A Royal Sick Day

Today marks the end of The Royal Family documentary marathon that has been happening in our house.  Luckily, Macie was home (with a fever of 102.3) for the big wedding finale.

I clearly remember watching Charles and Diana's wedding in July 1981, at the age of 7 with Nanny.  It is fun to know that at 9 Macie will have memories of today.  Now here's hoping that things turn out better for William & Kate than they did for his parents.

Spring Soccer has started!

   

 

Dance Party USA

Growing up my favorite shows were Kids Incorporated, then later Dance Party USA.  I can't begin to tell you how many times my sister and I watched Girls Just Want to Have Fun.  This must be why cranking the mildly-inappropriate music and watching the kids dance is one of my very favorite things.  Friday nights we eat pizza, watch a movie then dance for at least an hour.  And I have to say, Laney has some serious moves!!  (Not sarcastic, she really has rhythm.  Even Macie watches her for cool dance moves, or to just get the beat).

Grandma, you are going to love these - turn up your volume.  (Sorry, they are kind of dark)

Great Week, Good Friday

We have had a fun week full of spring activities, crafts and gearing up for Easter.  The grass has finally come back to life (for now) and the kids refuse to keep shoes on.  They rush home afterschool to make mud pies, throw the football, present me with flowers (aka weeds), play school, swing & hang upside down.  (Knock on wood, no seasonal allergies right now.  Which is shocking given that everything is covered in pollen).

 

We started the week by dying eggs with the Hennings.  The kids had fun and my anxiety was minimal (thanks to the dying station setup in the garage).  We ended up with 30 boldly stained masterpieces - 18 of which stayed here and have since been eaten....I just never know, year to year, whether the kids will be into hardboiled eggs.  Not to mention, how many questions I will get peppered with about the egg...Where do they come from? Where is the chick?  Is this cheese? (yolk)...

G is really into his "cooter" lately.  I had to try it too, however, I call it a "scooter".

  

The weather has been pretty nice this week.  G had his first outside spring-lunch (he asks all the time to do this), and I was able to do my big planter box.  They still need to fill in but at least there will be some flowers on the deck for Easter pictures. 

G also had a special lunch date this week.  A skyping lunch date with Grandma.  Grandma got to watch G draw a picture and write his name, and G got to watch Grandma curl her hair and put makeup on.  Then they chatted about school and made funny faces at eachother.  A very typical lunch date, right?

Leave it to Laney

Ever seen Pityriasis Rosea????

 

Ahhh, only Laney.  No explanation, not contagious, can be incredibly itchy or nothing at all.  Oh, and it takes 6-8 weeks to go away.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   



37-hundred Hightlights Needed

When I was a kid (ok, still) my favorite sections of the Highlights magazine were the Picture Find or the one where they zoom close-up on something and you have to figure out what it is.  I am thinking of submitting this photo...any guesses?

Correct, that would be 370 gray hairs.  Which leads me to a certain (gray) cloud, aka birthday, that continues to near.  As any good daughter, I of course blame my mom for this apprehension I am feeling.  One must know, that for as long as I/anyone can remember, my mom has used any variation of the number "37" as equivalent to infinity.  "I've told you 37 times,..." "...37-thousand times"..."37-million times"...  Man, 37 must be OLD! 

It doesn't really help that I clearly remember my mom when she was 37.  I mean I really knew her, not just fuzzy memories...being that I was 16.  Today I see her as the same mom she was at 37, yet somehow I am 21 years older.  How does that happen?  With the execption of my kids (and Calvin) I don't notice my other family members aging.  My parents are considerably younger than my friends parents, Eric's sandy hair will never gray, my brother is still my baby brother, and Nanny is 94 but people would guess 80.



Mom at 37



No more gray hairs needed, so enough stressing for now.  Thankfully, I feel young and grays are easily covered with a different sort of Highlights.

HHIHH....(Hennings & Hammons Invade Hilton Head)

I love an impromptu roadtrip.  Invite me anytime, I can pack like a mad woman.

Last week was spring break, no big plans,... that is, until Kelli invited us to crash her planned trip to Hilton Head, SC.  She took her kids and there was a enough room, so no need to ask me twice.  We looked like quite a crew...2 moms & 6 kids, 5 of which look to be the same age.  We had a few looks from people trying to figure out who belonged to who.  Thankfully, no (major) accidents or illnesses, no drama, only a couple tired tears.  Overall, very impressive.

It was the easiest drive.  Macie said when we got there, "Mom, I think you only made two turns the whole way."  9 hours driving time, kids were great and easily entertained with dvd player/DS/Leapster, and we only made 2 quick stops.  The drive home was a different story - Macie had a touch of the flu and could only drink water.

We collected seashells, chased seagulls, played at a couple parks, minimal shopping, easy dinners at the condo, fairly early bedtimes, a few games, copious helpings of icecream, and of course, moms had a couple cocktails.

Anyway, we had a great time.  We all love the Hennings.  The kids get along great and Kelli has become one of my best friends.  I was grateful for the opportunity to take the kids, thanks Kel!

G-A-R-R-E-T-T

He loves to practice writing his name, and he does a really good job!  After school he is quick to unload his backpack and show me all of his work, and "homework."  He is bringing home practice books to read to us, worksheets and even a science "praaajet".



I love how all the kids have given the "E" in their name many branches. 

It seems, the more the better.

Quite a perfectionist!

Here is his reading log and his experiment.  Planting a green bean seed in soil and then growing one in a plastic bag so they could see what it does under the soil.  Pretty cool, I think.