And Then There Were 5

Teenagers that is. As of today I have 5 teenagers at the same time. No, seriously we do. 13, 14, 16, 17, & 19. 5 hormonal know-it-all I'm-smarter-than-you borderline adults. Remarkably we are still sane (enough) to function as parents. I wouldn't have it any other way, they are all wonderful.

Today our sweet (with a bit of vinegar thrown in for good measure) Barbara is 13. She's one of our more feisty kid. She's already mastered the 'look' that women are so good at giving to others, especially men. She will make a great wife and mother or a Mother Superior.

We love you Babs!!

It's Got to be the In-Laws' Irish Showing Through Again

Sam and I went to the grocery store together the other morning and left Barbara (12) in charge. Here is the text message (typo's and all) she sent us about Joey (10).

"Jo keeps callin me weener and wouldn't let me in the playroom"

Don’t Take it Personally Babs

Maybe there is something to this middle-child syndrome. Yesterday morning we did our normal get everyone dressed and out the door and rush to church thing. We needed to be there at least 15 minutes early since Caleb was serving High Mass.

We actually had it easy yesterday. Alex and Josh are away at school, and Lizzie was staying home with 2 of the little ones since she was going to a teen Mass Sunday night. So that meant we only had…um…let me get my shoes off…11 kids – 2 at school…- 3 staying at home…carry the 1…….…. = 6 kids going to church…I think. So we get a little was down the road and Sam realizes that Barbara (age 12 and the 5th child) wasn’t in the van. Not only that, no one had seen her that morning...she was still in the sack.

Part of it was Babs’ fault. She was pouting the night before because we moved Hunter (Cecilia 2) into her room. She is now sharing her room with Hunter and Mary (4). To make a long story short, Eric (1) busted up his crib on Saturday and we moved a few kids around. And Barbara was not happy about it so apparently she slept in the Eric’s old room which is now empty.

Where were we? Oh yeah, in the van. So I made a u-turn, try that in a 15 passenger van, and Sam called the house and told Lizzie to get Barbara up and have her get dressed. We picked up a non-plussed Barbara and went to church. She was very tired and grouchy looking for most of Mass.

The birth order of our kids never has seemed to make any difference on their personalities but maybe I was wrong and we are ignoring Barbara and she will be some mal-adjusted loser of a kid, staying in her room all the time, conjugating verbs and sewing Little House on the Prairie replica dresses.

Nah, not Babs, she is our social butterfly. She’s always playing friends, going to some party or generally having a great time. So much for the shrinks and their middle child syndrome.

I mean if Jan Brady survived with having to live up to Marica and put up with that whiny Cindy, than Babs will be just fine.

Well Scratch Me Behind the Ears and Call Me Sparky

It's a new grill.

My honey (Sam not the UPS Man) got me a new grill for our Anniversary the other day.

My old gas grill bit the dust over the winter. It was a bigger fire hazard than a government housing project. I decided to switch to charcoal. I have enough gas already, just ask my wife. Plus I was thinking that switching from gas to charcoal would give me some more man-points. I mean the baby is 9 months old and Sam is not pregnant yet. She hasn’t actually said anything yet, but I know that secretly she is questioning my manhood. Darn tight spandex bike shorts.

It’s the mother of all grills. Many a critter will meet their demise on it this summer.

The Beverly Hillbillies got nothing on us

Now That's a Fire! Roll Cecilia around, she be alright.

Get off my grill little girl

No actual animals were hurt in the production of this post

Day 4 of Rob Held Hostage.

Sam, Lizzie (13), Barbara (12) and baby Eric all flew up to New Hampshire on Friday morning to see our second oldest child Josh at the HS-seminary he goes to. They are having a big Mother’s Day celebration up there. It’s too much stress, money and hassle to take the whole family up there. So Sam’s Mother’s Day present was to fly up there and see her boy. Lizzie and Barbara both babysit like crazy so they asked if they could go (girls aren’t usually allowed at the school and they have never been) if they paid for their own tickets. $49 each way on southwest, cheaper than driving…almost. And of course baby Eric travels wherever the Boobs go. (lucky boy). So that left 7 home for me to keep an eye…not too bad. And no this won’t be a whining post. I know I’m not going to get any sympathy from the mom’s who read this blog and the dad’s will be too afraid to support me.

I dropped them off at the airport at 4:45am on Friday – Sam wanted to get up there as soon as possible. They rented a car and drove to the school. They are staying at a nice widow ladies house that lets us stay for free when we visit. It sounds like they are having a good time…other than eating 4 meals so far off the McDonalds Dollar Menu – yuck. They have eaten at a few real places too. I think Sam is just trying to save money…good wife. The weather has been beautiful up there too.

Here is a conversation we had Friday after she left the airport and was driving to the school.

Me: “did the flight go ok?”

Sam: “yes”

Me: “did you get the rental car ok?”

Sam: “yes’

Me: “what kind of car did they give you?”

Sam: “It kinda of silvery colored”

Silence

Me: “um, what make and model?’

Sam: “I don’t know”

Me: “Never mind I’ll ask Josh when you get to the school.”

Me to myself: ‘Women”

So anyway here it is ‘Day 4 of Rob Held Hostage’ and we are all surviving - sorta. I just did a head count a little while ago and everyone is here. But around 6am the power went out. We have had lots of rain and wind the past 2 days so I guess that did it. I got up when the power went out and went outside. The next door neighbor has power lines down in his backyard and the transformer that is on a pole in the trees in his backyard was on fire. They fire dept hung around all morning watching it burn and making sure it didn’t spread. Not much chance of that in this downpour.

Caleb (15) and I drove over to my dad’s house and swiped his generator. Then we stopped and bought $50 worth of gas for the sucker…that’s enough for a day and a half. We got it setup and I know have the FIOS running so we have internet, phone and the oh so important ‘Dad’s Best Friend’ the TV. I also got two of our refrigerators running and almost as important, the coffee grinder and pot.

6 trucks from the local utility company have just pulled into the court and are back in the woods with chainsaws in the pouring rain…better them than me. So I’m hoping we have power by this evening when my lovely bride gets home. I need to pick her up at the airport around 7pm. I can hardly wait. Man I miss that woman! It’s lonely here without her.

The Papal Mass

Here are a few pictures Sam took at the Mass.

Caleb on the bus at O'Dark Thirty.

Lizzie, Barbara The Surly and Joey

Caleb (in the middle), Joey, Lizzie, and Barbara (in the front) and others from our church youth group

Joey enjoying some tasty vittles in the luxury box

The pope comes out of the bull-pen in the 9th. The Popemobile needs to be pimped out...maybe some spinners

The view from the Box of the stage and altar

Mary - worn out from helping dad take care of the baby

My reward for watching the youngins - Life is Good

Happy Birthday Barbara

Barbara is 12 years old today. She is #5 of 11. But she is also totally herself. It seems like just yesterday Sam was trying to push her out. She was a stubborn one during labor. That stubbornness as stuck around. Sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a more trying way, but never in a boring way. She is truly and original. She is a wonderful person and great helper to her mother and me. Always ready to play a game with or entertain the little ones, sometimes to the detriment of her school work. But I’m thinking that creating bonds with her siblings is a little bit more important than worrying about dangling participles or who was the 21st President of the US (Chester Arthur). I’m sure others will disagree with their ‘education is so important’ mantra. And that is fine for their families; we have our own way of doing things.

She is also a goof in the best sense of the word. With her silly faces, great sense of humor and saucy attitude. Hopefully she will channel it for good and not the over throw of the free world.

Babs Happy Birthday, we love you and hope that you have a great day and year ahead.