what to do, who to ask for help. Each glanced back at me as if to say, "Am I okay? Am I doing this right?" Each waved a somewhat less-than-confident wave to me as the bus pulled away.

Not Molly! She lined up with the rest of the kids and marched right on to the bus. Did she sit in the front seat with the other frightened kindergartners? No! She walked confidently to the back of the bus and took a seat next to a child twice her size. I can only imagine what conversations they had on the short ride to school. Did she wave? No, I couldn't even see her among all the other older children.

When she got off the bus at school (Yes, I did follow my child to school. No, I did not cry!), she walked over to where her teacher was waiting. After giving her a quick hug, she continued on as if to go into the school with the other older kids. You have to understand that the rest of the kindergartners were still huddled by the teacher wondering what to do next. Not Molly. She knows where to go, what to do, who to ask if she doesn't. She is a veteran and hasn't even had her first official day at school yet. I guess that kind of attitude comes with spending countless days visiting the school to see her older brothers and sister.

So watch out, elementary school. Miss Molly is in the house and she's ready to take on anything you can throw at her! Good luck in school, Molly!

And They're Off . . .

Well, it happened. . . the first day of school. While Molly doesn't go until tomorrow (I don't remember "phase in" days when I was in kindergarten!), the rest of my kids woke up early and headed out to the bus stop this morning.

Maggie was the first to go. Our first year with two different schools and two different bus schedules. Actually, it was kind of nice just to have some time with her this morning before everyone else had to get up and start getting ready. She was ready to tackle middle school, although admitted to having just a little nervousness over the unknown. At the end of the day over a big pile of homemade puppy chow, chocolate chip cookies and milk (oops . . . I'll do a healthy snack tomorrow!), she had many tales to tell and acted rather nonchalant about the whole thing. Such a budding adolescent!

Matthew and Mason headed out next. Off to elementary school once again. Surprisingly, both of them were quite excited to be going back to school today. I think they were ready for a break from one another. Since we have so many who join us at the bus stop, one of the moms generously supplied everyone with doughnut holes and coffee. Yum. I love my neighbors. The moms were fighting the kids for first dibs! Both boys came home very excited about their classes and their teachers. Matthew was even carrying a new book home that he wanted to read. I've died and gone to heaven. My oldest boy actually wants to read!! Hallelujah for a teacher who has lots of great books for BOYS and understands how to motivate them to want to read them!

I'll let you know how tomorrow goes when the youngest finally makes her venture into the world of elementary school . . . right after I enjoy a cup of coffee in the complete and utter silence of my own house!

Pic of the Day

Just in case you doubted that all the craziness that I speak of really goes on daily at our household. Mason getting ready for an all-house Nerf War. Let the battle begin!!

Slip Slidin' Away

There are moments when my kids are running around the house at full tilt that I wish I could just harness all of that energy for some useful purpose. Well, it finally happened. A few months ago, my dear friend brought over a catalog with a product that she thought was perfect for me. You see, she knows me well enough to know that I hate to clean my wood floors. I can get the dusting, vacuuming and toilets done, but when it comes to that final step of cleaning the wood floors, I just crumble.

The catalog showed these wonderful slippers that you just put on your feet and glide around in. The bottom is covered with nubby micro-fiber "fingers" that sweep up all the dirt. When you're done, you just remove the bottom of the slipper, throw it in the wash, and you're ready for the next cleaning. Now, I really didn't think it was worth buying them and paying for shipping. But . . . when I saw them in the local housewares store the other day, I couldn't resist. I bought two pair. I figured I couldn't have all four kids wearing them at once, or we would have mass collisions. Notice, I did not say that I was going to wear them. I do have my fashion standards! The moment we got home, my kids fought over who got to wear them first.

Let me tell you, while I still need to mop on occasion, my wood floor is now sparkly instead of dusty. So if you happen to see a bright green or pink blur whizzing past in our house, never fear. It's just my kids doing their chores. I think I'll go sit in my chair and enjoy a cup of coffee!!

Ready . . . Set . . . Hike!

There's something exciting about watching boys play football. In a day and age where the lines between femininity and masculinity are becoming increasingly blurry, it's nice to take a moment to let boys be boys.

