Top 10 of 2010

We are down to (almost) the last day of the year.  It really seems that every year goes by faster than the last.  I didn't quite get around to Christmas cards (or photos or letters...) this year.  One of my friends did a top 10 list as her Christmas letter, and I am stealing the idea.  So here you go.

1. I got elected as PTA secretary.  Never mind that no one else was running (thus is was more of an appointment than an election.)



2. The kids started school at a brand new elementary school.  Ben is in full-day Kindergarten, so both kids are finally gone all day every day.



3. I learned how to fix a running toilet.  Somehow I managed to not learn this before, but the toilets in this house made it quite necessary.  We had a plumber fix all four of them, and all four of them still run regularly.  With Brad away as much as he is, it was time to take action.



4. We visited lots of family and friends in Pennsylvania over a 16-day visit.  Even so, we didn't quite see everyone...

5. 

We also visited Brad's sister and her family in California.  That was Ben's first visit to that state.



6. Coach Brad and Ben had a very successful first season of flag football, and were quite possibly the most improved team in the league.  Ben had 6 touchdowns over the season.

7. 

Our friends from England (Susanna's best friend from school and her family) came to visit in October.  It was great seeing them again and showing them how we live here.



8. We celebrated the one-year anniversary of having a pet crab.  (Sadly, the other two didn't quite make it.)

9. 

The kids both got awards at school, Ben for being a good friend and a good boy, and Susanna for honor roll.



10. We lived in one place for the entire year!  (Our first year in one place since 2007.)

Hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year's Eve!

Christmas vacation

Our Christmas break is flying by...  only one week left until everyone (but me) goes back to school or work.

We had a very nice, relaxing Christmas day.  Santa brought lots of fun toys for all the kids.  Ben's favorite was a field goal post, Susanna's favorite was origami books and paper, and Brad's favorite was Paper Jamz.  Santa actually brought the Paper Jamz guitars for the kids, but Brad really likes it and has been improving his skills with the help of YouTube.

We had ham for Christmas dinner and every meal since.   A neighbor had received a huge box of various meats, including a 13-pound ham which he didn't particularly want.  So he brought it over for us.  Once we got it thawed and cooked through, several hours later than planned, it was quite good.  Lots and lots and lots of good ham.  So much in fact that Ben has gained a few and will have to wrestle bigger boys in Friday's tournament.

Today we are finally having our annual Christmas toy sorting/purging.  We have gone through most of the toys in the house and designated quite a lot to trash or yard sale.  The rest have mostly been sorted into logical categories.  The most exciting part of today was finding a toy (a piece of a set) that had been missing since before we packed for England.  I can't believe it turned up and have no idea where it was hiding.

We hope everyone had a great Christmas and is enjoying some relaxing time off with family and friends!

Souffle

Brad is finally done working for the year and we celebrated today with lunch at a French restaurant in Dallas.

The restaurant specializes in souffles.  We had never heard of it until last week when Brad went there for a work lunch.  He was quite impressed and anxious to go back.

They have both sweet and savory souffles and we tried several.  Brad had one with spicy sausage, I had sun-dried tomato and pesto goat cheese, and the kids shared a ham and Gruyere.  I don't think the kids have ever been so thrilled with a restaurant meal.  For dessert we shared chocolate and pumpkin souffles.  They were all amazing.

I would have taken photos but I don't have a purse-sized camera.  I wonder if its too late to add that to my Christmas list...

Heatwave

Four days until Christmas and it is 80 degrees outside!

I decided that we needed to play outside for the afternoon and we ended up with 5 boys and 1 girl out front.  One of the boys had shorts on, they all took their shirts off, and they were all complaining about how hot and sweaty they were.  Not really sure what they were talking about - it was just perfect - hot but not too hot and a mild breeze.

I think they really just wanted to play video games, but I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to do that in January.  We really don't get many days like this here since its way too hot from about May to September, so we need to enjoy it while we can!

All I want for Christmas

Christmas is only 11 days away.  I am not ready.

I still need to make my Christmas list.  I will do that now!

1. A peephole for my front door.  Right now I have shutters I can peek through, but whoever is out there can peek right back.  If I had a peephole, I could look quietly and then pretend no one is home if I don't want to deal with whoever is out there.  I feel like I am becoming the mean mommy in the neighborhood because I am constantly telling children to go away.  If I had a peephole, I wouldn't have to tell them anything.  (I really hope Santa brings this because I'm pretty sure I will be needing it Christmas morning.)

