Saturday is a Special Day

Yes, oh yes, Saturday is a special day, indeed. We all sleep in a little, have breakfast together, and get to work on the Saturday chores. We have a new plan where we make a list Friday night of everything we want to accomplish Saturday. First and foremost the children need to clean their rooms, sweep and vacuum the rooms as well. We always take out the garbage, and refill all the paper towels and toilet paper. So, today was like all the other Saturdays except Macie was wanting to have a lemonade stand with her friend Kyla. All chores have to be done before any privileges can happen. The lemonade stand started around 11:30 and took a break for 1/2 hour while the girls went to Kyla's tennis lesson. It resumed around 2:40 and went until 3:30. Each girl walked away with $9.25 (they made a killing). They paid Thomas 50 cents to clean up the mess, and I paid their helper Julia, who they didn't think was all that helpful. :)
Tom worked with Thomas and the others (if you can call it help) to put in the garden. We now have tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, beets, onions, beans and some herbs. We are going with plants and seeds this year. I hope we will get some good things because last year time ran out on us and we never did put in our garden.
I did a huge amount of laundry today, and cleaned up in the house. I love going to bed on Saturday night knowing that all is well in the house, and that the gang is bathed and happily sleeping in their beds. I also like being ready for Sunday.
Macie, Kyla and Julia putting in an honest day's work.

Our 2009 garden. Tom, you rock!

Henry and Matthew also had a great day!
Matthew, you are looking good. Who dressed you? :)

Today was such a beautiful day. Tom stayed home from work because we were attending a funeral for a friend's mother. This woman loved the outdoors and her service was a graveside service. The grass was green and the flowers were blooming. The sky was blue and the air was still. Many wonderful words were spoken and another friend played the violin. I so enjoyed hearing about Jennie's life and how she touched many people.
I also took Julia to the eye specialists office. Julia sees many specialists to keep her disorder in check. Poor little thing she fell asleep on the way home and woke with a crook in her neck.
I sure liked having Tom home on such a nice day. He played outside with the boys. Henry sure loves being outside. Even as I write this at 7:45 p.m. there are 3 children still playing out in the almost dark. I remember this time of year as a kid. It was so exciting playing out on a Friday night. I remember thinking how great the weekend was going to be. Now, of course I still think that, but it is because I get some help doing the chores. :)
Being a mom to this gang is fun and full of adventure. I never know what to expect minute to minute. After going to the funeral today I have a renewed desire to be the best momma a gang could have. I hope one day my children will stand before their families and friends and remember life with Tom and me as happy and fun. I also desire to raise my children to be respectful, loving, happy, spriitual, life long learners, and prepared to be parents themselves. This is our responsibility and we take it seriously.

Finally a new post!!

Hey, all you Hay Gang fans I am finally getting around to posting. I didn't realize that I hadn't blogged in over a month. Many things have happened to us in this last month. Where to begin. Well Tom and I served our little gang a beautiful candlelight Valentine's Day dinner. The children loved it. Then we were onto the cub scout Blue and Gold dinner. Thomas and Tom had to prepare a father/son cake. The theme was All American. Our pack chose to have each boy focus on a state. Thomas chose Tennessee because that's where Elvis and Antsy McClain come from. The cake was a guitar. It turned out great and won the Most Creative cake. As the month wore on we went to the ER 2 times. One time was for Henry to have stitches in his nose due to a backyard fall (push) off the picnic table. The other time was Matthew being rushed there because he was found unresponsive in his classroom. It appears as if he has had an absence seizure. We keep a very close eye on him. Macie has had to write the 4th grade mission report and project. She also got to sing the national anthem with her school choir at the opening day of Little League yesterday. We also celebrated Thomas' 9th birthday yesterday with his favorite dinner, steak. March brought us another pinewood derby and Thomas built a motor home car. It was a bit bulky and did not win. The motor home won Most Detailed car and Thomas showed great sportsmanship that night. Here are some pictures of the things that we have done this last month. I love them, I hope you will too.
Also, I ran into one of my dearest and oldest friends this last week. This post is for her. She mentioned that I haven't posted in a while, so, Ter here you go. It was great seeing you and I miss all the fun and adventures we used to have. :)

Photo-challenge

I was reading our friend Jenna's blog and she had a photo challenge on it. She was tagged to post the 6th photo from her 6th folder. So here is ours from my new nikon camera:









Matthew and Julia playing with Henry's formula on the couch. One of the many daily messes I clean up. Ah the joys of motherhood.

