FHE Activity

This is what we made for our FHE activity last night. 

We all raced through it in teams, coming from opposite ends and meeting in the middle.  It sure gets dark in there!  Jim and Logan even bonked heads pretty good because they couldn't see each other.  At one point I knew I was close to Alex because I could hear him giggling in front of me, but it took a while to find him.  We've left it up for now because it was so much fun.   

Another Dog Post

This dog likes to lay in a very strange position.  Check out his back legs.

I think he looks like a person laying on his stomach in a dog costume.

Temper Temper

We haven't encountered the 'Terrible Two's' in our family thus far, but I'm thinking it might be coming this time.  Alex has a temper.  A few weeks ago he split his head open by throwing himself into the corner of a cupboard.  We actually super glued the cut shut!  Last week he threw himself into the corner of a door and gave himself this bump.  It looks pretty bad in the picture, but it was worse in person.  It was raised half an inch within seconds after he did it, and that purple area was very dark.  I'm not the freak out kind of mom (hence the do it yourself super glue job) so I just kept an eye on him afterward.  He didn't cry long after he hurt himself; I think the injury snapped him out of his tantrum!  Then he smiled for the camera like this.  No signs of concussion, and the swelling subsided pretty quickly (though it's not gone), so he's good. 

Elway

As in John Elway.  He even has a Broncos collar, though I'm NOT a football fan.  (My family members all cringe as they read this...I know.)  I won't hold his name against him though.  This is the puppy my sister brought us a week and a half ago.

He's decided that I'm his favorite (even though I'm the one who reprimands him when he pees in the house) and is always with me (except when he pees in the house because he's in hiding).  At the moment he's taking a nap at my feet.  He's a very energetic little mop who likes to steal toys and jump on anyone who has food.  I have to say these are good qualities.  He's effectively taught the kids to pick up their toys, and Alex to stay at the table when eating.  It's great.  He also takes a nap during quiet time.  He's figured out that he can pee near the drain in our basement and not get in trouble (because once I reprimand him he rarely pees again in the same spot, and I figure he needs one safe spot indoors until he learns to let me know he needs to go outside).  Potty training isn't complete, but he's making progress.  We're having fewer accidents each day.  He even had one day without an accident!   

Here's one more picture.  I actually had a very difficult time getting a picture of him because he wanted to play with me.  In the spring, we plan to groom his 4 inch fur; maybe we'll be able to see his eyes then.     

Saturday

The kids had a fun day on Saturday.  Jim took them to the Home Depot where they did a free kids' workshop.  These happen on the first Saturday of every month, and we've been impressed with the good projects each time.  This was the first time Annie was allowed to go too.  Logan looks forward to it for weeks.  Awesome.  

Jim left again for a meeting, and I babysat some kids for a few hours.  In other words, the kids had a playdate.  More awesome.

Jim came home briefly, then left again for an activity at the church.  I let the kids put on their aprons and help me make bread.  They LOVE to help me cook.  (I hope that continues when they can actually be REAL help.)  Most awesome. 

Sunday Photo Shoot

This series of photos started because I thought Annie looked so pretty before church yesterday, and it snowballed from there.

My pretty girl.

Again.

And again.

I promised her she could make a silly face.  I think this picture would be my favorite if she was smiling.

Alex was at my knees trying to smile for the camera, so he got in on the action.

Then Logan wanted his picture taken too.

He also wanted a silly one.

Then Alex was sticking out his tongue for a picture like he saw his siblings do, and I tried to get them all lined up doing it together.  Alex lost patience for it before I could snap the picture and Logan ended up smiling.

Fun Weekend

This past weekend, my sister and her kids came to visit.  I've been craving some family time, so it was well timed!  We relaxed a lot, played games, and went sledding twice.  Fun fun.  I really enjoyed their visit.

This picture is actually from the weekend before, but it suits my purpose since we were all there again this weekend.  We have a big sledding hill just behind our house.  It's VERY fun. 

The kids went sledding without the adults on Friday.  Here they are ready to go.  Also, note the dog.  He's the real reason they came out to visit.  Danielle needed someone to take care of him for a while and we're it.  We have him until further notice (or permanently if we decide we're attached).  I can't deny he's a sweet little thing, and even Jim has enjoyed him (despite his supposed dislike for small dogs).  The kids are IN LOVE and are very willing to do their share for him (for now anyway).  Now if he'll just start relieving himself OUTSIDE instead of in my house, I'll be very happy.  I'll give him a break since he is a puppy, but can't wait to have him trained. 