Little League Football just started up their 2008 season here. The first year that we were involved with football, I must admit that I was a little more than hesitant about letting my boys play. Something about watching them be crushed under a sea of humanity just seemed too brutal for my little guys. But they both begged to be a part of the action. You see, both of my boys are "all boy"! So with as much padding as I could possibly buy (and a little extra that I tried to tuck into the unprotected spaces), I sent the oldest one, Matthew, on to the field, worried sick that we would be racing momentarily to the emergency room with a broken bone.

What I didn't plan on was the excitement that I felt at watching my boy run, tackle, sack and score on the field. Admittedly, it's not always exciting. We are talking about little boys, who often run around more in a pack rather than as a well-oiled machine. But after years of yelling "Don't hit your brother!" or "Don't trip your sister!" or "Boys, no wrestling in the family room!", it's just a liberating moment to let your boys be boys . . . to let them do what comes naturally, flinging their bodies around in the hopes of knocking someone off their feet!!

This year, I have both boys in football. Fortunately, Mason gets his introduction into football in the seemingly safer manner of flag football. He has a one-year reprieve before getting his clock cleaned in the tackle league in 2009. So anytime you're here in the area over the next couple of months, come join me in the stands as I holler, scream and jump on the sidelines, cheering on my boys as only a good football mom can do!

Middle School, Here We Come!

On the day that class assignments were delivered, our phone rang non-stop from morning till night. The air was filled with talk of good versus bad teachers, prissy versus cool girls, and laments over not being in the same classes together. There were also shouts of joy when a friend was found who had the same schedule. Thus begins our journey through the minefield of emotions, growing pains and awkwardness that we call Middle School (Junior High for those of us over the age of 25!).

I count my blessings that I get this next few years to acclimate myself to this new world before we enter the high school years. So far, it has been a fun journey. Maggie is, for now, a delightful, budding woman. Talk to me in a year and see if my opinion changes as the hormones increase!

And she has made spectacular choices in friends. Many of her friends were assigned to her "team" at school so I am assured that in this first year she will be surrounded by wonderful, grounded girls. Unfortunately (and so far the biggest disappointment this summer), her friend pictured above did not make her team. Not only do these two make me laugh because of the obvious physical difference in height, but they are truly funny and creative together. I can only hope that this teaches Maggie to maintain friendships even when you aren't together every minute of the day. It's a lesson that I need to continue to learn as I try to maintain a closeness with those who don't live around me anymore

So off we go to the next phase of our very entertaining lives. I'll keep you updated on the exciting adventures of middle school as they unfold! It should be a wild ride! :)

Mighty Molly

Wow - what a morning! Molly had eye surgery this morning. Over the last few years, the doctor had hoped that Molly would outgrow the need for her bi-focal lenses. Since this didn't happen naturally as she grew, it was decided that it was time to surgically help matters along. Fortunately, we are under the care of a wonderful doctor who has performed this type of surgery hundreds of times. According to the doctor, all went perfectly, and we fully expect at the 7-day check-up to fill her new prescription for single lenses! Here's just a little photo commentary of our morning.

8:45am - Arriving at the hospital

9:00am - Look at my new jammies

10:20am - Off to get my eyes fixed!

11:00am - Wow, that anesthesia packs a punch

11:20am - I'm outta here!

Pic of the Day

Wet and Wild

Yesterday couldn't have been a more gorgeous summer day.  It was even what I would call unusual for an August day.  Normally, we would expect high 80s, maybe even 90s, with a lot of humidity.  Instead, we had sweatshirts on in the morning because the temperature was only around 55 degrees.  While the day started out cloudy, the clouds soon parted and the afternoon was amazingly cool and sunny.  There were even little white puff-clouds left in the sky just to give some texture to an otherwise flawless blue.  The afternoon temperature - 75 degrees.  PERFECT . . . except if you were part of the Arnold family!  Let me explain.

We have waited all summer long to go to our new water park,  Zoombezi Bay.  It's only a few minutes away from our house, so it has sat there taunting us with its humongous, colorful water slides and waterfalls.  Originally, we were supposed to go on Mason's birthday back in June.  The day before we were to go, the forecast was not promising.  There was rain and cool temperatures expected.  Because it's not inexpensive to go there, we decided to delay our trip until a better day.  That delay has lasted throughout the summer.  Each time we have tried to go, either weather or schedules or unexpected things have kept us from it.  So when we decided that August 11th was the day, there was nothing that was going to stop us!

