Happy Birthday Noah!

Noah had two parties. Peter Piper:

10 kids...crazy fun.

And Nana's house:
He enjoyed getting his Wii target shooting game and robotic bugs. He's officially 6!



Drat! Out of focus!

Spirit Week

A couple weeks ago was spirit week, and because I'm a good mom, I helped the kids dress up.

Monday, Hippie Day
Sarah came home from school and informed me that she wasn't actually a hippie. She was a flower child. And the peace sign is called "the rooster claw." Okay, whatever. I'm a child of the 80's.


The crazy hair day was fun to do. She looked cute. Albeit, crazy.


Noah is a minimalist. A peace sign and hair spikes were enough for him. I offered a vest, headband, Koolaid hair dye...but no.

The other days were less exciting - pajama day, sports day, and...something else less exciting.

Anecdotes for the day

Today was Sarah's last day of first grade. She had fun at the park field trip yesterday, but was much more subdued today. She cried in the car when I picked her up. We'll miss Mrs. T.









Noah is a cutie. The Wii is teaching him to read. Specifically, Animal Crossing. There is a lot of text-based interaction with characters. He still makes me read a lot to him, but he's recognizing more words every day.





Karen makes a good grumpy face on command. Her story for the day: she left her binky on the table at the library while she was making sure she had one of each flyer available. More than one of the really important flyers. Anyway, on the way home, she realized she'd left the binky behind and demanded that Mommy 'go get it at the library so the bad guys don't get my binky!' Fortunately for Mommy, we had a duplicate binky at home.

Noah

Noah didn't get an update on the previous post, so I'll just add a quick note.


Wow, I love this kid. He is so funny, and he thinks about interesting things. Lately, his fixation has been on quantifying everything. "How much is a minute?" "So, 10 minutes is 10 sixty seconds?" "How much is an hour?" "So it's sixty sixty seconds?" And 3 days from now is "tomorrow's tomorrow's tomorrow."

We've also been having interesting discussions about resurrection (When does it happen? Where will we live? When will we see people again?) and accountability ("If I'm bad right now, it doesn't really count, but if I keep being bad, when I get older I'll be used to being bad, and then I'll get in trouble.").

Today we were discussing a pending shopping trip. He wanted to know when we were going, and I wasn't sure. I told him it depended on how long it took to change Karen and get lunch and whether we'd have enough time before Sarah's school concert... Anyway. His response was "I'll take whatever is in life."

Halloween (and this post) Go on ForEVER!

Sarah started out as a pumpkin, but we altered that to a witch for dance class. She was so cute, we kept it.

That's one saucy pirate. Arrr!


Karen the Candy Fiend, complete with wings. She caught on enough to say "Treat?" at doors. And finally, "No! No pictures!"

I swear, Halloween has turned into a week-long marathon. We've been busy with activities all week.

• The Trunk-or-Treat and Fall Festival carnival at Church was last Wednesday.
  
• We used Family Home Evening on Monday to carve Noah's pumpkin and make a plan for Karen's. Sarah and I used the clearance candy-making kit we picked up after Halloween last year.
  
• Then on Tuesday, Sarah's dance class had a little Halloween party where the girls showed us some dance moves - kangaroo jumps, skeleton walking, ghost gliding, something or other leaps...basic dance things with Halloween-y names. And then they exchanged treats (Sarah brought Halloween suckers made from the kit).
  
• Thursday, I took Noah and Karen to the library for storytime and trick or treating around the library.
  