Mariah

Bryce

Aubrey and Elway

We ate well this weekend.  Mariah helped me make Balkan meatballs the first night (yum), and Aubrey helped with waffles and green smoothies the second night.  Everyone ate everything both nights, so I'd say it all came out well.  :)  We also had fun treats: homemade hot chocolate ice cream floats (my invention thank you very much) and s'mores roasted in our fireplace.

Bryce and Logan had a blast together all weekend.

Alex was pretty funny the night we had meatballs.  He decided he really liked them.  Every time he wanted another one, he'd slide his plate to the middle of the table and wait patiently until someone gave him more.

One night we had a hilarious game of charades.  After last summer, it's becoming a family favorite.  We play in teams, and the teams work together to act out their own idea.  Everyone fights to be on Jim's team because he's so good at it.  I've finally discovered my husband's creative side!  So fun!

After sledding on Saturday, I caught Bryce reading to Logan.  They were so cute together.

I can't say enough how much I enjoyed our weekend.  Thanks for coming to visit Danielle!

Kids Say

Upon finding that Annie had hidden her fairy dress dishonestly I asked her, "Annie, did you ask me to have the dress up clothes?"  Annie, "Yes."  Me, "What did I say?"  Annie, "No...(pauses and her face lights up)...Was that a good hiding place?"

Logan after assembling a flattened box, "Look!  I just put a box back to life!"

After I said something about Annie's pretty sparkly eyes, she responded, "I didn't have any sparkles in my eyes.  Just dirt."

Logan, "What is sprinting?"  Me, "Running as fast as you can."  Logan, "On your legs?"  Me, "Yes."  Logan with a puzzled expression, "Why do you have to pay your Sprint bill?"

Logan, "Almost everything has shadows."  Annie, "Just not Heavenly Father of Jesus or the sun."  (She inferred that by herself based on the sources of light.)

Annie, "I want my sticker on for all the days, even when I have kids."

SNOW!

We've lived here in Iowa for almost a year now, and up until a week ago hadn't seen any of the snow we'd heard so much about.  Apparently, it's been a very strange winter.  Anyhow, one week ago we finally had our first real snowfall.  It snowed more the next day, stuck around for a few days, and then it snowed again.  We're loving it!  (Especially since the snowplows are abundant around here...our street is always plowed early in the morning, and even little streets eventually get plowed!) 

We played in the snow the very first day.  Here are some after pictures.  I always love the wild hair, pink cheek look.

A couple of nights ago, we went with Jim to clear snow at the church.  I was totally preoccupied with a grumpy Alex the whole time, but the other two really tried to help!  I loved watching them with their shovels, and then later trying to dodge the spray of snow from the snow blower!  It was freezing, but a good family activity nevertheless. 

Today I let Annie and Logan play in it again while Alex napped.  In the first picture, they were eating a large snowball between the two of them.

She's all sorts of pink.  I bet she won't get lost in a snow storm.  :)

Logan has been working hard to earn money because he wants to fly on a real airplane, so I gave him this job to earn some cash.  He worked really hard!  That shovel is quite heavy and very awkward for him.  He cleared the whole deck, though, and earned $5.  It took him over an hour.

Once A Month Cooking

This is my new favorite thing.  A friend introduced it to me, and we jumped on the idea because I very much DISLIKE cooking every night.  Three and a half hours later, we had 12 homemade meals in the freezer.  They were all new recipes, too!  We actually had a really enjoyable time working together in the kitchen, and were super impressed with the Once A Month Cooking book.  It gives you a shopping list, and then step by step directions to make the meals most efficiently.  We only did a 2 week menu plan for our first try, but I'm sure we'll work up to the 4 week plan.  The best part is that I haven't had to cook all week, and we haven't had sandwiches for dinner.  I have thoroughly enjoyed letting go of the nightly battle to figure out what to make and then to work up the will power to make it.  Instead I look at my menu choices (AKA my freezer) the night before and just thaw it out.  YES!

I took a picture at the beginning before we'd made much of a mess.  We kept up with the dishes, though, and it really wasn't hard.  After we were done, we went out to eat as a reward (and so we wouldn't have to spend any more time in the kitchen).