Those charming Siebert boys

Last night Nick went running with his friend, Savanah.  Nick and Savanah (who is 12) are thick as thieves this summer.  It's actually a really sweet friendship.  They enjoy one another's company and love playing video games together.  So after a 3 mile run last night Nick announces rather loudly (does he have any other voice?) that he was glad he wore his compression underwear.  Now one would think this momma would know better but I asked Nick why that was.  In his booming voice he told us it was because he was pretty sweaty down there.  Savanah just shook her head and said, "Charming, Nick, charming."  Coarse this was after he told her he had to stop on their run so he could take a leak.  I would like to think that my boys clean up a little in front of girls but I'm learning that is not the case.  What you see is what you get with my kids and charming is not a characteristic I would use to describe them.  In case you have any doubts, refer to my blog yesterday.  Charming, yeah, I think not. 

Common summer phrases

By the end of July I'm ready for the boys to go back to school.  That's not to say we didn't have a good summer but with me working from home, it can get dicey and this summer I didn't have a babysitter for the boys.  Things went really well in that regard but by July the boys are getting antsy and lazy!  I find myself repeating the same phrases over and over.  One boy needs more reminders than the other (Jay!!!).  Some of my "favorites" include:
*Brush your teeth.  It amazes me how the boys get up, eat their breakfast, get dressed but yet fail to brush their teeth.  I sometimes wonder if my kids will ever brush their teeth without being reminded.  I'm sure girls will play a big part in getting the boys to care about their oral hygiene (I hope). 
*Flush the toilet.  I suspect only mother of boys can truly appreciate this but seriously.  The boys use the upstairs toilet first thing in the morning and if they don't flush, the bathroom smells like a zoo by 2:00 in the summer!  Gross! 
*Wash your hands.  Again, I use this phrase more often with one son than the other son.  Yep, you guessed it, Jay again.  I won't write any more about this because you can get a visual of this and the problem it poses.  Ugh!
*Pick up your towel.  Okay this might have been a blog centered around Jay.  He starts his day with a bath and ends his day with a bath and I find wet towels everywhere; in his closet, on the bathroom floor, on his bed.  By the time I find them, they smell.  You know that V8 commercial where they ask if you've had your vegetables and the person never has so they get thumped in the head?  I wish I had a robot in the bathroom that asked that question every time the boys took a shower and I can guarantee their answer would be "Ahhh, No, we didn't pick up our towels," at which point the robot would thump them in the head.  My bet is after a few thumps, they would have the towel habit licked. 
Exhausting, I tell you, exhausting!! 

Our TN t-shirts

 Last year Jenny and I came up with an idea of TN tshirts but we never got it done.  This year, we were on top of things.  Jenny came up with the design and I ordered the tshirts for all 11 of us.  Out of all the years I've gone to TN (this was our fifth time) I would say the first year and this year were my favorites. 

 My husband looks constipated on this picture.  Another example of the Siebert men being uncooperative for a picture. 

                                                                My girls

Another "fabulous" family picture.  What kills me is we all look pretty good, especially Jay but check out Nick's face.  Seriously Nick!!

TN stories continue

 The first full day we were in TN, we packed a lot in because it was the only day Mary and John were going to be with us.  We went out for ice cream, hence the pictures above and below.  I love the picture of Faith and Nick - so funny. 

 On Saturday night we had a fish fry.  John, the chef, helped prepare the fish with Mike. 

                                                                   Mom and Mary

 One night we took the kids into Pigeon Forge so they could ride the Alpine Coaster.  This coaster takes kids up into the mountain and then lets them go, once they get to the top.  Needless to say our kids loved it.

                        Mike and his young girlfriend (LOL), Faith.  She is looking so grown up!  This TN summer she was 15. 

 I could not get a good picture of my mom with her grandsons.  So frustrating.  Jay has cross eyes in this picture - really!

 One night it rained and Faith, Curtis and Nick played dice.  It didn't last long so don't let this picture paint a picture for you.  They played dice for about 5 minutes and then they were done. 

 One afternoon we went to Pigeon Forge to eat at Paula Deen's restaurant.  It was really good and quite an experience.  Jay loved the catfish!

                                               There just aren't words for this picture!

Water time fun, TN style

 We left IL rain and went to TN.  We did have some rain in TN but it would pass over rather quickly.  We hiked to this waterfall.  We did this on our first day because Mary and John were with us.  Mary and John, like us, had arrived on Friday night.  On Friday night they got a call that her mom had fallen and broken her arm.  They stayed on Saturday and hiked with us but then left on Sunday to tend to Mary's mom.  It was so sad for her mom and we we're disappointed to see them go.  The good news is Mary's mom has a very good prognosis and is doing quite well.  Anyway, we hiked on our first day, the guys went to a shooting range and us girls took the kids to the rope swing and we went to the winery.  That night we enjoyed a fish fry.  We packed a ton into that first day but it was because we knew Mary and John only had that one day to do stuff.  We were exhausted by Saturday night but we sure enjoyed the fun together that day!

