Spring Break 2013

It started with 9 inches of snow ...

 

And ended with fishing all day in 60 degree gorgeous blue skies.

In between ...

the kids slept in a different bedroom every night

played outside in snow

played outside in the sun

Master S got a sunburn on his face

Big D earned some freckles on his face

went mini-monster golfing

had donuts at Kroger for a snack one day

met Dad for lunch at a cool park in Plainfield

Master S worked on his Citizenship Merit Badges -

-  visiting the capitol building in Indianapolis and a Brownsburg Town Hall meeting

Miss Lilly climbed the rope at gymnastics to the top and rang the bell!!!

Big D went to 2 birthday parties!

Went to the library

Spent the Sat. before Easter at McCloud park and went on a,

-scavenger hunt

-a rabbit hike with a naturalist, learning lots about rabbits

-did some flower crafts

Played with some awesome babysitters while mom worked a few days

had friends over to play

played at friends houses

played basketball

went to Barnes and Noble to spend gift cards from Christmas

did a mentos & diet cola experiment in the backyard - awesome!

watched lots of Mythbusters and Phineas and Ferb

ate dinner at Applebees

Made homemade soft pretzels

Master S and Big D bought fishing poles with birthday money

went fishing

had a 'hang out' for 11 year old boys with a ping pong tournament

Miss Lilly played ponies in the backyard, barbies in every room of the house and pirates with the neighbor kids

Added to multiple rock, stick and various nature collections

...whew! 

I'm looking forward to going back to school and routine, although after today's weather and the kids playing outside until 8:30pm, I'm super glad summer is right around the corner!

 

 A fish that Master S caught ... we are in the catch and release program ... the worm was still wiggling in the fish's mouth on this one.

 Big D had to get in on the action ...

 The kids posing for one last pic today ... Miss Lilly wouldn't smile, so I said, "CHICKEN" which is her favorite word these days.  Whenever she is bored or doesn't know what to say, or can't think of a word or wants to call you a name, its 'chicken' or 'cabbage patch', don't ask me why, if only I knew how that girl's brain worked?!  ... she cracked up laughing at me.  Love that girl!

EASTER 2013

 Yes, this is my beautiful daughter :)  Miss Lilly - personality drips from her ...

 Big D getting ready to dye some eggs.

 Master S seriously approaching the task this year.

 Sunday morning all ready for church.  The boys loved the hats ... so did I!

 What did I say about personality dripping?!

 The kids woke up to 12 eggs hidden in each of their rooms.  In each of the eggs was a symbol from the Jesus' death and resurrection with a scripture that we read together.  After church the sun came out, yea!  And Dad hid the 'candy' filled eggs that the Easter bunny left in a basket on the table.  The kids had a great time hunting them down ...

 We had a big dinner and a good friend from Texas who was visiting joined us.  I tried out buttermilk pie for the first time.  Almost tasted like a cheesecake to me, just with more tang. 

11-year old Birthday

So, Master S is now 11 --- this was a big milestone birthday for a few reasons,

1.  I am a mother of an 11-year old boy!?!

2.  I finished my first, totally on my own, quilt for him.

(it has taken me over 5 years to do this!!!)

3.  We had a 'hang out' not a 'party' at our house to celebrate his birthday.

 

 He loves it - I love it.  It is finally done!  I found an awesome gal through a friend to machine quilt it ... and she did a fabulous job. I have plans for more pillows, but I actually really like just the one for now.

 I love this picture of him -- he doesn't smile a full 'tooth' smile very often, especially when I have the camera out, but when he does it reminds me so much of his Dad!  He is such a good kid and is totally into some cool stuff right now ... outdoors, basketball, scouts, fishing (he caught one in the pond behind our neighbor's house yesterday), reading everything in sight, Mythbusters and anything that might have to do with science experiments, and especially explosions!

 He is officially a Boy Scout and I got to cut all his awards off his Cub Scout shirt and put them in a shadow box, for his birthday, to hang on his wall.  It was overwhelming to realize how much he has grown in the last three years, how much he has learned, and how much I'm already wishing time would slow down.

