I forgot to include this little gem in yesterday’s post. Nate and the kids did a special musical number (If I Listen with My Heart) in Primary last month. They did a great job. I don’t think one sound came out of Abby, but she mouthed the words beautifully. She isn’t so shy at home. She has been belting out the first verse of that song ever since. I love listening to her sing. It makes me happy.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Overlooked
Since my memory stinks, I try to be pretty thorough with this blog. I’ve had a bad case of the winter blahs the last couple of months, so there are few things that I would have normally blogged about that went under the radar. I thought I would do a quick post to catch all of the stragglers.
Piano Recital
Ben and Emily had their winter piano recital last month. Emily played “The Mermaid” and “Andante”. Ben played “Beach Party” and “Rip Roarin’ Rag” (kind of a funny choice since he is still working on mastering those dang Rs). They both played flawlessly and didn’t seem the least bit nervous to get up in front of everyone. Last year they both had serious stage fright, so I was happy to see them acting more calm and confident this time around.
The only catastrophe of the day was Ben’s outfit. I’ve always made him wear a suit and tie to his recitals and he has always complained about it. I decided that it was time to pick my battles. We compromised and I let him wear khaki pants and a polo shirt. It bugged me that he didn’t look dressed up enough, but I was almost over it. Then he got up to introduce his songs. He hiked up his pants right as he stood up so it looked like they were quality four inch floods. I’m pretty sure next time he will be wearing his suit. :)
Nate Had a Birthday Shout Hooray!
Nate turned 38 on the 1st of February. He got lots cooler presents than most years . . . a scroll saw, a set of router bits, and the 1910 expansion for our Ticket to Ride game. He knew about all of them ahead of time, but he was good at pretending to be surprised for the kids. We did all of our normal Tuesday night stuff and threw in some chocolate cream pie and a round of Ticket to Ride to make it special.
Beer Belly Eyes
We’ve been building up a Health Savings Account for the last few years. We figured once we had a good buffer in there that would cover any unexpected medical expenses we would both get Lasik. This was going to be our Lasik year. It turns out that neither of us will be getting it done. My corneas are perfectly healthy, but my vision isn’t bad enough to make me a good candidate. Nate’s vision is LOUSY, but we found out that he has a rare (1 in 1000) condition called keratoconus (aka beer belly eye). Basically his corneas kind of bulge at the bottom and if they did Lasik now there is a good chance he would go blind later. So, another 50 years of squinting for me and another 50 years of contacts and glasses for Nate. The good news is that we’ll have plenty of funds in our HSA to pay for all of our kids’ braces.
Speaking of Braces
Emily has started on her orthodontic journey. She has a bit of an overbite (which may or may not be due to the fact that her mom let her have a bottle until she was two). In January, she got a cool blue bite trainer. She has been amazing about remembering to put it in every night. She had a checkup yesterday and the orthodontist was very impressed with how much her teeth have moved. Hopefully she’ll keep being so diligent and save herself the fun of wearing headgear in junior high.
Penmanship 101
Abby has started writing her name. She was reluctant to try for a long time, but she finally gave in when it was time to write her name on some Valentines. She’s pretty self-critical of her penmanship (i.e. “I made that one too long”), but she loves having this new skill. Her latest thing is to add some decoration to her letters (like the suns on the end of the Ys in the picture).
Piano Recital
Ben and Emily had their winter piano recital last month. Emily played “The Mermaid” and “Andante”. Ben played “Beach Party” and “Rip Roarin’ Rag” (kind of a funny choice since he is still working on mastering those dang Rs). They both played flawlessly and didn’t seem the least bit nervous to get up in front of everyone. Last year they both had serious stage fright, so I was happy to see them acting more calm and confident this time around.
The only catastrophe of the day was Ben’s outfit. I’ve always made him wear a suit and tie to his recitals and he has always complained about it. I decided that it was time to pick my battles. We compromised and I let him wear khaki pants and a polo shirt. It bugged me that he didn’t look dressed up enough, but I was almost over it. Then he got up to introduce his songs. He hiked up his pants right as he stood up so it looked like they were quality four inch floods. I’m pretty sure next time he will be wearing his suit. :)
Nate Had a Birthday Shout Hooray!
Nate turned 38 on the 1st of February. He got lots cooler presents than most years . . . a scroll saw, a set of router bits, and the 1910 expansion for our Ticket to Ride game. He knew about all of them ahead of time, but he was good at pretending to be surprised for the kids. We did all of our normal Tuesday night stuff and threw in some chocolate cream pie and a round of Ticket to Ride to make it special.
