Heritage Night

Frances' school has been having "Heritage Week" this week which is a time for the kids to learn about their own cultures and cultures from around the world.  Parents and other community members were invited into the school to share cultural tidbits with the children's classes.  They also had a Heritage Night with performances by the Kindergarteners and Second Graders. Frances' group sang some cute songs.

After Frances' group was finished performing there were other groups. The gentleman that accompanied them for the chicken dance played a few more songs on his accordion. Henry thought he was an elf because he had on green Lederhosen and a cute hat!

Then an Aztec family performed two traditional Aztec dances. The kids in the audience were enthralled!  They all came up to sit right in front of the stage during the performance.

After the Aztec dance Henry and Benjamin both fell out of the chairs straight onto the floor (I think they were both tired). I took that as a sign to head home. Frances was disappointed to miss the Hip Hop group from JMU and the International Desserts buffet, but I didn't have a better option. The boys were both fine when we got home and there was no lasting damage.

Wordless Wednesday: Cheeeeese!

Weekend Recap

We had a busy weekend that is leading up to a busy week.  Hold on tight, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!!
Friday night we went to the movies here on campus with the Washingtons.  They were showing Monsters, Inc. which I don't think Henry had ever seen.  The kids sat in front and we sat a row behind them. It's a really cute movie and the kids and I really enjoyed it. Benjamin made it all the way through the movie this time, but he did come to it in my lap about 3/4 of the way through.  I had brought his Bumbo seat so he could sit by himself if he wanted to. After the moive we drove to the top of the parking garage for the second highlight of the evening! The kids love doing that. We don't even get out of the car, so I'm not sure why it's so exciting, but it's free and they love it, so WHY NOT!

Saturday morning we took it easy. I made pancakes and used our new Star Wars cookie cutters on them. They cam e out okay, but there was some trial and error in getting the batter to not stick too much to the cutters.  The kids enjoyed their "spaceship" pancakes and we had a enough left over to save for Sunday morning so Ken could see them.

 Saturday afternoon we played. I gave Benjamin a box while Frances and Henry played dress up.  Note to self: find some boy dress up clothes STAT!!

We had a program at church Saturday night, so I loaded up the van to take the kids to the Saturday evening liturgy. Ken surprised us by getting off from work in time to come to Mass with us. After Mass we went over to the social hall for dinner and a Lenten program. The dinner was delicious!  I went back for seconds on the meatballs and Benjamin ended up eating half of the serving! We played a trivia game (that we won!), made pretzels together, and created a Lenten "Handy Reminder" by tracing out hands and gluing the cutout on paper and then decorating them with our Lenten observances.
The original plan was to sleep in on Sunday and not do much else, but Henry's cold headed south and he spent the entire night coughing, so I was up off and on with him. I decided to go ahead and take him to the doctor's office on Sunday, and he is back on his steroid medications.  The good news is that he slept through the night last night with no coughing, so hopefully he will be on the mend quickly this time around.

New Motto

I've had quite a habit of reading different blogs and comparing myself to the people I "see" online.  For Lent I have truly scaled back a lot of the time I was spending online in lieu of making my house a cleaner, happier place.  I read this somewhere over the weekend and felt like I should share it. I feel like it should be my new motto. You never know what someone else's life really looks like-you can only see what they show you. And of course, they only show you what they want you to see; what makes them look good.  I used to not even take pictures of my kids at home because of all the junk in the background. That makes me sad, because even if my house is a mess, that's just real life and it shouldn't stop me from taking pictures!! It should also motivate me to keep up with my new cleaning habits. I am making a dent and I am proud of myself.  I even mopped the kitchen this weekend and it was clean for almost 24 whole hours (until I knocked over a 12-pack of Dr. Pepper that exploded all over the place!!)

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

1. Finally, I was ready to go early today.
2. Making cleaning into a new habit sure takes some getting used to!
3. Dad says:"Ask your mother."
4. "Poopsie June" is my favorite nick name for myself (from my Daddy).
5. It took a long time, but our bank account finally has some money in it.
6. Parenting is hard, though I wouldn't have it any other way.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to movie night with the Washingtons, tomorrow my plans include the parish Lenten event and Sunday, I want to hang out at home with my family!