2. Presentable, plain pajama bottoms.  Then all I would need to do to be bus-stop-ready is brush my hair and teeth and throw on my big coat.  That would save me lots of time in the early morning, especially on the mornings I have to make lunch.

3. Willpower.  The ability to stand around at a birthday party for a half-hour with a beautiful, delicious-looking cupcake in my hand, and not eat it.  Not that my kids would ever ask me to hold their cupcake.  But it would be nice to know that I could.

I want lots of other stuff too but I don't want to be unreasonable.  I'll save it for next year.

Results

Ben spent all day yesterday at his tournament (about 8:30 to 5) and had a great time.  He ended up getting 3rd place for his weight class in his division (K/Pre-K.)  He actually had 2nd place, but then the boy who was in 3rd "challenged" him for 2nd place.  Brad had never heard of this before and was caught totally off guard.  Ben thought he was finished for the morning and was not prepared when he was suddenly called back to the mat.  That match was very close - Ben lost by one point.

Brad also signed him up to wrestle in the next age group in the afternoon.  He lost his first match to an older boy and at that point, Brad decided it was time to go.

Ben is really improving at wrestling - he's only been at it for a month and a half but its all starting to click for him.  He pinned the boys in his first two matches.  We are so proud of our little wrestler!

And Ben's official weight was 55.7 pounds - no extreme measures required!

Making weight

Ben is competing in his second wrestling tournament on Saturday.  This one is put on by his wrestling club, which means that it is local, and will also be a big tournament.

Wrestlers are matched by age, experience, and weight.  The weight classes for Ben's age group go in 4-pound increments, and of course you are better off being at the top of one group rather than the bottom of the next.

Ben was weighed on Monday when he registered for the tournament and was just over 56 pounds, putting him in the 60-pound weight class.  Brad had him weighed again on Tuesday night, and he was just under 56, so they moved him down to the 56-pound weight class.  Now we have to keep him below 56 pounds until he is weighed again Friday night.  Once they write his official weight in permanent marker on his arm, he's free to head over to the buffet.

Some ways to keep their weight down are: watching what they eat (no big meals before weighing in), removing extra clothes (they weigh-in wearing only their singlet, which isn't much) and making them go to the bathroom.  Some ways you are not allowed to keep their weight down include: making them vomit, wrapping them in plastic, and making them run laps around the building.  Or, at least, don't let anyone catch you doing these things to your child.

I can't help but laugh (to myself, of course) when they say things like this.  But then I think, they are saying these things for a reason.  The same reason they tell you that you are not allowed to glue your child's flags to the flag belt before his football game.

Being in the lower weight class should help Ben's chances of winning a match, and that would make it a better experience for him.  But what he really needs is more practice and experience, and the best way to get that is by being in a tournament.  He is excited and I am sure he will have fun with it no matter what.

Holiday prep, Texas-style

We picked our pumpkins at Wal-Mart.

We hunted our Christmas tree at Home Depot.

Oh, the memories our kids will have!

16 months

We have now been in Texas for 16 months.  Which is the same amount of time that we lived in England.

Sixteen months is not a long time to live in a place.  I am quite glad we are not moving already.

No guarantees on how long we'll stay here, but for now its becoming home.  Sort of.

Looking forward to seeing what the next 16 months bring.

Chicken rings

For the first two months of kindergarten, Ben asked me almost daily when he would get to buy his lunch.  I was happy to make lunch every day and tried my best not to give in to his request.  But Ben is all about food, and is always quite interested in what everybody else is eating (no idea where he got that trait) and I started to feel bad for the kid.

I went on-line and signed up both kids for school lunch accounts.  Susanna was vaguely interested in the food being served, but if it was just her, I probably could have continued to avoid school lunches for the next 6 years.  Because, really, they're just not that good, and she knows I can do better.

One of my concerns about them buying lunch is, of course, the (seemingly) low quality of the food.  I had seen some trays during my cafeteria visits and I was not impressed.  My other concern was that, once I started, I would sort of like not having to make two lunches at 6:50 a.m.

The plan was to go through the menu each month and pick two days a week for each child to buy lunch.  This is plenty for Susanna; Ben would buy everyday if I let him.  If we have a morning when I was planning to make lunches but suggest at the last minute that they buy instead, Ben is thrilled and doesn't mind not knowing the choices in advance.  Susanna, on the other hand, becomes concerned and needs to know whether she will like one of the three meals on offer.  Often, it turns out, she probably won't.

