Nadia's strawberries

We almost always have bananas in our house. First of all, Paul and I like bananas, and secondly they are one of the cheapest fruits to buy. Ian almost always has a banana at lunch, but Nadia has been saying she is tired of eating bananas. So I have been buying her either clementines, apples, or baby carrots depending on which is on sale for $1/lb. In the summer I usually buy a much wider assortment of fruit - some blueberries, strawberries, grapes, peaches, plums, etc. The baby carrots and such weren't on sale today, so I "splurged" and got a bag of red grapes that were on sale for $1.49 a pound, which is usually more than I am willing to pay for grapes, but it is not a terrible price for them. Then Nadia spotted some strawberries and asked me to buy them as well. They were on sale for $3/lb, and I usually only buy them if they are $2/lb or less. So I told her no, and then she asked me if she could buy them with her own money. Sure! I felt a little guilty that my 6 year old was paying for strawberries, but it actually seemed to tickle her fancy. She paid me back as soon as we got home and promptly washed a couple of them and ate them right up. I wish that healthy food wasn't so expensive. I wish I could buy her blueberries far more often than I do (she sure gobbles those up), but I am proud of her for working hard with dusting and cleaning the bathrooms and being willing to spend her precious money (she doesn't earn much) on a healthy food.

This morning Oliver was up at 6:30, and a little before 7:00 I came down to feed the boys breakfast. Nadia came down a little later. I usually make my bed when I get dressed (after breakfast), and I was mystified when I came upstairs to see my bed was already neatly made. Nadia had made it! What a sweetheart! She did a really nice job on it too, much nicer than she does with making her own twin bed.

As you can see from the picture at right, Oliver really enjoyed his chicken parmigiana and spaghetti. Nadia did as well although she was a much nicer eater since she actually used her utensils, unlike Oliver who held the fork in his left hand while he shoveled food into his mouth with his right hand. Ian ate the garlic bread and chicken, but the spaghetti noodles and green beans will be his breakfast tomorrow morning. Sigh. He loves green beans. They are his favorite vegetable. The spaghetti noodles were the problem. This too shall pass, right?

Thankful Thursday

1. I love my mom SO much, and I'm very grateful for the 70 years of life that God has granted her thus far. Her birthday was on Friday. We had originally planned to meet her in Harrisburg (pretty close to a half-way point between our homes) that day at the State Museum but due to the homeschool gym class (which was cancelled on Friday due to the snow) we are rescheduling our get together at the Whitaker Center (science museum). I'm so grateful for the time my kids get to spend with their grandparents!

2. I finally got a haircut on Saturday afternoon. It had been three months since my last one, and I prefer to get one every two months, if possible. While I was there I bought a gift card that covers the cost of 4 haircuts for $50, which reduces the normal price by $3.50 per haircut. Yahoo!

3. Paul and Nadia enjoyed watching Liberty University's Soar Dunk team (they use trampolines) at the Upward closing program on Saturday night. I stayed home with the boys. All the players came home with a basketball, which we can put to good use here at home.

4. On Thursday afternoon I stopped at a consignment shop because they were having a 50% off sale, and I brought a few things to sell there, and they paid me more for what I brought than what I paid them for what I purchased that day. I am definitely going to keep bringing them items. On Saturday when I got my haircut I also made a quick stop in a Gymboree store because I knew they were giving out $20 coupons for Shutterfly (they gave me two of them), but I actually bought a few things off the clearance racks (which I have very rarely done at that store over the past almost 7 years of being a mom). One of the reasons I did is because I know the consignment shop favors a few brands - one of which is Gymboree. A lot of Nadia's current clothes are Gymboree brand that I bought at yard sales so in the future I should be able to sell them at the consignment shop.

5, Paul's mom got a good report at the doctor on Tuesday. We're SO grateful she has remained healthy after her radiation.

6. Nadia finished her extra credit book in AWANA last night (this is the book given after going through the regular book two times). Way to go, Nadia! I'll come up with some verses for her to work on in April.