We didn't plan on going until 4:00pm on Monday because of some special discounts that we had - buy one, get one free means a lot in our family!  So at 3:45pm, we loaded everyone up and headed off to the water park.  I figured I could stand anything for four hours until the park closed for the night.  Let me just say that the park was not crowded.  In fact, there were only a few hearty souls who had braved the elements as we had.  And cold doesn't begin to describe the water temperature.  It is amazing what kids will withstand for a little thrill.  They jumped right into the water and began to play in the kiddie land, letting giant buckets of that same water dump on top of them.  We even managed to hit all of the water slides multiple times.  

Only later did we realize how cold the kids were.  As we stood there, all slightly blue and covered in goosebumps, Molly said, "Look Dad!  I can shiver and talk at the same time.  That's a talent!"  Despite being so cold, there were very few complaints all evening.  Toward the end of the evening, we chose to float together down the lazy river, some of the warmest water in the park.  As we floated along, I took a moment to look around.  There was no fighting, no whining, no bad attitudes.  All I saw was six smiling faces, my family enjoying each other, helping each other and loving the time together.  I love being a part of this zoo!  

The 2008 Olympics

As the fireworks burst over the "Bird's Nest" in Beijing last night, the kids were having their own Olympics right in our backyard. We had some of our friends over during the opening ceremony to kick off the start of the 2008 Summer Olympics. The party was complete with lots of Chinese food and games. My friend, Susan, came up with all the game ideas. There were relay races of all sorts, football tosses and a "flinging disc" that went a little awry. The kids were fierce in the competitions, asking for line judges and "redos" when they thought the results were unfair. It was a hoot to see how intense they got. In the end, each of the three "countries" represented had a win under their belt and went away happy.

Clean up!

There's something very therapeutic for me when I have a load of laundry going before the kids even wake up in the morning. This morning was one of those mornings. Still in my jammies, drinking my first cup of coffee for the day, I took a quiet moment to fold the load in the drier from last night and get a new load going in the washer. I even had time to pre-treat stains with my favorite stain remover, Fels Naptha. It's a delightful bar of soap that seems to take out almost anything you throw at it, even set-in stains. Alright, enough of the product endorsement. Back to the story at hand!

The most exciting part was that the load going in the washer the final load. All of our laundry bins are empty and our drawers are now full again with clean, neatly folded clothes. You have to understand. This doesn't happen often in our household. With a family of six, the laundry is abundant. In fact, it is absolutely never-ending. I do okay with the washing and drying. It's the folding and putting away that I struggle with. There are many days that the kids search for clean clothes only to have me tell them, "Go look for something in the pile of clean stuff on the laundry room floor." That's where it sits until I manage to find the time to fold it and put it away. Worse yet, "Look in your dirty bin. Maybe there's something you can wear one more time before the wash!" Don't worry. I never make them turn their underwear inside-out! :)

But this morning is different. For this short time (maybe as short as one hour), I'm going to enjoy looking at my clean bins, my neatly folded stacks and breath a sigh of relief. Just wait until the kids wake up. That's when the laundry starts again! What's that I hear . . . the sound of last night's jammies hitting the bottom of the laundry basket?! Hmm . . . another day has started!

My Garden

Sometimes, the moon aligns just right with the stars, and the rain is plentiful, and the sun shines just enough. It's in these rare moments that my garden seems to flourish. I fancy myself a gardener, but in reality, I'm just a slave to the elements. I can prune my plants, fertilize them, water them, but if Mother Nature doesn't agree with me, the flowers just don't thrive.

This year was different. We had an amazing start to the summer. The temperature was cool and the rain was abundant, sometimes to the chagrin of the farmers in our area. But just when we thought we were going to float away, the sun would come out to dry everything up just in time for the next big rain. In this environment, my garden has flourished. In most parts of my yard, the landscape is very manicured and planned. Picture lots of boxwood hedges, hydrangeas, roses and ornamental trees. It tends to blend in with all the neighbors' yards. Beautiful but somewhat bland.

