Hello, little forgotten blog of mine. Tis' the busy season and I have simply not had a second to pay you any attention at all. But I'm hoping it's time to change that with a post. We'll see, at least it's a start.
Several weeks ago Miss Mack came racing out of school with sheer excitement on her face as she delightfully declared she had a loose tooth. I had my doubts as the kids' dentist, my friend, had said it would probably not be until spring. But, upon inspection, I agreed it was indeed loose. Her next question, "Will I loose it tomorrow". To which I replied, "No, honey. Maybe Christmas". Well, Christmas is days away and I'm not sure it will be gone before then. She has been impatiently waiting for this day as she watched all her friends loose their teeth. I'm so excited for her. She thought it would be very cool if the tooth fairy AND Santa came on the same day.
Miss Schuyler has transitioned into basketball season. I'm relieved of coaching duties as Basketball is Mark's responsibility and I will get to enjoy being a spectator, well at least for the parts where I'm not chasing our spiderman around. Schuyler had a fantastic soccer season scoring all but 3 of the goals. I would have to look back at the season but I think this equates to 15-20 goals. She is fanatical about all sports, including football. In fact, now that soccer has been banned until after the new year, the highlight of her day is when she is voted quarterback.
Eli, oh Eli. He is our comic and provides humor relief on a daily basis. Just the other day at the dinner table he proclaims, "Mom, Dad, my head is not screwed on right". Really! Where did that come from. It wasn't until the following day at lunch time when he announced it was screwed on correctly. It is not uncommon to find him parading around in dance costume or princess costume. Unfortunately, this is par for the course when you have 2 older sisters.
My kids truly amaze me and I'm glad that each has a unique personality, making them all the more special. I hope they are always comfortable to be the individuals they are!
Here was an almost Christmas Card photo =)
I'm running one direction, Mark is running another direction and we get home, quickly eat, finish any last minute homework, showers and baths as necessary, sometimes we fit in a book and then it's tuck the kids to bed. However, our work is not done. There is still laundry to do, the table to clear, dishes, lunches to pack, clothes to set out.... You get the idea. It's a whirlwind!
Schuyler was star of the week last week. As one might guess, she brought anything and everything related to soccer in. Soccer pictures, soccer jersey, soccer book, etc... However, she also got banned from playing soccer at recess. Schuyler told me that one of the girls basically made up a story and Schuyler never got to tell the teacher her side. I was a little leary of this until her best friend came over one afternoon and basically confirmed Schuyler's story. I struggle with when to address the situation and when to leave it alone and chose to leave it alone. There is no doubt in my mind that my Schuyler is an extremely aggressive girl, perhaps maybe a little too much for recess soccer. During this "banned" time, Schuyler sat on the side and encouraged her friends. Her homeroom teacher asked Schuyler if she would like to join them, being unaware of the ban. I'm so proud of how Schuyler handled the situation. She informed Mrs. R that she did want to join but had been banned by another teacher. I know she could have chose to say or do something else. She showed character in her response and these are things that warm my heart. I also had the opportunity to join her class on a field trip to Morrill Hall. It was fun to see how much they have learned about Dinosaurs and fossils.
Mack continues to enjoy school and the social life surrounding it = ) She has made friends with a girl she calls Ellie Belly = ) Mack also enjoyed her first sleep over at a friend's house this past Friday. They went to a camp just outside of Lincoln and enjoyed roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, hayrack rides, bounce house, fishing and watching the movie UP projected onto the side of the barn. Such a cool time. She actually slept until 8:45 the next morning!! That is a record for that girl. Mack and I have been enjoying Little House on the Prairie books. Would you believe I never read these as a child. I think I might be more addicted then she is!!
Eli said good-bye to his toddler bed and has welcomed a big boy bed into his room. His sleeping habits have drastically improved as well and he is no longer waking in the middle of the night to find his mama!! He continues to provide comic relief to the family. He does not like PJs anymore but prefers only his pull-up to sleep in.
On a complete whim, I grabbed the kids one evening and went and snapped a few pictures. No change of clothes, no brushing the hair, no planning once so ever! This might be the best way to do it!!
Maybe I can do this blogging thing after all! Ha, we'll see. I'd like to think I'm getting my groove back on but it's still early.
Our Eli man is getting bigger and I don't always realize it until I'm flipping through pictures. Sometimes I feel like we're shuffling the older 2 here and there that we don't get those special little moments with him. So, I'm taking a moment to record some thoughts, random sayings and anything else that pops into this overloaded brain of mine. E-Man does NOT like loud noises. He was still not a fan of fireworks, which meant that all 3 July 4th parties he could be found inside. This also includes thunderstorms. He will tell you he is "scaredy". The spider-man obsession continues. At night, he will ask, "Mom, when will I turn into Spiderman?" It does not matter that we constantly remind him that Spiderman is fictitious. He does not care. Eli does NOT like veggies and I struggle with creative ways to include them in his diet. Baby carrots is pretty much it unless you count potatoes of any kind. He might be a future baseball player. We pitch the ball to him and he hits it like no other 3 1/2 year old I've seen. He recently has taken a liking to baby dolls, but probably not like you would think. For example, he has wrapped their legs in a bind with his sister's necklace and then hung the baby from the bunkbed so Spiderman could rescue her! He showers at any given opportunity. Baths no, showers YES!
I guess I should at least mention his siblings = ) The girls are both enjoying school. Mackie is extraordinarily enthusiastic about school. So much so that she was disappointed we had a 3 day weekend and one night even cried at the dinner table. Silly girl. Schuyler received an extra effort award last week, which apparently is a big deal as one of her friend's saw it on the refrigerator and made a comment. She has also received the highest score in spelling 2, (maybe 3) weeks in a row. However, she is very modest about her accomplishments. She is willing to share with Mark and I but becomes embarrassed when we ask her to share with grandparents.
Mackie had a doctor appointment this week as there were some skin issues that were concerning me. She has 2 spots on her face where there were tiny blood vessels. One formed early this year and the other just recently. The diagnosis was Spider Angioma. In the case of children, they are asymptomatic and usually resolve on their own, although it may take several years. This is the route we are taking. If they continue to spread or get worse or do not disappear after several years, we may consider removing them. If she gets a third we will need to revisit to make sure there is no underlying issue. The other concern was an area on her leg that did not tan as the surrounding skin. The diagnosis for this was Tinea Versicolor, which is a fungal infection of the skin. So, we will try some prescription antifungal cream.
I'm pretty sure this post will take the award for most randomness!! So, back to normalcy, here is our growing boy...
