I have a secret about the blog - I have one of those counters on it so I can tell how many people check the blog. It used to be visible and then somehow was made invisible when you look at the blog but I get updates on how many people are viewing it. I confess to being somewht intrigued when I first started the blog about the number of people who stumble upon it - most based on their search for adoption - and stick around. Recently we had 100 people check the blog in a 24 hour period so all I have to say is - Auntie Beth, Auntie Meg, KK and Grammy - you clearly need to find something else to do with your time. Just kidding! The fact that other people (who don't already know that my kids are the cutest, sweetest, smartest kids ever) read the blog is sort of daunting to me - I recently invited a few friends from work to read the blog. This is with the understanding, of course, that it does not exempt them from listening to my stories about our escapades at times during the work day and for those who I actually supervise - they are still required to have an appropriately astonished, stunned or just smitten reaction! This opens me up in several ways, that I had not thought of. First - although I am a cropping queen - there are some messes in this house that are too big to be cropped out of pictures - that means that my work friends are now privy to my lack of housekeeping skills. Second - my professional, in control - I know what i am doing at all times facade has been completely shattered and replaced with the pajama wearing, crazy haired obssessive mom behind the camera reality persona. I had a work friend recently ask where she could score some fleece owl pajamas of her own so you see what I mean!

Either way - if you are reading the blog because you love our family, are curious about adoption, foster care or the other searches we come up under or are just plain bored - thank you but remember a few things. I am an unabashadely proud mother, I rarely have time to use spell check and the content of the blog is based on my desire to have a record for the five kids about our life - who we were with, what we did, what was important to us and how loved they were!

Now onto the week in the Harding - Wheeler house!

Who doesn't love a sleepover? I think my sister-in-law thinks I am crazy because I would literally love it if her kids could sleep over every weekend. Tyler and Abby are the sweetest, easiest kids I know and Bob and I love having them with us. We can't wait to get Katie in on the action but right now there aren't enough cribs! Uggggg! So last weekend we managed to slip a quick sleepover in and had a blast. There is nothing better than waking up to the kids all lined up at the kitchen table, sugared up on Bob's favorite breakfast food (if you can call it that) pop tarts and laughing hysterically. I sit down in my chair and just take it all in. There is singing, laughing and dancing. Soon after these pictures were taken we moved into the living room for some HSM dancing . The kids couldn't stay long because Abby and Molly had big plans with Auntie Ann. Auntie Ann took Abby and Molly to see the Mercy production of Guys and Dolls. It was three hours long and Molly could not stop talking about it. She loves anything with music and dancing and her cousin and Aunt involved. I also heard that Auntie Ann had them pretty sugared up with cookies and ice cream.

While Molly was with Auntie Ann the rest of the clan headed up to Auntie Kate's for dinner and a UCONN game! We had a blast - well - okay - let's be honest - the kids had a blast- I sat on my butt and did nothing. Uncle B, Uncle Colin, KK and Auntie Kate spent the entire time occupying the brood and I watched the game and ate. Not bad for a Sunday in March and UCONN Women eventally won the Big East Tournament! Yeah!

The boys!
The girls!

Lizzie wanted in on the action!

It's Potty Time! Yes - Annie has finally started using the potty. So far not with much consistency but she, at least, gets the point. Auntie Karla - bless her soul - came over with Big girl Dora panties and potty treats - gummy bears! And - yes - we do have a potty in our living room. I have no explanation for this other that when Annie is spending 20 minutes waiting to pee I can at least sit on a comfy couch while she does it! Not the best parenting but I am assuming that at some point it will click that the living room is not the appropriate place to go potty! If it doesn't we have some big issues in our future!

After our sleepover I told the kids we could go see Bammy and Papa - unfortunately I said that at 6 a.m. not realizing how the next three hours would be excruciating as the kids begged to leave. Finally at 9 I gave in and we headed over. The kids thought it would be hysterical to see how disappointed Bammy got if she thought it was just me with no kids there to see her. Little do they know - Grammy and Papa were smitten long before they came along. Of course, Grammy and Papa were thrilled to see, through still groggy eyes - six of their eight grandchildren at their front door at 9:05 on a Sunday morning!

