Crazy Scooter Kids

We went back to the deck Punkin liked so much, only this time - we brought the scooters. Here are the kids deliberately messing up my picture. I have this one, one where they are sticking out their tongues, and one where they are both looking to the right. It was so sunny that the most I could see on my little "screen" was their outlines - so I had no idea they were being silly until I got home.
It's only proof they're smart, right?

Restaurant Outing

After working like a crazy woman (tax time is coming up after all), I'm entirely too tired to write anything clever.

But it's been a bit long since my last post and I got some cute pictures this weekend, so here are the first ones from Friday night. We went out to eat at our favorite BBQ restaurant ( you know how the saying goes - you can take the girl out of the South, but not the South out of the girl? So, so, SO true y'all.)

SnugBug "can do it himself."And, how you always dreamed your kids would act at a restaurant (and for the 2 seconds for this picture - they actually did!)

Digestive System

Time for a body update!
(Well, that ranks up there in the top ten list of things I never thought I would say. Along with, no you may not ___________ (fill in the blank with some horrible stunt) to your brother. Hmmm .... maybe a post for another day. )

We've been working on the digestive system and urinary system this week. Here is Punkin showing off her body. The intestines are not secured yet, so she has to stay laying down for the moment. As I write this, I'm thinking our "body" needs a name. Suggestions, anyone?


So, now it is time for your anatomy quiz. Here is a close up of the new "organs" - with the intestines and without. The "organs" included are:

A. stomach
B. small intestine
C. large intestine
D. Pancreas
E. Gall Bladder
F. Liver
G. Bladder
H. Kidneys

Can you figure out which ones are which?

I'm coming to believe that it is usual with homeschooling, at least at this house, for mom to be learning as much as (or more) than the kids. However, this is one of Punkin's interests, so this unit is SO MUCH FUN! If I may gush for a minute - it is such a privilege to watch her "get it" and be interested and asking me more questions than I can answer. So, I'm looking in the books for the answers and then trying to figure out how to explain the answer in 5yr old terms. It's a little crazy sometimes.. but for this momma, it's totally worth it.

Gymnastics

Both kids love gymnastics class, but SnugBug especially does. He and I do a mom & tot class, although he is almost ready to move up to the preschool class - just gotta get that potty training thing finished!

His coach is one of his favorite people. Here is with his coach and getting his stamps after class for being a good listener.

Dustin Salter

I've been following Dustin Salter's story for several months. He was in a biking accident in November and has been in a coma since. He passed away today.

I did not know him personally, and I've been amazed how heartbroken I can feel about the struggles that other bloggers I've never met are going through!

I know Dustin is in a beautiful place and I'm guessing that most people would not consider laying in a bed unaware of what is around you the life they want (I certainly would not want to live that way!).

But, my heart aches for his wife, and my heart breaks for their children. I know that God is father to the fatherless and that he works all things out for the good of those who love him - as this family does. But, I see the disappointed look in my children's eyes when their daddy leaves for work early and they don't get to say bye. And I see them light up and race to see who can get the first hug when he gets home. And my heart breaks for those 3 children.

Weekend Highlights

We had a fun, busy weekend.

Here are the kids hanging out and waiting for their favorite babysitter Friday night:


Saturday was gorgeous! We went out to the flying field and had a picnic lunch and watched WeaverDad fly his helicopter:

Then, the kids and I went for a nature walk. It took 2 1/2 hours for a walk that the sign said would take about 20 minutes, but we had a good time. Punkin loved this deck especially, and would likely have stayed for hours if we had had that long. We saw some ducks and just enjoyed being close to the water.

Sunday afternoon, our church had a skate party for the younger kids. It was both kids first time on roller skates! They did really well. Their back wheels were locked to make it a little easier for them. Punkin was out in the middle by the end. SnugBug wasn't too sure about the whole thing. He only skated a little bit, and then chose to go sit with one of the other moms that wasn't skating. I forgot the take the camera inside, but here is proof we were there!

It was a good weekend! (No hospital visits this weekend - Yay!!)

Happy Anniversary!

My friend, Penless Writer, posted this meme about her Mr. Right. I skipped a couple of questions I didn't feel like answering, but I thought it was a good post for today as my Mr. Right as I celebrate 11 years of wedded bliss. :)

How has it been 11 years!! Sometimes it feels like I've never NOT known him, and sometimes it feels like we just met yesteday. I'm happy to have met him and glad we got married.