I've been wondering how in the world I could ever get caught up on blogging after basically taking the WHOLE summer off. I've started many a time and then get overwhelmed and quit. I figure the best approach from this point is not to dwell on the past but make an effort starting with the recent, which is the FIRST day of school.
Yep, the kids went back to school on Wed the 18th. Prior to this we got to find there classrooms and meet their teachers at open house. Mack has a teacher that is new to the school. I had fears as I saw that the name began with Miss and instantly started thinking she must be young, does she have any experience, etc... That was when my better half calmly reminds me that LPS is extremely competitive and they actually have to turn good teachers away. And, we are fortunate to be in a good school district. We ran into Schuyler's old teacher at the store and he said all the teachers were raving about her. I was pleased when she called us on the 2nd day of school to assure us (or more me) that Mack was adjusting fine socially and academically to public school. The fact that she was proactive says a lot. If you ask Mack her opinion of her teacher she will say "I have the most beautiful teacher of all the 1st grade teachers. She doesn't make us read, write or do math". Well, that was the after the first few days and I'm happy to say they do actually do work = )
Schuyler also has a fantastic teacher. She brought home spelling words already on the 1st week and I was astonished at how hard some of them were. For example, her list had some of the following words: discrepancy, dramatization, rafters, scrutinize, plankton, etc... Holy smokes!!
Eli is happy to be back at the Montessori and even more excited to see his friend Dalton. I thought without his older sister he might be lost. Not so. Daddy gets a few extra hugs and kisses in the morning but that's the only real change.
Besides school, soccer season has kicked off. I continue to assistant coach both of the girls' teams. Schuyler's team has already had several practices and games and Mack's season will officially start Monday.
I'm hoping that this post will get me back in the practice of blogging but I also know that as the kids continue to get older, I continue to get even busier. So, I'm not going to beat myself up if I don't post every week and will do the best I can = )
Oh my, where does the time go? It seems much has happened in the last 2 weeks. Bare with me and my long windedness!
Mack celebrated her 6th trip around the sun or what most people refer to as her Birthday. The original plan was for a very girly tea party on Saturday after her game but another classmate was having her bday party on the same date and time. So, the tea party idea will remain on hold for next year and Mack instead opted for a slumber party with 3 of her closest friends. Her guests arrived at 5:30 and we began with pizza and breadsticks. Next was dessert and presents. I got the most delectable cupcakes from The Cup, champagne flavor, pink on the inside with white frosting, a tiny little flower on top and 100% organic. Unfortunately, I don't think my clan of kids truly appreciated the fineness as the frosting had disappeared but there was much cupcake remnants left on the plate. Oh well. After the present opening, it was time to do finger nails and toe nails. I was so glad to have the assistance of my niece and her friend who were in town to visit the University. I'm afraid my two hands were simply not enough for all the demands requests of the girls. One of the girls had to leave for a t-ball game leaving with us with only 2 extras for the night. So, we headed outside to play and secretly hoped to wear them out so they would sleep. Things got a little hectic at this point with one of the girls on Eli's motorized tractor not aware how to steer and nearly running into Mark's truck, Eli falling off his bicycle, Schuyler needing assistance to get her sweaty knee pads off, etc... So, we decided to head in and quiet down with a movie. Just as everyone was settled, Mark calls me from upstairs with that voice and I know. My heart is racing and I sprint up the stairs. There in my husbands loving arms is our little boy, his big blue eyes welled up with tears and the saddest little face I've ever seen. In the madness, I had assumed Eli went in the backyard with Mark to mow and Mark had assumed he went inside with me. In actuality Eli headed up to the next block on the bike path adjacent to our home. He was smart enough to know he couldn't come back down as he hasn't mastered using the breaks on his bike (a story for another time). So, he stood next to his bike looking sad and luckily one of the neighbors brought him down to us. It made me feel horrible. In fact, just rehashing it makes me feel it all over again.
Back to the party, everyone watched High School Musical 3 and then we attempted bed time. Originally, we had Eli and Schuyler on the pull out bed and Mack and her 2 buds on the blow-up mattress. Eli was having a hard time so he came upstairs. Multiple reminders were given to the girls to be quiet and rest. Then, big bad mom went downstairs to monitor. After no luck, I took Mack back to the bathroom to have a chat. We returned and then dad came to lay down the law. He said if they were unable to go to sleep we would have to call their parents and let them know. That did the trick.
Saturday, we celebrated grill out style with hamburgers and hot-dogs and family = )
Moving on, last week Schuyler attended the UNL soccer camp. It was an all day event from 8:30 - 3:30 Monday thru Thurs. You would think after a day of soccer she would come home exhausted and tired. Not so much. She was in the house long enough to tell our nanny hi and good-bye and was outside again for more soccer!
We are continuing to enjoy our nanny whom I truly believe is Mary Poppins in disguise. She cooks, cleans, and takes wonderful care of our kids. I can't believe how fortunate we are to have found her.
One more random thing. I went to get Eli's summer hair cut and was going to go shorter, not so shaggy, with a little razoring on his neck and by his ears but keeping the length and curls on top. Well, apparently the hair dresser and I were on completely different planets b/c now Mr. E has a very short hair cut. The curls are gone and it's the shortest it's been since he was 9 months old. But, ihe loves it and that's what is most important. I would love to share pics but I'm so behind on blogging I'm not even going to tell you how behind I am on pictures!!
Basking in the morning sunlight beaming in through our window.
We love you Mack!
With the kids out of school, it now truly feels like summer. Last Friday, I spent the day with Schuyler while the other 2 enjoyed their last day at the Montessori with their friends. Schuyler wasn't up for a run but instead chose to roller blade along side ahead of me. We went 3.4 miles or so. She is so good on the trails, slowing down to look back periodically and knows all the places to wait while I catch up or stop and look for cars. She was in full gear, elbow pads, wrist pads, knee pads and helmet with her MP3 player in tow. She is good little rollerblader but we were not without incident. As we were close to the end of our jaunt, I see her stumble on the skates and fall forward, MP3 player flying. I go sprinting to her and see her crying. She looks up and says, "My MP3 player, where is it? Is it broken". I assure her that it's fine and I'm much more concerned about her. She continues, "If it's broke, I want to save my money for another one". I reply, "Honey, if it's broke, Mom and Dad will by you a new one." Isn't funny how kids think sometimes. She did have a minor injury. Of all places on her hip, a big strawberry and a bruise that was initially small but has now morphed into a large, colorful bruise.