Support Two Little Hands Productions in the 2009 StartupNation Leading Moms in Business Competition

Support Two Little Hands Productions in the 2009 StartupNation Leading Moms in Business Competition

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A Talent Show and a Cowboy Birthday

Last Thursday Macie was in the talent show presented by the 4th, 5th and 6th graders at her school. The show was 36 acts long and broken up into 2 acts. Macie was participating in 2 acts and they both were in the 2nd act of the show. Grandma, Pa, Auntie and Uncle were all on hand along with the rest of the Hay gang. We just couldn't wait to see her perform. Her first act was an original skit written by her and performed by Macie and her friend Carlie. It was very cute and she did a great job. The next act she did was a solo performance of the Hannanh Montana song Life's What You Make It She has a sweet voice and seemed like a natural up on the stage. We were all very pleased with her and the courage she had getting up there in front of all those people. The school also showed the talent show in the morning. Macie had to perform in front of the whole school too. Here are some shots of the night. I didn't get any of her performing because I was video taping it, of course.




Now onto the cowboy. Matthew was invited to his first friend birthday party on Saturday. It was a cowboy themed party. He had the time of his life. The party was located where people have property. Matthew was able to ride a horse, play on a zip line, jump on the trampoline, and swing on a rope swing. The little boys decorated paper-bag vests, played with water guns and shot toy lizards and ate cake. Oh what fun he had. The pictures tell the whole story.

Just Another Day

Sometimes I think about this blog and think that I have to only blog spectacular thing. Then, I remember why I started the blog and that was to record the everyday, normal. run of the mill things that happen to us the Hay Gang. Today was just another day. We woke up and did the morning rush to feed the gang and get them out the door to school and work. Julia had swim lessons and I picked Macie up from school and took her to the ortho. We are still in a holding pattern for the braces. (mom says yeah no payments yet. :) ) Since I had Macie my dad took Julia for her swim lesson and apparently she had her best day yet. She made it from one side of the pool to the other. This is what she needs to be able to do to make the swim team this summer. It will be fun having three of the gang on the LBD team.
I then went to Target and got the bushel of diapers/pull-ups that I buy each month and found a pretty new bedspread to buy for my bed. I actually have never bought one for this bed because it was given to us and was bigger than any bed we have had in the past.
Then I went and picked up Matthew at school. Put the boys down for a nap. Picked kids up from homework club, took Macie to Activity Day girls and came home to make dinner.
Now they are all in bed and Tom and I are anxiously waiting for our new favorite show to start, Life.
Off to watch the tube. Oh, happy day just like any other day!

The Gang having fun just like other days. :)

Floor Mate giveaway

I ran accross this blog that is giving away a Hoover FloorMate. Check it out you have until Feb 15th to enter. Enter the contest here.

Basketball Saturday

So, every Saturday this month and 2 into February the 3 older kids are playing basketball at the local High School. They each get a t-shirt and a new basketball plus play on a team and learn fundamentals of basketball. Macie and Thomas are playing this year for 90 min. and Julia plays for 60 min. Last week we had a game at 8, 9:30, and 11:00. I was at that school for 5 hours. It was crazy. This week Tom took the girls because they both played at 8a.m. Pa also went to watch. Last week The whole Hunkins gang except for Boppy of course were there and then we went out to lunch to celebrate Grandma's b-day. Anyway here's a couple of shots of our newest hoopster, Julia. Enjoy!

What's going on around here?

