Saturday, February 28, 2009

Ah...this takes me back...


...to my square dancing days in elementary school. I can remember feeling such anxiety even leading up to the unit, and especially each day before gym class, fretting over which boy I might be assigned to dance with, and hoping that I would be assigned to dance with one of my girlfriends.

I never heard that from Henry. And here's why...he got to "dance" with his good friend, Andrew. I use the word "dance" loosely because I don't think that was all that was going on here :). The term "full-contact sport" comes to mind.

What a great time, though! A couple of nights ago, at the school's open house, Henry's third grade class was able to showcase their talent in singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments. They even taught their parents a square dance. I won't be showing you a video of that...

Thursday, February 26, 2009

The Book Fair-y

After the open house last night, we bought some books at the school book fair. Because Caroline stayed home with Evan and Dave, Henry and Seth chose some books for her (Purplicious and Tinker Belle, perfect choices, boys!). On the way home, Henry came up with the idea that the bag of books could be from the Book Fair-y (get it?!). So as soon as we walked in the door, he addressed Caroline's book bag, and set it on her pillow. He told me that he couldn't wait for her to wake up in the morning. Sweet boy! When Caroline woke up in the morning, she came running into our room and showed us her new books. Henry showed her how they came from the Book Fair-y, and she said excitedly, "I think that she gave them to me because I'm learning to read!"

Were you wondering how much this boy loves popsicles?

Alternate title: How many times can a young boy and his mother say "popsicle" in one clip?
How much does he love popsicles? Just count the number of times he hooves the floor. He loves them THAT much.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Are you ready for some FOOSBALL?!


The deal was, if we cleaned out the basement, we would set up the Foosball table that my parents offered us. So, Dave put it together tonight, with the help of three very excited kids. (Henry was at a friend's house.) Looking forward to many big games!

Seth is doing better, although I'm not absolutely sure that he's going to school tomorrow. We'll see. The doctor told us to watch the other kids carefully, as strep is pretty contagious. At dinner tonight Caroline said that her throat hurt. I immediately thought, "Oh oh, here we go." We're not really sure if she was really sick or trying to get out of a less than stellar dinner. Her list of maladies was a little odd, and included not only her throat, but also her shoulders, wrists and knees :). We shall see tomorrow morning.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Seth is Sick with Strep...

This poor boy. He's had a slight cough for the past couple of days, but until he came home from CCD yesterday, I didn't think that it was anything more than a little cold. However...as soon as he walked in the door and his eyes met mine, I knew he was sick. His eyes just didn't look right. He told me his head was pounding and his throat hurt. I told Dave right there that we'd probably need to take him in to the doctor for a strep test in the morning.

Poor thing...he had a rough night, despite taking regular doses of Tylenol. So, I got all the kids in the car at 7:30 this morning (no small feat) to head to the doctor's office. After looking at Seth, and hearing his symptoms, he almost confirmed that it was Strep before he even did the culture. (Seth told him that he felt like he had a bee in his throat...OUCH!) The test came back positive.

So, we dropped Henry off at school, and headed over to the grocery/drug store to pick up Seth's prescription. We stocked up on chicken noodle soup, popsicles, yogurt, and juice as well as three movies to keep Seth resting happily. He was so funny. He wanted the soup right away when we got home...at 10:00. I set him up. It was fun to pamper him. :)

The kids, even Evan, watched the movies together (although on seperate couches, of course). Having the day where we had to stay home, I actually got a few things done. One of the things that I was going to do was to look up the number for the local food pantry, as I had a lot of food that I had cleared from our pantry that we weren't eating. I had loaded the food in the back of my van, and then sat down to dinner with the kids. Lo and behold, the doorbell rings. It was a few girls from the high school basketball team. Guess what they were collecting? Would you believe food for the local food pantry?! Now that is efficient, young food pantry fairies coming to my door. Isn't it amazing how things work sometimes?

Monday, February 23, 2009

If you build it, she will come...

Our darling daughter made the sweetest tooth fairy pillow at preschool today. She was thrilled to bring it home, and carried it around with her most of the evening. She is convinced that any minute now, one of her teeth will become loose, and had me check her teeth no less than 5 times today. Poor thing...there was nary a wiggle. Unfortunately, despite the fact that Caroline "built" the pillow, she and her fabulous new pillow won't be getting a visit from the tooth fairy for the foreseeable future.

On another note...it looks like all her stuffed animals are quite comfortable on her pillow, leaving no room for her sweet head. Pillow hogs! Some nights I'll check on her when she is sleeping and I am surprised she still fits on her bed with all of the stuffed animals in her bed with her.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Our Cub Scouts

Today, we went to the Blue and Gold Banquet, which is an honors banquet for Cub Scouts. Henry received his Bear badge, and Seth received his Tiger Cub badge. We are proud of you, boys!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

The Wizard of Oz!