The girls have easily adjusted to the new routine of being at home but Eli is a bit slower. He doesn't understand the days of the week, Monday, Tuesday, Wed.... so he has always differentiated by "school day" and "stay at home day". Now everyday is a "stay at home day". His new terms are now a "Sam (our nanny) day" or "a mom and dad day". Seems to be working for now. We are all enjoying our nanny. She has started the kids reading program by a trip to the public library, gone to the zoo followed by a picnic at Sunken Gardens, gone swimming and a bike ride to the elementary school. I need to incorporate a little more arts and crafts but this is exactly what I wanted for the kids = )
Eli is in a "testing" phase. He uses the words stupid and poopy which we do not allow. Let me rephrase, poopy is reserved as a bathroom word and stupid is not allowed at all. He also thinks it's hysterical to spit. So, we are dealing with these not so pleasant behaviors. And the beat goes on..... and the beat goes on....
The past 2 nights Schuyler, who has ALWAYS been our excellent sleeper, has been extremely scared and had difficulties falling asleep. Well, last night we found out why and it has to do with a TV show she watched. Schuyler is very good at choosing "age appropriate" shows. She stays away from violence, profanity, etc... and in general knows the channels we consider acceptable. So, I guess you could say we have a joint monitoring system. Anyway, she found a show about incredible survival stories on National Geographic, Discover Channel, History or something of this nature. I sat down with her to watch the top 3 and kind of wondered in my head if this was something she could handle. They truly are amazing stories of human triumph and perseverance. For example, Beck Weathers who was left for dead on Mt. Everest, the 1972 Uruguayan Air Force plane that crashed in the Andes that was carrying a rugby team and family, Steven Callahan who was lost at sea for 2.5 months, or Aron Ralston who was trapped in a canyon and had to amputate his own arm. Point being, while I think this show was educational I think it has her scenario spinning in her head, something I'm sure she gets from her mother. In fact, she had DVR'ed the show but now asked that it be deleted, which I will happily do so she can sleep peacefully.
And for more off the wall information, I have an inflamed eye. I had been waking up with my eyes matted shut and very blood shot. A shower and allergy eye drops seemed to relieve most of the symptoms but the corner of my right eyes continued to be irritated and itchy. I then noticed a small, clear like pimple on my eye. Apparently, scar tissue under my eye, from a high school basketball injury, is inflamed. We're trying OTC drops but may need to resort to steroid drops if it does not go away. Oh the joys = )
There you have it, folks, our weekly ramblings.
Miss Mack graduated from Kindergarten last Friday with her other 2 classmates. Yes, a giant class of 3. I have to admit that I am a bit old fashioned and still believe that small numbers are best. However, there were many reasons behind our decision to send Mack to the Montessori for kindergarten and we had to weigh the pros and cons. In the end it was the right decision for her. Mack, we are so proud of you and all that you have accomplished in your 1st year of school. I'm astounded by so many things... your reading ability, word recognition, spelling, math facts, leadership, awareness of community and so much more. Mr. Tim actually introduced you to multiplication and division! It was wonderful to watch you have your moment on the stage, with a look of pride shining on your face. I have so many hopes and wishes for you.
I hope that your enthusiasm for school continues for many years to come.
I wish you continued success in the classroom.
I hope you hold close and nurture the friendships you have made and look forward to ones you will make.
I hope that you'll have many more talented teachers just like Mr. Tim.
I love your confidence and hope it will follow you to elementary school.
Mack was so excited to walk off the stage with her diploma in hand and her graduate t-shirt in her bag that she almost forgot give Ms. Ann a hug!
All the kids preformed songs. There were 2, one designed for the primary children and a second for the toddler children. Ms Mack delightfully participated in both. However, Eman was not the least bit interested, choosing to instead stand up and down, up and down, lie on his stomach with his head on his chin and just smile with his mischievous grin. Each child is so unique and I can see we'll have a whole new set of challenges and opportunities with him = )
Our plans for memorial day seemed to be in a constant state of flux. Mark ended up wording Saturday a.m. so the kids and I ran errands, went to the park, and got Schuyler's hair cut. After their naps, we thought we make good use of the family pool passes so the kids and I went swimming and left Dad at home to do yard work. Sunday, we left bright and early to head for Hastings since both sides of Mark's family were in town. We had a great time. Eli became good friends with his 2nd cousin Grady and we enjoyed visiting family out at Mark's aunt and uncle's farm. There was lots of 4-wheeler fun to be had by all. Eli, who last year was very timid, was quite the opposite this year, with his white hair flying in the wind, a perma-smile on his face and shouting "Wooooo hooooo" every time they raced past the front porch. Completely unplanned and unprepared, the kids spent the night with Gma and Gpa in Hastings, borrowing some of cousin Justin's old t-shirts that were going to be donated to Good Will as PJs. This allowed me the rare opportunity to get some projects done as I usually have little helpers or I'm up at midnight!
The school year comes to an end today for Miss Schuyler. I'm excited to pick her up. They had a hard day of watching Peter Pan = ) It is also play date week. Schuyler had her good friend over yesterday since she'll be spending most of the summer with her mother down in KS. Mack's play date is tonight since tomorrow will be her last day at the Montessori. Eli will return in the fall but he is wanting a play date as well but that will have to wait for some other week.
I'm trying not to freak out as I prepare the house for a nanny (and myself). This is forcing me to become organized, something I have always struggled with. So, here's to the beginning of summer.
The "active" participant in the performance.
Proceed with caution. There are uneditted pictures below. (GASP!). Mack receiving her diploma.
The hug she almost forgot.
Still trying to catch my blog up with real life. The weekend of May 15th and 16th was a busy one. For Mack, it marked 9 months or so worth of dance classes that she religiously attended. The big finale, the recital! Friday, was dress rehearsal, which was a huge success, and she even flattered me with a few pictures. Saturday was the recital but also Schuyler's last soccer game. This was a hard one for our family. Originally, I thought we could attend both but I had wrote down the act time incorrectly. Mack's performance was in the 2nd act, 3-4pm so she would perform approx at 3:30, which was when Schuyler's game started. I knew Mack would be heart broken if her mommy wasn't waiting for her backstage with flowers at the end of her act so this meant I wouldn't be able to attend and help coach Schuyler's game. Coincidentally, our head coach also had a daughter preforming in the same act so he wouldn't be able to attend either. This upset Schuyler so we decided Mark would leave right after Mack's performance. Problem solved. Unfortunately, when the kids out number the parents, there will be times when someone is going solo. As for the performance, I noticed Mack was a step off and was glancing at her teacher quite a bit, which is completely unlike her. She was spot on in the rehearsal. Well, when we got backstage, the room mother, who is Mark's co-worker, came up and said Mack had cut herself pretty bad just before they were to go on and almost didn't make it on the stage. They had to quickly scrounge up band-aids. Yes, plural. She bled through the first one and used a second one on top. We're still not sure what happened, she never fell and they can only guess that there was something sharp on the banister. The room mom said Mack cried a lot and she was going to tell Daddy how proud she was of her. I'm just so thankful that she made it on stage, she would have been so devastated and I would have been sad for her. It was a little while later when she asked, "Mom, could you hear my crying?" = )
Mack had been wanting her hair cut but we kept it long for the performance. So, Sunday we went and cut 3 inches off. It looks so much better! This would also be when Eli picked up a bottle of nail polish and dropped it on the floor, shattering in pieces in a heap or orange mess. Oops!