7. I can't recall the last time Oliver had an accident in his bedroom. This means it's been weeks not just days since his last bed time accident. He also has been telling me far more often when he needs to go (it's rarer that it's at my iniative). Now if I could just get him to leave the toilet paper alone. The child is trying to learn how to wipe, but he's not really ready for that. I do give him credit for wanting to be independent in that regard. I had to force Ian to start doing it himself. Ian didn't want to do it himself. Oliver's only accidents in the last few weeks have taken place in the bathroom. Progress.

8. I'm grateful that next fall Paul won't have anything beyond 5pm at Bucknell. This year he's had one night a week that he had class until 8pm (and he goes in around 6:30am on that day). He thinks he won't go past 5pm next spring either. That would be wonderful, and if that's the case I think I'll switch the kids back to AWANA at the Alliance church here in Watsontown in September. Paul can take them and pick them up while I'm at choir rehearsal at our church. I'm also thankful that he'll only be teaching 3 days a week in the fall (compared to 4 days a week last semester and this semester). Hopefully this will translate to him working on research two days a week next semester.

9. We finished the 15th Imagination Station book and now we're really enjoying A Little Princess (albeit we got to the sad part today).

10. Nadia has continued to help me with cleaning the bathrooms. I clean the mirrors, floors, and shower while she cleans the toilets, sinks, and countertops. I pay her one dollar each week for this assistance. She has earned $30 towards the lego set she's saving up her money to buy. It's far more pleasurable to clean the bathrooms with my princess. Today she earned $1 by dusting two pianos, three nightstands, and three dressers.

11. We walked to the playground today!!! It was in the high 50's. I put Oliver down an hour early for his nap so that we could make it to the playground before the rain started, and our plan worked. Oliver woke up from his nap at 2pm, and we went to the playground and made it back before the downpour started. It's supposed to be a lot colder the next few days, but this gives us a glimpse of what will hopefully soon be the norm!

This Sleeping Beauty slept until 8:10 this morning (whereas her brothers were up at 6:30).

Growing Boy!

Oliver hit 27 lbs last July. That put him at the highest percentile he had ever been at for weight by a long shot, but then he hit a plateau and didn't gain any weight over the next five months, and then he lost a pound when he was in the PICU. He gained that pound back very quickly, and he has continued to gain weight over the past two months because he now weighs 29 pounds! This puts him at a much lower percentile than he was in July, but who knows what will happen over the next four and a half months (when he'll turn 3 years old). What I find interesting is right now Nadia weighs 50 pounds, Ian weighs 40 pounds, and Oliver weighs 29 pounds. If he gains one more pound before the other two gain any weight, all my kids' weights will be 10 pounds apart! I need to measure their heights. I am curious to know because of height requirements for rides and water slides. I'm hoping Ian is at least 42 inches tall so he can do things like go down the big water slide at the resort in Orlando, and I'm hoping Oliver is at least 36 inches tall so he can ride more rides at Hershey Park and the Lycoming county fair. If Nadia is at least 48 inches tall, it will enable her to ride more rides at HersheyPark.

I apologize for the lack of pictures lately. I'll get back to taking pictures almost every day once the weather is nice enough for us to be outside. The snow we got on Friday has melted (yay!), but it has been chilly the last few days. Honestly if it was even 48 degrees I would walk the kids to the playground. It's supposed to be warm tomorrow (in the sixties!), but it's supposed to rain. I am praying that there will be at least one hour tomorrow when it will be warm and not raining so we can get some fresh air. I really need to get back in gear with exercising!! Next week it's supposed to be in the 50's. I hope that forecast proves to be accurate! I try to keep our schedule not too crowded. For example on Monday I only left the house once, and that was to drop Nadia off at gymnastics. Yesterday we were home all day, and today we won't leave the house until it's time to go to church tonight. From my list of plans for the spring and summer you might think we will be running ragged, but actually I am very purposeful about keeping a relaxed schedule. Normally I appreciate this approach, but sometimes it leads to a bit of cabin fever. The cure for this cabin fever would be a 2-3 mile walk and some time at a playground! That should become the norm in the near future. I can't wait!