 I love this picture.  It makes me laugh.  Jay is staring off at who knows what, Nick is about to fall off the rock and Faith and Curtis are just hanging on.  The picture below cracks me up too. 

 There is a funny story behind this picture also.  This year my mom joined us so she could get a taste of what TN is all about and why we love going so much.  It was a joy to have her along and she had a good time.  I texted my sister this picture of mom and she teased me, poking at me, asking me what kind of daughter was I, that I would set our mother up on the side of a road by a guard rail.  I pointed out to Kim that she was just fine, I had given the woman a cocktail after all.  Actually my mom was watching the boys on their famous rope swing (hence the pictures below).  The rope swing was another hit this year - go figure. 

 The kids at The River Rat.  We didn't tube this year (because I HATE it, just kidding, I do hate it but that's not why we didn't tube, frankly, the kids never asked about doing it this year). 

Love this picture.  It's hit or miss with my kids and the pool.  But this day, they were happy to be swimming and we did a lot of swimming after dark, which they loved!

Tennessee, then and now

 We started going to TN the summer of 2010.  Nick was 4, Jay and Curtis were 8 and Faith was 10.  We weren't able to go the summer of 2011 as I had started my new job but we've gone every summer since.  This was our 5th summer in the Smokies and it never disappoints. 

Here are the kids this summer.  Nick, 9.  Jay and Curtis, 13 and Faith is 15.  How time flies.  More pics to come....

Nick goes to camp

This week went super fast and yes, it's still raining (in case you were wondering).  On July 5 Nick left for church camp for 3 days and 3 nights.  He loved it.  His favorite part, like last year, was kayaking.  At the conclusion of camp we got to see a slideshow of the kids and nearly every picture of Nick showed him in a yep, you guessed it, a kayak.  Nick told me he grew closer to God, met some really nice boys and just had a good time.  I am always so pleased that my boys love camp (as I did as a kid also) and do not have a fear of being away from home (in fact last year and this year Nick went to camp not knowing who was going or if he'd know anybody).  When I picked Nick up on July 8, his only complaint about camp was he never got full at meals so I took him out for a burger (picture above).  He inhaled his burger and was all smiles.  He also sleep for 13 hours on his first night back at home.  That was my first clue that he might not have slept much at camp - go figure.  Ha.

Our 4th of July

 We had the annual spin lake parade on the 4th.  The boys still love it and Jay really dressed the part this year.  Even his shoes were red, white and blue.

 Ausili's and my mom came out during the evening for a very low key (just the way we like it) fish fry.  Faith brought her friend. 

 This might have been the best part of the entire evening.  Faith was competing in a cheer competition.  All the cheerleaders on her team could submit a picture to the coach and the photo that was the most patriotic won.  I'm not sure if Faith won or not but I loved her pose and when she asked Jay to put on his red, white and blue morph suit, he glad obliged.  Ha. 

 This is the photo she submitted.  This screams America, if you ask me.  Flags everywhere and sparklers and one 13 year old boy dressed as the America flag, love it!

The boys went frog catching, of course and they caught a monster frog.  He was huge.  The boys were delighted with themselves.  Happy fourth of July, everyone. 

A quiet couple of weeks

 How often is it that one of my blog titles has the word, Quiet, in it?  Not very often.  Ha.  But last week and this week have been just that, quiet.  The rain has eased up but only just a bit.  Even the dogs are taking advantage of the quiet week.  If you look really closely at the picture above, Cole has his mouth open, just a little.  It was hilarious.  He was sound asleep on Copper's rump with his mouth open - just like an old man. 

 The boys have taken advantage of these quiet weeks and have sleeping in Jay's room together.  Jay thought it would be funny to write on Nick's back when he was sleeping.  We all got a laugh out of it but as is always the case with my kids, it was funny the first time.  I told Jay if he did it again, it wouldn't be so funny. 

 One afternoon this week it was sunny enough to swim - what a concept in this rain soaked territory of IL.  Late one afternoon, after work, each of the boys took a friend and we went swimming.  It's so easy taking them at these ages.  Of course I watch Nick and his friend closely but I don't have to be up, walking around, monitoring their every move.  It's so much more relaxing for me. 

Jay hates having me take his picture when his friends are around so this is the best I could get.  This is Aaron and the boys are the same height - so tall!