The girls had a dentist appt this week. Miss Mack will have to continue to wait for a loose tooth. Every other day, and in some instances every day, she says she has a loose tooth or is asking me to check and see. She is watching her friends loose teeth and so badly wants one of her own. Schuye was early to loose teeth and it looks like Mack will be on the opposite end of the spectrum. The dentist said maybe in a year or when she is 7 = ( She also has the very early beginnings of a cavity, due to how tight her teeth are. Nothing to worry about but we'll need to make sure she flosses. Schuyler has fantastic teeth but there are some concerns about tongue thrust and her tonsils. We worked with her school speech pathologist to correct the speech issues associated with tongue thrust. However, when she swallows, she continues to push her tongue forward instead of towards the roof of the mouth. Over time, this can cause dental problems. I'm not sure if we're going to address the issue now or continue to see how her mouth grows. Her tonsils continue to be enlarged and we were hoping her allergy medicine would have alleviated this. She also suffers from bad breath, which can be due to the tonsils. I've spoke with our pediatrician and were going to monitor this over the next few weeks. Sheesh, this raising kids thing is hard down to the very details.
Okay, I know I was going to elaborate on the Appletini. See, while Mark was golfing, I took the liberty of painting Eli's room. Well, the appletini was too yellow for him so we have spent many a day trying to figure out what the right color of green is. I really think green is one of the toughest colors to pick. There is yellow green, grey green, blue green, earth green, etc... Finding just the right hue has been time consuming to say the least. But, it was time for the nursery to go. No bear border and no more grey walls. I have pics so hopefully you'll see the before, the interim where we tested color after color, and the final. Well, the final isn't final yet b/c it's not done.
The day came. What day you wonder. The day where Schuyler asked her dad if he could just give her a kiss in the car before dropping her off at school. We've talked her out of it and are holding on a little longer = ) We know the days are numbered.
Decorations from the party, see previous post.
This post will be devoted entirely to Schuyler's bday and bday party and it's going to be a lengthy one!
Her birthday fell on Tuesday night, which is Mack's dance night and always a bit hectic. Schuyler wanted a picnic on the back porch so that's what the kiddos did. We had cheese steak philly's, with green beans and some kind of fruit. She was able to quickly open presents before we shuffled Mack off, MP3 player, ruffled buttercream tank top and for the finale, Mark and I signed her up for the Husker Soccer Camp. It's 4 solid days of camp down at the university with the head women's soccer coach, the assistants, and players. She is stoked! It also requires sign-off from the Dr. to attend. Had it not been for this, I would have never realized I missed her 7 year well child check-up! Sheesh. LPS was closed on Friday and by pure luck, I was able to get an appt from a cancellation. Yeah! Schuyler remains at the 90th percentile for height and 80th percentile for weight. Had I been more attentive, I would have made her wash up her dirty knees and elbows. Oh well, I was more embarrassed when the resident Dr. asked what she had for breakfast and she said nothing. Seriously. Dad forget to give her something and Grandma must not have known. In Dad's defense, Schuyler is self-sufficient and usually makes her breakfast, cereal or oatmeal, as well as her siblings.
That afternoon we were able to finish cleaning and make decorations. Here theme was Rock Star and guess what we found... a karaoke machine!! More on that in a minute. For decorations we did pink and gold balloons. We made a glitter disco ball, which was hung in the middle of the stage, once our living room, 3 tissue balls, 2 pink and 1 silver. For thank you's we compiled some of Schuye's favorite songs onto CDs as well as some rock star sunglasses. Food consisted of Pizza Hut pizza and cheese sticks and some fruit kabobs we made along with lemonade to drink. Let's not forget the cake... a microphone. I used Martha Stewart's yellow cake recipe and my usual frosting. It was not my best piece of art but the kids loved it and I would highly recommend the recipe!!
The party itself went well. It took the kids time to warm up the karoake machine and some never did but that was okay b/c we also had soccer going in the backyard = ) The karoake machine had 2 microphones, hooked up to the TV so you could see the words nice and big and 2 speakers. The most popular songs were Girls Just Want to Have Fun and All Star (from Shrek). We also had colored hair spray going on... yellow, orange, black, silver and glitter. This year, Schuyler asked that in lieu of gifts her friends consider a donation to the new penguin exhibit at the Lincoln Zoo =)
All the family was able to attend her soccer game on Saturday and it was like having her own cheering section. Afterwards we grilled at our house and had ice cream cake.
I interviewed her the other night. I do this periodically and record it and then compare to previous years. It's fun.
Favorite Color: Yellow. I also like red, blue and white. (Her favorite color has never changed since her first interview at 2 1/2!!)
Favorite Food: pizza. (It used to be strawberries)
Favorite Sport: Soccer (that one is a no-brainer)
Favorite Book: Mia Hamm. (then I asked her series) Magic Treehouse series
Favorite Song: Boom Boom Pow (the Black Eyed Peas)
Favorite Team: Nebraska and Kansas (where did Kansas come from?)
Favorite Movie: Kick like a girl (don't ask)
Favorite Animal: Dog (used to be penguin)
What do you want to be when you grow up? - Soccer Coach or Soccer player (used to be teacher)
This next one is new and her response was hilarious
Where do you most want to go for vacation?: South Carolina (South Caroling? I ask) Oh wait, I mean North Carolina (me - what's in N. Carolina?) The Tarheels, where Mia Hamm lives. (me - oh honey, she just went to college there, I don't think she lives there any more) Well, I want to go where ever she lives now so I can meet her.
Schuyler, we are so proud to be your parents and we're in total shock that your 8! You're the first born, our leader, smart, sensitive, kind hearted, loving, giving, caring, talented and absolutely precious. You are, and will always be our little miss sunshine.
Just one more thing. Mrs Gourdie came over to me as I was waiting for the bell to ring to announce the end of your school day. She said, "I want you to know something that your daughter did. Today, during P.E. she helped the girls, showed them how to do things and was patient in teaching them. It meant everything to those girls. She could have been doing a number of other things or hanging out with her friends. I'm so proud of her and I told her that. I just wanted to pass it on to you". See, Mrs. Gourdie works with 2 girls in Schuyler's class who have Downs Syndrome, referred to as the girls above. I can't tell you how much this warms my heart.