Quiet Time

When Nadia outgrew her naps (around the age of four), I transitioned her to having a quiet time in her room while Ian was napping. She was perfectly happy to play in her room for an hour or more. This continued until Ian outgrew his nap a little after he turned four years old, and then her quiet time became more irregular because the transition from a nap to a quiet time for Ian did not go well At All. First of all, Ian does NOT like to be alone. He wants to be either playing with Nadia or for me to be at least in the same general vicinity of where he's playing (not even necessarily the same room but at least the same floor of the house). Secondly, he does not play quietly in his room. His bedroom is right beside Oliver's, and when I have attempted to have him play in his room during Oliver's nap, it hasn't gone well for Oliver's nap. Nadia doesn't go up to her room every day for a quiet time, but the majority of the time that's what she chooses to do during at least part of Oliver's nap. She plays with her dolls and also often listens to books on CD that we've checked out from the library. Ian is often very disappointed when she makes that choice because he knows he won't have a playmate for the next hour or more. They are much too loud if they play together in her room during Oliver's nap. So Ian and I are usually on the main floor of the house during Oliver's nap (or at least the first hour of his nap) while Nadia and Oliver are in their bedrooms. If Paul happens to be home, he's almost always on the computer in our bedroom.

When this school year started I wasn't sure whether to consider Ian to be in Kindergarten or not. He would not be old enough to start Kindergarten in the schools around here until this August because he didn't turn five until December, but he had learned his letters and sounds and such at a young age so I thought he was capable of Kindergarten work this year. In the end, I have been very laid back with him. We've done a little math and reading, and he finished the preschool handwriting textbook (for the second time). He recently started the Kindergarten handwriting textbook (which means he'll now be learning how to write his lowercase letters). He's more than half way through the Level One reading program (reading words like "quick" and "chick" and "shop"), but we have been VERY inconsistent. Some weeks I haven't done one iota of "school work" with him, and other weeks we have spent a little time every day. Mostly I have let him take the initiative. Sadly sometimes he has asked to do school work and I have put him off and then forgotten about his request. I was thinking that I needed to start figuring out how to work with Ian and Nadia at the same time. I generally give Nadia almost all my attention during school work (although of course there are many interruptions when I need to help Oliver go to the bathroom or clean up some sort of disaster he's created). At some point in time I am certain I'll be doing schoolwork with all three of them at the same time, but I am trying to enjoy these months of just being able to do it one-on-one for as long as possible. I have done some schoolwork with Ian during Oliver's nap, but it hasn't been my preference. I have viewed that hour as my kid free down time - maybe to cook dinner (I baked a batch of cookies during the first part of Oliver's nap today for example), clean, do my Bible study, take a nap, or just relax on the couch with my laptop (Facebook, email, blogging, etc.). I love my kids dearly, but I am with them for 13 or more hours a day most days (the exceptions being a 90 minute break during choir rehearsal on Wednesday nights and a 90 minute break during Sunday School on Sunday mornings). I have cherished that one hour of down time in the middle of my day and have tried to keep my interactions with Ian to a minimum during Oliver's nap.

But today I decided I am going to change our routine. I am not going to try to do Ian's school work in the morning while I do Nadia's (although he does participate in some parts such as when I am reading a picture book that is related to what she's studying in history). My new plan is that I'll put Oliver down for his nap, I will then immediately do school work with Ian while Nadia has her quiet time. It's really the perfect time to do it as he and I are down here alone for an hour or more, and school work with him won't take anywhere near one hour (not yet anyhow). If I do it first, then he can have his 30 minute iPad turn that he gets each day (on the days he does schoolwork) so I will still get at least 30 minutes of down time while the other two are upstairs and he's on his iPad. I think he'll really take off with his reading skills if we are more consistent on spending some time working together. It's worth a try anyhow. If it works, I might keep doing it this way even in the fall once he is officially in Kindergarten. Eventually I think Ian and Oliver will enjoy playing together so until Ian's schoolwork takes more than an hour or until Oliver stops taking a nap, I think it might be a good plan to let the boys play together in the morning for 2 hours while I do Nadia's school work and then I can do Ian's schoolwork during Oliver's nap and Nadia's quiet time. Thus far Ian isn't generally interested in playing with Oliver, but I'm hoping as Oliver matures that they will spend more time playing together in a positive manner. The interactions they have together are generally NOT positive ones at this stage in the game unfortunately whereas Ian and Nadia play together very nicely the vast majority of the time.