Here is a little about WeaverDad:
His age? 39
How tall is he? 6'3"
How long did you know each other before you got together? Not long! We were an instant click thing. We had known each other about 9 months when we got engaged, and a little over a year when we got married. WeaverDad had heard a sermon once where the pastor suggested that you should go through the seasons at least once with each other before committing to a lifetime. There were some further spiritual components to that sermon that I have forgotten, but the sermon impacted him and we waited about a year.
What physical features attracted you to him first? His height (I'm 6' feet tall), and his "tall, dark & handsome" looks.
What color are his eyes? Green
His hair color? Dark brown.
Hair style? Military style - I cut his hair.
Normal outfit? Jeans and T-shirts
How did you meet? At a church party. For the full story, click here.
How serious is it? Lifetime serious.
Do your parents like him? They think he is a little strange, but they like him.
Do his parents like you? They think I'm a little strange, but they like me. (At least I think they do!)
Do you trust him? Totally and completely.
Would you share a toothbrush with him? Hmm - I don't think he would like that. But, I don't think it's totally gross.
Would he let you wear his pants? I did when I was pregnant. And I love to sleep in his flannel pj pants.
Do you have a shirt of his that you sleep in? Not really.
Do you like the way he smells? The only time I notice how he smells is right when he gets out of the shower - and I like that.
Can you picture having kids with him? Can. Did. Do.
Are you happy to be with him? Yep!
Does he smoke or do drugs? Nope - and never has.
Does he have any piercings? I'm with Penless - that would NEVER happen!
Any tattoos? Again - that would never happen.
Does he have any scars that you know of? Yes, in his eyebrow. There are probably others I've forgotten about.
Is he a party dude or stay at home? He is not a party dude. But, he likes to be out of the house flying remote control helicopters, hiking or taking pictures.
Is he outgoing or shy? He's not either one. He can be outgoing when he makes the effort, but he is mostly a loner. But I would not say shy - just comfortable alone.
Does he love his mama? Yes.
Would he hang out with you and your friends? Um... he comes away from his computer long enough to say hi, but he kinda hides from "girl time." And really, can you blame him?
Sing? He can, but he doesn't often.

Happy Anniversary, Love of my Life!

Bones and Muscles

We worked on our body a little more today. We discussed bones and muscles, and made the bones and muscles for one leg.

The body is made to be "interactive". So, the pieces are held on with Velcro so that you can take it apart and put it back together.

The bones are made from the Styrofoam of a meat tray. (Thanks King Soopers!) You can't see them because they slide into the muscle "pockets". The muscles are made of red knit so they stretch sort of like real muscles. The yellow circle is the kneecap.

I was very pleased with how it turned out, and how interested Punkin is and how much she participated. I had to cut out the Styrofoam "bones" since it required an exacto knife, but she cut out the patterns. I sewed the muscles, but she trimmed the threads and turned the "pockets" inside out and stuffed the bones in them. She loves the Velcro dots to hold them on (in fact, I've had to hide them from her!)

She broke a bone in the process - so we made a cast out of tape. One of the girls across the street from us broke her leg last week, so Punkin is beginning to understand that bones can be broken and usually fixed. We have a Scholastic video from the library with the story/song called "Dem Bones". We watched that tonight and she is fascinated by all of it. We have one more day to read a few books and talk a little more about the purpose of bones and muscles, how they work, how many we have, etc...

Frosty Time!

It was a GORGEOUS day today - warm, sunny, beautiful! We went with friends to the park for lunch and playtime, and the kids were outside from after nap until dinnertime as well.

It was just the kind of night that called for a spontaneous special treat - FROSTIES! (Yes, Wendys is the only fast food close to us. But have you tried the vanilla Frosty? It's good stuff.)

SnugBug says, "Thaaaat's right - you just keep on eating yours - this one is mine."

Further Proof....

- that boys will be boys
- that cleaning your house is dangerous

I was vacuuming and SnugBug ran toward me unseen and collided with the vacuum - requiring an ER visit and 5 stitches.

And bringing SnugBug's total lifetime stitch count to 21.