Join in and see other answers here:

Wordless Wednesday: Ash Wednesday Edition

Wordless Wednesday: Valentine's Day Edition

Feb. 14, 2012  <3

Weekend Review

Henry was up coughing all night on Friday again, so I decided to take him to the doctor's office. As much as I hate hearing, "It's just a virus, you'll have to wait it out; thanks for the $25 co-pay."  I was willing to risk it just in case there was something they could do. It turns out that I was mostly correct in assuming it was just a cold.  But the kid's got crappy lungs and that is where this cold had taken up residence.  The doctor assured me it was not pneumonia or bronchitis and that he wasn't any more contagious than any other kids with a cold. However, he did give Henry some prednisone to help his lungs toughen up and kick this cold to the curb!
After the appointment we went to Applebee's for a fundraiser for Frances' after school program. They were selling pancakes for $5 per person.  We ate our (late) breakfast and got as sticky as humanly possible before we headed home.  Since I hadn't slept since Wednesday, I put in a movie and we watched 101 Dalmatians together while chilling out on the couch.  I managed to take a nap while the movie was on and Benjamin took one after it was over.  We honestly didn't do much else on Saturday.  We even ordered Chinese take-out because getting off the couch was not in the cards for me. We did manage to finish the kids' Valentine's Day cards for school.

My boys watching tv with their Pillow Pets

Henry slept from bedtime on Saturday night until 4 am Sunday morning, which was cause for much celebration for me.  Sunday we did church, grocery store, naps. etc as usual. I made a yummy potato soup for dinner and then decided to freeze the rest of it because our fridge is getting too full.  I got way off the cleaning bandwagon this weekend and I totally blame it on being tired, but for anyone who knows me; that's just a convenient excuse.  For the record, though, here's what I did last week: Monday I did 20 minutes of cleaning in the bathroom. Wednesday I did 30 minutes in the kitchen and Thursday I did 30 minutes in the dining room. My goal is to add one more day this week and get in 30 minutes of cleaning on four different days. I have been pretty consistent about using my lunch break to do dishes and laundry, so I will keep up with that. Anybody out there (besides my mother) want to be my cleaning accountability partner?  We could send each other gentle reminders to get off the couch and put something away.

Friday Fill Ins!

1. When it comes time to make a decision, I get really anxious.
2. Consistency! that must be the rule.
3. Ma says, put your clothes away, please.
4.Never laugh at the same time as you are eating (or there will be a big mess).
5. I never saw an elephant fly.
6. Manners are not a new invention.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing with the kiddos, tomorrow my plans include a pancake fundraiser at Applebee's and Sunday, I want to get some more cleaning done!

Conversations with Henry

I have mentioned before my trips to day care and work in the mornings and afternoons. Benjamin is pretty quiet in his car seat except for the occasional "BUH!" (bus) or "COO-COO!" (train).  Henry and I can have some pretty interesting conversations when Frances isn't around to interrupt:

Henry: Mommy, why do I sink in the water?
ME: Ummm...Because you aren't buoyant enough.  Your density is more than the density of the water you are in. *(Sometimes if I give a long, complicated answer he will just accept that and move on.)*
Henry: No, Mommy. I sink in the water because I am heavy. I am too big!
ME: OK, then. Well, why do boats float?  They are big. They are heavy.
Henry: MOMMY! (Can you hear his eyes rolling up in his head?  I can.)  We are not talking about floating. We are talking about sinking!  I sink because I am too big!
ME: Oh. OK. Thank you for explaining it to me.  Look! A bug!!

Tired Thankful Thursday

I made it to work early again today! 4 days in a row!! This time Frances had brushed her teeth and hair and I had my earrings!  So what did I forget? Well I didn't technically forget Henry, but he didn't come with me.  He was up all night coughing. It was a nice, tight, squeaky cough. I had given him a breathing treatment before bed, and then I gave him one around midnight, 2am and 5am. He sounded better this morning, but since Ken had the day off, I figured he could stay home and rest some more. I slept with him on the couch so I didn't have to keep going in his room. He made a pretty good snuggle buddy when he was sleeping and I was able to get up quicker when he started coughing to get the nebulizer started. He is apparently playing legos with Daddy and getting ready to build a pirate ship!
I am thankful that he seems better this morning, rather than worse. It seems when he gets a cold it goes straight to his lungs, but we have learned that if we get the nebulizer out right away we can usually keep things from getting worse.  Last night when I gave him the treatment, Benjamin got jealous because the last time we used the machine it was for him.  I had to get an extra set of parts to give to Benjamin so he could do a "breathing treatment" too!
I am thankful today for a low stress job that I can perform when tired.  It used to be very hard when I was in child care. Being tired and dealing with children is not the ideal. Now, if I am cranky, I don't do permanent psychological damage!
I am thankful for the students I work with. They are great to talk to and just fun people. One of the students is taking Frances on Friday when she is out of school. Sounds like they are going to the Children's Museum, and then Megan has horseback riding lessons that Frances can watch and Megan is going to do some evaluations on Frances. (She a psychology grad student and Frances is her favorite lab rat!)
Hope I can make it through the day without falling asleep at my desk!! And as a side note, I now have spare earrings in my desk!

