Does anyone rest on Saturdays?

My Saturday was typical of most Saturdays. I try to take the kids grocery shopping as early as I can, because the stores start getting crazy around ten in the morning. I often take all or most of them on my own, which is probably a crazy thing to do, but hey, I like living on the edge! The funniest thing about being out with all the kids is other people's reactions. Like yesterday... We get into the store and this woman who is about 20-30 years older than me ( I wouldn't just call her "old" because I have hit a stage in life where the term old is relative. I mean, when you tell your teenage students that you are 33, and they call you old, you have lost the right to call anyone else old.), this woman looks at me and the kids and asks if they are all mine. I say yes, then she says something about how well behaved they look. Well, I couldn't help but chuckle, and give the usual "make my kids sound as good as I can without lying" response. I said, "yeah, they are pretty good...for now". It ended up being a bit of a crazy shopping trip, and we saw that same woman about half an hour later. She made no comment about their great behavior that time.
Anyways, just to give an example of how hectic it can be at home, after we were back I made the kids lunch. Well, expect the unexpected when it comes to kids! Just when you least expect it...Bam! Out of the blue one kid spills chocolate milk all over themselves, and I mean ALL over! Floor, stools, hair, clothes, counter, narrowly missing a sister. Off to the bathtub. Meanwhile, during bathing little brother goes downstairs to hide and do his business (yes, still not potty trained). So after bath, take spillee down to get clothes because, fortunately baby sis that she share. Room with is down for a nap (though I don't know if she is actually sleeping yet). We are getting clothes downstairs in the laundry room, and little brother comes to tell me he needs a diaper change. Oh, did I mention that I wash in a rush because the spillee and her bigger sis were going to a friends house after lunch? So I finally get spillee dressed, change little brothers diaper, then blow dry spillee's hair, and send the two sisters out the door, and...breathe. That was an intense 20 minutes. Only 20 minutes. There is still a lot of day to go!
Why don't they have university course on parenting? Now that is something that would have been useful!

Master's Degree? Check!

Well, not that it has hit me yet, but I AM DONE!!! I started my master's degree a few days after Charlie Boy was born back in 2010. In the beginning, I was wondering if I was going to like it...and thinking "Doing school work again stinks!!!!". Ha! And I am always preaching to Emma how awesome it is to learn stuff in school.
Anyway, it has been stressful at times, and I definitely never started a paper more than three days before it was due. There were a lot of fun times though.
But Holy Hannah...it is good to be done!!
Can't wait for graduation.
PS- anyone know how much an X ring costs these days?

Recent Photos of the Kids (Kelly's Hand at Work)

We have pictures of the kids on a certain wall in our home, by our computer. Some of them were getting old, so Kelly decided to take some action and take some new ones. Here is the result. She did an amazing job. 

The Middle of the Night: Ruby Edition

Here is Ruby. Sweet, innocent, and a lot of laughs.

In the middle of the  night last night, Ruby comes into my room, approaches me, and says:

"I am so bored!"

I looked at the clock, and it was around 2am. How can somebody be bored at that time of day? Shouldn't she be sleeping? I was confused, and asked her what she meant. She just keep saying, "I am so bored in bed."

So, naturally, not wanting this to continue, I tell her to go use the washroom and head back to bed.

Next thing, after she grumbles and heads to the washroom, I hear her on the toilet, complaining...

"Ohhh! It's so boring at night!"

Now, I was starting to get a kick out of this, and even chuckled to myself as I fell back asleep. I don't know how much longer she was up, but a few minutes later, she came back in with her water bottle, needing the top unscrewed, so she could fill it up. I dozed back off again, and didn't see her until the morning.

What I don't get is, how in the world is a 3 year old up at that time of night, complaining about how boring it is in the middle of the night? She is a funny girl, for sure, but this really makes me laugh.

If you really know Ruby well, I am sure you can picture this perfectly. We often don't know what is going on inside the head of that little girl. She always makes us laugh though. 

Easter Surprise: Baby Edition

Great New!!!! Baby is here!!!

Just a quick peek-a-boo before I get back to the hospital. Josephine Deborah MacLean was born last night at 10:02PM. She was 7 pounds 15 ounces. She is perfectly amazing. We though we might be getting a boy, but no way, Jose!! Another girl in the Girl Power Army!! She's beautiful. I wish my other pictures were working out, these are among the very few I was able to successfully get onto the computer. The others went berserk. Mom and baby are both well. I am in a rush, so enjoy the pics. More to come.

The Kids Playing in the Back Yard

Yeah, the kids were playing outside. It has been such a dull winter,

and this just goes to show there isn't much winter type fun to be had

here during this mild winter. I mean, check out that patch of ice!

But, they loved it. Now it's gone again. I love the part of the video where Charlie is

struggling to get up. Funny stuff. Ruby's craziness is a bit evident in this video, too.

She's a silly little monster!! hahaha. Love them!

P.S.-Not our dog...belongs to the family accross the street.

Charlie the future Father

A video of Charlie during Nursery at Church


Charlie likes baby dolls. He is pretty good with them, too.
I think he will be a good dad.
This was during Nursery class. It was just me watching him.
That's the reason I took the video.