Spring and Summer Plans

As the saying goes, "opposites attract," and one of the ways in which Paul and I are opposites would be that I love to plan, make lists, etc. I have never known Paul to own a calendar, and I feel lost without one. I discovered last year that Dollar Tree (a store where everything is truly $1) sells the size calendar I prefer to carry in my purse. If we ever own smart phones, I am sure I'll switch to using a digital calendar, but until that point I will keep writing in my weekly planner. At this point the last two years it was hard to make plans because we didn't know if we were moving or not, but since Paul has already signed a contract to teach at Bucknell through May 2016, I can make plans for the coming months. What made the plans trickier to make this time around is the budget. I had to be more selective to keep the expenditures under control. For example, I decided this year we will NOT go to the Barnum & Bailey circus, Disney on Ice, Luray Caverns, Crayola Museum, Thomas the Train, etc. I also am leaning towards not joining the swimming pool. We have joined every summer the past four years (although we were given a refund in 2012 due to my bed rest during Oliver's pregnancy), but to save some money I am thinking we'll just buy passes for individual days rather than buying a summer membership this year. Making plans and anticipating special events is a lot of fun! Here are some things that are penciled into our calendar for this spring and summer:

1. One camp - I had originally planned on sending Nadia to theatre camp (half-day for 5 days), horse camp (full day for 5 days with Ian), and to an overnight camp for 4 days/3 nights, but I've decided to skip the horse camp this summer (maybe in 2016?), and instead of a theatre camp I signed her up to be in Annie which will involve two 2 hour rehearsals a week (9-11am) for five weeks. I have registered her to attend the Adventure Camp at Camp Susque from June 17-20. Nadia did her first camp when she was three years old (ballet camp), and she did a week of theatre camp when she was both five and six years old, but I don't think Ian (age 5) is ready for such an experience unless he was doing it with Nadia (as I had planned with horse camp). 

2. One boat ride - Last year we went on two train rides (Thomas the Train and the Polar Express) and one paddle wheel boat ride. This year instead of those three things we are planning to go on a pirate ship adventure in Annapolis. It normally costs $20 per person, but on July 20 it's only $5 a person! It includes face painting, wearing costumes, and acting out an assigned role during the cruise.

3. One sport - Nadia and Ian will have soccer until June 6, and then we'll have a break from that for a couple of months. I again toyed with the idea of signing them both up for Little League, but the fact they would have more than one game a week turns me away every year. Paul is coaching Ian's U6 team this spring.

4. Two zoos - Last year I took them to the Baltimore Aquarium, zoo in DC, and Lake Tobias. We have tickets to go to SeaWorld in May so we won't go to any other aquariums this year, but I do want to make sure we go to one zoo this summer (either the Virginia Zoo when we're in Williamsburg or the Baltimore Zoo when we're in Maryland).

5. Two vacations - two weeks in Florida in May with Paul's parents and six nights in Williamsburg, Virginia the end of May into early June with my parents. Last year we took an overnight trip to the beach (in NJ) in September, but I don't think we'll do that this year since we're spending a week at the beach in Florida and might spend a day at Virginia Beach in June if it's warm enough.

6. Two movies - Last summer we took the kids to the movie theater for the very first time by taking advantage of the $1 summer movies. I was really wanting to take them to see Paddington this summer, but Nadia's Annie rehearsals conflict with the time the movies are shown the first five weeks, and the kids' swimming lessons conflict with the last two weeks. So this summer I'll have Paul take them to the movies twice - once to see Dolphin Tale 2 (we'll have to borrow the first DVD from the library so they can see that before they see the sequel at the theater) and the other week to see Penguins of Madagascar. Usually we watch movies on DVD. We'll be sure to watch Paddington and the new Cinderella movie when they come out!