I know there are nutritional guidelines for school lunches, and there are limits to the amount of fat and calories they can contain.  However, that doesn't mean they are particularly nutritious.  Or tasty.  Some things they serve: chicken rings (???), yogurt combo (which my kids tell me is a Trix yogurt and animal crackers - as the entree), Uncrustables (I admit to occasionally enjoying the crispy, frozen peanut butter they contain, but if I'm paying for school lunch, I want something a bit more labor intensive), and Crispitos (again, straight from the freezer section.)  They serve jello several times a week, and list it by color, not flavor.  Are they worried a parent might think "lime jello" counts as a serving of fruit?

Overall my kids enjoy most of their school lunches, and I enjoy not always having to pack.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Its nearly bedtime on Thanksgiving.  Too late now really for Happy Thanksgiving wishes, but I hope that everyone did have a happy one.  We spent the day with two other families and way too much food.  Everything was delicious (even the things I made.)

My friend's daughter, who is 14, sketched this quick portrait of Susanna.  I scanned it and it came out light due to being done in pencil, but you can sort of see it.  I think its beautiful.

And if you are going shopping tomorrow, good luck with that!

Thanksgiving break

My kids have this whole week off for Thanksgiving - a very welcome break after a busy autumn.  Ben got his week off to a great start by waking up this morning at 5:30.  We heard him upstairs playing Wii.  Its not a quiet early morning activity.

Susanna finally finished her outdoor soccer season on Saturday, and, a few hours later, started her indoor season.  She ended up playing 3 games that day - after her indoor team finished, the next team needed a few extra players.  She ended up playing indoor for 80 minutes with only a few quick breaks.  She wasn't on the winning team for any of the three games but she played well.

Ben had his first wrestling tournament on Saturday morning.  I didn't get to go because of soccer, but I heard plenty about it.  He had to wrestle an experienced wrestler who was a good 5 pounds heavier.  He was thus at a slight disadvantage but he hung in there and gave it a good try.  He won a medal for 2nd place because he and the other kid were the only wrestlers in their weight class.  He wasn't sure about wrestling at first, but he seems to be liking it more.  Brad is having fun giving him pointers at home.

Yesterday we went to the Dallas Children's Theatre to see "Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells".  I am definitely not a Junie B. Jones fan, but the show was really good and we all enjoyed it.

Now we are just taking it easy for a few days and getting ready for Thanksgiving.  And enjoying a few more warm, summery days!

Why girls like wrestling

Two weeks and already I am trying to remember why I thought it was a good idea to sign up Ben for wrestling.  He now practices from 6:15 to 7:30, three nights a week, and that is just a bit much for all of us.  In addition to dragging an already tired five-year-old out to do over an hour of exercise, I also have to drag along a seven-year-old, and then try to keep her from driving me mad as we sit together on the gym floor.

This morning at the bus stop, our neighbor asked us how wrestling was last night.  Susanna immediately answered:

"It was great.  We got to see all the boys with their shirts off."

Maybe getting through all this won't be as hard as I thought.

How to cook a turkey

On Monday I went to Ben's school to help with his Kindergarten class.  My job for that day was to sit with one child at a time and ask them how to cook a turkey.  I had to write their responses on a sheet, with spaces for ingredients, directions, cooking time and temperature.

I got through six kids.  It was fun to hear what they came up with - I tried to prompt as little as possible.  Many of them listed chicken as an ingredient.  One girl wanted sparkles on hers.  For most, the first thing in the directions was cutting the turkey or putting it in a bowl.  One boy was adding shoes and trees to his turkey before cooking it.

Ben finally got to do his today with another mom.  I asked him to tell me what he said.  His ingredients were salt, pepper, and whipped cream.  Then I asked what his directions were.

"First, you shoot the turkey..."

That's my boy!

Dallas firehouse

Today Ben and I went to the oldest (or one of the oldest, at least) firehouse in Dallas.  Our neighbor works with firemen and used her connections to arrange a great tour for her boys and Ben.

The firehouse was right out of a childrens book.  The first thing the boys did (after handing over the baked goods, of course) was sit in the big ol' recliners in front of the big television.  They thought being a firefighter must be great fun!  These thoughts continued when we went upstairs to the bunk room - there they have ping pong and pool tables.  We also saw the kitchen and captain's room.  And then the captain opened the red door to show us the pole.