• That night, Noah's karate class practiced for 10 minutes then spent the rest of class doing 'fun drills' - a ring toss, bean bag toss, bowling, sack races... I was in charge of the bean bags, which got interesting when Karen insisted on being held while I did squats with 30 pounds trying to pick up bean bags for the kids.
• As if that weren't enough in one day, I took the kids to the safe house run by the firefighters at the town hall center. It was CRAZY. They said they were expecting 4000-5000 kids over the two days. All I have to say is that if they were expecting that many, why on earth did they cram it into the tiny center?? We pushed our way through the crowds so the kids could play some carnival games, get some candy, and earn some prizes. They handed out paper money for winning games that the kids could exchange for prizes at very reasonable rates, I must say (great options for 1 or 2 'dollars'). Although, we really didn't need to come home with four more stuffed animals. I wish they'd gone for the glow sticks instead. And the highlight for the kids? Getting to ride in a real bus that shuttled us from the high school parking lot to the town center. Highlight for Mom: getting to round out the lower body work out with some upper by carrying a tired Karen the whole time. Love it. Love the pain.
• Friday finally rolled around. It's Rich's off Friday, so he took Noah to his art class and took Karen with him. I got to catch up on laundry and dishes. I also made a big pot of Russian tea to combat these nasty colds and sore throats that have been plaguing us all week.
• Sarah went on a field trip to the pumpkin patch. Apparently the patch called the teacher yesterday that they were OUT of PUMPKINS! Nice. You can't tell a 1st grader that. They worked quickly and made a deal with Walmart. They trucked a bunch of pumpkins from the store out to the patch, and some volunteers went early to set them out in the field. None of the kids any the wiser.
• I went over to the school to help set up for the Halloween party when the kids got back from the field trip. They kept sugar to a minimum, having popcorn, fruit, veggies and dip, and juice. Just a cupcake and a few pieces of candy to take home.
• Halloween night...finally. Rich and I browbeat the kids into actually eating dinner. Then we dressed up, Sarah a witch, Noah a pirate, and Karen a ladybug. There is no photographic evidence, but I was 'The Night." All black. And then I took a white jacket so I wouldn't get run over. Trick or Treating was fun. We only went once around one side of the block...the kids were worn out. Then they had great fun sitting in the driveway handing out candy. Karen tried to put half eaten pieces of her own in kids' bags, but I think we caught everything except a piece of popcorn.
  
• And by this time, I'm thinking I should have been blogging all week, because this post is turning into a book. Sorry. At least I put the pictures first, right?
  

And now the candy. Lots of candy. Here's my latest trick. I just learned about this book from another blog. I was going to give the kids a day or two with the candy to enjoy it then set it out for 'the Halloween Fairy,' but they were so excited they ate some tonight and put it out. Sarah was sooo excited, she put hers on the front porch without consulting me, and it promptly got dumped in some teenagers' sacks. Grr. She was really sad when she found out I'd meant by her bedroom door. She knew the fairy didn't get it because nothing was left behind. We put some other candy by her door, and 'the fairy will understand.' I'm leaving money instead of toys because #1, I wasn't on top of things enough to get something when I went shopping early in the week, and #2, I think it will be fun to take them to the store to pick something out themselves. We'll see how it goes.

Happy Birthday Noah!

What a happy kid. :D

So, how lame am I? I was planning to decorate his cake as a giant Oreo. The white filling was going to be a cream cheese/powdered sugar/whipped cream filling. But of course I waited until Sunday morning to bake it and realized we have no cream cheese...or whipping cream.

So I was going to do just a plain whipped topping substitute with powdered sugar filling. But I am not sure that would survive the hour drive to Nana's house for the party.

So here's what he gets. Happy Birthday Noah!

Kid Updates

Sarah:

Do you know the boys in my class? {No, I only know a few of the girls. Which boy is cutest?} I like Michael. {Is he nice?} Yeah. Well, but he doesn't really play with me. But he is young and looks handsome.

Good thing she's got her priorities straight.

Make sure I have a shirt for Spirit Day. Otherwise, I'm the only one who doesn't and it's embarrassing!

Goodness. Already? Although she does have a point. The past two weeks when I've dropped her off on Friday, there has been a sea of school shirts. Seriously, I think I could count on one hand the kids who didn't have one. Poor Sarah. She will go to school tomorrow properly attired and hopefully unembarrassed.

Noah:

Spent the first two or three days of school asking every 15 minutes when Sarah was coming home. Then the light bulb went on. If Sarah's not home, he gets to pick all the movies to watch and gets all the turns on the computer. He's still ready for her to come home by 2:30, but he's enjoying being the oldest at home for a little while.

I love watching his brain work too. He asks some interesting questions...which I can't remember right now, of course. He's figuring things out all the time.

Karen:

Girly girl. I don't know where she's gotten this obsession, but she is into toiletries every chance she gets. I thought I'd succeeded in convincing her that deodorant is not chapstick, and then I caught her putting it in her hair today. It's progress, I guess. She does love her "chappie" though.

My little singer can sing a good portion of the song "The Call" from the Prince Caspian soundtrack. (I think we may have listened to it a few times or something.) She just grins when she does it too. Her verbal skills are a runaway train these days. Tonight she was stringing words together to make complete thoughts if not quite sentences.

