Christmas at the Thomason's

Mackensey practices headstands, a talent grandpa taught them.

Barry helped the girls make a snow cave.

Drinking cocoa in snow cave.

Christmas Eve Pajama tradition.



Christmas morning, stockings.



Wednesday Evening we went caroling with others from church. At one house the lady invited us in to get candy canes from her tree. Barry told her that she probably didn't want us all to come in because we were covered in snow (It was currently snowing). He was holding Ben, who quickly said, "but I'm not!" She brought the candy canes out to the little kids.

We had a nice, quite Christmas at home this year (as quiet as a house with six children can be). We feel blessed to have such a wonderful, happy family.

In the News

This picture was in the newspaper as an advertisement for the "sleigh rides" that were going to be at the Santa Social last weekend. Barry took a closer look and realized that it was a picture of our family taken last year. (The picture in the add was about 1 1/2 inches by 2 inches.)

This next picture of Ben sitting on Santa's lap was a lot bigger (5x7 inches) on the front page of the newspaper.

These next two pictures show how much Marianne has grown in six months. Ben is still enjoying being a big brother, especially now that she can interract with him more.

Lastly shows Maddy playing the flute in her Christmas concert (intermediate band). She also played her coronet in beginner band.

Crash Week



"It's a hard knock life at the orphanage!"



 I don't know why they call it crash week (the week up until the weekend of the play), because I just looked on my calendar and Maddy(12) has been involved, in someway or another, in drama for thirteen days straight! The older kids are involved in painting props, setting up, etc two weeks before the play, then dress rehersals the week leading up to, and this weekend they performed seven different performances of Annie. This is always a tiring time, and I was worried how Mindy (9)and Mackensey(7) would do with it. They seem to be going strong and enjoying every minute of it, but we did have melt down city on Friday. Their first perfomance was Friday evening and I think Mindy and Mackensey were just nervous, this being their first play and all. They were litterally at each others throats, yelling at each other and crying at the things they were saying to each other. It was almost comical. Well we got through the day and the girls admitted that they were nervous right before it began, but as soon as they were on stage they weren't nervous at all (Oh boy, two more drama addicts!)

 Its too bad auntie Berta (theater major) wasn't here to see the play. It was super! My heart swelled with joy seeing my babies on stage and I couldn't stop bawling! Barry took Ben to see the Saturday morning performance and I stayed home with Marianne and Makayla. Makayla made some pretty flowers to give to sister when we went to watch the Saturday afternoon performance while Barry stayed home with Marianne and Ben.

I thought with the oldest three being gone so much this week that I would have all this free time, but for some reason I felt busy just dropping them off and picking them up and preparing meals for them to take with them. One night Mackensey said that one of her friends (most of the moms send their children with fast food) was eyeing her meal and saying how delicious it looked (ugh! it was Mac N Cheese!). Mackensey told her, "Well, my mom HAS to be a good cook - she has SIX kids!" I didn't know that the cooking skills requirement increase after the birth of each child, but I'm glad to know that at least I'm adequate. Actually I look forward to having my three cooks back home in the evenings to help with the dinners! Have a great week!

birthday, tree, santa

Mindy's birthday breakfast in bed

Cutting down a Chirstmas tree

 This week started off with us celebrating Mindy's nine year old birthday on Monday. It was a busy day because we also found and chopped down our Christmas tree and set it up as well as decorated the house for Christmas (all except putting up the nativies which were brought to the church for an annual Nativity Night).

The snow was up to Ben's knees. Barry packed Marianne and the chainsaw. Maddy packed Ben.

The rest of the week was busy with play practice for the older girls. On Friday night Santa came to Chewelah at the Civic Center, then we had a horse and buggy ride through town. Saturday was busy with our Christmas piano recital in the afternoon, and singing at the church in the evening at the Night of Nativity.

15 pies and a peach cobbler



Barry wanted me to include this picture of Ben. The red on his face is blood. He was playing outside with sisters and the dog on the pile of leaves and started to cry. Sympathetic mom that I am, I told him to stop crying. He responded with, "but I'm bleeding!" He came over and we stopped the bleeding, then he was off to play again. He had hit his nose on the dogs head.