The kids and I were able to see their cousin, Braeden, play the part of the Tinman in his middle school's production of The Wizard of Oz today. He did such a good job, and the kids were definitely starstruck. They got to see him in his costume after the show, and took pictures with him. Caroline insisted on also getting her picture taken with the Wicked Witch and Auntie Em.


Their youngest cousin, Robbie, is getting so big! We stopped by their house after the play to hang out with him a little bit. He's busy, busy, busy, walking all over the place. It's hard to believe he's one now. Its been a fast year.

Friday, February 20, 2009

He's a talker...

Get him on a topic that he's passionate about (like his dinosaurs or his roller coaster), and this boy has a LOT to say. This morning, after I dropped the rest of the kids at school, I was cleaning up the kitchen. Evan was playing with his favorite toys as of late...his dinosaurs. Talking the WHOLE TIME. Nonstop. Amongst other things, I heard, "Baby I-Sor (dinosaur) tired. I kiss it. (smack) Ni-ni. I love you--God bless you--Sweet Dreams." Sweet, huh? That was followed with, "T-Rex I-Sor, eat it," after which he placed the baby dinosaur's head in the T-Rex's mouth. I guess you'd say that his sister AND his brothers all influence his play. :)

And, of course, there's a lot to say when riding your favorite rollercoaster. I'll let the clip speak for itself...

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Ring around the Rosie


This is kind of an old clip...you can tell by the length of Caroline's hair. It was back in the fall when she had her haircut. I didn't post it originally because despite Evan's obvious enthusiasm, the other kid's excitement for playing Ring around the Rosie for the 49th time was slightly waning. They do humor him, God love 'em.

We found this clip again today, and we had to replay it quite a few times. The kids all got a kick out of Seth and how silly he was. He does get some laughs.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

YES, UNCLE BILL!!

When I told the kids that Uncle Bill was coming over tonight, to say they were excited was an understatement. Seth actually screamed, "YES, UNCLE BILL!," as his fist shot up into the air.

They do love their uncle. He plays with them like he was one of them. Video games, wrestling, pink bellies, tickling...you name it. And after dinner and a massive 4 against one wrestling match (you should have seen Evan diving into the fray!), he even helped us settle them down for bed with a big storytime, where they read to him. They were proud to show him how well they are reading. It was a fun evening!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Think our children want a dog?!

Henry is reading the book, "Marley." The kids all sleep with stuffed dogs. Then, today they set up pens for their dogs, and even made a dog house.

The kids really want a dog. And we will get them one...in about two or three years. We might be ready by then. :)

Monday, February 16, 2009

Getting ready for Spring!!!!

When I was a little girl, I can remember planting seeds with my sisters and my dad. We'd go down to the basement where he had a little greenhouse set up, and we'd get a little dirty. What an amazing thing, that a tiny seed could turn into a plant with just a little soil, light and water. (I admit, I still think that its magical.) We'd grow the plants inside for a while, and soon enough spring would come. Our plants would be ready to grow outside.

So, today I was able to share that magic with Seth and Caroline. (Henry was at a playdate, and will plant his seeds tomorrow. Evan, on the other hand, is only allowed to play with dirt OUTSIDE at this point in his young life.) The kids LOVED it. They were very busy...they prepared our workspace by spreading the newspapers, they spooned the soil into the flats, placed the seeds and covered them up, and watered them. Ten to twelve weeks from now, we'll be able to plant our pansies outside!

They were chatting the whole time, mostly talking shop. Seth said, "I love this kind of work. It'll make the plants grow and the flowers come. And then the bees will get the pollen from the flowers, make honey, and then I'll be able to have more peanut butter and honey sandwiches!" Caroline was making a list of everything she wants to plant this year. According to her, we are going to have a very full garden.

I can't wait for spring!

Spooning the dirt into the flats

Seth planting the pansy seeds

Caroline watering our flatSeth and Caroline posing by our mini greenhouse

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Train Trip to Great Grandma's House


The kids were bouncing off the walls when we told them that we were taking the train to visit Great Grandma for her birthday! Henry was so anxious that we were going to miss the train until we were actually on the train in the seats. Of course, our seats were on the top level of the train. Where else would they choose to sit?! Evan sat in his seat for about 10 minutes. At that point, he decided that he needed to take a tour of the train, and meet his co-passengers.

We visited with Great Grandma and Aunt Debby for a while, and gave Great Grandma the cards and cookies we made for her. Aunt Debby, of course, had all sorts of games for the kids to play. :) Unfortunately, Evan was not at his most charming. I thought he might be coming down with something, and he was. We found out the next day that he has a double ear infection and double pink eye. :( Poor kid.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Nosek Wrestlemania!

