Friday, April 18, 2008

Rockin' Spring Break

On the first Sunday of spring break Mimi asked what we would do during spring break. Having no plans made except to get to the zoo sometime during the week I asked her what she wanted to do. She didn't answer right away, and went off to play with Buddy and Sweetsa. Little did I know what was actually happening. Sometime later, she presented me with her "List of things to do" (I tried to scan it in, but apparently haven't quite got that figured out yet. So here it is with her original phrasing and spelling.)

List of things we whant to do

feed the Ducks

Go to The Zoo

Mimi's Sleepover

plant Seeds

Go to the Park

bake cookis

Go to Golf agen

Go to cusins hous

I guess I got my answer!

Even though this list wasn't presented to me until Sunday, we counted the things we did on Saturday (the day before) as part of our Spring Break wish list.

We went miniature golfing as a family on Saturday, after planting our sunflower, carrot and lettuce seeds in the garden. Mimi is in charge of the carrots, Buddy has charge of the lettuce Sweetsa is helping with the sunflowers. They are excited to have the plants begin to grow. Golfing was really fun. When we got to the mini golf course we decided that even though (or really BECAUSE)it was one of the warmest days of the year so far (actually got up into the 70's)we would stay on the indoor course. Everyone else had apparently decided it was a good day to golf too, because the outdoor course was packed...two or three groups at each hole. Meanwhile we shared the indoor 18 with two other groups. It was fun to go around the course at a leisurely pace, stopping for the essential potty breaks and snack times, and we didn't have to worry about holding anyone up. It was really fun to watch Sweetsa get an idea of what was supposed to happen...and then decide that she would help things along. She would make her initial swing and then pick up her ball where ever it happened to be and place it near the hole (NOT in the hole). Then she would hit it into the hole, finishing off the whole procedure with a cry of "I did it!" and a victory yell, jumping up and down with her fists in the air. She did this again and again, and kept me laughing the whole time. The game never got dull for her! Mimi and Buddy did really well, and I got a hole in one before surrendering the "adult" club to D for his turn.

So on Saturday we checked off two things on the wish list: plant seeds and go to golf.

Next up Monday. The forecast was good...another nice day before the storm came in on Tuesday. So we went to the zoo. Carolioness came with us, since she was also on Spring Break. Carolioness is awesome! We rode the train, and went to visit the baby animals. We saw the baby giraffe and the baby orangutan. We wandered around basically at the whim of the children, (and in the direction the Buddy ran...he can get lost pretty quickly! We let the kids play at the playground so the the mommies could sit down and rest for a while. It was a very nice day, but so early in the spring that none of the trees had leaves yet, so it felt quite hot!







I love Sweetsa's smile in this pic.





















Buddy and Carolioness figuring out what to see next.



























Thant night we went over to Gramma's house so that D could put a new toy together. The kids loved playing with the boxes, which of course were slides, turtle shells, houses, to name a few things!












The finished toy. According to the box, assembly was only supposed to take an hour. In reality, it took closer to three. But the kids love the new airplane/teeter totter.

It's a good thing that we did so much outside that Monday as a storm blew in that night and yes we got a trace of snow the next day!


Mimi got to have her sleepover at her cousin E-beth's house.



We didn't do much outside again until Friday, when we went to the park with lots of cousins . We went to feed the ducks, but by the time we got there, the ducks weren't interested in eating. So the kids threw rocks in to the pond, and chased the ducks instead. It was a beautiful day and the kids loved playing with all the cousins (we had 12 kids there.) I was so glad when other adults showed up. At first it was me, Gramma Midge, and 10 children seven and under at the edge of the river and pond! I was a bit anxious until we got the kids headed over to the playground and they the other parents showed up. Whew!!

We did end up completing the kids Spring Break wish list. I made cookies for the kids that Sunday at the end of Spring Break....I think the kids won't ask me again to make cookies. They have learned that Daddy is the cookie maker. Mommy's cookies very rarely turn out well. It's pretty sad (and humbling) for me. *sigh* Oh well. I least I know I can cook other things that my family will eat!)

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Overheard

today

Buddy: What are counselors?

Mimi: Hmm. They're helpers...like Santa's helpers!

-------
yesterday

Buddy: Mommy can we go to golf today?

Mimi:(whispering so parents can't hear) If we clean up all of our room without being asked then I think they will say we can go to golf, or feed the ducks or to the zoo!

-------

This wasn't overheard, as I was supposed to be an active participant in the "conversation." This was tonight after the kids were in bed.

Sweetsa: (poking her head through a small gap between the door and the frame.)Mommy, Mimi talking!

Mom: OK. Go to bed!

S: Mommy Mimi TALKING!!

Mom: Ask her to please be quiet, and get back in bed, please.

S: MOMMY! MIMI TALKING!!!!

Mimi: (calling out from her bed) She wanted to come up on my bed and I told her No!

Mom: (laughing) Sweetsa, please get back into YOUR bed, and leave Mimi alone.

S: (heading back to bed, with that universal taunting inflection) Told mommy, Mimi!

two minutes later

S: Mommy, Buddy talking!

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Easter Blessings






Easter seems like it was a long time ago, already, but I thought I'd post a bit about it. We didn't do much to celebrate the secular holiday. Gramma Midge (aka "UP Gramma) had an egg hunt in her backyard on Saturday. The kids all had a blast hunting eggs with their cousins. Cousin Allison P. also did a special Easter Fish Pond for the younger cousins, and the kids loved saying "Fishie, fishie what do you have?" and being rewarded with a small toy.



We read some of the Easter related stories from the Stories from the New Testament.

On Sunday we had Baby B's blessing. It was wonderful to have the support of so many from the Patrick family and the Hen family as well. We love being able to share such special events with our family! It was also great to be able to listen to the talks and the beautiful music in Sacrament Meeting about our Savior's Atonement. It was a great worship service. So great I had to go home and go to sleep afterward! LOL! It is very disconcerting to still be so tired after several weeks...it really has been a different recovery this time around!



A couple side notes here...

The little bonnet on Baby B's head was made by a woman in Germany along time ago
(ie 20 or so years ago). It can be used as a blessing bonnet and then the stitches clipped and the handkerchief used for the "something old" when she gets married! Cute huh!? So baby B already has an "heirloom"!


You may notice that D is clean-shaven in this picture. A couple months ago now D was called to be on the High Council. The Stake President then asked D to shave off his goatee! After a moment and a big gulp, D agreed. It's amazing how much more he looks like his twin now, don't ya think!!? LOL! Go figure!