I haven't kept up on posting very well. I get it into my head that I need to post pictures with everything I post, but I don't really. So here is a non picture post. We are kept busy here with school, pre-school, swim lessons, physical therapy(me), and just your everyday stuff. Right now Matthew is watching Signing Time!. He is watching Vol. 6 one of our all time favorites. He is right this minute jumping because Rachel is singing the song "I'm really good at singing, dancing, jumping" etc. Henry is down for a nap and I'm getting ready for PT. My dad is coming over to sit with the kids until I get home. Macie has activity day girls this afternoon. She is having a good manners dinner. She went to school dressed up for the occasion. Thomas had a pack meeting last night. I better get on the ball and help him earn his wolf badge. He turns 9 at the end of March. Time is running out. Julia has been taking swim lessons at the Starfish Swim School. They are hopefully getting her ready for swim team in April. It would be great to have the 3 big kids on the team this summer.
I guess that's it for now. Oh and I twitter you can find me there at staceyhay.

Magical Munchy Popcorn give-away

I found this blog from a cafemom group I'm on and she is having a give away. Part of the give away is that I need to post about a time when someone did an act of kindness for me. Now, I have many people who are always doing kind things for me, and I'm sure they have no idea how it has helped me. My husband does kind things for me all the time and my family of course is kind to me. As many of you know we have 5 children and it can be difficult to get out. I have this friend Lori who called one day about a year ago and said that she would love to sit for the gang and let Tom and me go out. We took her up on it and had fun. It was truly kind and loving of her do to that for us. Thank you Lori!

Talent Show

Macie continues to surprise me. She has told me that she wants to be a pop star when she grows up, but I havn't seen any efforts on her part towards that goal. Well this last Tuesday was tryouts for the school talent show and who goes to tryouts but Macie. She sings, and I mean sings not just lip sinc, Hannah Montanna's song Life's what you make it. I went to the tryouts for moral support and I ended up crying while she was trying out. I thought she was great. We're not sure if she made it, but the lady at tryouts told her that she needed to put some moves to the music. You know diva it up a bit. I think we can manage that. :) I, of course, could never have done this kind of thing as a child, but I am thrilled that she has that much confidence. Good luck to Macie!

Happy New Year and Welcome 2009

The gang put out their money under the mat last night and brought it in this morning. We have done this tradition in out family for as long as I can remember. When you bring in your money in the morning it symbolizes you bringing in money all year. It doesn't matter how much money just that you do it.
Tom and I went to see Antsy McClain in Grass Valley for a New Year's Eve party bash. It was different than we are used to, but we had a great time dancing and being with our fellow flamingohead friends. They had a costume contest and yes, you guessed it Tom won. He went as Stubbie (of Stubbies Discount Fireworks), one of the Troubadour's sponsers. It was very funny.

The day after Christmas

The gang sure knows how to have fun. Santa brought many terrific items. Some needed and some just because they are fun. On the day after Christmas the gang settled down to business and dug into the gifts. You could see Thomas making bouncy balls and locking stuff up in his laser protected secret code safe. Julia was seen feeding her new baby Ally and strolling her around the house. Matthew was busy hiding out in his tent and riding around the house on his super speedy bike. Henry just tried to get everyone else's items, but he did like riding on his little just his size fire truck. Macie had a friend over and they did spa treatments. I love watching my group of people enjoying their gifts. We only had a couple of items to take back, but the store didn't have the correct sizes. Oh, well the girls will just have to grow into them.
It was a great Christmas filled with many magical moments and love was felt by all. Grandma and Pa came over to watch the unwrapping and then Tom's brother came by to see us. It was great to see him. We had dinner at Grandma and Pa's along with Auntie, Uncle and the cousins.

A Reindeer

So, this morning started out very early. Julia is an afternoon Kindergartner and because today is the last of school before Christmas break the teachers had all kinders come at the A.M. time. This meant we had to have her at school at 7:50a.m. She was excited because she got to wake up early. Matthew has to be at school at 8 and the others have to be at school at 8:25. You can see how our logistical nightmare was. I took Matthew, Thomas and Macie to school then went onto Julia's school. Tom had already dropped Julia off and I was needed there at 8:30 for the K-3sing-a-long. Julia was so cute in her reindeer hat. Her class sang and led the audience in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. She shined with her beautiful smile and great voice. My heart grew more today and Henry just sat there and watched. He let out a little howl every now and then.
Here are some shots of the cute Reindeer: