April 2009

A group of our friends went out to eat and to watch dueling pianos. It was fun. We didn't pay $20 to hear the Iowa fight song like we (or I) did in Vegas.

For Lisa's birthday we went and ate at Gator's and had a drink at Fun City.

April 2009

Favorite Boy decided to spend his birthday money to buy one of these. I think it was a little bittersweet for him. As we were loading the box in the back of the car he asked me, "Mom, if I decide I want my money instead can we take this back and they'll give it back to me?"

It made me sad but I knew we were doing the right thing by making him save to buy something he really wanted. Aaron and I took the Dave Ramsey course in March and April and we have decided we want to instill good financial values in our children. Nicholas has a chore chart and he has to do everything on his list each day.

It is a laminated picture chart. In the morning he has to get dressed, put his p.j.'s in the dirty basket, brush his teeth, and put his cup in the sink. In the evening he has to put his shoes on the rug, feed Emma, put his dishes in the sink after dinner, pick up his toys and books before bed, and brush his teeth. He receives a dollar per day M-F. He is required to put $2 in his spending envelope, $2 in his savings envelope, and $1 in his giving/church envelope.

April 2009~EASTER

We celebrated Easter quite a few times this year.

The week before Easter we went on an Easter egg hunt at a local church with our friends. I was quite impressed. I think half the town was there and each child received a Bible and Easter Eggs galore! I thought it was organized very well. Sections of the playground were designated for each age group. So even Lil Miss found plenty of eggs!

We decorated eggs at home. FG annoyed FB because she wanted to take the eggs out of the dye too soon. But we got the job done!
We headed to Grandma and Grandpa's for the actual Easter holiday. We prayed this guy (or gal) would be able to find us.


He was a tricky bunny this year. He left a clue inside an egg on the kitchen table and we had to read it and really use our thinking caps so we could find the next egg with the next clue.

It was hard but we had a lot of fun!We must have been a little bit good because eventually we found these!

We went to Aunt Gwen's for lunch and guess who was there?!

Even the sisters were having fun!

March 2009

We made another trip to North Liberty to visit Naomi's Kitchen. Of course all of the meals were fabulous once again! This time I went with Connie, Lisa, Christy, Carrie, & Cindee. Tasha and Shawna couldn't join us.

I had two mom-days-out in March! I went out in the beer drinking capital of SE IA, aka West Point. I thoroughly enjoyed myself with my two friends Cara and Michele. I am happy to report Michele is the only one that walked away with a disease that night :) Don't worry it was only conjunctivitis! We're pretty sure she caught it from Cara's couch...okay maybe not, but we had a fun time nonetheless! The funny thing is Michele is the only one without a child to catch this from :)

At the end of March we celebrated cousin Dillon's Birthday with a pirate party.

And what kind of party would it be without a sister self portrait. We have been famous for these since we were small little children...giggle!

March 2009

After we returned home from vacation in Florida we celebrated Favorite Boy's 5th Birthday! We celebrated with friends and family at our home. I cheated and ordered pizzas and made a few finger foods. We had delicious cake and ice cream and a fun baseball pinata! FB is certainly my son (and I LOVE it!!). We couldn't get away with having one kind of ice cream to celebrate. FB insisted on having mint chocolate chip and neapolitan (isn't he great)!

The week after FB's birthday he and I attended kindergarten round up. FB went into a classroom with a few teachers and soon-to-be-classmates. He was a little more hesitant than I anticipated. Once I convinced him he would be okay I went into another classroom to meet his teachers, the principle, and the librarian. I know he will do GREAT! I, on the other hand, may need some help on the first day. Yes, as you might have guessed I am crying right now.

March 2009

I am going to back track a few months and get myself dug out of my blogger hole. Bear with me, hopefully by the end of the week I will be finished with my marathon blog and be caught back up to July.

Our children are the best bedtime procrastinators I have had the privilege of meeting. One night when I hollered for them to come brush their teeth, Favorite Girl met me in the bathroom dressed like this. Favorite Boy obviously dressed himself too, I love the dinosaur pants and Superman shirt!!

Innocence lost before Kindergarten

Ouch. Today has stung. Two things in one day. I certainly can tell the school aged children are spending time with my son.

This is our conversation on the way to daycare today:

N: Mom [a boy] at daycare told me the tooth fairy isn't real, is that true?
[N told me the little boys name but he will remain nameless since this is the Internet, however I think it's appropriate to admit I have had my first feelings of wanting to strangle a child and it's not a good warm happy mommy feeling]
Me: Do you know what the tooth fairy is?

N: No but [he] said he pretended he was asleep so the tooth fairy would come and it was really his mom.

Me: Hmm, Well when you loose a tooth you put it under your pillow and then in the middle of the night the tooth fairy comes and leaves you 50 cents for your tooth.

N: Oh, but it was really his mom?

Me: Well maybe he wouldn't fall asleep because he was excited for the tooth fairy to come. And maybe lots of other little boys lost their tooth that night so she had many homes to visit... so mybe she gave the 50 cents to his mommy and asked her to put it under his pillow when he fell asleep.

N: Maybe

TONIGHT

FB and FG attended Vacation Bible School tonight. This is N's second round for the summer. He attended our church's session in June and now both N and H are attending at our friend's church. They are really enjoying themselves and they have been able to repeat the message back to us at the end of the evening. It has been a lot of fun for Aaron and I. We love the energy both kids have as they reiterate the message and walk us through the exciting evening events. I was so proud of N tonight as he told me God never lies, and he does what he says he will do...(never mind the small fib I told driving to work) so then we get home at 8:30p.m. which is well past bedtime. I am a little frazzled trying to rush to get the kids their baths, brush teeth, set out clothes for morning...I have my happy mom face on since we are getting the chores accomplished and I don't want the kids to drag their feet...N and I are standing in the kitchen getting a piece of co-jack cheese for his bedtime snack (the kid's new favorite). N is chewing on his piece of cheese as I'm tidying up the kitchen and he comes walking towards me with a humongous grin on his face and then he proudly displays his middle finger. He held it up really high as if to announce this is for the whole world to see. Flabbergasted

I say: N what are you doing?
N: a boy at daycare told me this is a cuss word.
Panicked I say: oh?, what is a cuss word?
N: I don't know.
Me: well is a cuss word a good thing or a bad thing?
N: I don't know I was holding up my finger because it got bent backwards and it was hurt. I was crying and [the little boy] said mmmm I'm gonna tell..... that's a cuss word.

Me: Well it's okay to hold that finger up if it's hurt or you need to show the teacher something but let's not put it up otherwise okay?

Dad walks in the kitchen, the finger goes down and Mister N goes about eating his cheese like nothing ever happened. I will say that child has a pretty good idea that a cuss word is a bad thing and is smart enough to know dad would not be proud.