Mamma Mia

For a little soundtrack to today's post, here's a lovely music video to inspire you ... or frighten you.  Either way ... be forewarned that it really doesn't add anything to the writing, but it might be stuck in your head for the next 24-hours :)  Proceed at your own risk!

I'll wait here while you enjoy this little ditty ... but just promise that you won't get all caught up in trying to find the most outrageous get-up ... and forget to come back. :)

hmmmm...mhhhh.mmm.....hhhhh....mmmm .... 

"how could I forget you?" hhhhhmmmm.mmmm

Are your back?  Well?  What did you think?  Could you believe the guitar player's shoes?

There really are no words to describe the 70's ... and to think this was the year I was born ... shiver ... 

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This past week, Brett had a seminar in Denver and then he stayed over with his parents for the weekend.  While we all really missed Daddy, we had the sweet treat of having Nana up to stay.  My mom lives in Montrose, so we see her rather frequently, but it's not terribly often that she comes up to live with us! :)  Having her here was a bit of a mini-vacation for me because, while Brett is an awesome Daddy and super hands-on, he doesn't get to stay home during the day.  So ... starting on Wednesday afternoon, I enjoyed the bonus of not just having Nana around, but having her around all the time!

You moms know how great it is to have extra hands to help out, and while Brett jumps in and changes diapers, helps in the kitchen and keeps kids out of mischief ... the kids aren't only that busy at night ... but ALL DAY LONG!  It was so great to have Nana available to clean up kitchen rubble (a new term for the "after meal remains"!) while I tackled other pressing needs like diapers or bedroom explosions (hopefully that and not diaper explosions!).  Also it was a relief to not have to juggle our morning routine too much.  When it came time to walk to school, the babies could stay home in their pj's with Nana while I strolled up to school with the big kids ... sans the stroller!  I also managed to be gone for a couple doozy diapers ... good planning on my part, eh? ;)  I also appreciated the extra help during our bedtime routine ... between the two of us we still had the four kids in bed on time!  Whew!  But more than that ... it was a pleasure to have Nana here because life is always a little bit better when you get to share the bumps & jumps with someone else!

Just because we had company didn't mean that the kids were without their usual silliness and mischief, but with someone else with whom to stifle a smile, it made it easier.  Having a companion in the parenting department ... and someone who has been there already, helps me to keep a positive perspective ... and a stiff upper lip!  I figure if my mom remembers me pulling some of these shenanigans and she survived and I turned out okay (or so I'd like to think!) then we will all come through this just fine.

So when Lydia was shoving food all over the table and yelling, "mah!", it was a comfort to know that Nana was on my side and that between the two of us we could finish the full-contact meal successfully.  And hopefully with limited contact with Lydia's meal.

On Friday, Nana took Ashley to her little gymnast's open gym time.  Little did she know that she would be following our springing, cartwheeling, vaulting, jumping little gymnast all around Kidzplex as Ashley tried everything new!  Even if Nana wasn't jumping into the foam pit, it was still a tad bit exhausting to keep up with our little gymnast ... chaperoning can be a full-contact sport!

When we were watching the movie on Friday night, it was fun having someone else to witness the incredible non-moving-watching that transpired.  At one point only Ashley was left in the room with Nana as the other kids (including our neighbor buddy) were scattered to other rooms waiting for the scary part to be over.  It's a full-contact experience watching a movie with the Kellums!

We took a trip over to a park on Saturday morning and as predicted, the kids stayed independently busy for about 20 minutes.  Then it was time to swing kids, bounce them on the teeter-totter and help little ones up ladders and across monkey bars.  The favorite part of the playground was this crazy spinning pole with a seat that swung at an angle.  Hard to describe, but fun to ride!  We spent a good part of our time pushing the kids around and around on that whirling ride.  As usual our trip to the park was a full-contact adventure and just a tad bit tiring.

Keeping all these busy kids fed is another big job during which I appreciate the extra hands.  My mom is a terrific help in the kitchen either cooking, cleaning or keeping me company.  We spent a lot of time in the kitchen this weekend just trying to keep up with the hungry little mouths.  During our short time together, we served four breakfasts, four lunches, two dinners (Thanks JnJ for a birthday party!), three sack lunches and countless snacks.  And somehow, Nana was able to work her magic on a few meals to make the kids devour them!  I'm convinced that if I had served them next week, the kids would have showed a lot less enthusiasm, but because Nana made it ... it was awesome!  Getting kids to eat can be a full-contact event!

Throughout our four and a half days with Nana (I'm sure it felt a bit longer to here), we kept her movin' and groovin' but we also enjoyed our down-time with her.  The kids enjoyed someone to sit and color with, someone who was ready to drop everything and read with them, someone to cheer on a Madden Football video game, someone to snuggle with during cartoons and someone to sit next to/on top of during a meal.  I guess those are the special perks of a grandparent!

It's obvious that my kids love to be with their grandparents and I love seeing my kids with their grandparents.  I love to see everybody enjoying one another, loving on each other and the constant exchange of hugs and smooches and cuddles and high-fives.  Apparently being Nana and Grammy and Gramps and Grandpa is a full-contact job ... in a good way!

I would love to say that I have some fun pictures of our time with Nana this weekend, but ... I don't.  :(  I guess we were just keeping up with those monkeys!  We were just having toooooo much fun!  Thanks, Mamma Mia, for staying with us.  And rest up ~ because we want you to come back! :)  Smooches!