Beer Belly Eyes
We’ve been building up a Health Savings Account for the last few years. We figured once we had a good buffer in there that would cover any unexpected medical expenses we would both get Lasik. This was going to be our Lasik year. It turns out that neither of us will be getting it done. My corneas are perfectly healthy, but my vision isn’t bad enough to make me a good candidate. Nate’s vision is LOUSY, but we found out that he has a rare (1 in 1000) condition called keratoconus (aka beer belly eye). Basically his corneas kind of bulge at the bottom and if they did Lasik now there is a good chance he would go blind later. So, another 50 years of squinting for me and another 50 years of contacts and glasses for Nate. The good news is that we’ll have plenty of funds in our HSA to pay for all of our kids’ braces.
Speaking of Braces
Emily has started on her orthodontic journey. She has a bit of an overbite (which may or may not be due to the fact that her mom let her have a bottle until she was two). In January, she got a cool blue bite trainer. She has been amazing about remembering to put it in every night. She had a checkup yesterday and the orthodontist was very impressed with how much her teeth have moved. Hopefully she’ll keep being so diligent and save herself the fun of wearing headgear in junior high.
Penmanship 101
Abby has started writing her name. She was reluctant to try for a long time, but she finally gave in when it was time to write her name on some Valentines. She’s pretty self-critical of her penmanship (i.e. “I made that one too long”), but she loves having this new skill. Her latest thing is to add some decoration to her letters (like the suns on the end of the Ys in the picture).
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
What a Difference a Week Makes!
Last weekend we got a little taste of spring. The weather was so nice that we went on a Sunday afternoon walk and the kids played outside for hours. Elise and Abby even had a picnic on the back lawn before school on Tuesday.
Fast forward to this weekend. We got hit with a big snowstorm on Sunday. No picnics at this house for a while. Instead we took the kids sledding. Nate took Monday off work and we headed over to the park first thing in the morning. Sledding is lots more fun now that the kids are more independent. Even Abby was able to hike up the hill on her own (Nate was still nice enough to taxi her up a few times on the sled).
Ben and Nate were the only ones that went down the bumpy runs. The rest of us stuck with the smooth slope. Ben thought it was cool to catch some air on the way down.
Emily and Elise made a cute little snowman. We didn’t come prepared, so I found a few things in the van to use for the finishing touches. I think it looks pretty cute with a pencil nose, lifesaver buttons and eyes, and a caramel apple pipe.
I had to leave early to get ready for a dentist appointment, but the kids weren’t done yet. Nate stayed with them so they could play a little longer. Ben threw a snowball at Nate and pretty soon all of the other kids at the park had joined in the big Nate vs. kids snowball fight. When I picked them up it was all they could talk about. I’m glad that Nate is a kid at heart and is always game when the kids want to play.
Fast forward to this weekend. We got hit with a big snowstorm on Sunday. No picnics at this house for a while. Instead we took the kids sledding. Nate took Monday off work and we headed over to the park first thing in the morning. Sledding is lots more fun now that the kids are more independent. Even Abby was able to hike up the hill on her own (Nate was still nice enough to taxi her up a few times on the sled).
Ben and Nate were the only ones that went down the bumpy runs. The rest of us stuck with the smooth slope. Ben thought it was cool to catch some air on the way down.
Emily and Elise made a cute little snowman. We didn’t come prepared, so I found a few things in the van to use for the finishing touches. I think it looks pretty cute with a pencil nose, lifesaver buttons and eyes, and a caramel apple pipe.
I had to leave early to get ready for a dentist appointment, but the kids weren’t done yet. Nate stayed with them so they could play a little longer. Ben threw a snowball at Nate and pretty soon all of the other kids at the park had joined in the big Nate vs. kids snowball fight. When I picked them up it was all they could talk about. I’m glad that Nate is a kid at heart and is always game when the kids want to play.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Little Penguin's Valentine
Emily and Elise collaborated on this little project as a gift for Abby. Emily wrote the story and drew the pictures and Elise did the coloring. I love it!
Once opon a time there was a little penguin that was looking for a seashell to give to his valentine.
He serched and serched and then finaly he found a perfect seashell that was red and shaped like a heart.
It took a while for the litte penguin to get to shore because he could only use his feet to swim because his hands were full.
When he got to shore he started to serch for a valentine. He serched and serched again. He even serched on the waves and never gave up. (Those last four words were Elise’s contribution to the writing process.)
And then little penguin got stuck on two icebergs. There was a air hole in one only big enogh for a penguin. He serched and serched especially by the air hole.