Next week, who likes Appletini? I do, but it might not be in the way one would guess = )
Enjoying her new MP3 player.
I have come to realize that my kids can be extremely thoughtful when they want to be and I need to recount a few things from Mother's Day before I forget!
My girls created a Mother's Day song and even choreographed a dance to it! They sent me on a scavenger hunt in the basement to find the many cards they had created. There were handprints, cute little sayings and one where they each created lists of the things they were thankful for. They do see the little things I do, like make lunches for them every night before I go to bed and do the laundry, etc...
Schuyler went to the extra trouble of having members of her soccer team sign a poster for me at school. I wondered what she and her little friend were doing after school when I picked her up on Friday. They were huddled around a paper and I even asked if it was a Mother's Day present and they both quickly answered, one with a yes the other with a no. I knew they were up to something but wasn't going to press the issue!
And my husband, we'll, he's pretty thoughtful, too! I told him NOT to buy anything as my running shoes were a gift to myself. So, in my card I found coupons. Or, some might call them gift cards...
Husband makes the kids lunches (good for up to 5 punches)
Husband knocks off one of the honey do's.
Husband watches kids so mother get girls night out.
Husband cleans whole house.
You get the idea. Pretty awesome.
I still need to recount the bday and post pics. Honestly, I don't have a lot of pics. See, with 9 kids plus our 3 and only 2 adults, we had our hands full. I'm also learning a few things about myself. As much as I want to capture and record memories I would rather have my daughter remember me as participating in the activities and not constantly lurking with the camera. So, when I was summoned to play soccer in the backyard or come sing a little karaoke, that's what I did.
Speaking of soccer, Schuyler survived her back to back, double header this week. She's on a scoring streak. She scored the teams only goals this weekend (4 in total). Last week the score was 8 to something and she had 6 of the goals! Mack was a bit out of it at last weeks game but had a good showing this week and scored a goal herself.
Back to my to-do list!
Party preparations are underway for Miss S, who will be 8!! We came up with several ideas and she decided on a Rock 'N' Roll theme. She personally picked out the paper and stickers so we could do homemade bday invites. They turned out very cute as well as being a great activity for the kids and an opportunity for my scrapbook tools to come out of storage! Note to self, next time make sure I have 2 tape dispensers or what ever they are called. One simply did not cut it for our assembly line of 3 kids. She is inviting 9 kids. She wanted 10 while Mark and I preferred 8, our general rule is 1 child per year old, so we compromised on 9. It was very hard for her to make the list but finally cut it down to 7 girls and 2 boys. Mark and I were encouraging her for a girls party, simply for the purpose of planning activities, but I loved her logic in picking friends that were close to her, regardless of sex. This is just another example of her personality and I LOVE it. In her words, if 2 of my good friends are boys, why shouldn't they be included?!
Running has become infectious in our house and it has spread to Schuyler and Mack. It amazes me how the mother's emotions/actions/etc... permeates the whole house! In this instance, it's a good thing. I'm still hovering around 2-3 miles 3 to 4 times/week. My first race will be June 5th where I will run the 5K. Maybe 10K if I can get to where I need to be. Schuyler runs a good distance, probably 1 1/2 to 2 miles. It's a slow jog pace for me and we usually walk a small portion in the middle. Mack just started and I need to work with her. She doesn't understand the concept of "pace" so she sets out in sprint mode and we don't get very far. However, she appears to have a more natural ability for running and I think with a little help, she could be quite the runner, that is if she wants to be. I also splurged on a new pair of shoes. The good people at The Lincoln Running Company set me up with a pair of Saucony's, something new and different as I've been a die-hard Asics fan for quite a number of years. They watch you walk barefoot and based on that, choose 3 or so pairs to try on. So far, I'm very pleased!
To celebrate earth day, or in our case it was more like earth week, we did a number of bike rides. Instead of driving to get the younger kids from school, Schuyler and I biked. I'm sure we looked like quite the site as I strapped Mack's bike into the bike trailer and off we went to get them. It's so nice to have Mack on her own set of wheels leaving me with only 1 kiddo to haul around! We also have been enjoying the trails. It was just late summer last year or early fall when Mack kicked the training wheels so this has been her first experience away from the comforts of our block. She is a bit of a gawker and often veers onto the other lane of the trail. She also does not seem to like anyone within 5 feet of her. It scares me to think ahead to the days when we'll have to teach her to drive!! Eli is our greeting committee. He politely tells everyone hello and comments on dogs he likes, even though they are most likely past by the time he gets the comment out.
Later this week or next week I hope to post bday pics.
was forever ago, it seems I have a lot of catching up to do. As some of you may know, Mark was out of town for the last week of March. The day before he was to leave, Sunday, Schuyler comes down with the stomach flu, just as Mark and I are going to bed. It looks like another night down in the basement. It's a rough night for her and my stomach has a not so pleasant feeling in it. I keep forcing positive thoughts through my head convinced they will make what I know is inevitable stop. However, in the morning it's very obvious it's my turn at the porcelain. I'm so thankful to have such awesome family. My dad was kind enough to take the other 2 to school for me. And, that night, he picked them up for me, made dinner for them, and got them bathed and in bed so I could rest and try to function again. Now, Tuesday is here and I've been looking forward to my annual photography seminar. My MIL comes to town and watches the kids for me, getting them fed, to dance and to bed. My last bit of help came Friday from my mom. Since I had unexpectedly missed a day of work due to sickness, I was behind on a very large project at work. She was able to watch the kids Friday so I could work. My family means everything to me and I strongly agree with the quote, "It takes a village to raise a child". I'm blessed to have a village full of wonderful people.
So, Easter comes, which means it's time for Easter egg dying. If allowed, I know the girls would easily die 4 to 5 dozen eggs. No joke! The kids awoke to a backyard FULL of Easter eggs. That bunny, he is pretty sneaky! Oh, and poor Eli got sick the night before Easter. Luckily, it was only a one time incident due to who knows what!
The best part of spring is soccer. I love the fact that I have a daughter who is so into soccer, maybe even two daughters. I remember the long days of winter when Schuyler could be found in the backyard with her snow pants, boots and a foot of snow trying to play soccer. I think she eats and breathes it. Everyday at recess she can be found on the soccer field, often where she is the lone girl. I know she gets made fun of sometimes for it, she's told me. The thing with her is she's strong. She's always marched to the beat of her own drum and I hope this NEVER changes. We've talked how some people might be jealous, especially the boys. She knows if she loves something so much and it's in her dreams to pursue it. These obstacles are not road blocks but opportunities to overcome and became even better. Pretty big stuff for an almost 8 year old. As for her games, she won the first one 8-0, scoring 3 goals, and won the second game 6-2 with 2 goals. We've had several people come up to us and comment on her skills, etc...