The early bird probably forgot something

I mentioned on Monday that I had been early to work but had forgotten a few minor details in the rush.  Well Tuesdays are my regular day to have all three kiddos by myself in the morning because Ken has to meet the truck at work to get started unloading.  So Tuesday morning we were zipping along getting ready for work and school. I made sure to check that Henry had on a shirt. I remembered to have Frances comb her hair and brush her teeth. We got in the van and pulled out by 7:35-still earlier that usual!
When I dropped the boys off, I made a joke about double checking to make sure Henry had a shirt on. Then I realized that I had neglected to check if he had underpants on!!  We had a good laugh while I called him back to me to ensure that he did.  Whew!
I got to work early again and let myself in with my disappearing/reappearing keys and took a moment to feel proud.  Then I realized that I had forgotten my earrings!
This morning Ken was home to help out and I still got in the van at 7:35 and got to work a little before 8. Alas, I had forgotten my earrings again!  Maybe I should just leave a pair in my desk for these types of emergencies...I already have toothpaste, a toothbrush, dental floss, mouthwash, a sewing kit, lotion, chap stick, band-aids, and two drawers full of snacks! For, you know, emergencies!

You should listen to your mother...

My parents came to visit for the weekend!!  They kept the kids with them at their hotel room and I had a day to myself on Saturday. I got a new haircut (with BANGS!) and then went home to a mostly quiet house (Ken was still home) and just sat for a bit.  I did end up doing a bunch of laundry and clearing out some piles in the living room. I also watched about 5 or 6 episodes of Bones back-to-back with no interruptions!!
Saturday evening I met my parents and the kids for dinner at a Thai restaurant.  My kids love this meal that looks like a birds' nest with crunchy noodles around the bottom topped with chicken, mushrooms, carrots, etc.  I went home and watched some more tv.  Oh! And um...folded some more laundry!!
Sunday we went to church and then said goodbye to my parents.  The kids took some good naps and then we went out to a birthday party for our godson, Ian, who is turning 6.  The party was at the skating rink and Ian's mom had invited their whole neighborhood! We had a great time skating and running around the rink.  Even Benjamin got into at the end and walked around the rink holding my hand while I skated.  We went around two or three times like that and it was the hardest I worked all night! Do you know how hard it is to skate as slowly as a not-quite-two year old walks??

We got home in time to watch the GIANTS WIN THE SUPERBOWL!! Which I had cleverly arranged as Ken's birthday present.
Monday Ken had to work early, so I had to get the kids up and moving by myself.  I made bacon and eggs for breakfast and had everybody in the car and we were on our way by 7:30! That's a record at our house!!  I got to work early and realized that a) Frances hadn't brushed her teeth before school and b) I didn't have my keys for work. I later realized that c) Henry hadn't worn a shirt to school, just a zip up jacket.  So much for my record, huh??  I searched my car in the parking lot before I went in and didn't find my keys.  When I went home at lunch I looked for my keys and didn't find them. I even looked in the grass in our front yard.  I called my mom to get her to look in her van. Then I called the church to see if someone there had turned them in.  When my mom called me back to tell me there wasn't anything in her car,  she also asked if I had said a prayer to St. Anthony.  I rolled my eyes JUST A TEENY TINY LITTLE BIT! I swear!! And then I told her I would say my prayer.  After work, I drove to the skating rink to check there. On my way there I finally remembered to ask St. Anthony.  No luck at the rink. I even called a friend in the church choir to check our pew while she was at choir rehearsal that night.  When I got home from work, I was letting Henry out of the van when I happened to look down in the grass right beside the van.  The grass that I had checked earlier in the day.  The grass that was not hiding anything 5 hours earlier! And guess what I found!?!  MY KEYS!!!  The moral of the story is: Listen to your Mother! And say a little prayer while you're at it!