7. Two weeks of VBS - I don't know yet exactly when the kids will be going to VBS, but since we are going on vacation in May they should be able to do at least two weeks of VBS this summer. I think they'll do one week of VBS at the Alliance church in June and at least one week of VBS in July.

8. Three classes - I have signed Nadia up for a ten week Spanish class that will meet on Monday nights from 6:30-8:00, and I am planning to sign Ian up for a two week (30 minute) Level 1 swimming class that will start on July 27. I am planning to sign Nadia up for the Level 3 swimming class that same session. I am going to wait until 2016 to sign Oliver up for a preschool swimming class. The homeschool gym class ends on May 1, and Nadia's current session of Level 2 gymnastics ends on April 20. We are taking a break from both of these this summer.

9. Six community events - We really enjoyed the National Night Out event in Lewisburg the past two years. Nadia loves to do the zip line! The kids also enjoy the parades in our town (the fireman's parade in June and the fourth of July parade). In addition to the celebrations in our town on July 4th (parade, pony rides, petting zoo, fireworks, etc.), I am thinking of also attending Lewisburg's Independence festivities for the first time, which always take place the week before the 4th of July (concert, fireworks, and parade). Last year we were in Florida on July 4th. I am glad we plan to be at home on that day this year. We'll also be doing a couple of Easter egg hunts. Last year I took the boys to the Rural Heritage Day in Lewisburg in July, but Nadia was still en route back from Florida. I would like to take all three kids this summer.

10. Six workshops - I think from April to August Paul can take the kids to three workshops at Lowe's and three workshops at Home Depot on Saturday mornings.

11. Six amusement parks - in Florida we plan to go to Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. I've penciled in two trips to DelGrosso's in July and August (weather permitting) on days when the handstamp is only $10, and a day at HersheyPark in May. The only time I've been to HersheyPark over the last 20 years has been in November or December. They have a nice rate for homeschoolers in May, and I'd like to experience the park when it's not cold out. We will be receiving three free tickets to Six Flags (in MD), and Oliver is still free. I am planning on taking them there on June 25 (day after her birthday) if the weather is good that day. Last but not least, we will go to Knoebels at least twice this year with the first trip planned for the last weekend in April.

12. Nine+ museums - I am planning to take the kids to the Children's Museum in Bloomsburg three times between April - July, and then I am probably going to buy an annual membership in August. We already have tickets to go to the Kennedy Space Center in May, and we're hoping to meet my parents at the Whitaker Center (science museum) this spring in Harrisburg. I also am planning to take the kids to Port Discovery (children's museum in Baltimore) in July on an evening it only costs $2. Other plans include Colonial Williamsburg  and a Children's Museum of Virginia in early June with my parents, the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore in September, and Steamtown National Park (all about railroads). I might schedule a field trip to that site to take advantage of a program the rangers put on for kids in grades K-2. As an FYI, if you have a National Park near you that you've been wanting to visit, they are all free on April 18-19. We will also probably do some sight seeing of some sort in NYC on September 5 on our way home from a quick visit at my Aunt's house (she lives on Long Island).

13. Eight shows - We have tickets to see three shows next month - Peking Acrobats, A Bagful of Fables, and Mary Poppins. I'm planning to take them to see Alice in Wonderland on August 9, The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs on July 25, Jungle Book on August 14, and Winnie the Pooh on August 21. Nadia has already asked to see Joseph at Sight & Sound for her birthday in June, but I am planning on telling her we're going to wait until the tickets are cheaper. I've noticed that at other times in the year they have REALLY good specials for homeschoolers. The last three years we went around her birthday (Jonah, Noah, and Moses), but I'm going to tell her that Six Flags will be her special birthday event this summer and that I do plan on taking her to see Joseph later when the tickets are a lot cheaper.  Of course we can't wait to see Nadia be a part of Annie in July! I haven't decided yet whether or not I'll have the kids participate in the summer musical at the Alliance church that they have been a part of the past three summers.

