Visit from Sighris and Adriana

The boys are getting to the age where they remember and enjoy their cousins. And we just don't get out to AZ enough, so we worked out a week that we could have Sighris and Adriana stay at our house with us. (Martin was welcome to, but I don't quite know how to entertain a teenager, and he probably feared he would get stuck babysitting.)

Nichole dropped them off Sunday morning, and they went to church with us. Then Monday, it was off to the zoo. Me and 5 kids. Brave, I know. They were all really good and I think they all had a good time.

We started at the Reptile House, where Roman and Sighris read all the names and descriptions to the little ones. I even had a lady stop me and say that they were doing a great job reading, and she should know, because she is a teacher :) Yes, I live for those kind of aknowledgements.

Tuesday I think we took it pretty easy. I had Jillian, so that was me against SIX kids, but they really are a good group. The boys played board games and legos, and Jillian was in heaven because Adriana imported her own girl toys :)

Jillian loved Adriana, and didn't want to leave when her mom came, until we promised that Adriana would be there tomorrow.

Wednesday we tackled an art project, stained glass candle holders. The kids had a blast. After the craft, they decided to play outside, it was the best! I fed them lunch prison-style, opening the sliding glass door just wide enough to slide the food through :) They played and played until nap time. And they ALL took naps. Sighris and Adriana had been up until 930 or later each night, chit chatting about missing their mom and dad and all the fun things we were doing.

That night, Ben came home early and we went down to the Doubletree for an evening swim.

We played some pretty intense Monkey in the Middle and my boys practiced floating around with their water wings on. We took showers at the Doubletree, and then it was home for bed.

Thursday we went to the park, but first stopped at mcDonald's. My mom had bought us McDonald's the week before, when our power was out and I didn't have anything for lunch. They totally messed up her order, and said that they were noting that she would be back in the future and they would replace the entire order. Not just the 3 things they messed up.

So, that morning, I loaded up my six kids, and we headed to McDonald's "to talk to the manager and see if we could get some lunch". I felt like I was going there to beg, but the kids didn't pick up on what I had said.

So, I parked in the only spot left not taken up by construction crews or customers, and dragged my traveling circus in to talk to the manager. She went back to look at THE BOOK, and couldn't find my mom's name anywhere. But she said that since I was there and still had my receipt, that she would go ahead and replace the WHOLE order for me.

So the 7 of us had free lunch!

As we were leaving McDonald's with our bags of free lunch, some people remarked that the parade was leaving. Circus, get it right :P

The kids played and played at the park, another beautiful day with great kids. Then, it was time to load everyone back up to meet their grandma for the hand off. Nichole's mom lives in Lake Elsinore, or somewhere north, so she met us half way for the exchange.

I gave the kiddos big old hugs and helped load them up. Those two give the BEST hugs. We waved to them as they drove away, and almost immediately Roman started to cry. He is such a sweet heart, and I know he had a great time with his cousins. When Aaron woke up later, he cried for Adriana and Sighris too.