Easter, Etc.

Growing like weeds, I tell ya!  Scott ran into a girl that was in his first grade class last year.  She even noticed and commented, "Wow, Scott!  You've gotten tall!" 

Grammy introduced the kids to the game of Monopoly.  They have enjoyed playing with her.  One of the kids asked if we could buy the game for our house too, and I immediately vetoed that idea.  Monopoly will be a game kept for Grammy's house...along with Chinese Checkers, Risk, or Trivial Pursuit.  The long games that start at Grammy's must finish at Grammy's!:):) 

Now the Resurrection Rolls that she made with them...they can be sent back to our house anytime!   Mmmmm!   Thanks, Carol!

The kids recently went to the zoo with Grandpa and Grandma.  Before they left I told them to grab a light jacket.  Kate got big eyes and said, "Why do we need our life jackets?"  :)  She was worried she'd have to take a swim with the dolphins.

Natalie to Grandpa and Grandma one day on the way home from school: "I had a dream last night, but it was inappropriate."

 A couple of family pictures on our pre-Easter celebration...

 Ready, Set, Hunt!

Along with the usual, the kids got coupons in their eggs that they took turns cashing in for prizes. 

After the hunt, we played a rousing game of kickball.  It's fun now that our kids are getting old enough that we can all actually do something together.  (Although no one will be recruiting the four year old girls for awhile!  "No...No...run the other way, Sweetie!") 

Moments in March

 At this rate, my blog book for 2017 will be really cheap...I'm averaging a page a month.

Here are my March pictures...

Kate continues to beg each night if she can read her "trapter" book... 

Kate & I surprised Natalie and read to her class.  Scott was surprised to see us too when we showed up for lunch.  I wonder how many more years the kids will be thrilled to see us when we show up for a "surprise" visit. 

Natalie was supposed to create a Dr. Seuss project for school based on one of his famous stories.  She chose "The Foot Book"...you know...left foot, left foot, left foot, right...feet in the morning, feet at night...

Here were a few of her favorite foot shots...

 (Wet feet)

 (Sick feet)

(Trick feet)...Okay, I'll spare you the twenty others...we were hoping for bonus points for the feet cookies!

Natalie's recently been into offering up peace signs.  I told her to cool it with the peace signs one day when I was trying to take her picture.  She argued, "But peace is a fruit of the spirit!"

Can you guess which day in March this picture was taken on?

Kate did a week of Dr. Seuss lessons at home, as well.  I'm not a huge fan of Dr. Seuss books.  For some reason, it seems like everyone else loves them.  Anyway, I do not like them, Sam I am...  During one tongue tying nonsense book, I turned to Kate and ask her if I must finish.  Thankfully, she told me we could be done.

She's been my little workout buddy this month.  When I was a teenager, my mom & I used to do step aerobics together early in the mornings before school.  It is cute to see Kate enthusiastically try to do it with me now.  One of us chats nonstop through the workouts while the other is huffing and puffing.  I'll let you guess who does what!:) 

She did so many workouts using a wobbly bathroom step, that she earned her very own real step.  She's pretty pumped!:)

That Was Fun, But Now It's Done...

Kate watches more Daniel Tiger than her mom would care to admit.  Any Daniel fan will recognize the jingle, "That was fun, but now it's done!" 

That's how I feel about February.  It was truly a fun month, sprinkled with some great activities.  Simultaneously, I'm happy to flip the calendar on another winter month and look forward to the coming spring!

Our Ohio friends, Molly & Tim, came for a visit recently.  As always, it was wonderful to see and catch up in person. 

Tim & Molly tried to convince us of our need for a dog.  Scott was definitely on board.  I'm notorious for making to-do lists or grocery lists and then leaving them all over the house.  For the past several months now, Scott's been secretly adding "Get Puppy" to my lists.  Sometimes I will get to Meijer and see "Golden Retriever Puppy" on my grocery list.   It always makes me laugh.  I'm hoping that we can check this item off sometime in the future!:) 

 Who needs a baby doll when you can do anything you want to Baby Kate!?!

 The kids acted out the story Caps For Sale again and again.

Natalie decided to make Valentine's for the kids in her class this year.  On the first one, she wrote, "I 💗 you!" to a little boy in her class.  I told her that the heart stands for love.  She quickly said that she needed to change it because "I love you is a very bad thing to say to a boy"- says Natalie! 

I was able to tag along on Natalie's field trip to a nursing home on Valentine's Day.  It was sweet, touching, hot, and sad.  When we left, Natalie whispered, "That wasn't my favorite field trip." Getting old is no fun!

Kate LOVES dance class night.  I'm at piano with Scott during this time, so my parents help with the pick-up and drop-off.  The girls favorite part of the evening is their one-on-one time with Grandpa & Grandma.  Natalie begs me to just drop her and go on to piano, so that she can play Old Maid alone with her grandparents.  When I ask Kate what her favorite part of dance class is, she almost always replies, "When Grandpa & Grandma pick me up!" 

 A guys-project...always up to something! 

Scott was assigned Theodore Roosevelt for his President Project.  Now that I'm all brushed up on my Teddy facts, I'm hoping that Natalie will get assigned him next year too!  Think the teacher would notice if we sent in the same work? 

We loved the incredible February weather and enjoyed checking out a new, very cool, playground (along with a thousand other children!). 

Loving this mild winter!

Hot Winter Days

*June or January?  It was such a wonderful weekend.  Jon was off, and everyone enjoyed some time outside!  I thought the sleeveless shirt and flip flops were a bit over the top, but, as Natalie declared, it was such a "hot winter day!"  

*The kids thought it was fun to read at night late one evening on the back porch.  Kate said she wanted a "trapter" book too.  She switched "trapter" books after a couple of minutes and therefore needed a bookmark to place on Chapter 5.  Oh how she wants to be just like Scott & Natalie!

 *The performances live on...

 *The cousins are always all so happy to see one another!

*Today was the 100th day of school.  Natalie was supposed to wear 100 of something, so she wore 100 pony tail holders!  Hopefully Kate will forget that her big sister did this when she gets to first grade and will instead opt for the simple 100 beads on a necklace.  :)

*Me- Have you seen the tape?  I feel like I've seen it in a weird spot.
Kate- Then look in the weird spot.  (Duh!!)

*Kate's been on a cotton kick lately.  I have no idea where it came from.  She's requesting "cotton" clothing.  As she's getting dressed, she will ask, "Is this made of cotton?"  Regardless of the material, if I lie affirm that it is made of cotton, she says, "YAY!" and happily puts it on.  ?!?!?!   Goober.

*Scott is our self-appointed seatbelt police.  He takes his sisters' buckling very seriously.  Of course, we do too.  However, he takes it upon himself to tattle or try to adjust their shoulder strap clips on their booster seats if they get moved.  He says things like, "You're gonna get your head chopped off!"  The girls do not like the seatbelt police and get very annoyed with him when he lectures about their seatbelt placement.  We think he is trying to look out for them and is genuinely concerned for their well-being, however sometimes it does get to be too much!

*Kate rescued a toy from the Goodwill pile.  Sigh. 

*Kate was "reading" an ABC book out loud to herself one afternoon.  She didn't know I was listening, so I had to hide my laughter.  She said, "S stands for sun, T stands for tree, U stands for umbrella, V stands for...(pause)...flower bucket, I guess..."

The tradition continues onto another generation to know nothing about vases or flowers!  Jon- if you're reading this- DO NOT buy me flowers for Valentine's Day this year.  :)  He knows better anyway!  I wouldn't even have the right flower bucket to put them in.