14. Umpteen trips to the playground - I cannot wait until the weather warms up. I really, really need more exercise and fresh air! Praying that the spring weather comes SOON. Also we will be visiting a variety of yard sales. A few of the annual ones are already in our calendar. Ian was asking me recently when we would be going to a yard sale. My kids are well trained, ha ha!

100th Book

When I was a student, I don't ever recall there being any celebration of the 100th day of school, but for quite a few years now it has been the norm to make a big deal about that day in the younger grades. Since I haven't been keeping track of our school days yet, I have no idea when our 100th day of school was. Maybe in 2016 when I'll have to start submitting paperwork we can keep track of our days of school and have a big celebration of the 100th day in the winter of 2017. Nadia would be 8, Ian would be 7, and Oliver would be 4 years old. I have however been keeping track of the chapter books I've read to the kids thus far, and yesterday we finished our 100th book (started reading them chapter books a little more than two years ago). Our 100th book happened to be Mary Poppins. I am not certain if I had read the book before. I know that movies based on books very rarely follow the book closely, but I was surprised that the personality of Mary seemed rather different in the book than is portrayed in the movie. My favorites from our first 100 books would include Heidi, Secret Garden, and Anne of Green Gables. I hope all three of my kids love reading for the rest of their lives! We're almost done with book #101, and I am planning on reading them A Little Princess next, which was another of my all time favorites as a child! I was a voracious reader as a child, and I have to say that reading to my kids is one of my favorite parts of being a mommy. When I have two kids on my lap and a third sitting next to me on the couch while I am reading them a picture book, I feel an incredible sense of love and contentment.

Of course not all aspects of motherhood are pleasurable. Some are just downright unpleasant. Ian wins the prize of the three kids for making the most messes as a toddler when it came to dumping toy bins or clearing off book shelves, but Oliver wins the prize by a long shot when it comes to making messes at the kitchen table and in the bathroom. He spills more glasses of milk than the other two kids put together, and sadly sometimes he spills a glass or dumps a bowl or plate of food ON PURPOSE, which is something the other two NEVER did. Oi vey! I know you're not supposed to cry over spilled milk, but let me tell you I will be very grateful when we get to the point when I'm not cleaning up a spilled glass of milk on average 2-3 times a day. This morning while I was cleaning up one said mess (at least it was an accident this time), Oliver went to the bathroom without asking for my help and this resulted in pee on the floor (which I discovered as I stepped in it and my nylons got wet) and a toilet FULL of toilet paper. I clean up Oliver's messes 99% of the time, but I asked Paul to handle that one this morning. This child has smeared poop on the toilet seat SO many times (far more than his siblings ever did). It even happened on Thursday when we were using the bathroom at the consignment shop. Lovely. Thankfully they did have paper towels in the bathroom that I could use to clean up the mess. I keep reminding myself that this too shall pass. Hopefully sooner rather than later!

As you can see from these pics, Oliver loves wearing hats and glasses. He wears them many times a day. A black cowboy hat is his favorite, but there are several he's been wearing around the house lately. All three kids love ice cream. It's no shock that Oliver and Nadia do, but Ian has finally gotten over his aversion to hard ice cream. He used to refuse to eat it because it was too cold. I used to be the only one who would eat ice cream in our house, but Paul has taken to eating butter pecan so ice cream doesn't last very long in this house now that all five of us are eating it!

Thankful Thursday

 1. Nadia had a great second season of Upward basketball.

2. Paul's parents were able to come up for Nadia's game on Saturday and to church with us on Sunday.

3. Nadia and Ian did a good job singing at church on Sunday morning.

4. We enjoyed having lunch at Pizza Hut on Sunday afternoon!

5. Oliver woke up at 5:30 on Monday morning because he had wet the bed. He didn't go back to sleep. Thankfully this was the exception to the norm lately in both regards in that he has been waking up dry almost all the time and the boys have been sleeping until 7am most mornings. I'm so thankful!!