Then one day a smaller penguin popped out of the air hole. It was his valentine!
He gave her the heart and they lived happily ever after and had nine tiny penguins.
He serched and serched and then finaly he found a perfect seashell that was red and shaped like a heart.
It took a while for the litte penguin to get to shore because he could only use his feet to swim because his hands were full.
When he got to shore he started to serch for a valentine. He serched and serched again. He even serched on the waves and never gave up. (Those last four words were Elise’s contribution to the writing process.)
And then little penguin got stuck on two icebergs. There was a air hole in one only big enogh for a penguin. He serched and serched especially by the air hole.
Then one day a smaller penguin popped out of the air hole. It was his valentine!
He gave her the heart and they lived happily ever after and had nine tiny penguins.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
A for Effort
I’ve decided that Valentine’s Day should always be on a weekend. Mondays are busy at our house. After the kids get home from school we have scouts, Abby has dance, and Ben and Emily each have to practice the piano for 30 minutes. Somewhere in the middle of that we find time to make and eat dinner. When everything else is done, we get to have Family Home Evening. Trying to squeeze in some holiday fun is just too much to ask. I did give it my best effort. Well, maybe not my best effort, but some effort. Here are the highlights:
• Nate bought a big bag of Heath miniatures and hid them all around the house before he left for work. It provided entertainment for me and the kids all day. He had thought through our morning routine and left them where we were sure to find them . . . under the toothpaste, behind the vitamins, on the computer keyboard, in the kids’ shoes, etc. We found 46 in all. My favorites were the one that I found resting just above the ignition when I went to start the van and the one I found in my purse when I reached in for my credit card at the store. It was just a two dollar bag of candy, but it made me feel loved all day long.
• I found a fun new heart hairdo for the girls. Elise got pigtail hearts and Abby got a ponytail heart. They loved it. Emily was a little moted that I didn’t do anything special for hers. I assured her that it wasn’t personal. It’s just hard to be festive before 8 a.m.
• The kids got fun little gift bags from Grandma Reatha that included a mini gumball machine for each of them. It was easily their favorite gift of the day.
• I pulled out my trusty cookie cutters and made heart-shaped omelets and heart-shaped toast for dinner. The kids had eaten so much junk from school that they didn’t eat much of their food, but they were still impressed with how cool it looked.
• I copied Kaylynn’s Valentine tradition and made a string maze for the kids that led to their presents from me and Nate. I might have gotten a bit carried away. The level of difficulty was a little high for our first time, but once the kids figured it out they loved it. They did not, however, love their gifts. I got the girls cute new summer nightgowns with hearts on them. Abby opened hers and said “I hate this! I wanted slippers!” Nice. Elise said “Why did you get these ones? We already have one almost like it.” Nice. I bought fabric to make Ben pajama pants a couple of weeks ago, but then decided that since he doesn’t need more pajamas I would get him some socks instead. I know it seems like a lame gift, but Ben has an unnatural affection for Old Navy socks. He has nine pair and when I get behind in laundry and he runs out, all I hear about is how horrible his other socks are and how much he loves his Old Navy socks. I thought he would be thrilled with ten new pair so he would never have to run out again. I was wrong. He growled, tossed them aside, and said “I wish you would have gotten me pajamas.” Nice. All three of those reactions happened pretty much simultaneously. It was not a good moment. I felt like a loser mom for not getting gifts they would like and even more like a loser mom for not teaching my kids better manners. Hello, Gratitude? Where are you?
• After the kids got a big fat lecture on being good gift receivers (guilt-inducing enough that Ben was in tears . . . he even wrote me an apology letter this morning), we finished off the night with dessert. Nate made heart-shaped pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. Yummy! We let the kids open their other present, a new game called Quirkle. The original plan was to play it, but by the time we were done with everything else it was time for bed. Maybe we’ll play tonight.
Nate and I have long-since gotten over the notion that Valentine’s Day is meant to be romantic. Maybe before kids and maybe again when they are grown, but not when we have kids at home. Luckily our engagement anniversary is just two days before Valentine’s, so we get to have a fun date but skip all the pressure to do something big on Valentine’s Day. It was nice that our anniversary fell on Saturday this year so Nate could be home. I woke up to a yummy breakfast and a dozen roses. We went to Wiseguys for our anniversary date. It was lots of fun to laugh together for a couple of hours. It’s our new favorite date plan. Our kids had a late night with the Jensens. This babysitting trade we have going is working out really well. The kids love going and always have tons of fun. It’s definitely a win-win.