Mack's team has 11 kids on it. Which, in my opinion is WAY too many, especially for micro soccer where there is only 4 on the field. So, I'm problem solving on what to do with this. In the limited she did play she managed to score a goal. Though, at times, it seems she was more interested in how she looked when she was playing.
Inspired by his sisters, I think Eman is ready to join the soccer fun. He has been trying on Schuyler's soccer socks and shoes and was down right made when we wouldn't let him where the shoes to Mack's game, forget the fact they are 7-8 sizes too big and have pink on them. He really is a character. The other day he was parading around the house stark naked with the socks pulled up to his thighs and his sisters shoes clonking on the floor. And, what is it with boys thinking they can drop drawers outside? Last night, I was pruning the rose bush and I turn around to find my son peeing off the ledge of my neighbor's driveway. I quickly go stand in front of him in hopes that it will block the view of the neighbors across the street. I'm so bad, as I'm scolding him telling him he needs to go inside I was laughing hysterically in my head.
Mark's golf season started last Friday with the Master's. It's just a matter of time before I'm a golf widow for the summer!
As for me, I'm training. I have decided I want to run a 10K sometime this year. Reasons why: It's on my bucket list, we are done having a family, the kids are getting a little more responsible and easy, and I'm not getting any younger. So, I'm up to 2 miles but have a long way to go. On a funny note, Schuyler recently got new athletic shoes and she chose Asics, like her mommy. Well, she is up to a size 5, which is not far from my size 7 1/2 or 8. I leave the house when the kids are in bed and keep everything dark so I don't disturb anyone. Anyway, I mistakenly grabbed her shoes = )
Wow, now that I'm done writing my chapter, here are a few pics...
That's kind of what I feel like... the weather, the house stuff, etc... And, maybe it's not so much "in with the new" but more to do with "out with the old".
Last week we replaced all the carpet on the main floor of our house and the stairway downstairs. The combination of boot camp, moving extremely heavy furniture, and ripping out nasty carpet did me in. I was way tired and sore. However, there were several positives. First, the new carpet is marvelous and makes such a huge difference. I love it (and the smell)! Secondly, the girls went to see their cousins in Missouri and my dad took the 'lil man for the night which gave Mark and I a rare opportunity to go out. Yeah!
Being the 3rd child, E-man is accustom to being around his old sisters. There were moments where he felt lost without them saying things like, "It's taking a long time for them to come home". The other moment was when he had to walk into the Montessori without Mack. It's so weird to think of him being there by himself next year. I know he's ready to make his own path and will embrace new leadership roles but he's still my baby and it's just hard to think about for this emotional mama. He was a bit spoiled by all of us. Papa bought him a new Spiderman puzzle and lunchbox while Mark and I got him a spiderman t-shirt. If that wasn't enough spiderman, the girls brought him a Spiderman toothbrush!
It's been good having our gang back together this week. Schuyler has been on spring break and has been spending time with various people. Prior to the break we had conferences. Her teacher had wonderful things to say about her and we left with our hearts full and feeling grateful to have such a good daughter.
I think we've finally wrapped up summer plans for the kids = ) This will be a huge relief off my plate! We will have a nanny!! Schuyler and I have both met her and the true test will be when she meets the rest of the family this weekend. I'm giddy with the thought of having all 3 of our kids in one place and that place being home!! I'm planning swimming, library trips, visits to the park, etc.. I better not say anything more for fear of jinxing anything!
On a not so pleasant note, the stomach flu attacked E-man Wednesday night. I felt so terrible for him. Bless his heart he didn't get a drop on the new carpet. We went downstairs to sleep on the pull out bed and not so new carpet. It was a rough night followed by a rough Thursay but he appears to be on the mend. I STRONGLY hope it keeps away from the rest of us!! Mark and I were remembering almost a year ago when we had to take Schuyler to ER b/c she was dehydrated. Ugh!
Well, I certainly can't end with that so how about a pic?
Spring is teasing us. It visits for a few days and has now retreated back into hiding. It would REALLY be nice to see the sun. I mean, c'mon, a little vitamin D does the body good. None the less, this weekend, we are heading up to Omaha with some friends and their kiddos and we're going to pretend it's spring at Coco Keys indoor water park.
Wednesday was skate night for Schuyler's elementary school. So, we left the boys at home and us girls went and picked up one of Schuyler's friends and headed for a little skating fun. Can I say it's been a LONG time since I've been on a pair of rollerskates! I was a little rusty at first but it came back pretty quickly. Schuyler, who is wondrous on her rollerblades, brought her friend who had never skated before. This was Mack's 2nd time so needless to say, I had my hands full with the 2 girls. Mack found one of her Montessori buds so that made her day. Schuyler's friend, Miss B, took quite a few falls and had a few tears but kept getting back up. It was a fun time.
Last night we had a naked sous chef in the house. Mack and Eli were helping me peel carrots to make pineapple carrot cake. Can you guess which one was stark naked peeling the carrot at the garbage can? I'm pretty sure that would be a health hazard anywhere else.
Here's our brief glimpse when Spring was here...
Notice anything? That glow would actually be the sun.
Finally! Good-bye snow and ice. We've enjoyed your time with us making snowmen (or snow-women) and snow angels and the joys of sledding you have provided. But, your beauty is fading as your once white appearance is now gone. We bid you ado until next year = )
The kids have been enjoying getting outside. The bikes, scooters, and rollerblades are coming out of hibernation. Mack came home yesterday with her boots in one bag and snowpants in another. No longer pink but a nice brown/black color. I'm pretty sure she must have jumped in every single puddle she could find. I washed them not once, but twice!! I'm also getting the spring cleaning and decluttering bug, which is a good thing if we ever hope to get our house on the market. Yesterday, I detail cleaned all the bedroom windows... screens, blinds, glass, etc...
Schuyler has been busy delivering girl scout cookies. If you have not received yours, they will be coming. I was so proud of her. She wrote each person a thank you and it was all her idea. I believe it was 26 in total. How sweet and thoughtful she can be = )
This weekend we have a whole lot of nothing planned! No activities, birthday parties, etc... Hmmm, what will we do with our time? I'm thinking it's about time for the xmas lights to come down!!!
Here's some pics...
