Just another day in the Bailey house

Definition please?

A while back we used the word "Epitome" and the kids asked what it meant. If you don't know this word, it rhymes with (and has the same meter as) "give it to me".
Carolyn and Seth immediately started asking their phones what epitome means. Carolyn kept getting irritated that her phone misunderstood her and was hearing the wrong word. After about 5 to 10 times, she griped that it kept bringing up "epitome" (pronounce it to rhyme with garden gnome).

This was funny enough and we all laughed at the mistake. A few nights ago, Rob commented on something about the kids, using the word epitome, and then repeated it but pronouncing it phonetically. It's now a family joke.

Labor day at Pine Island
We got together with Rob's family on labor day. We had a picnic, let the kids play in the sand, and swam in the pool. (It was the last day the pool was open for the season.)

He's so cute, we could eat him up! 
(What a weird phrase)
Alee was being odd (odd compared to most, which for her is normal). She started trying to kiss the baby and ended up licking the baby. I told her to stop, and someone accused someone else of licking the baby another time. I asked all, who has licked the baby?? Alee proudly raised her hand, and Carolyn and Natalie pointed at each other. !?!?
Nope. Didn't ask for that story! Weird kids.

School and church kept us busy most nights last week and the week ended with a finger injury for Seth (PE volleyball). (Why do kids always seem to get sick or hurt at the weekend? I couldn't get him in anywhere so we taped his middle finger to the index in a splint until Monday.)

Be prepared!
Hurricane Irma was headed towards Florida this past weekend was predicted to give us some bad weather.. (It turned and lessened and missed us, for which we were grateful.) But we did have a bad thunderstorm, which knocked out our power for 2 hours, so we decided to have an FHE that night to talk about emergency preparedness.
We have about 30-50 gallons of water stored (for drinking, plus non-potable water for washing or flushing) and we have some food (but very scattered selection and not organized so I'm not sure what we have?) and we have flashlights and a Dutch oven and charcoal and a grill and 72 hour kits and soon to arrive, a generator we recently ordered, but there are areas we are lacking. For example: We don't need to rush out and buy water to last a few days when they announce a disaster, but if it's raining and we have no electricity cooking is tricky and takes too long.

So each child thought of a natural disaster and then we talked about how we could prepare for that disaster. It was sort of fun, and we made a list of things we need to buy and do to prepare even more. I hope to share some of our preparedness adventures.

Growing boy
Gideon had his 2 month check-up on Monday. He is over 13 lbs and 23" long. I think that's bigger than the others at that age. He seems so big in other ways too - holding his head up and talking to us, and his current clothes and diapers are getting tight. I love watching him grow. 

I've started working on getting in shape and I do push-ups on the edge of the bathroom counter (because I'm too week to do them on the floor)! I do them while he's lying there after a diaper change. He smiles big when I move my face towards and away from him over and over. He thinks I'm playing a game with him.

First real x-rays!
After nearly 15 years of raising children, we finally have needed an x-ray (for Seth's jammed bruised bent finger), and as it turns out, we also have our first break. The pediatrician said it looked more than a jammed finger and sent us to the orthopedic doctor that afternoon. (Seth said their lollipop tasted like cherry medicine.)

Seth has a broken index finger. It's a little break and doesn't cause him much pain, but we do want his musical fingers to heal straight. :)

They called it a bony fleck. A tiny little piece broke off, and to help it heal straight, he has to wear a splint for the rest of the month during the day. 

It really worked out well that school was cancelled Monday so he was able to go to both appointments and miss no school. In addition to that, my mother in law (and more of Rob's family came to visit and entertained the girls while I was out with the boys).
We feel blessed for the convenience of it all and for the only minor injury and that the extra doctor visits happened in a year when we've already met our deductible (thanks to Gideon). ;)

After school is when life gets interesting

The kids all fight over who gets to hold Gideon after school (while waiting in the older kids' car rider line and when we get home). They insist they can hold him while they do homework and it doesn't distract them....sure...

Alee is so excited to finally have real homework. She's pretty efficient, except for the reading. 15 minutes is 15 minutes - no speeding that up. (And it's her least favorite part to do; she's fastest at the math.)

Every day chaos, organized

The fun thing about loading or unloading at drop off is the amount of stuff and people in the van!

We have a seating chart based on day of the week and whether it's drop off or pick up. (It ended the fights and made getting in or out more efficient.)

I'm sure people behind us wonder why we take so long to get moving in line and why we bother to put things in the trunk, but if they only knew...

I bring with me most mornings:

6 kids

5 backpacks

2-5 lunch boxes

3 instruments

3 shoulder rests (for instruments)

1 small seminary bag

1 gymnastics bag (Wednesday)

And I often check (in addition to these) if the oldest two remembered charged Chromebooks, gym clothes, and school IDs in their backpacks.

They are all good about remembering their own things, but occasionally something is forgotten. Not surprising with so many possibilities to forget!