This is one of the biggest requests the kids have when we have a family night. The kids all love to wrestle with their dad! I can't believe that he can handle all four like this. Dave is a good man.

Happy Valentines Day, everyone! XOXOXOXOXO




Friday, February 13, 2009

This little girl loves her Valentines

Caroline had a fabulous time addressing all of the valentines for her friends in class. And when she got home from her class party, she loved looking at all of her valentines, sorting them and playing with them. I remember doing that when I was a little girl.

After completing our big laundry room project yesterday, I was pretty much wiped out today. I wasn't too productive, and that felt kind of good. And now, I am heading to bed, before 10:00 even. :) Looking forward to a good night's sleep!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

THE BIG REVEAL!!

WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Once the ball started rolling with this project of organizing our laundry room, it really picked up some momentum. Its hard to believe that less than a week ago, our laundry room looked like this. (Click HERE to see it)

After a whirlwind of a week, we now have a space that makes more sense, and hopefully the order and the systems that we have in place will make an impact on our daily lives.



Henry helped Dave make some of the cubbies and the shelves for the pantry. He said it was the most fun he's ever had making something. He's a chip off the old block!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Puddle Jumping

Walking through the parking lot into preschool this morning, Caroline had to face many temptations...in the form of deep, splashable puddles. Not wanting her to walk into her class soaked, I promised her that if she stayed strong and kept herself out of those puddles, I would take her out after preschool to go stomping in the puddles in our neighborhood. She agreed, on the condition that she could wear her froggy boots and bring her duck umbrella.

It was a very sweet, but very messy time. And I would be lying to you if I said that Evan didn't come back caked in mud, and that a load of laundry didn't need to be done IMMEDIATELY on our return. But it was joyful and the kids were happy, and that made the extra work worth it.





Tuesday, February 10, 2009

I know that you've been anxiously awaiting...

...our fish update. I apologize for keeping you on pins and needles. :) Here you go...

I have to admit that I have been on the border of being a little obsessed with our fish. I so wanted the kids first pet experience to be a good one, so we chose an easy pet. Fish are easy, right?

Well, it turns out that they are a little more complicated than I thought. We did have a few fish fatalities, BUT, to look on the bright side, we did manage to save one. Thank God for Speedy. He is one tough fish.

We were able to lower the nitrate and nitrite levels in the tank, changed the water, and vacuumed the gravel (!) a few times, and with our water now passing muster, we were able to add 3 new fish. They've been happy and healthy for 2 days now. WAHOO! You know, its these little victories that we have to celebrate.

Here's a picture of Spot, Seth's new fish:
He's actually sleeping in this picture. Yes, sleeping, not "resting in peace". Did you know that fish do that?! (I didn't...I've been fooled, ready to flush, a few times.) He's resting his tail on that orange plant.

And in other Fish News...Dave hung his sail fish, the one he caught in Mexico, in a place of more prominence in his office. Its hard to believe that he reeled this huge thing in!! We are slowly but surely tackling his office, but the laundry room is almost done!!! I do believe I'll have pictures to share by the weekend!
One last thing, the Valentine's picture of the kids at the beginning of the blog is actually one that I took last year. No worries...Seth still has his permanent (adult) front teeth! :)

Monday, February 9, 2009

Siblings and Friends

I love it when they get along like this!

Before the snow melted away, Seth and Caroline decided that they had to build a snowman. It didn't last too long in this warm weather, but it'll last forever in this picture! They were so proud, and I was so proud of their teamwork. They made it mostly on their own, with a little bit of Dad's help.
AND...Yesterday, the boys came running up to me and told me that Seth can read Magic Tree House books! They were so excited. They've worked it out so that they each have a copy of the same book, and Seth reads his aloud. If he stumbles on a word, Henry is right there to help him out. Seth LOVES this.

I complimented Seth on his excellent reading, and Henry on being such a supportive older brother, and told them that whenever they want to do this, I'll let them stay up 20 minutes past their bedtime. They thought that was a great idea. Henry and Seth both said that with all of this practice, Seth is becoming a more fluent reader. They actually used those words. ;)

This morning, Dave and I thought that we heard the boys wake up, but they didn't come out of their room. So we just assumed that they went back to sleep. No, they came out forty minutes later saying that they read 3 more chapters.

I have to say...I am eating this up!

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Here's the pictures I promised...

...of our trip to the waterpark!

Seth going down the slide with his buddies

Sarah in the whirlpool with her three sons

The next two pictures are our kids and their friends posed in front of one of the original snowmen from Santa's Village!


Evan playing Deal or No Deal

Evan enjoying a cupcake. Perhaps he didn't sleep well at the waterpark because we gave this to him at around 8:30 at night. Hmmmm...perhaps....