Defense! Arms out or up, wide stance and eye on the ball. S in warm up guarding her good friend and teammate.
Offense! Square your body and take that shot!
M pretending to be a bride. I'm sorry sweetie, but I'm pretty sure dad said no dating until your 30!
he would play with these...
They would make appearances in all of the rooms in our house... they would come to the bathroom with him, join us for dinner and even get the opportunity to sleep with him. Now Mr. E can be found with a hat pulled over his face pretending to be Spidy, using his fingers with his special noise effect to cast webs. He's even pretended to save one of the girls' dolls. When I picked him up from school yesterday he said, "I'm not Eli, call me Spidy", and the hat went over his face. So, Spidy and I walked out together hand in hand, with him opening the doors for Mack and I. At least he's a gentleman. Okay, maybe he really just enjoys showing us he's big and strong. Either way, I like it = )
Mackie has become a bride. She prances around the house in Schuyler's old white, flower girl dress with the matching white leather shoes and wears a pink-tie tutu that she has concocted to be a veil. She has tried to marry her brother and used to be successful but now Eli has informed her, in his old man voice that we love, that he is too young to get married. Smart boy. My daughter, on the other hand, worries me. She kissed one of her classmates as we were exiting school. We had a little chat when we got home as this is something I certainly don't want to repeat. On a separate note, Miss M had a complete blast with her 2 classmates on her Kindergarten field trip. He dressed up in her bright pink dress, with light pink tights, tall brown boots, and her beautiful hat that my mother made which bore both shades of pink. She even took a little purse for her kleenex. There is no denying she is getting older.
Schuyler is an Olympicaholic. Hockey, skiing, iceskating, sledding and even curling. I don't understand a thing about that event but found myself sucked in trying to figure it out. It is one of the s-l-o-w-e-s-t events! Back to Olympics. One of the positive side benefits is it has sparked an interest of flags. She has been one of those kids who are good at, and take an interest in maps. Well, now she can make another connection with identifying the flag. She has come to me with multiple questions, which I did not know but google always seems to answer! On a not so positive note, she is a remote expert, being able to rewind, record, fast forward, etc...
TGIF!
We have a celebrity in our home. Okay, not really but Schuyler was on Channel 8 news last Friday with the rest of her 2nd grade class. It featured the use of "Domesti-pups" in the classroom. Traditionally, these dogs have been used to aid those with disabilities. However, new research is showing these dogs can also benefits students. Daisy comes to visit the 2nd grade class 1 or 2 times a week. During her time there, students read to her. This can alleviate the pressure of reading aloud in small or large groups as well as the anxiety some students face in general when it comes to reading aloud. It also teaches the students a sense of community. This is where the 2nd part of the story comes in. Daisy was injured this past summer and required surgery. Schuyler's teacher came up with the idea of "Dimes for Daisy" where students would bring in dimes and this money would assist with the cost. During her absence, Joker came to visit but Daisy is now well enough to resume her duties. We have the news special taped = )
While on the subject of school, Mack and Eli had parent visitation at the Montessori last night. Mack was uber excited to show us all she has been learning at kindergarten. She has always had a passion for her workbook work but has recently blossomed in her reading. She read several books to us as well as wrote sentences with the movable alphabet. Eli chose to show us his puzzle work with the world map. Mack will be going on her kindergarten class field trip this weekend (the whole 3 of them =)
We're trying to stay healthy. Eli had a fever from Sunday a.m. until Wed afternoon sometime. Mack's voice comes and goes. The other night she said, "Mom, have you ever last your voice", to which I replied, "Yes, many times. It always comes back". Mack responds, "I've lost my voice before and it came back. I hope it will come back again." = )
Schuyler's last bball game is this weekend. We are hoping it does not get cancelled.
Oh, during Eli's sickness, we watched a new movie, Spiderman 2. It has moved it's way to number 1 on his movie list. "Spidy" as he calls it.
Here's my bath-tastic boy = )
Every year at this time, the kids and I become the valentine assembly line, crafting valentines for all of their classmates. See, the montessori where they attend does not allow store bought valentines, or should I say strongly encourages homemade valentines. Although Schuyler's school does allow store bought, it has become a bit of a tradition to make our own. I find this a bit ironic since I'm really not a fan of valentine's day. I don't really like flowers and, in fact, roses are one of my least favorites and the fact that they mark everything up by 50%. Instead, the Riese family typically enjoys takeout, most often Chinese, my candle light. The kids get a big kick out of the candles and I have no cooking or clean-up! This year, the Chinese new year and Valentine's day are the same day so our little tradition makes perfect sense = ) Back to the homemade valentines. I cheated a bit this year and made photocards. However, we still had to decorate the outside of the envelope. The potato stamper returned and made an appearance, along with some other stamps I had laying around the house from my scrapbooking days. Eli hit his limit at 8 or 9 valentines before he relinquished his duty to me. Mack and Schuyler thoroughly enjoyed the experience, making each valentine unique and special.
I have officially caught the "winter blah". That's my new official term for it, "winter blah"! I would like to ring the neck of Punxsutawney Phil for seeing his shadow and condemning us to 6 more weeks of winter. I need warmth, light and energy to return to my life. Ugh!
Last weekend the girls participated in the Shirette kiddie clinic. This consisted of 3 hours of dance in the a.m. followed by a half-time performance at the boys basketball game. If that wasn't enough, between the 2 activities Mack had a playdate with one of her best friends who she has not seen since August. Later, as we were getting ready for the performance it was very evident how tired she was. As I was curling her hair, I accidentally nicked her ear. From that point forward it was tears, drama and mom could do no right, particularly b/c someone didn't know what she wanted. I offered to put the portion of uncurled hair in a bun or finish curling, etc... All my suggestions were shot down by our little fiery spirit. Eventually she came around and we were able to finish her hair to her specifications. The dance was very cute. For the grand finale, they got to choose the pose they wanted to end in. You will never believe what our miss Schuyler did, jumped into the splits! It blew me away. For the record, her father is extremely flexible for a male being and back in our day, when we used to bust a move, he was known to fancy the crowd with his splits.