• Nate bought a big bag of Heath miniatures and hid them all around the house before he left for work. It provided entertainment for me and the kids all day. He had thought through our morning routine and left them where we were sure to find them . . . under the toothpaste, behind the vitamins, on the computer keyboard, in the kids’ shoes, etc. We found 46 in all. My favorites were the one that I found resting just above the ignition when I went to start the van and the one I found in my purse when I reached in for my credit card at the store. It was just a two dollar bag of candy, but it made me feel loved all day long.
• I found a fun new heart hairdo for the girls. Elise got pigtail hearts and Abby got a ponytail heart. They loved it. Emily was a little moted that I didn’t do anything special for hers. I assured her that it wasn’t personal. It’s just hard to be festive before 8 a.m.
• The kids got fun little gift bags from Grandma Reatha that included a mini gumball machine for each of them. It was easily their favorite gift of the day.
• I pulled out my trusty cookie cutters and made heart-shaped omelets and heart-shaped toast for dinner. The kids had eaten so much junk from school that they didn’t eat much of their food, but they were still impressed with how cool it looked.
• I copied Kaylynn’s Valentine tradition and made a string maze for the kids that led to their presents from me and Nate. I might have gotten a bit carried away. The level of difficulty was a little high for our first time, but once the kids figured it out they loved it. They did not, however, love their gifts. I got the girls cute new summer nightgowns with hearts on them. Abby opened hers and said “I hate this! I wanted slippers!” Nice. Elise said “Why did you get these ones? We already have one almost like it.” Nice. I bought fabric to make Ben pajama pants a couple of weeks ago, but then decided that since he doesn’t need more pajamas I would get him some socks instead. I know it seems like a lame gift, but Ben has an unnatural affection for Old Navy socks. He has nine pair and when I get behind in laundry and he runs out, all I hear about is how horrible his other socks are and how much he loves his Old Navy socks. I thought he would be thrilled with ten new pair so he would never have to run out again. I was wrong. He growled, tossed them aside, and said “I wish you would have gotten me pajamas.” Nice. All three of those reactions happened pretty much simultaneously. It was not a good moment. I felt like a loser mom for not getting gifts they would like and even more like a loser mom for not teaching my kids better manners. Hello, Gratitude? Where are you?
• After the kids got a big fat lecture on being good gift receivers (guilt-inducing enough that Ben was in tears . . . he even wrote me an apology letter this morning), we finished off the night with dessert. Nate made heart-shaped pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. Yummy! We let the kids open their other present, a new game called Quirkle. The original plan was to play it, but by the time we were done with everything else it was time for bed. Maybe we’ll play tonight.
Nate and I have long-since gotten over the notion that Valentine’s Day is meant to be romantic. Maybe before kids and maybe again when they are grown, but not when we have kids at home. Luckily our engagement anniversary is just two days before Valentine’s, so we get to have a fun date but skip all the pressure to do something big on Valentine’s Day. It was nice that our anniversary fell on Saturday this year so Nate could be home. I woke up to a yummy breakfast and a dozen roses. We went to Wiseguys for our anniversary date. It was lots of fun to laugh together for a couple of hours. It’s our new favorite date plan. Our kids had a late night with the Jensens. This babysitting trade we have going is working out really well. The kids love going and always have tons of fun. It’s definitely a win-win.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Environmental Center Fieldtrip Take Two
Ben had a fieldtrip to the environmental center on Tuesday. They got to go snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. They did the same fieldtrip in third grade, and it was a bit of a disaster. I had made sure that he was all set with his cold weather gear, but when they went out to do the skiing he left his gloves in the lodge. Lots of falls and freezing cold hands made for one miserable kid. I felt guilty for not being there to help him. This year, I made Nate sign up to go with them. Ben had a much better experience. He probably would have been fine if Nate hadn’t gone, but I felt better knowing that we wouldn’t have a repeat of last year’s experience. No tragedies this year. After all of my worrying, Nate laughed a little when Ben asked him if he could take his gloves off because his hands were too hot. They had a great time together. Ben loved looking for animal tracks and following them while they were snowshoeing. He got so excited each time they would find a burrow where the tracks ended.
100 Days of Kindergarten
Elise had her 100 day celebration on Wednesday. She had been looking forward to it for weeks. (No one gets quite as excited about a party as Elise does. She’s already written out invitations for her birthday party in September . . . of 2012.) Her homework assignment was to make a collection of 100 things to take and show her class. She was pretty picky about what went into her bag and spent loads of time counting and recounting. She would sort the items by type and then by color and then she would arrange them all into little mosaics (a birthday cake, a flower, etc.) She is a funny girl.