But in one small terraced bed on my side yard, I leave everything a little more to chance. I have packed this bed full of so many perennials, I can't remember some of their names. In fact, I occasionally find a few that I don't remember planting at all. This is by far my favorite bed. I see it every day when I come out my side door or when I pull up into my driveway. And it's always changing. It's filled with blooming foxglove and columbine in the Spring; daisies, black-eyed Susans and cardinal flower in the Summer; and Autumn Joy sedum and some kind of little blue flower in the Fall. See, I told you I didn't know all the names! No matter what time of year you look at it, there is always something bursting into new color. I also keep my bird feeder there so that my little feathered friends can enjoy the view. But my freakish fascination with them is for a whole other blog!

This bed has been a labor of trial and error. Like I said earlier, my green thumb does not come naturally. I am more of the mindset that if a plant can't make it in my lovely clay soil without a lot of babying, then it doesn't need to be in my garden. I just don't have a lot of extra time to be nurturing these plants along. My hands are full doing that inside the house for my kids. These plants are hearty, self-sufficient and delightfully prolific. It took six full growing seasons to finally fill this bed, but it was worth every minute.

So take a moment to enjoy the vista that I see every day. I wish the picture could capture the breathtaking mix of colors, but there is just so much that a camera can do to reproduce the colors that God created. He has such an amazing palette. And we are so fortunate to be able to sit down for a moment and just look at His wonderful work.

Just do it!

Okay, I have to admit, this is my very first attempt at blogging. I'm not as eloquent as my sister Carol, or as creative as my sister Debbi, or even as brilliant as my brother Jack. I'm the entertainer in the family. Sometimes crazy, sometimes ditsy. Most often, slightly out of control. So blogging may prove to be an interesting adventure for me. And somewhat entertaining for my readers!

I am the mother of four amazing children, whom I am sure that you will hear often about in the near future. There's Maggie (11) who is just on the cusp of womanhood and proving that adolescence is going to be yet another adventure in our lives. She is an amazing girl who is shaping up to be an outstanding woman. Matthew (9) is our athlete. Built like a brick, he proves to be a force to be reckoned with out on the football field. Yet, he is also the one who is most likely to take your breath away with a thoughtful comment. Mason (8) is our wild man. Always willing to take on a new adventure, he has followed in his brother's sporty footsteps. And with all of the Lego creations that this boy comes up with, we may have the next Frank Lloyd Wright on our hands! Then there's Molly (5)! Spitfire, clown, joy. She's our little entertainer. The things that she says and does never cease to surprise us. And I have never seen such an outgoing child. She will never be without a friend.

Over all this craziness, there's my husband, James. Going on our 19th year of marriage, it has never been dull. We met in college; were married right after graduation; lived in Chicago for four years and now reside in Dublin, Ohio. He is my best friend and helper in every way. He is amazing with the kids, teaching them things I never could like how to hit a golf ball, how to shoot an arrow, how to sight in a BB-gun. Did I mention that he loves the outdoors?!

I'm the matriarch of this clan. I've been nicknamed Twitchie and Hami most recently. Any of you who are familiar with animated movies will realize that my family considers me to most resemble a slightly neurotic, ADHD squirrel. I will admit, I have my moments when I can see the resemblance. Did I mention that I'm already on my fourth cup of coffee this morning?! I stay at home taking care of my children. In my spare time, I play tennis, rock it out in a band at church and read lots of books.

All in all, it's a great family. But it isn't boring. I called our blog The Arnold Zoo. Most days, you will find us with not only our four children, but also with my children's friends playing nearby. At any given moment, it's not uncommon to have up to 12 children playing in the house. I keep finding myself amazed at this because I'm not the most cuddly mom in the neighborhood. I bark at them to clean up their messes, make them eat food in the kitchen and demand that they use their manners. Evidently, I just provide the best snacks, so they keep on coming. I really have to stop making those chocolate chip cookies all the time!

So, consider showing me some grace as I start this new faze of my life - the Internet connection faze. Hopefully, it will be entertaining at the least, inspirational at it's best. But most of all, I hope that it will keep you connected with our family as we grow up along this road that we travel together.