So much for timely updates...

I'm sitting here trying to figure out if I should skip over everything interesting that I thought "Oh, I should blog about that" over the last few weeks and just start with "new" stuff... or should I do a separate entry for everything that's gone on here... or should I lump everything into one long entry.... or should I do one condensed short entry that briefly touches on everything? Or perhaps the ever popular: Forget I started a blog altogether and have this become another one of my great ideas on which I don't follow through.

No, not that. (Sorry, but if you really wanted me to pick that option, you can just stop reading. There. Now we're all happy!) So I think I'll try to briefly touch on a few things and maybe add a few pictures of them.

In a nutshell:

1. Hunter's Ninth Birthday
2. Avery's refusal to go to school anymore
3. Labor Day Weekend Camping trip
4. Kaia's Birthday

Yeah, Hunter is 9. Nine. And had the unfortunate problem of having all of his "cool" presents given to him prior to his big day. So he got Clothes. And some money. And, because we felt sorry for him and wanted it anyway... we got "ROCKBAND" for our Wii. And let him unwrap it. Let me tell you something.... our Band's name is "Redrock" and ooooooooohhhhh we can ever jam. If you've never heard an 11 year old singing Bon Jovi or the Clash, you are missing out on one of the great joys in life. I never realized that playing the drums (and keeping a steady rhythm) can be so difficult. But, I can attest that it is.

And Avery. Avery Lauren. The second week of school she decided that she wanted to have hot lunch (they were having French Toast... a favorite of Colton's). Then as the time for the bus drew near, she decided she did NOT want to have hot lunch. When I said it was too late to make her a cold lunch she lost her mind a teeny tiny little bit. She was NOT going to have hot lunch. And, furthermore, she was NOT going to go to school. EVER. She clung to the banister. She clung to the front door. She had to be forcibly lifted on to the bus. She didn't care that everyone was looking at her. She knew what she wanted, and that was to STAY HOME. (And not have hot lunch!)

I was sure once I got out of the picture (meaning she got on her way to school) she'd be fine. I did call her teacher to let her know that Avery was not happily coming to school that day, but I was pretty sure she'd be fine. Well. Just goes to show me that I did not anticipate the sheer force of will of our oldest daughter. At 9:30, (school starts at 9:05) I got a call from the principal of her school, who stated (In a very nice way) that Avery was having a difficult morning, and would not enter her classroom. They did finally get her off the bus (Colton sat with her and was late for his class!) and she had since been saying that she wanted to "Go home NOW!" The principal was calling me because Avery wanted her to call and tell me to come and get her NOW!" The principal was not suggesting that I do that, in fact, she told Avery that I was busy doing "grown up things" but Avery did not believe it (She knows my life too well, having spent the last 6 years with me. Grown up things?!? The idea is preposterous!) and wanted her to call. She was fulfilling a promise to Avery. When we spoke, Avery was with the guidance counselor who apparently got her into her classroom. Since then... it's all been good. But sheesh, girl!

And we went camping Labor Day weekend.We go to a place very close by called Timberline Campground It was fun. Skylar was taking a little bit too much liberty (Like, she'd run off to the park without asking or telling us where she was going. Also, she would "adopt" people who looked like they were doing stuff she thought was better than what she was doing. Once, she walked by our trailer with a family who was headed to the arcade. And was upset when I made her stay with us. Aunt Wo saw her at another families campsite. Any semblance of "liberty" was over at that point.)

We were thinking about going again in a couple of weeks, but honestly, I am over it this year. I can't seem to muster up the energy to get everything shopped for, packed, loaded up, set up, taken down, hauled home, laundered and put away again. I do love to camp, but it is a lot of work. Well, it is when you're taking along 5 children. Which we have, if you've forgotten.

Here are pictures of our campsite all set up, for those of you who asked:

Here's the whole set up. Sorta.

From the Kid's bed. The "bathroom" isn't set up yet. Colton sleeps on the left bed (Where the baseball blanket is) Kaia sleeps in a pack and play in the middle (well, she won't anymore, cause she'll be too big!) and Jeff and I sleep straight ahead!

Avery, Skylar and Hunter sleep on this end. By the "Kitchen". We've only used the stove once, when it was raining, and Jeff and I needed coffee. Otherwise, we use the stove outside.

Night shot. I didn't realize it was so out-of-focus, so, sorry about that.

And finally, Kaia's birthday! She's two! And not terrible at all. Ok, if I'm keepin' it real: she's a little tyrannical. At times. Well, most every day there's a little episode of tyrant. But she's also sweet, and funny, and will give me a kiss whenever I want her to, which makes up for pretty much any tyrannical behavior she might exhibit from time to time.

We had a little party for her, and she got some presents. It was a good day!

Yes, I made this cheesy concoction. I wish I could say that she "wanted" a girlie pink cake, but she didn't have anything to say on the subject. Like most things.

She loved her presents that make noise! Me, not so much.

Now, I think I'm pretty much caught up. Jeff heads off to Indiana this coming weekend for his TWENTIETH high school reunion. Zoiks! He's old. So I'm going to be kid wrangling solo this weekend-- Hunter has his second flag football game, and I'll do my best to remember the camera. :)