Abby and I got to help with some party preparations on Monday and then went back to the school on Wednesday to help out during the party. Being in a class full of kindergarteners can be revelatory. I tend to be a bit tough on my kids and have pretty high expectations for them. It is good for me to see them with their peers so I can appreciate that they really are smart and well-behaved kids (if not objectively, at least by comparison).
With all of the talk about Elise’s 100 day party, we found pictures from when Ben and Emily were in kindergarten. They went to a different school and had to make a project out of their 100 items, not just a collection. Ben’s was 100 pennies in the shape of a dollar and Emily’s was a rainbow necklace with 100 beads. Kindergarten is fun!
Abby and I got to help with some party preparations on Monday and then went back to the school on Wednesday to help out during the party. Being in a class full of kindergarteners can be revelatory. I tend to be a bit tough on my kids and have pretty high expectations for them. It is good for me to see them with their peers so I can appreciate that they really are smart and well-behaved kids (if not objectively, at least by comparison).
With all of the talk about Elise’s 100 day party, we found pictures from when Ben and Emily were in kindergarten. They went to a different school and had to make a project out of their 100 items, not just a collection. Ben’s was 100 pennies in the shape of a dollar and Emily’s was a rainbow necklace with 100 beads. Kindergarten is fun!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Ben's Law
Holly called me this morning on her way to school to tell me that she had just heard about this new law on the radio. She and her kids named it Ben’s law in reference to our fun experience last November. They think they are hilarious. She told me that the radio announcer said that leaving your kids unattended in a car could be punishable by up to 90 days in jail. I told my kids about it after I got off the phone. Ben’s response: “Ninety days isn’t that long; it’s not like it would be a whole year. And, you can nap in jail in peace.” He has a pretty sunny view of the penitentiary system. I’m glad to know that I wouldn’t be too severely missed during my relaxing three month vacation.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Lego Party
Our girls have always wanted some Legos of their own, and we’ve always lamented the fact that that Lego doesn’t make any really cool sets geared to girls. I scored a great deal on some Toy Story Legos around Christmastime and thought that they might fit the bill. We busted them out last night and let the girls buy them. (They have been sitting on their birthday money for much too long; we need them to be poor again so they’ll be motivated to work.)
Emily and Elise each paid half for the Toy Story train set. They were surprisingly cooperative about splitting up the parts to build and both of them came away thinking it was fair. They absolutely loved having a set of their own to build. The mini-figures in that set are easily the cutest Lego pieces I have ever seen. I kind of want some of my own.
Abby bought the little Toy Story army man set. I helped her through it step by step, but she built the whole thing by herself. She was amazingly good at following instructions. The best part was listening to her play with the little army guys after it was all built. As Ben said, “It’s just like when she plays with her Polly Pockets.” She made up all kinds of dialogue for them. My favorite was when she would yell out, “Hey, you guys” (in a long, drawn-out, singsong way) and “To the rescue!”
Ben kept himself busy by rebuilding his Burrows set and being the resident Lego expert when his sisters needed help. It was an absolutely fabulous way to spend a Friday night.
Emily and Elise each paid half for the Toy Story train set. They were surprisingly cooperative about splitting up the parts to build and both of them came away thinking it was fair. They absolutely loved having a set of their own to build. The mini-figures in that set are easily the cutest Lego pieces I have ever seen. I kind of want some of my own.
Abby bought the little Toy Story army man set. I helped her through it step by step, but she built the whole thing by herself. She was amazingly good at following instructions. The best part was listening to her play with the little army guys after it was all built. As Ben said, “It’s just like when she plays with her Polly Pockets.” She made up all kinds of dialogue for them. My favorite was when she would yell out, “Hey, you guys” (in a long, drawn-out, singsong way) and “To the rescue!”
Ben kept himself busy by rebuilding his Burrows set and being the resident Lego expert when his sisters needed help. It was an absolutely fabulous way to spend a Friday night.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
My New Best Friend
It’s no secret that Emily is not a morning person. She needs her sleep, and waking her up is not a task for the faint of heart. A couple of weeks ago, I saw a SlickDeal on an alarm clock and thought maybe we should give it a try. That alarm clock is my new best friend! I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. It has revolutionized mornings at our house. By the time Emily makes it upstairs, she is past the uber-grumpy, stomping, growling, “just let me sleep!” phase and is almost even pleasant. It just may be the best $7 I’ve ever spent.
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