S'up Dawg!

Last night we went to Chick-Fil-A for dinner. Ken was out of town with his dad and I had forgotten to get dinner prepped ahead of time...OK, really I was just being lazy. So anyway, we went to CFA for dinner.  Henry had worn his Halloween costume to school that day, because it's just a sweatsuit and he loves it. 
After we got our food, Henry wanted to pick out our seats. He walked ahead of me to a table, passing a group of college students on the way.  I was far enough back to be out of immediate sight, but not so far that I couldn't hear what was going on.  As Henry passed the college guys, one of them said, "S'Up Dawg!?"  Henry really didn't take notice, but as I walked past, I was laughing. Then I heard the student say (much more quietly this time), "Shoot! Mom heard!!"  So I of course had to turn around and congratulate him on a well-phrased funny.  He seemed a little embarrassed, but we all laughed and went on about our evening.  I love this town!

Friday Fill-Ins

1. Go ahead, there's some work here for you too.
2. Christmas stuff still in the dining room??  I'll get that soon!
3. Don't worry, the kids will be out of the way.
4. My parents have them for the day.
5. Pretty much the weekend, actually.
6. And you're stuck with me.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going our to dinner to celebrate hubby's birthday, tomorrow my plans include cleaning, cleaning, cleaning and Sunday, I want to finish cleaning and watch the Super Bowl!

Click below to play along or see more Friday Fill-Ins:

Thankful Thursday

After two weeks that just dragged by, this one seems to be flying by and Thursday just caught me by surprise!  In reflecting on what I am thankful for this week, there are a few events that stand out and make this list today:

• Ken seems to have discovered a love of cooking!  We have been making menus plans and with both of us having more regular schedules that in the past, it works out that he makes dinner two nights a week, I cook two nights, and then we have leftovers or cook together the other nights.  I think the one chore I have always hated about cooking is figuring out what to make.  If we sit down once a week and plan out a menu, though, we overcome that obstacle together.  Once we know what to cook, the rest seems easy, and Ken has really taken to making delicious meals for us! He also puts much more effort into cooking than I do. Usually I focus on the meat dish and then make a few plain sides. He like to saute the vegetables with butter and seasonings.  YUM!  He also likes to peruse the web for interesting recipes, where I have a few tried and true that I stick with.  Not only is Ken's cooking easing my load, but it is delicious and healthy for our family as well.  He made this the other night and it was amazing!!
• Frances has been such a hoot this week! After a truly awful day (and night) on Sunday, I woke the kids Monday morning that it was "a new day and a new week and all that mess from yesterday isn't going to happen again!" I think all three of the kids took that to heart. Henry worked really hard to help me make breakfast two mornings this week.  Frances has been helpful around the house and even done extra chores without complaining.  She has been helping (in a round-about way) me get Benjamin ready for school in the morning.  He has been really cranky in the mornings and not wanting to get out of his crib. Since I have started sending Frances in to get him dressed, I have had an easier time.  Mainly because he refuses to let Frances help him.  She'll get as far as getting his pajamas and diaper off of him, but then he starts crying and yelling and wriggling away from her.  When I come in to take over, he seems so glad to be rescued that he is completely calm and agreeable when I get him dressed. Frances also loves to celebrate things. Any day that has a special name on the calendar is one she wants to celebrate.  Last night she celebrated Ground Hog Day by giving me a special hairstyle.  One side is up to represent the groundhog coming out of his burrow.  The other side is down to represent his shadow.

• A new year.  Is it too late to be thankful for a new year?  It's only the 2nd day of February!!  I figure I am getting around to posting my resolutions around the time most other people are giving up on theirs!!  This year I am (again) vowing to get my house clean.  I go home for my lunch break and unload and re-load the dishwasher. I also send clothes through the laundry cycle: dirties in the washer, cleans in the dryer, dry load gets folded and then kids put it away in the evening.  After all that I still have time to eat lunch and watch an episode of The Match Game (love that show!!) I am also trying to get in shape. Taking a desk job has its drawbacks in the amount of movement I do every day.  I have to be more purposeful about what I eat and when I exercise in order to ensure that all my nice new clothes that I bought will still fit me!!