Mindy has an interest in cutting hair, so after watching me cut Ben's hair a few times, I let her do it this time. Ben was very patient with her and she did a good job. When she had finished and I used the clippers to even it out a bit, Mindy grabbed the scissors and asked, "When do I use these?" I responded, "It's a buzz cut, you don't use scissors."

On Wednesday of this week we woke up to a cold house; our pump went out on our heating system. That night the glass broke on our wood stove (back up heating). To make matters worse, we woke up to a snow storm Thursday morning and thought we might not be able to go to Spokane to visit family for Thanksgiving. Well, we braved the roads (which didn't end up being that bad, especially since Barry had already put the studded snow tires onto the van.) We were able to see cousins we hadn't seen for a while, enjoy yummy food. Avery made Aunt Sally's famous Thanksgiving orange rolls and the Jensens made and bought enough pies to feed a small army.



Uncle Joel and Uncle Scott cut the 15 pies.





watching a movie



We've had snow everyday this week, and with more in the forecast. That has meant about an hour a day for us to shovel and about 2 hours a day for Barry to plow. Last night we explained to everyone that we most likely would have to get out and shovel the snow before church. The children were concerned about "breaking the sabbath", but we explained the whole ox in the mire, snow removal required to get to church idea. I thought they understood, but this morning I told Kayla to get dressed in her snow clothes and help shovel snow she said sleepily, "but it's the sabbath!" She must have forgotten what day it was by the time we finished shoveling because they spent a fair amount of time playing in the snow, too.

Makayla slides down a pile of snow

Chicken Pox, Leaves, & Christmas Presents

Monday morning I found out that my niece Emilee(7) had chicken pox, so I dropped everything and took Marianne(8 mos) to Barry's sister Rebecca Jensen's house. Marianne is our only child who has not had chicken pox and I didn't want to miss this opportunity to get her exposed. The Jensen's live about an hour and a half away, so leaving the children at home with Maddy in charge (Barry was helping a friend sand drywall) we basically cancelled school and the kids had fun having a pajama day. They were still overcoming the effects of too much sugar on Halloween, so I'm not sure it would not have been a very successful school day anyway.  Emilee was such a good sport and sharing her germs: licking spoons, sucking on Marianne's pacifier, holding her. I should have really gotten my money's worth and had Emilee change Marianne's diaper!

We spent time this week gathering fall leaves from our friends who live in town and have big beautiful trees (mostly maples).  We do this to compost into dirt for our garden and yard.  They appreciate it as well, as they have no place to put the leaves once they bag them.  Over the past two weeks we have collected 20 garbage bags full of leaves, and we're picking up 9 more tomorrow.  The kids enjoy playing in the leaves (of course).
        

Saturday morning Barry took everyone except Makayla and Marianne to help a lady move to Spokane.  They were gone all morning.  Makayla(5 1/2) spent most of the time at the kitchen table beading necklaces and bracelets for her siblings (yes she made a necklace for Ben - - a blue one) and wrapped them for Christmas presents. We are encouraging all of our children to make homemade presents for each other this year. It will mean so much more for them.

Have a great week!

Easter vs. Halloween



Barry and Ben "hangin' out"

Ben and Kayla




 Our school had half days the last three days of this week, so we took advantage of Maddy getting out of band early and went to the indoor waterpark.  Our neighbors also have passes, so I drove their 15 passenger van with their kids.  I wasn't too intimidated driving such a large vehicle because that is what I learned to drive when I was 16 - our 15 passenger van.


Maddy and Levi



Friday evening we went to the church for our Halloween "trunk-or-treat" party.  Ben was a little confused when we gave him his plastic pumpkin to take trick-or-treating. "Is this for my plastic eggs with candy inside?"

Mackensey



Princess Makayla



Tigger Ben



Cheetah Girl Mindy



Maddy was Mackensey's softball coach (oops, forgot to get a picture of Mackseny -bad Mom moment) and obviously did not want me to take her picture.

cute kitty!

 Saturday we brought in our last three loads of firewood for the winter, then had a relaxing rest of the day.  Maddy prepared her 2 minute talk for Sacrament meeting today.  She gave a talk on gratitude and didn't look nervous at all (even though she said she was a little nervous).  I guess being in drama has paid off.

Have a great week!

I'm going to cry!

