Child play

I just thought I'd share a few kid moments in the last week or two that I enjoyed enough to think to get the camera out.  Rin has a standing Thursday play date.  A week ago I was surprised to hear Catherine say, "Mom!  What food can we use for a picnic?"  I was about to mention how it was only 40 degrees outside and that they might want to rethink their plan, when I decided, you know, if it doesn't bother them, power to them.  So they filled a picnic basket (past birthday gift from Nana and Grandpa Clark) and headed out.  They were very content, even letting Thomas join them.  They followed drunch? linner? with a few rounds of croquet (which I appreciated even more

when they saw the need to pick up poo before hand and they were willing do to it in order to play).

You'll appreciate this next shot even more when you reallize how often Rin and Thomas DON'T play well together.  I mean, they try, and it usually last a few minutes, but invariably Rin's easily bruised heart (and body) and Thomas' energy collide and tears follow.  This day, however, they were best friends.  I suppose we're not breaking any child labor laws when they choose to do the labor?  They did generously take turns pulling the other about in the wagon.  We've had that wagon forever and I'm shocked the plastic

 wheels are still intact.  Knock on wood.

 Rin has never liked me touching her hair, but last Thursday when she went to Ana's, she saw her 'hair kit' and they spent their whole 2 hours together gussying up assorted dolls as well as each other.  She promptly came home  and made a 'kit' of her own.  When Mimi came on Friday they did each other up like twins and were, obviously, overjoyed with the results.

 This evening Sean said he had a project for us all to do.  He had laid out construction paper, scissors and glue and asked us each to make an animal completely out of hearts and then he and Thomas would judge them.  Here they are hard are work marking down their ratings.  I thought it was so sweet how Thomas followed right behind Sean, copying his every move.

The results.  Hard to see.  Milla made a buffed up bunny, me an alligator with overlapping heart scales (I won just because part of the score was based on how many hearts you used and mine came in at 36), Rin's was a sweet white wolf (which was darling but camouflages so effectively with the white paper that you can't see it), and Papa made the puppy dog.  Who wouldn't love that face?

It just went out all of the sudden....

was Sean's answer to our question of why the internet was dead when we returned from our date tonight.  Luckily our local provider has live help until 10 on Friday nights so Brandon picked up the phone to call.  ALSO dead.  Seeing as our phone and internet provider are one and the same, Brandon picked up his cell phone and was waiting for an answer when I decided to check behind the couch where the phone plugs in and I find ...a bunch of frayed wires.  This is definitely the work of an active 5 year old who likes to climb behind said couch.  After restripping the wires 3 times (much finer wires than electrical ones, the little buggers...kept breaking), I finally got all 4 wires reattached, reencased in the little plastic box (that is supposed to protect them from afore mentioned 5 yr olds) and I am now able to write this blog to you.  What would we do without the internet?? 

I'm just happy to report I can now list 'phone technician' to my expanding resume of home repair.

I like to look for rainbows

Was driving home  from Central Elementary after helping Sean's class prepare for their 'Medievil Fair' this morning.  The air was misty with a light rain.  I turned north and looking up ahead was a rainbow; the full arc.  One end came right down and seemed to overlay the path I was driving.  It was beautiful and led me all of the way home.   Now the clouds are breaking and the sun is peering through making for a lovely March morn.   Expecting  one of Catherine's leprechaun friends to appear at any moment.  Except it's January!  What is going on!  Best winter in La Grande yet.

The fifth grade always does a Medieval fair.  Sean's made his viking ship, has been working on his Fishmonger costume (his profession of choice) and speech and gets to share it all today.  We made bread trenchers this morning and I left in the midst of their jousting competition in the gym.  I was the only one not in costume...  Lots of fun.

Sean isn't much for pictures of himself, but here is his ship

Tricky Triangle

So on Saturday I was rummaging through the game drawer and came across a tricky triangle.  You know that wooden game that has a bunch of depressions for marbles.  One depression is left empty and you jump the marbles, trying to get down to just one?  Well I did it several times and the best I could get was 3 left.  Rin was playing with me and got down to 2.  So I decided to go ask Milla to try it as she is pretty good at figuring things out.
'Hey Milla...see if you can figure this out.'  She makes one attempt and then asks what the game is called. 'Tricky Triangle', I tell her.  Two seconds later she has youtube pulled up on her kindle.  'Here you go mom- this is how it's done'.  And she plays me the video.  Done and done.
A new generation.   I guess with all the information out there now, ability to research and sort information may be a more important skill for the future than actually figuring some things out on your own.   No need to reinvent the wheel.   But then again, figuring it out on my own is more satisfying.  And just more fun.

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas...

Rin's Snowmen.  I especially liked the leprechan & Steelers player

What we came home to on Monday afternoon.

 We finally got our winter.  Yeah!  Sean was especially excited, "Mama, if we ever move anywhere, I want it to be somewhere with MORE snow".  Hmmm.  I do love the snow.  And then I love to see it go.  This is beautiful, though, light and fluffy but packs into a good snowball.  Perhaps I've enjoyed it so much because I haven't had to use the car today.  Morning Kindergarten was cancelled, and the other kids school was delayed 2 hours, giving us time to do the latter pictured activities.  Kids might have to put up their bikes for a time, though.  Sean and Rin have continued riding into January.  Finally let Rin ride her bike home without me after Christmas break.  The hill is so steep it scares me, but she seems to be getting much better control and says she walks it on the steepest block (thankyou!).