 I think his favorite thing is this over the door basketball hoop ... and despite the banging on the wall and floor that is causes, I'm thinking I'm going to like it too.  Judging by the emotional drama that has erupted around here, it is a good way to work out that extra emotion he seems to overflow with every now and then (or several times a day ...)

Last night we had a 'hang out' ... eleven, 11 year old boys, all from church!  We didn't even attempt to invite the neighborhood boys, as it easily would have put us at 20 boys ... there are so many boys that age!  We made pizza, played basketball, watched 'Wreck it Ralph', ate lots of junk, and had a  ping pong tournament.  So fun!  We have an awesome group of boys at church - all such great kids.  At one point I went downstairs to see how ping pong was going and they were all organized, couple refs, two boys on each side, playing doubles with a rotation all worked out ... are they really old enough to organize their own fun?!  J.D. and I didn't really have to do anything except provide the environment - love it!

Hello Spring Break!

Ha ha!  We woke up to at least 6 inches of snow this morning ... probably more, and its the first day of Spring Break!  Yea!?! 

Noah's Ark

Big D goes to a Christian preschool, which I love.  A large part of me will be sad when he goes to kindergarten, just because he won't be at that preschool anymore.  He came home with this in his backpack a few weeks ago.  I thought it was a great reminder about a few things in life.

Everything I need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark ...
1.  Don't miss the boat.
2.  Remember that we are all in the same boat.
3.  Plan ahead.  It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
4.  Stay fit.  When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
5.  Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
6.  Build your future on high ground.
7.  For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
8.  Speed isn't always an advantage.  The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
9.  When you're stressed, float a while.
10.  Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic, by professionals.
11.  No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

Where are you Spring?

J.D. has a new job.

It is a job with lots of potential and lots of work.  He is very excited.  Our life is a little chaotic trying to maintain my schedule at work and take care of kids schedules around his 'not as flexible' job situation.  Although, I do think it will settle out soon - he will be great in this new position and it was a good move for him.  But, add to that:

a pre-teen in drama mode
a minor car accident with a large repair bill - no injuries thankfully!
a broken dryer during a 7 load laundry day
impending roof replacement
and a complete lack of spring weather ...

I told my mom I'm ready to get off this train!

This is a picture of the kids with a neighbor 'skating on our back patio' after a recent, minor ice storm .  The sun is actually out in this picture ... hoping we'll get some more of that and some warmth soon around here!

This boy attended his last blue and gold cub scout dinner in February - where he received his arrow of light and got to 'cross-over' from cub scout to boy scout?!  He's so excited to be a scout.  He reminds me so much of myself - sometimes its crazy to watch him and remember how I felt at that age.

the NUMBER 5

My Big D is 5.  All of a sudden I've turned around and he is old enough for kindergarten, old enough to put on his own seat belt, old enough to play t-ball and old enough to not want his mom to play with anymore ... not that I have ever been very good at that, but he much prefers his friends now. 

He wanted a jungle cake - so we compromised and did a zoo theme.  He insisted on placing the animals, all. by. himself.

 He asked for slippers this year?!  So we found some gorilla slippers, which he loves to wear everywhere.  But, then gets upset when they are wet or dirty and in Indiana this time of year, well, if you step out the door that's just what you get, wet and dirty!

 

 He looks so grown up!


He also got a nerf gun and his own baseball glove, ball and bat, because, yes - he is all signed up and ready to play ball, thanks to his dad!  He requested that we go to the 'new' IHOP in town for dinner - it was a good choice.

Big D's birthday is so close to Valentine's Day, that he and Miss Lilly spent the better part of the week making Valentines for the family ... this is one of my favorites.  She made a puzzle for me to put together.  Notice it doesn't quite make a heart, she said, 'I accidentally cut off part of the heart, but that's ok Mommy, because you already know what a heart looks like.'

The back of the puppy made of hearts says, 'Love somebody, yes I do!'

Master S made a box for his Valentines ... totally his ideas.  I 'mustache' you!  Love it!

V day and hat day at school.

Big D's birthday fell on the same day as the Preschool Valentine party.  Love the heart glasses they made out of pipe-cleaners.