Most of the time Ben (3) is all boy.  But every once in a while he will do or say things that cause his daddy to say, "You have been around your (five) sister too much!"  Like last week when I was reprimanding him and hs said, "I'm going to cry!"

Ben looks nice getting ready for church.  Daddy combed his hair over to the side.  If it's long enough that it needs to be combed - it's time for a haircut!

Maddy would prefer wearing sweat pants and an oversized t-shirt, but I told her that she needs to dress nicer for school.  I told her we would compromize and M-Th she would dress nicely, and she could have "Casual Friday" where she could wear clothes for comfort rather than looks.  She got the last word in by muttering under her breath, "Ok, but not too nice."  I told her borderline nice would be fine. She doesn't wear glasses either.  She bought them at the mall with her birthday money.

Softball season ended on Tuesday for Maddy and that will free up a lot of time for her.  That is until play practice starts getting more serious (first two weeks of December).  We were pleased with the improvement Maddy showed in softball.  She joined a team where most of the girls had been playing on a spring league for several years.  At the start of the season she played left field and was second to last in the batting order.  On Tuesday she was catcher for part of the game and was the lead-off hitter (first one up to bat).

We ended the school week with a Green Bluff field trip on Friday afternoon.  We toured an apple orchard (on a tractor train), picked apples and pumpkins, played in their pea box (like a sand box only with dried peas) and came home to make carmel popcorn because they were selling hot carmel popcorn and you could smell it as soon as you stepped out of your car in the parking lot. 

Marianne was in the stroller, but preferred her favorite mode of transporation (in Mama's arms), so she kept doing her "up" sign that Barry taught her (raise both arms into the air).  I'm a sucker for a cute baby, so I oblige.  Now she does it whenever she is in the high chair and done eating.

Here are some more pictures from the pumpkin patch.

 

Ben Teasers

Benjamin is a tease just like his dad and his grandpas (and great-grandpa).  Barry says that he gets it from me, but then again that is just HIM teasing ME!  Today was our children's program during church.  That meant that most of my children were sitting on the stand.  Ben took advantage of having his mama all to himself and he wouldn't stop talking! As each child came up he would ask, "Who's that?"
"Shhh, be quiet"
"Who's that?"
"Shhh, be quiet"
"Who's that?" 
"Shh, be quiet"
"All those people are named 'Be Quiet?" 
"Do you want to go out and get a spankin'?"
"No, I want to go out and get a drink of later (water)."

Two weeks ago as we sat around the tv watching general conference Ben got a little bored and started acting up.  Barry told him to turn around and watch the last speaker (an old man with white hair). Ben responded, "I don't want to watch George Washington!"

Well he surely keeps us smiling!

Pick up Six

I took this picture this morning five mintues before we had to leave for church.  I wanted an updated picture of my six children for my first blog post titled, "pick up six".  Maddy came up wtih that title which I wanted to use as a creative blogspot address, but it was already taken, along with every other creative thing I could think of, so I ended up with a boring one (barryandaverythomason.blogspot.com). Oh well!

Every Sunday afternoon (well, mostly) I send out an email to family and friends to let them know what the Thomason clan has been up to.  It's a way to keep in contact and feel not so far away (I have emails sent as close as WA and as far as PA). Hopefully by setting up a blog I can send better/more pictures. I still plan on sending an email to inform of the update.

So what have we been up to this week?  The usual homeschooling and Maddy had two softball games.  Their team still hasn't won a game yet, but Maddy is showing improvement in her form.  She has worked her way up from sixth in batting order (out of seven girls) to third. More importantly she has enjoyed every minute of it!

We follow the public school's calendar and since they had no school on Friday for "fall break", we took a day off and went on a fun field trip to an indoor waterpark that is just over the mountain - 35 mintues from our house.  The best part is that we can use our homelink funds to purchase monthly passes, which we did on Friday.  They have three pools, waterslides, hot tub, sauna, steam room, teen room, climbing wall, exercise room, gym, child care.  The kids had a blast and played hard for 4 hours.  Then "Aunt Heidi" invited them over for the afternoon/evening.  She taught Maddy how to use their four wheeler and fed them all waffles and ice-cream for dinner.  Barry and I had a nice quiet afternoon and even went on a date to the Chewelah HS football game.