Days with the Dorans

 Sean's "real" birthday fell during the week this year and of course during the week is not good for us Dorans... Ali had tumbling, then Z had soccer and Ali had tap later (mix in piano practice and homework)...  The first time the 6 of us were all together was 9:00 pm, but we HAD to do candles and singing for Seany.  Instead of cake, Jeff picked up some cupcakes that were put together to make a football.  Thank goodness that, for Sean, cake and ice cream are the priorities for birthdays (he didn't ask about presents at all)! I did take a video of him from his first day and his 1,460th day.  You can see it by clicking HERE. Of course he did get some presents.  With everyone's busy lives and schedules, we just had my folks and the Drapals come over.  Jeff's family wasn't able to make it so we planned everything pretty much last minute (which is very much our style).  I know that next year I MUST be better (I'm already telling myself that fo...

I should preface this by saying that I got Ali's permission before writing this post.  She shares everything with me from our conversations on drives to dance~ to a journal she keeps where we write notes back and forth to each other.   I did however make a mistake with this one, which I will explain in a moment... While we were getting ready to leave the pumpkin patch, standing around our car looking to the heavens in search of the international space station, Ali jammed a paper into my hand and whispered, "You're not going to like this!" I unfolded the letter wondering what it was going to be.  I was worried it was a mean note from a friend of Al's who recently had been really mean to her (so much so, that she was in tears nights before).   I was so relieved when my eyes first went to the most adorable picture I have ever seen! Two hands meeting with a flower in between them. The letter read: From Luke.  I like you. Do you like me. T...

Jeff and I had a rare Sunday off from music (church), so we loaded up the kids and after school on a Friday and headed to Three Cedars, our new favorite farm!  We went there last year after our neighborhood farm had prices that were crazy high!!  I'm kind of glad they charged so much because had we stayed there, we wouldn't have made the drive to this place (and we've found a gem)! It was a perfect fall day!  When we arrived at the farm, there weren't too many people there so we had a wagon ride almost all to ourselves (a family of 3 was there too)!  Once we made it to the pumpkin patch, the kids were off in search of the 'perfect' pumpkin!  Sean learned the hard way that running in a pumpkin patch is NOT a good idea.  There were vines everywhere.  Thankfully he learned from his mistake and was soon off (walking) with his sibs. Zach found his pumpkin almost immediately.  It was on the far end of the patch.  He literally took off an...

 I'm a bit behind in my journaling (aka blogging).  It was the beginning of October that the kids came up from the basement with the tempera paints and brushes!  They know that in our house, October means they get to paint on the window!  We began this tradition when we moved into our house (I stole the idea from my mom who used to paint one of our windows at Christmas time).  This was the first year that I let the KIDS do ALL the work!  In the past, I've done the black outline of the pumpkins and they painted them (so they had a lot of fun, but it still looked good).  I admit that I can be a bit OCD and want things to look 'my' way so I was proud of my 'letting go' this year.  Ali and her brothers learned that when they do the black outline they have to w-a-i-t a l-o-n-g time (at least to them it felt long) before painting the other colors.  Ali took the opportunity to write in a 'book of spells'.  The kids did well deciding w...

I feel like we've been pretty good at not only teaching our kids to be independent but to help out around the house for the 'common good' of the house.  We haven't given them 'chores' that they must do every day, but we do expect them to do their laundry (if they want to have clothes), clear their places at the table and clean up their books and toys (that last one being the challenging one for them). If they want to earn money though, they have the opportunity to help us out with things that WE do.  They've washed windows, mopped and vacuumed floors, cleaned up dog doo... etc.  I have to admit though that I was surprised in Joe's latest way to earn money. The Littles were out playing while Jeff drove Al to dance and I watched as Joe picked up after the dogs.  I was surprised he wasn't playing with them.  Then he told me he was going to mow the lawn!  I thought it was going to be with the push (non gas) mower and I think so did he....

With early memories of Joey keeping rhythms and beats with pretzel sticks, crayons or anything else he could hold on to, it was no surprise that he would be a music kid one day. Of course Jeff got him an electric guitar last year (which is he still playing), but he also wanted to take piano lessons and Jeff and I thought this was great because it's a perfect way to 'learn' music! Joey actually started taking lessons this summer (a blog that I forgot to write).  I think he was a bit frustrated about the slow pace of learning something new and having to practice for a week before the next lesson.  He's doing really well though and just about out of his first book already.   He's really enjoying it and loves learning 'real' songs.  His teacher wrote out the notes for "Happy Birthday" for him around his birthday and Jeff has gotten him music for Angry Birds, Star Wars and of course he figured out "Hail to the Victors" (Sorry, Nana)...

 Jeff and I aren't really 'fair' people... but there isn't an easy way to avoid them when you have to drive roads where tents, light up rides and music are screaming... "COME KIDS!"  We managed two fairs in one day last Sunday (or I should say I did... Jeff only came to the second fair).  The first "End of Summer" fair was at my Nan's. It was actually pretty neat.  They had food but we didn't get home from church until after noon so I opted to feed the kiddos and then walk over to my Nan's.  The first thing we did was check out the ponies.  Both middles took a turn riding them but Joe and Sean both showed no interest.  Joe seemed eager to leave right away to get to the 'other' fair and Seany just wanted to go in the bounce house. It actually worked great because as everyone was heading to an "Exotic Zoo" show, the bounce house cleared out so that the Doran kids pretty much had the entire place to themselves!  ...