What we woke up to on Wednesday morning

A little snow baseball with the boys (snowman playing first base)

Sean's snowman on the left looks like it's melting...I would too if someone was coming at me with a sharp stick, poor thing

Last night Sean threatened.  'Don't you dare shovel in the morning mom.  I want to do it!'  Then Milla pipes up, 'But I wanted to, Sean!'  I told them I think there is enough sidewalk and snow to go around.  True to their promise, the walk was shoveled when I finally rolled out of bed this morning (later than usual as I woke with a sinus headache and had already recieved the phone call at 6am that school was delayed) Rin came in at 7, 'Mom!  where are the truck keys?  I want to go clean it off!'.  She seemed to really enjoy herself.  Although with her short stature she gave the truck more of a 'mohawk' look than a complete 'shave'.
 
Fun stuff.  Only downer right now is that Brandon has been sick since Sunday with congestion and a cough.  It's made worse by the fact that he has a random habit of blacking out momentarily when he coughs. Which he can deal with when he's sitting down, but standing on hard floors or driving makes it a little more of a concern.  Luckily he got out of his meeting in Baker tonight because of the storm so he won't have to drive alone.

Happy snow day!

Lions and goats and doughnuts, oh my!

Tooth extraction with an unhappy patient

Well, we made it to Portland just in time; beating the snow by a hair! We decided to celebrate Brandon's 39th birthday at his mom's home in Vancouver.  We took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and spent Friday the 13th at the Portland Zoo.  We fought against the instinctive flow and circled the zoo backward, beginning with their relatively new Africa visit.  While I was shooting my kids posing with the lion statues, Brandon and his mom we're yelling from around the corner, "Come quick!  You have to see this!" Over and over.  But I decided to be a mom and stick with my kids.  And  missed all the apparrent action in the Lions exhibit.  Dad lion was just lazin'  about by the time I got there.  Ah well. 

My kids are fun to watch as well.

cheetah safari

 We got to watch the cheetah action from a jeep that appeared to be crashed into the exhibit wall.  Being cool, the animals were mostly fairly active and the kids were happy...THE WHOLE TIME.  No kidding.  So much fun.  I'd get loves and then off they would go again.  Favorites this visit: Sea lion (of course-as always), naked mole rats, and the tortoise that I could see up close how his head bent sideways and folded into his shell as opposed to retracting in as I thought.  Although when I think about it I'm not sure how a spine COULD retract.  Anyhow.  Another interesting tidbit...did you know that what you would think is a giraffes  knees and elbows are actually his

my little wide eyed prairie dogs

ankles and wrists?    Weird.  So that's why they bend a different way than you would think. 
On the way home we stopped by VooDoo doughnuts to pick up a dozen to make into Brandon's requested 'cake'.  I took advantage of parents first pick and snagged the bacon maple bar first.  Mmmmm.  And half of the butterfinger cake doughnut.  And maybe a bit of the grape koolaid powder covered one as well. ;)
We arrived home to snow on monday, but luckily the pass was not too bad and it was smooth sailing.  I felt much more in danger after arriving home and opened the newspaper to see a picture of my cross the street

neighbor's detacted garage in flames (occurred only a few hours after we'd left).  Then an hour later I had just crossed 2nd street right by our house with Rin and Thomas on the way to the sledding hill when we heard a big crash.  I turned around and saw at the intersection we had just crossed, two cars collided.  One spun and smashed into a parked car.  The other spun and slid up on the sidewalk not 20 feet from us.  My first thought was, 'are they OK?'.  My immediate second thought was, 'that car is still moving...in our direction!'  So I grabbed the kids and we scurried for a minute until the car came to a stop and then we went back to check on everyone.  The one was a BMW with side airbags.  I was asking through the window if the passenger was alright, but it took a moment for him to respond (as Onstar was talking to him as well).  It was disconcerting though, because I couldn't see into the car with all of the airbags inflated.  I visually couldn't check on him... Strange.  But I guess it's good the bags were there.

Anyhow, fun birthday and the kids are thrilled winter has finally arrived.  Catherine insisted on putting on Christmas music as it now feels the season.

Hoff, our New Year's visitor

After arriving home from our Church New Year's Eve party (the family portion ended at 8:30), we settled down to watch a holiday Dr. Who with our arms full of pizza, guacamole dip and chips, gummy bears and martenelli's.  Not 15 minutes into the show we hear a knock on the door. Answering the door I see a vaguely familiar lady with a policeman behind her at the curb.  Hmmm.  ( I know my children are all accounted for).  The lady asks, 'Are you missing a dog?'  Oh, crud.  Not again...but I thought I just saw Henry?  'You have a bulldog, right?'
AH, relief.  Not our dog after all.  She is about to turn to leave when a light sparks in her eyes.  "How would you like to foster a bulldog until we find his owner?  He's the sweetest thing and the animal shelter is closed until Tuesday and otherwise he'll have to go sit in a cage at the police station..."  (Turns out she was the neighborhood dog advocate-her daughter is in Sean's grade) Before I know it we have Henry and Hoff chasing, barking, whining all over, under and through our house.  Turned into a crazy night.  Hoff was indeed a sweet dog but between his loud nasal breathing (cute dogs but not built quite right), the  marking of his territory in my kitchen (thankyou stone floors), the slobber flying everywhere and Henry never giving up chase, the dogs went outside for a time.   Even though the evening was chaotic, it brought on quite a few fits of laughter in between the screams.   Was just a little sad to see him go Sunday afternoon.

Milla and Sean made it until midnight this year, but poor Thomas was wiped out by 10pm.