Grumpy Guses - Peter and Tyler had just been told that Tyler had to go home to go to church!

Miss Annie - she is one cool kid! Annie finds the most interesting ways to entertain herself - and us! She was wandering around the house and I asked if she wanted to do something with me - "Later, Mama, I'm going to try on some hats!" And she did!

The weather was amazing this week so the kids actually got outside. My camera was on the fritz so I only have a few pictures but it was so nice to see them all running around and having fun in the yard. The babies had a blast - except for poor Ellie who had to go back inside because I did not realize how wet the ground was and she got soaked crawling through the front yard. Molly girl was so excited to be out and having fun with Annie after school. Molly was also thrilled about her Brownie events this week and next. On Monday she went on a field trip with her Brownie troop to Stew Leonards. She came back telling us all about healthy eating and grocery shopping. She loves Brownies and will love it even more now that Grammy got all of her patches sewn on her vest for her. She was the only girl in the troop whose Mom had yet to sew on her badges. My response was "I am only one woman, Molly." Her answer was, "But you are one woman with a sewing kit - do you want me to get it for you?" Hard to argue her logic there!

Molly Girl

Annie hiding behind the tree. Annie runs and sings and talks to herself outside. She has a blast. The other day she was pointing to things and asking what they were. When I said I don't know a few times she finally turned to me and said "You need to go outside more and learn, Mama!" The world according to Ann!

Loving life!

Annie is going to be our little gardener - she loves flowers and plants and getting her hands dirty. She and her Daddy are kindred spirits in that way. Molly and I love flowers but decided we dislike dirt and worms so gardening is out for us!

Uncle Scott - our "manny" hanging with Ann.

Love that smile - love that face - love that girl!

I forgot that Annie and Lizzie also had an outing with Auntie Ann and Sister Anne to the Christmas tree Shop this week. They came home with more stuff than the car could hold, having had lunch and ridden the horses at the mall three times with Sister Anne. They could nto have been happier - especially with the Saint Patrick's Day decorations they got!

Bob and I were fortunate enough to get Tiffany to agree to babysit during her Spring Break so we went out to dinner last night at J. Gilberts. It was so nice to have a chance to talk and regroup after a long week. We get made fun of for going to our old standby all the time but when I asked Bob about going to a new place next time he said okay but I hate to waste a rare night out on bad food - at least we know we love J. Gilberts! Good point!

We have a wonderful weekend ahead. Miss Marybeth suggested that the girls might not want to march in the parade if it is raining too hard so we may forgo that depending on the weather but Molly has a performance for the Legionaires and then another one at the VFW. On Sunday I can hardly wait - we are going to see Riverdance! Karla and I gave it as a Christmas present to Auntie Ann so we are doubly blessed to be going with Auntie Ann and getting to see Abby and Molly see it for the first time ever. Many of the girl's irish teachers have been or are in Riverdance so the girls have heard about it alot and even heard the music at dance class. I am hoping that we are able to get to see their teachers who are in this production afterwards!

And one more bit of news - we have a new nephew. My cousin Colleen was finally released from bedrest and scheduled for a March 17th c-section but Baby Boy had other plans. Samuel Charles Lewandowski was born on March 8, 2010 and weighed in at 6 pounds, 8 ounces. Big Sister Nora reportedly loves him and Auntie Peggy and Uncle Chuck are on cloud nine! Congratulations to Colleen, Peter and Nora and their new addition! I am hoping to barge in for a visit this weekend so I will post pictures when I get them. Since we are in the baby department I'm not sure if I told everyone that my other cousins - Michelle and Todd found out that they are having another GIRL! I believe the due date is the middle of June but I haven't gotten word on a name yet! We can't wait to see Cassie as a big sister!

GNM - ILY!