We went back downstairs to see their shiny new firetruck.  The boys got to crawl around, and then it was time to try on some gear.  Ben was quite amused by the head wrap thing - he asked if they wore it to be like robbers.

Then they pulled the truck out so the boys could spray the hose.

The boys were very eager to try the pole.  First the captain lifted them up as high as he could (easier with Ben's friends, but he managed to lift Ben pretty high too) so they could slide down the bottom.  But the boys insisted on sliding from the top.  Apparently this is not a normal part of the tour, but they let the boys do it.  (Unfortunately I couldn't get these photos turned the right way, so please just turn your head.)

Happy November!

It is November and that means it is getting cold in Texas. Just a few weeks ago I was sitting under a blazing hot sun dripping with sweat... Now I'm suddenly very chilly and wondering just how cold this winter is going to be. At least I know its safe to put the summer clothes away for good.

October was busy with sports, school activities, and visitors. My parents were here at the start of the month and we had friends from England here during the last week. Its always nice to have extra people around and get out of the normal routine for a bit.

Ben finished his first season of flag football - final record was 3-5 - not bad considering his coach played by the rules. Susanna is still finishing up her soccer season. Three games left... I am looking forward to a break from that.

Ben has already started his new winter sport - wrestling. This is our main winter activity as practice is three nights a week. That will keep us busy, trying to get there on time, and then keeping Susanna somewhat entertained in the gym. We've gone twice already and its certainly different from team sports - there are around 40 kids, ranging from 4 years old to 6th grade, in one big group. There are quite a few kids who are smaller than Ben. Ben is very excited about getting started and likes it so far. But actually, I think his favorite part is the equipment - ear guard and special shoes. He likes to accessorize.

Susanna may or may not do indoor soccer this winter, but she will keep plenty busy with Girl Scouts, Destination Imagination, and dance class.

Only three more weeks until Thanksgiving!

Happy Halloween!!

Homecoming

This weekend is homecoming for our city. Where I grew up, homecoming was a high school thing - big football game, a dance, etc. But just at the high school. Here, everyone gets in on the homecoming fun.

At my kids' school, the PTA put on a special lunch for the teachers - stadium foods including hot dogs, popcorn (somehow the most unhealthy thing offered) and nachos complete with cheez (because "cheese" its not) sauce from a can. Of course the teachers were thrilled.

On Friday afternoon I got an email from our cheerleading coach letting me know that the girls' parents would be giving them "mums" before the game the following day, and then the girls' would be giving little gifts to the boys. I suddenly realized that I had no idea that this was a big deal at all and better do some quick thinking.

I actually found some little stuffed alligators a while ago, and was planning to give them to the cheerleaders at some point. A late night trip to Wal-mart yielded some goody bags, and we were set.

The cheerleaders had handmade, numbered cookies for each football player. We managed to pass out our little gifts to the girls, despite hands being full of drinks, snacks, and the cookies.

I still have so much to learn about Texas culture...

Its hard to see, but if you enlarge this you can see the mums on the girls' uniforms - a big (I'm pretty sure fake) flower adorned with copious amounts of ribbon. I googled this and see that its big business around here and if you are buying one for a high school girl, you could easily spend $100 or more.

Ben's cookie - #10!

And Ben got two touchdowns again and led his team to victory!

Bathroom tech

Ben came home from school today and filled us in on his classroom job-of-the-week: bathroom tech. Of course I hadn't heard of this before and asked for some clarification as to what that job entails. Apparently he is responsible for checking the boys bathroom in the hall outside his classroom and making sure that it is tidy. If it is not, he has to pick up whatever is on the floor, but [thankfully] not pee or poo.

Still, I wonder if they issue gloves?

Touchdown!

Today Ben's game was played in the high school stadium, which made it extra-exciting. The boys are finally starting to get it. Ben had a great game with 2 touchdowns. For the second, he caught a pass and ran for victory.

Here he is - of course he is the one in front!

We are so proud of our little Gator!

Stick bug

I went outside to move my car tonight and this little fellow was sitting on the mirror. I drove very slowly through the alley and into my garage, and he continued to wait on the mirror while I ran inside to grab my camera. He just looked at me inquisitively as I snapped lots of photos. When I was done, he jumped down. Hopefully he found a safe place to hang out.