He was fabulous - the only time he cried at the hospital was when they wanted to weigh him. The scales must have been scary!

I'm sure his good behavior after that had nothing to do with the little talk we had where I told him that if he could be my super-big, super-brave boy we would go to Wendy's and get a frosty on the way home. (Hey - occasionally bribery is totally called for! )

But - look, he's so proud!

So, it wasn't exactly how I would have preferred to spend my Sunday night.

But, I'm so thankful:
- that it was his eyelid and not his eye
- Punkin was with a friend, and I did not have to take her with us to the hospital
- we have a fabulous hospital close to us with a pediatrician in the ER from 10-10 every day
- SnugBug was so good!

(deep sigh) So, make me feel better and tell me about your child's last stitches.

Fun at the Park

Here are some pictures of the kids at the park today. It's so nice to be able to be outside!

Human Body unit

Updated to include picture:


We began our unit on the human body on Monday. One of the activities we are doing is making a "body" using a book called The 3-D Body Book.

Today, we did the first step. We traced Punkin onto cardboard and cut out a Punkin-sized body. She thinks it is great fun to dance with. The topic for today was skin, so we used a pair of pantyhose and covered the top half with "skin." (I guess we do the legs after we get the bones and muscles made.)

The kids traced SnugBug onto paper while I was cutting out the cardboard, and they were hilarious. Punkin was trying her best to get him to lie still, and he kept trying to see what she was doing. They finally finished and colored "Paper SnugBug" to match what real SnugBug was wearing. It turned out pretty cute.

Hope to post pictures soon....

Girl's Night Out

Here's my girl!

I've been distracted and working a lot of hours in January & February - both because that is my busy season with my clients getting everything ready to go to the accountants, and because my dh changed jobs which required getting independent health insurance and all those other fun paperwork things.

I decided that Punkin and I needed some time "just us girls." So, last Saturday night, we left the boys at home and went to the fabric store to get some supplies for a homeschool project, and then we went to the nearby Starbucks for some hot chocolate.

The hot chocolate was wonderful. Starbucks makes a special "kids hot chocolate" that is smaller and cooler - perfect!

The conversation was even more wonderful. It matters not what we discussed - just that I was able to look into my little girl's eyes and focus on just her for 30 minutes. We get quite a bit of one-on-one time with homeschooling, but very little time to just sit and let her do that 5 year old ramble talk thing. Do you know what I am talking about? Anyway, she told me lots of fun and interesting things (not all of them exactly understandable).

I think I fell in love with her all over again.

It was a beautiful memory. We will definitely be doing this again soon! Or at least painting toenails during SnugBug's nap.

Glimpse of the Future

SnugBug & Grandma

SnugBug seems mostly recovered - tiring easily perhaps. It was gorgeous outside today, so we met a friend at the park and totally wore him and Punkin out!

So far, the rest of us have avoided the sickness - may it continue to be so!

Grandma is doing great. She took a real shower last night, and said that was wonderful!

Sick SnugBug

What is it about being thrown up all over (did I mention all over?) that makes you feel like a real mom? SnugBug "blessed" me yesterday. He told me that his tummy hurt, but it is not terribly unusual for him to say that, especially if I have just asked him to do something.

I should have listened this time I suppose. [wry grin]

It was a short-lived sickness, only an hour or two. Then he took a long nap and was fine by supper time. After all that sleep, he got up at 2:30 this morning ready to start the day. I, on the other hand, was not quite as ready. At 3:45 after several "hi, mommy!"s, I sent him back to his room with a rather lengthy explanation that if he wanted to go in his room and play that was fine with me, but I was still sleeping and he was not to disturb me again. Either he listened or my lengthy explanation put him to sleep - but he did not get up again until 5:30 when his Daddy got up. It's a little bit of an odd feeling to not know what your almost 3 year old did from 4-5:30 in the morning, but, honestly as long as he let me sleep, did not require an ER visit, and did not burn the house down - it works for me!

After much disinfecting yesterday and today, here's hoping the rest of us somehow avoid it!

Grandma

Grandma is still doing well. She went back to the doctor today and they are adjusting some medication - but that is just part of the process. She walked from the car into the office - which is a huge thing.