Schuyler got her 2nd quarter report card and also recently received a high five award. This is a big deal as the award was presented to her in front of her whole class. I think they give one per quarter. As a prize, she gets a free kids buffet from Valentinos!! She got one last year, too. As you can imagine, we are so proud of her!! Have I ever mentioned that her name has dutch origin and means "scholarly" = )
These days, Eli can be found racing his cars all through the house and crashing them into things. The kid LOVES showers and baths and hops in with mom or dad whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Sunday, we discovered a chunk of "unknown" in Mack's hair. We washed and conditioned it and used the detangler with no luck. Next up we tried home remedies including olive oil, peanut butter and ice. Still, the unknown clinged strongly to Mack's hair. I had prepared Mack that we may have to cut it out and in turn, cut her hair shorter. She did not like this idea one bit and it led to drama. "When will my hair be long again? I've never had short hair. How fast will it grow?" and what upset her the most..."I need long hair for my dance recital so I can put it up like all the other girls". Oh dear my Mack, you don't leave a stone unturned to you! The next day, I took her to Haircut (catchy name) and prayed I would get someone that new what the heck they were doing. I talked to the lady and explained what happened all the while Mack sat silently in the chair with a sad expression on her face. Well, it turns out we could avoid the short hair, cut off an inch and do some blending. Oh the smile on Mack's face when she heard the news. And, the avoidance of more drama for mom!! The unknown remained unknown. It could have been something from her princess b-day party on Saturday or her brother has a bad habit of taking the gum out of his mouth and "saving it for later".
I should point out this is my child who has had many hair mishaps. At Christmas, she decided to put her zhu zhu pet in her hair with the feet (wheels) going. Not a good idea and if you read the instructions in full it clearly states not to do this. I can't count the number of times Mack herself or her beloved sister have tried to cut her hair as well. Recall the incident where she gave herself bangs here.
So, here is our trip to Haircut...
Big sister waiting patiently, writing in her journal.
Little brother trying hard to be patient and playing with the salon toys, which have been handled by many other kids and probably never cleaned. I even brought toys, Mater and Lightning. He did attempt to race them through hair droppings but I put the kabosh on that. Yes, he is not sitting in the correct position and those are kid-tatoos on his arms.
On a not so pleasant side note, it appears the cold season has officially hit the Riese household. It started with Eli in the form of a barky cough. He seems to be recovering but the rest of the family is now catching it or some other germ bug. Mark has strep throat and sinus infection. My sleep was interrupted 4 times by the girls last night and my sinuses are draining. Uck! Good thing it's Friday.
So my poor blog has taken the back seat to everything else. And what is that "everything else" you wonder? Really, I'm not too sure myself.
Where did I leave off? Oh yes, Eli's bday. We had a fabulous time at Coco Keys. It started out on a rough note as the kiddie pool was closed b/c someone went #2, the hot tub was temporarily closed and Eli was an 1 1/2 too short for the medium slides, which was a true bummer since they let him go on them in KC! Luckily, they got everything mended and Eli did make it down the medium slides once they had a changing of the guards = ) We spent a good 6 hours there and didn't leave until 8:00 or so. We hadn't ate so on the way home we stopped at El Bee's. This tex-mex place is bueno. Huge portions, wonderful margaritas, and great atmosphere for kids! Back to Eli's bday. We celebrated with family on Sunday. As requested, I managed to free-hand Kung Fu Panda, Po. See below. Not only was the outside frosting green but the cake itself had to be green as well.
The following week I triple whammied my son with appts. Dentist, LPS, and Doctor all on one day. All went well. His teeth are good. Hopefully, next visit he'll allow them to get xrays =) He has been dismissed from working with LPS. When they tested him at the age of 2.11, he tested at a level 3.8. They showed us the bell curve of where he started and where he ended and we are so proud of our little man. The Dr. appt was entertaining as they attempted to test his hearing and eye sight. Instead of cooperating, he thought it much more interesting to play games with the nurse. So, when she asked what the picture was he responded with "I don't know", with HUGE grin on his face. Yes, he was totally playing her. Same thing next picture. It's very obviously a race car. Eli's response, "Ummmm, pencil", again with his mischievous grin and laughter in his voice. You get the picture. Despite this he got a clean bill of health. He measures in at the 90th percentile and weighs in at the 75th percentile. Reminds me a lot of Schuyler.
Schuyler began micro basketball this past Sunday. It is a sight to see. Mark is the coach and he does a great job with the girls, at least from what I saw as I was chasing the other 2 in the adjoining gym.
This week was parent visitation at Mack's dance class. We got a glimpse of the costumes and they are very Cinderella-like so it's right up her ally. They even have flowers they will hold in the dance. She is in combo class and is bit disappointed they aren't doing tap. It will be a ballet performance.
With the ucky weather we have enjoyed games. Monopoly Jr, Sorry, Sequence, Uno, Twister, Mouse Trap, Apples to Apples, and a lot of Mario Cart on the Wii.
Here are a few pics. I didn't sharpen for web so they are a bit on the soft side.
Here is Po.
One of Eli's 3 year portraits.
Mack at dance.
Schuyler, just because =)
It happens every year. My kids become another year older. They don't ask permission to become bigger and brighter, they just do. So long as the world keeps turning and the good lord keeps us together, we will continue to celebrate birthdays and milestones.
Eli got his bday wish, a stay home day with mom. Although, I'm sure we both wish the arctic temperatures would leave already. It was a low key day. He requested Dad's homemade pizza for dinner and a Panda Bear cake (Po, from Kung Fu Panda). The cake is yet to come as we will be celbrating with family on Sunday. I have looked high and low for a Kung Fu Panda cake pan or mold with no luck. I guess this means I will be free handing Po. Eli is the proud owner of a BOYS bike! Yeah! No more riding his sisters' very used, with no tread on the wheels, princess bike. It was used when we got it and has lived a very long life. Long rest the princess bike. Now he will be terrorizing the streets with his blue bike with green wheels. That is, if the snow will ever melt. I'm sure he will be very cool indeed = )
Thoughts on my boy...He loves the movie Kung Fu Panda. He never sleeps without his blue blankie and must find his holes to put his fingers in. He's an "I do it myself" man, even if it means climbing up onto the counter or helping himself to the refridgerator. He can make us laugh with his "serious old man" voice. He's in tune to his feminine side and is okay playing Barbie's and babies with his big sisters. At his ripe old age of 3, he prefers boxer briefs to undies. However, given any opportunity he prefers streaking. Really, you can't turn your back on him. Oh dear, did he give us a good laugh at my bros house on xmas!! The best thing: he loves his momma and is okay with mommy still rocking him, cuddling him, and giving him big bear hugs.
One last thing to leave you with. An excerpt from the Lyrics of Godspeed by the Dixie Chicks. LOVE this song!
"The rocket racer's all tuckered out
Superman's in pajamas on the couch
Goodnight moon, will find the mouse
And I love you
Godspeed, little man
Sweet dreams, little man
Oh my love will fly to you each night on angels wings
Godspeed
Sweet dreams
God bless mommy and match box cars
God bless dad and thanks for the stars
God hears "Amen," wherever we are
And I love you"