Being green

Most people who have or have had a child in kindergarten are probably familiar with the color system for communicating behavior. Each day, the kids are given a color based on how their day went - Green for a good day, Yellow for a bit of trouble, Orange for more trouble, and if you get Red, you probably visited the principal. Each day, the color is marked on a calendar, and a parent must sign to show they've seen it.

When school first started, it was fun (is that the word?) to hear the stories of other people's children coming home with a rainbow-colored calendar. Boys (and maybe girls) all around were getting yellows and oranges (not sure I've heard about reds, but maybe that isn't something anyone would talk about.)

My child, of course, got greens. Every day.

These other children have learned from their mistakes and are much more inclined to get green these days. Now I see them after school proudly announcing to their mothers, "I got green today." Then Ben makes the same announcement to me, and I'm thinking, "of course you did! What other color would you get??"

I realized the other day that I should probably be a bit more enthusiastic about Ben's green-ness. I know that I am lucky to have a child who can keep it together while at school (at home, sometimes notsomuch) and he deserves to be praised and encouraged.

So today we celebrated four weeks (almost) of greens with dinner of his choice. His choice? McDonalds. I need to start thinking of a "better" prize for next time!

Football for kindergarteners

Football has started and is off to a good start. One game down, seven to go. Hopefully we'll win at least one!

The thing is, if you start your boy in football when he starts kindergarten, you are already late to the game. Some boys already have two seasons under their belts. When it comes to throwing, catching, flag pulling and knowing which way to run, that can make a huge difference.

Coach Brad started up with all kinds of great plans all diagrammed out in PowerPoint. He made it look so easy - even I could understand! But one of his greatest challenges has been getting the boys to line up on their own. In the same.spot.every.single.time. It is not as easy as one might think.

But no matter their ability, its a fun thing to do on a Saturday morning. Our team has cheerleaders (only 6 of the 12 kindergarten teams have them) and they add a lot to the atmosphere, plus they bring their families so a lot more people are at the game.

And even if they never win, Coach Brad is determined that they learn about football and learn to love football. He's giving everyone a chance and teaching them to play fair. I'm not quite sure all the football coaches in this town could say the same.

Back to school 2010

Today was the first day of school. Both kids were more than ready to go and couldn't wait to get there and get started. They saw the school and their teachers for the first time last Thursday. The school looks great and is just about ready to go.

Both of them already have two friends in their class. There are so many kindergarten-age boys in our neighborhood, so Ben is lucky that two are in his class. Susanna has two friends from her soccer team - all three of them were at different schools last year, so that was a happy coincidence.

Ben is so happy to be going to the same school as Susanna. I am sure there will be lots to talk about when they get home everyday. Susanna will really feel like the big kid with a brother in kindergarten.

I think we are off to a great start!

Ready for some football

After a successful season coaching baseball, Brad has decided to switch gears and become a football coach. Originally he had planned to wait another year or two to start Ben in football. But when it came time to decide what to play in the fall (for football you need to decide by the end of May) he decided to go for it.

So Ben will play flag football (tackle starts in 2nd grade.) His team will be the Gators. We have 12 boys on the team - some from baseball, some from preschool, some neighbors, and a few extras. There will even be cheerleaders.

And I get to be the Team Mom. While I took on this role unofficially with baseball, with football it is an actual position, and every team must have one. It seems to be mostly to handle administrative details. I get the impression they don't trust the football coaches to worry about the details, like picture day, etc. We are also expected to fund raise for the league - I am not really thrilled about that, but we'll see what happens.

This is Texas, and Texas is football.

The half-way point

Today we have reached the half-way mark of our summer vacation. Five-and-a-half weeks down, five-and-a-half to go.

Its gone much faster than expected. So far we've had one week away (California) and two weeks of summer camp. We've also had soccer - Susanna is playing on an indoor team for summer), yoga (also for Susanna), practice for fall sports, the pool, and playing outside most nights until late. Occasionally I can get my kids to sit down and do math worksheets (they prefer math books to others at the moment) and they've been to the library twice so far (should be more, I know.)

I'm sure the next half of summer vacation will go faster than the first. Lots to do before school starts. Both kids are enjoying the break but are looking forward to starting school again, especially Susanna. I, on the other hand, would like to put off the 6:30 wake up calls as long as possible!

The tooth fairy returns

Tonight we had corn for dinner. It didn't occur to me until I was cooking it that this might be a challenge for Ben.

One bite was all it took!

San Diego Zoo

We spent a day at the San Diego Zoo. The zoo was as wonderful as we've always heard. We didn't quite see the whole place, but we covered quite a bit during our day there.

