July 21

Another day, another photo of the kids playing with one of Lily's new birthday gifts. 

Auntie Grace sent Play-Doh, and the kids were pumped to open the boxes and play with it. Even Eli participated, and I am 63% confident that he didn't eat any.

I love when they are all this happy, and I don't have to do anything.

#lazymom

Eli couldn't really figure the Play-Doh out, but he could tell that the big kids thought it was awesome, so he kept trying.

This girl can be really cute sometimes!

I don't know why Lily is standing on a chair. Perhaps her enthusiasm for Play-Doh overwhelmed her. (Don't worry, Mom. She's fine. She didn't fall.)

Caleb is wearing the t-shirt he made for "Bring a Cow" day at swim team.

He made a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone.

And a teeny-tiny, baby ice cream cone.

After we put the Play-Doh away, I gave Caleb and Daisy both haircuts. They both asked to have their hair cut, and Lily insisted on being in my wrap the whole time. I can't remember now what Eli was doing; probably playing happily because that's what he does. He is a good baby. I also ended up cutting Chris' hair tonight, which means half of my family had their hair cut by me today. 

But back to ice cream. After dinner tonight we headed out to Main Street for some ice cream. Actually, we headed out there to pick up Chris' bike and the front tire from our BOB, which both needed repairs. While we were there, we decided to get some ice cream. 

We had a great plan: Chris would pick up the bike and tire, I would take the kids to the ice cream shop, he would meet us there, and he and Caleb would bike home. It was perfect.

And then? Just after I dropped Chris off at the bike shop and was about to pull away? Caleb and Daisy began shouting from the back seat, "MOMMY! ELI THREW UP!"

Dubious, I looked in my rearview mirror and witnessed Eli calmly emptying the contents of his stomach all over his car seat. 

I mean, really. Kids throwing up is awful. But throwing up in the car seat? When you're away from home and forgot the diaper bag? When you still have to finish what you're doing and drive home? When your car seat must be completely uninstalled to wash the cover?

It's the worst.

So I stopped the car, pulled Eli out of his seat and set him on a towel in the grass, and used tissues to scoop as much of the vomit out of the seat as I could. The kid had eaten a hearty dinner, so it was quite the task. Then I did what I could to clean him up. I was thankful that I always keep some big plastic bags and spare towels in my van, along with tissues and Handi-wipes. It made the task much easier since I didn't have the diaper bag.

And then?

We went to get ice cream. Because 3/4 of the children were not actively vomiting, but I can guarantee that if we skipped the promised treat, 4/4 of them would be actively screaming.

Yum. Ice cream. Eli is naked because vomit. And look at how short Caleb's hair is now! He's happy, because now his hair won't get in his eyes when he swims. Even though swim team is over for the season. Whatever.

And then the big boys went off on their bike ride home, which is about 9 miles. I prepared to walk the kids back to the vomit-smelling van, but Daisy wanted to stop at the gazebo. At first I said no, but then I remembered how magical the gazebo felt to me when I was a child, so I wheeled our BOB around and said yes.

It's a bad picture, but it shows two very happy girls in two very strange outfits. Whatever. 

And then I drove the children home and gave them all baths and cleaned vomit while Chris and Caleb biked home, then stopped at the neighborhood pool and jumped in with all of their clothes on.

I wasn't jealous at all.