I got to talk to her tonight, and she sounds wonderful! She even talked to my Punkin for a few minutes.

Thanks everyone for your kind words, thoughts and prayers. I feel incredibly blessed that God has allowed her to stay around for awhile longer!

Chicken?

Saturday dinner conversation:

Punkin, while eating a chicken leg: Why is chicken so full of chicken?
Me: Well, that's what chicken is - chicken.
Punkin: You mean this is a DEAD CHICKEN??
Me: (much later after her dad and I finally stop laughing): Um.... yes.
Punkin (throwing her chicken leg on the table): Gross! I'm never eating chicken again!

(We did explain that God gave us animals for us to use responsibly. We had left-over chicken for lunch Sunday and there was no comment - so I'm guessing this was a short-lived trauma.)

Homemaking Meme

My friend Penless Writer offered up this meme to anyone who wanted to play along. I think I will.

Homemaking Meme

Aprons - Y/N? If, Y, what does your favorite look like?
No, it just gives the kids something to hang on. I do own a couple, including a Christmas one that my mother-in-law gave to all the girls in the family.

Baking - Favorite thing to bake:

Brownies. They're yyuuummmy!

Clothesline - Y/N?

Nope. I'm too lazy. And they are against the covenants in our neighborhood. (I just heard Momma Roar say "what????")

Donuts - Have you ever made them?

When I was at Girl Scout camp we made them with canned biscuits - does that count?

Every day - One homemaking thing you do every day:

Um.... does checking my email count? I do the dishes most every day.

Freezer - Do you have a separate deep freeze?

No.

Garbage Disposal - Y/N?

Yes - and I love it! Especially since I have a little one that always wants Cheerios and then never eats them all.

Handbook - What is your favorite homemaking resource?

Creative Home Organizer by Emilie Barnes

Ironing - Love it or hate it?

HATE it! And my mother does too. She used to have an arrangement with the salesmen at the men's store where my dad shopped - no 100% cotton. :)

Junk drawer - Y/N? Where is it?
An relatively organized one in the office space of the kitchen.

Kitchen - Color and decorating scheme.

Um... the way it was when we moved in. No scheme -but it's yellow with black appliances.

Love - What is your favorite part of homemaking?

Finishing.

Mop - Y/N?

Yes. We have hardwoods and 2 kids - not much choice! I use a sponge mop now, but just bought the Swiffer WetJet yesterday. I'm hoping to cut that "real" mopping down to once a month.

Nylons - Wash by hand or in the washing machine?
On the extremely rare occassion that I wear them - the washing machine.

Oven - Do you use the window or open the oven door to check?

Open the door.

Pizza - What do you put on yours?

Veggies.

Quiet - What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?

sleep

Recipe card box?

I have a recipe binder instead.

Style of house?

2-story suburban cookie-cutter. It's boring! But the neighbors are wonderful, and I love having so many moms and kids close by. My dream house is a log one with the great big picture windows all across the back.

Tablecloths and napkins -

I prefer placemats and cute cloth napkins. But with little ones we actually put the plates straight on the table and use the cheapest paper napkins at Walmart.
Under the kitchen sink - Organized or toxic wasteland?

Organized.

Vacuum - How many times per week?

Family Room twice a week. The rest of the house once a week.

Wash - How many loads of laundry do you do per week?

Six or Seven at least.

X's - Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off?

Oh my goodness - YES! I would be lost without it.

Yard - Y/N? Who does what?

We share. I try to mow if possible because I find it oddly enjoyable (maybe it's the "alone" time?), and my dh is allergic to grass. I do all the flower care and I have a 4'x4' garden that I enjoy.

Zzz's - What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?

Checking that the doors are locked.

This is a brief look into my home. If you'd like to join in and tag yourself, let me know so I can come read yours.

Grandma's home!

You won't believe this! - at least I didn't. She got to go home yesterday!

And I got to talk to her today! She sounds SO good. She was asking about me and the kids and all the normal Grandma things.

I'll say this again: Yay God! Yay Grandma!

Grandma

My grandma is healing nicely still. There is some talk that she might even be able to go home tomorrow! She has to be able to walk around the hallway, around the nurses station and back without her oxygen levels dipping below 90 before they will let her go home. I know she is ready mentally, but I think it's amazing that she might get to go home so soon!