Sightseeing

Today's adventure was visiting some local animal attractions.

First we went to a koi place. They sell koi of all sizes and prices. If you want a fish for several hundred or thousand dollars, you can get it here!

Ben and Breck were ready to jump in with their new snorkel gear.

Next we went to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center. This is a non-profit group that rescues, rehabilitates and releases stranded or injured seals and sea lions. We couldn't get too close to the animals, but they were interesting to see.

California

Here we are in sunny California! We have come here to visit Brad's sister Tara and her family. Susanna and Ben love seeing their cousins Breck and Piper. They are having lots of fun together.

Today we went to Laguna Beach. Its not too hot outside, but the kids don't mind. They loved playing on the scenic beach.

Summer vacation, day 1

So today was the first official day of summer vacation. Susanna's last day of school was last Friday (one extra day for snow in Texas!) Ben was out a week earlier, but that was just preschool.

I can't say it was the most exciting day - hopefully better days are yet to come. We spent the morning in a futile search for the children's version of a certain allergy medication that is currently unavailable due to recall. Even though this took us to three different stores, I couldn't buy much because you can't buy anything in Texas in summer unless you are taking it straight home. Tomorrow the shopping will continue, this time for a pill splitter to properly split the adult medicine I bought instead into child friendly doses (after first triple-checking with the pharmacist, of course.) Wednesday's fun will be getting my 5-year-old to learn to either swallow it or eat it crushed up on applesauce.

Its all just as well because its just to hot to go outside. Ben asked many times today to go outside and I kept putting him off. No one else was out and I knew he'd get bored quickly. Finally at 5 o'clock we got the bikes out and headed out front. We were back in at 5:05.

We did go out to play around 7 when everyone else finally came out. It was manageable, but still a bit sauna-like.

Bedtime was late, but since its summer and there is no reason to wake up early, my kids are naturally inclined to be up by 6 a.m. So I'm hoping to shift that just a bit...

We actually have a good summer planned. A few trips, a few camps, the pool... plenty to keep us busy. Bring it on!

Preschool graduation, Texas style

Today was Ben's last day of preschool. A graduation ceremony was held, along with a little show. The theme was "Texas" and it was great. They danced around on stick horses, sang songs, and stated Texas facts. I had no idea Texas had so many "state" things - the state small mammal? armadillo. The state pepper? Jalapeno. The list goes on and on. Do all states have so many? Maybe they do.

After the Texas show, the kids changed their hats from cowboy to graduation. They each got a diploma and a few hugs, then we all had cake!
Susanna's last day is next Friday. Its already in the 90's here, so its time for summer to really begin!

No girls allowed

This is Ben's first official attempt at written communication:

Pool season

The neighborhood pool has officially opened for the season! We went on the second day (May 2nd) and though the weather was reasonably hot, the water was cold (so I was told.) Not sure if its gotten warmer at all, but of course the kids don't mind at all! We went yesterday for Susanna's end of year Girl Scouts party and she was in the pool almost continuously for three hours. She already has a great tan (despite the SPF 50!)

Karate Ben

Yesterday was Ben's last day of karate class at the Little Gym. All the kids had a chance to demonstrate their karate skills for the parents. Ben had fun in the class and definitely learned a bit, but I don't think he really learned any true karate. Obviously if that is the goal, this is probably the wrong place. But he liked it and had fun with the gymnastics stuff, so it was good for him.

After their little show, each child received a medal and some kind words from the main teacher. They then got to break a board - Ben did it on his first try!

Happy Mother's Day!

Hope all you moms out there are having an extra nice day today!

I felt very lucky this morning to get breakfast in bed - banana pancakes, strawberries, coffee and juice - and a singing card, lovingly selected by Susanna.

We have sort of a busy day planned, but it should be a good one. We might go to a local arts fest, and then we are heading to Grapevine (nice historic-type town) to meet an old neighbor from Brownstown.

Happy Mother's Day!

Ben at bat

Springtime

Spring time is in full force in Texas. Actually, to me, it feels pretty much like summer, but I know I need to enjoy these "mildly warm" days while they last.

On the first day of spring we awoke to freshly fallen snow. Enough to go out and play in. That is long gone now, of course.

The kids are well into their sports seasons - soccer for Susanna and baseball for Ben. We have a few more weeks, and all is going well. Susanna's team is finally starting to score in their games, and has improved their defense immensely. Its so much more fun to watch when the games are close! For teeball, they still don't keep score, which is lucky for all the other teams. Coach Brad is having another great season and loves being in charge of the action.

