Thankful Tuesday

1. Even though it was cold out, we enjoyed the Wonders of the Wild program put on by PSU students at Bald Eagle State Park on April 6.

2. We had a safe trip to Ohio on April 7 and enjoyed the Great Lakes Science Center and the time we spent with Sam, Heather, and their two girls.

3. We had a safe trip to Chicago on April 8 and enjoyed spending the Imagination Station in Toledo on the way there. Aside from the fact we didn't get to spend much time with Wendy due to her illness, we had a great time in Chicago. The kids didn't want to leave as they so enjoy playing with their cousins!

4. We enjoyed going to the Oriental Institute, Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, Museum of Science and Industry, Lincoln Park Zoo, Nature Museum, and Chicago History Museum (and didn't pay a penny to get into any of those places aside from parking).

5. We had a safe trip back to Ohio on April 13 and again

enjoyed spending time with the Harstines. We also had a safe (although not as smooth) trip back home on April 14 and took a short tour of a bat factory.

6. Paul put gliders on the bottoms of the kitchen chairs to protect our new flooring and also installed a new kitchen faucet as my early birthday present! Yahoo! That means there are only eleven things on the honey do list right now as two were crossed off on April 14.

7. The kids enjoyed going to three egg hunts on Saturday, and all three kids found at least one prize egg between the three hunts.

8. Nadia and I love her new purple carpet. I am also LOVING how much neater and less cluttered her room looks due to some purging and reorganizing. We shall see how long it lasts. I need to snap a photo!

9. Christ the Lord is RISEN!

10. Paul's parents joined us for church and treated us to dinner

at the Country Cupboard on Sunday. They gave the kids some nice presents, and Millie sent a chocolate cake with them.

11. Nadia's softball practice yesterday was moved to a field really close to Oliver's soccer field which was very convenient for me as they both had practice last night.

12. The weather has been gorgeous lately. Hopefully our days of winter like weather are behind us for several months.

13. I had a fever and headache on Sunday evening, but I went to bed at 8:00 and slept for almost 11 hours, and I felt much better yesterday.

14. I was really tired on Saturday night and didn't feel up to running to JCPenney on Saturday night after I got home from the church service. Paul went for me (his first time shopping for clothes for the kids at JCP by himself). I didn't want to waste the two $10 off coupons knowing that the store will only be open two more months.

15. Julianna finally got her passport back yesterday. This had caused a lot of stress regarding renewing their residency permits in Turkey. Big sigh of relief!!!

16. We had a field trip today at Owens sheep farm. We saw many sheep including two lambs just born yesterday! We also saw pigs (a few who are due to deliver within the next several days), a horse, 150 chicks, bees buzzing around their bee hive, etc. We went to the library and did some shopping prior to the tour - got a part so Paul could fix a broken toilet at Lowe's, bread outlet, and Aldi's. We also stopped at the largest thrift store and a consignment shop trying to find sandals for Nadia and grey pants for Ian. We struck out on both accounts, but Nadia did succeed in talking me into buying a beautiful navy blue lightweight dressy coat (for Sundays in the spring/fall). It was definitely a "want" not a "need," but sometimes I can't resist when I hear "please" from my princess.

17. Paul fixed the toilet this evening! The toilet we use the most often is the one in the half-bathroom, and that is one that was leaking into the basement while we were on vacation.

18. Oliver, Paul, and I have thus far escaped the tummy bug, and Nadia has now gone more than 24 hours without throwing up. Unfortunately Ian had his turn today. He seems to have a milder case than Nadia as he doesn't have a fever, and he was able to keep his lunch down, which meant I took the kids out to dinner after the field trip and before Ian's soccer practice. He threw up ALL over the bathroom this morning after breakfast, and he threw up in the bathroom at Friendly's (sorry!) after dinner. It would be lovely if no one threw up tomorrow. We shall see.

19. Today I signed Nadia and Ian up for tennis lessons the last week of June and Oliver for swimming lessons that same week. I am going to check with the life guards at our pool first before I make a decision as to where and when Nadia and Ian will have their swimming

lessons.

20. Nadia and Ian are enjoying doing 10 minutes of math flashcards each day (all four operations), and it is definitely more enjoyable than doing a lesson in the textbook (particularly for Nadia who is not a big fan of math). I'm hoping if we keep doing this that math will be easier for them next fall.

21. Wendy's headache is mostly gone from her bout of viral meningitis and cellulitis. Yay!

22. I was able to dig up a bush and move it yesterday to where I had planted a rhododendron last year. I bought the plant and then ended up not being around enough to water it due to my mother's illness, passing, trip to Ohio, etc. It bit the dust. I usually don't have trouble keeping plants alive, but I forgot to ask Paul to water it in my absence and there were some really hot, dry spells while I was gone. Next I need to buy the blueberry bushes and plant those. That will be a first for me!

23. It's really easy to take pictures of Ian. I don't have to work to get him to smile, and he doesn't have a "cheese face" as his siblings do. Oliver can be very contrary when I am trying to take a picture. It is downright exhausting, but when I get a good one then I am rewarded for all my efforts. Nadia is cooperative, but I have to work to get a genuine smile from her. It is a piece of cake to take Ian's picture. Way to go, buddy!