Seepy? {It's not quite time for bed. Did you want to go for a walk?} Walk. Walk...back, seepy.

Yes, when we get back from the walk it will be time for bed.

Nuggets

So, my sister already blogged this, but it's double-blogworthy, I tell you.

We took the kids to McDonald's earlier in the week. On the way the kids were getting all excited about Happy Meals with "Happy Nuggets." The kids were disappointed that we were getting the food to go, however. Noah kept up a running, plaintive refrain of "Sad Nuggets" all the way back to Nana's house. Then the next day, he slipped on the tile floor and fell backward. He jumped up, shouting and half crying, "Butt!! Owie Nuggets!" Does it make me a mean mom that I laughed at his poor owie nuggets?

Also, I noticed yesterday that we had a box of generic Grape Nuts in the cupboard. They're called "Crunchy Nuggets." It made me laugh again.

And good gravy, where are all the pictures on this blog?? Sarah's dance recital coming up...when I get home from house sitting at Nana's.

Conversations with Noah

I was trying to wrestle a bag of grated cheese open, when the zip closure split the bag right open. (Why? Why do they bother with the recloseable bag when it never works!) In frustration, I growled and said, "Well, I'm just going to have to eat all this cheese now." The kids looked up in alarm, then Noah turned to Sarah and said, "I think she was just kidding." Ha.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Noah: I'm only saying goodbye to the boys [from preschool], but not the girls.
Me: Oh, do girls have cooties?
Noah: Yeah.
Me: What about boys? I thought boys had cooties.
Noah: No, boys have boots.
Me: Boots?
Noah: Yeah. Boys have boots, and girls have cooties.

Making Jam

Mmmm. Cheap strawberries mean time to fill up the freezer!



The kids were good helpers.

Easter

Sarah in her Easter dress with a lily she made in class.


Gotta dye Easter eggs. Just gotta.


Easter baskets:


Noah's favorite was the cars, of course. Sarah liked the magnetic spinning bunny.

And Karen is a candy fiend. She's still finding Easter candy around the house.

Noah on Vacation

Noah wasn't too thrilled with any ride remotely fast (although he made an exception for Pirates). He didn't want to talk to Mickey or any characters either. He did like tamish rides that weren't dark and pretend play things. And shooting things in the Buzz Lightyear ride and swords at the souvenir stands. And food.

Teacups, White Rabbit's house, & Escaping the Dog Pound

Sea World was more his speed. He liked the funny shows and looking at (but not touching) things.

Conversation with Noah

Me: Are you all mine?
Noah: Yes!
Daddy: What? What about me?
Noah: I'm all yours too.
Me: Hey! How can you be all mine and Daddy's?
Noah: Because I love you both.
Me: Good answer.

You just can't argue with that.

Miscellaneous Pictures

Cute Sisters



Noah was all dressed up and proud for his first Sunday as a Sunbeam. (Yes, it's taken me this long to get the picture up.) The other kids stayed home sick that first week. Primary was nothing new for Sarah, and Karen's not in nursery yet anyway. (2 more months...just 2 more months!)



My fingerless mittens. It was my first try knitting around, and my first cable-knitting. Actually, I guess this picture is my second try, since it's the second mitten. The first mitten was baggier, since I always knit tighter as I go. Same with crocheting.

One-Year Family Resemblance!!

A bonus, mini-resemblance:



I couldn't find any crier pictures of Sarah around the same age, but she was always more cooperative in front of the camera. She looooves having her picture taken. Karen, on the other hand, has a Temper.

Halloween

Here are the final pumpkins. Rich and I had pumpkins too, but they never got carved. They will become pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin pie instead.

And the final iterations of the kids' costumes before we went out the door. Noah and Karen just went around the block, then Sarah and I went out a little more.

Sarah really wanted to go see a talking skeleton decoration she'd seen before, so we walked over. Unfortunately, the talking one was turned off (probably too scary for little kids), but at the same house, someone was dressed as a skeleton and pretending to be a robotic decoration. He scared Sarah a little at first when he suddenly moved toward her, but then she wanted to go back and shake his hand. She was highly entertained.

General Cuteness

The kids put on a homemade marionette showing of the Three Bears. I took a video, but...I was holding the camera sideways, and I can't figure out how to rotate video.



Aww...the kids love their sister. Also, in the picture with Sarah, Karen had her first pigtails. Not that you can really tell, but there you go.