We are starting the last month of school, and though we're all ready for a break, I know the 11-week summer will be long. We have some trips scheduled, as well as a couple of camps, so we should be busy enough. Its been a few years since we've had a proper summer break, and I think it might be nice not having much to do. And by August, we'll be ready to start a new school year at a brand new school, the 16th elementary school in our city. And I'm already signed up to be on the PTA, so it will be new and exciting for all of us!

Party time

Last Friday we had Ben's 5th birthday party at The Little Gym. He goes there for karate class so it was fun to have his party in a familiar place with one of his teachers. We had 14 five-year-old boys, plus two girls, and a good time was had by all!

I think this was the best part - riding the mat down those rolly things.
Hot dogs for dinner and then cake! (Actually frosting, with just a bit of cake.)

Playing catch up

I think its been a while since I've posted anything, so maybe I'll get back to it. I realized that I can change the post date of my posts. Because of my need for things like this to be in order, I plan to back date a few of my new posts. So please scroll down to read all about our exciting lives!!

5

Today Ben is 5! I can't believe it - how did he get so big?

He had a great day today. His Grandpa Kent is here visiting from Pennsylvania, so that helped make the day special. He went to school and had ice cream with his friends. He came home and played hockey with new hockey sticks from his buddies across the street. Then he had his favorite dinner and an ice cream sandwich cake.

His party is on Friday night and he cannot wait.

Happy Birthday Ben!

Gem Hunt

On the way home from Little Rock, we took a detour and stopped at an Arkansas state park, Crater of Diamonds State Park. This is the only place in the world where the public can search for diamonds.

The search area is a big field of dirt. You can bring your own equipment, like the professional diamond diggers we saw getting out of their trucks, or you can rent some there. Having no clue what we were doing, we rented the basic set, and bought a little spade and rake.

When we decided to do make this stop, I think we were all envisioning finding lots of lovely gems quickly and easily in some nice dirt. Silly us. While people do find diamonds (according to the board, 2 were found the day prior to our visit), its relatively rare and take a lot of work and patience (and maybe a splash of luck.)

We picked a spot and started scooping up some dirt. Brad used the boxes to sort through it, then threw the searched dirt into a bucket, to avoid searching it again.

In the end, we left with a little bag full of nice looking rocks and chips of something or other. I think it will be a while before we go back, but at least we can say we've been there!

Duck March

This year we spent Spring Break in Arkansas. We thought about going to one of those popular places, like Florida or Cancun. But we like to be different, so we got in the car and drove to Little Rock. It was just as well since Brad had work to do there anyway.

Little Rock is actually a nice little city with plenty to keep kids busy for a few days. We visited a science museum and a kids play center. We thought about going to the zoo, but Susanna got hurt at the play center (not sure how, exactly, but she hit her mouth and there was a bit of blood...) So we'll do the zoo next time. It was also fun to eat in some of the restaurants Brad frequents during his many trips there, and of course I had to find the local cupcake bakery.

We stayed at the Peabody. There are three Peabody Hotels - the original in Memphis, one in Orlando, and this one. This in itself was a big highlight as they have ducks swimming in the lobby fountain.

The Duck March is a big daily event. At 11 a.m., the ducks are brought down the elevator, and then they march through the lobby a bit and hop into the fountain.

Then at five, they do it all in reverse. We decided to hang out and follow the ducks all the way back to their little house, which is located on a 2nd floor patio. I'm not sure if people are supposed to be invited to do this as it was just us and another family with slightly older kids. But they let my kids help push the wagon.

They pushed (while the older kids pulled) the duck trolley all the way outside, and then stood by the duck house for a photo op. Then the cage was opened and the ducks scurried right into their house.
We learned that only one of the ducks has a name, and its John Philip Duck. Not sure if that is a particular duck, though. There is a book by this title, but we are still waiting to get it from the school library. Then we can read all about the history of this fun tradition.

7

Here are a few photos from Susanna's birthday, only a few weeks late!

Brad's family was in town for the occasion, which was nice for Susanna. They were here for her birthday party with friends and also on her actual birthday, when we celebrated with dinner at home and an ice cream cake.

Her party was at a gym, where the kids did trampolining, floor games, and the pit. Good, active fun for everyone!

New glasses and minus 2