6. We are all pretty healthy at the moment! I was SO thankful when my fever broke on Saturday morning.

7. We enjoyed some time at the playground on Monday for the first time in several months. I can't wait until it's warm enough to start walking to a playground on a regular basis!!

8. Today is the last day of winter!

9. I had suggested to Paul recently that he consider working from home 1 day a week when possible (and maybe 2 days a week next semester) so that he can put more time into research because he can't get any done when he's in his office on campus. He took my suggestion and is working from home today! I am hoping this will be helpful for him.

10. We joined a 6 week homeschool co-op that started this morning. Oliver will be in the nursery for 3 hours each Thursday morning. I am teaching sign language for 45 minutes, helping in the nursery one period, and then I have one free period. Nadia and Ian are taking a popsicle stick craft class, an art class (for K-2nd), and then they are in different classes for the third period as for that session I opted to put Ian in the preschool class. Since he is 5 years old I could have gone either way with him for all three class periods because technically he wouldn't be old enough for Kindergarten until August, but I decided to put him in two K-2 classes and one PS class.

11. We had fun at the Children's Museum on Tuesday.

12. Paul is taking Nadia and Ian to a Science Festival at the  Pennsylvania College of Technology this evening. There will be many hands-on science and math activities for children. Normally Paul and Ian will have soccer practice on Thursday night, but since the field hasn't been deemed ready for practices yet, Paul will be able to take them to this event tonight!

Favorite Things

One of the books I enjoy reading (actually singing) to the kids contains the lyrics to the song from the Sound of Music about "raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...". What the kids consider to be their "favorite things" is often changing so I thought I'd write a synopsis of their favorites at this current stage of life.

Food for dinner:  

Ian: pizza, chocolate chip pancakes, grilled cheese at Friendly's, fish sticks, and nuggets from McDonald's

Nadia: macaroni and cheese, tuna noodle casserole, spaghetti, and pizza  (in that order)

Oliver: pulled pork, baked beans, and split pea and ham soup

Toys

Ian: Legos, Star Wars toys, and superhero toys

Nadia: Princess dolls (Barbie size ones, little tiny figurine ones, and 18 inch ones) and every time she takes a bath she takes Ariel's mermaid sisters in the tub with her

Oliver: play food, shopping cart, toy broom, stick horse, stuffed animals (for example today he took them in the ball pit in the master bathroom and almost every day he has a sort of "tea party" with play food and stuffed animals), and the Elefun game

Desserts (it's hard to think of a sweet the three kids don't like):

Nadia: chocolate fudge brownie ice cream, cookie dough ice cream, brownies, chocolate peanut butter chip cookies, and M&M's

Ian: brownies, chocolate chip cookies, M&M cookies, candy, etc.

Books

Oliver: Good Night, Gorilla, books by Sandra Boynton, books by Iza Trapani, The Three Little Pigs, Goodnight Moon, books by Eric Carle, and Pete the Cat books

Nadia: This girl loves SO many books it's hard to narrow the list down. She absolutely loved Anne of Green Gables, for example, but I think if she had to pick ONE series, she'd pick the Ramona the Pest books.

Ian: He loves The book with no pictures, books by Lauren Child, and many many more! He loves being the one to "read" Good Night, Gorilla to Oliver.

Food for breakfast

Ian: Cocoa Puffs, Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, Reese's Puffs, toast with grape jelly, Pop Tarts

Nadia: Frosted Mini-Wheats, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Raisin Bran Crunch, Cap'n Crunch, Pop Tarts, strawberry oatmeal, or scrambled eggs

Oliver: peach oatmeal, toast with grape jelly, Pop Tarts

Shows:
Oliver: Sam the Fireman and Sesame Street

Ian: Spiderman and his Amazing Friends (from 1981)

Nadia: Mulan, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, and Pippi Longstocking

Food for lunch
Ian: peanut  butter crackers, hotdog with mustard and ketchup

Nadia: ham and cheese hotpocket, egg salad sandwich, peach yogurt

Stuffed animals: (who they pick to sleep with)
Ian: Yoda, a little green dog, Mike Wazowski, and Squishy

Oliver: Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck

Nadia: her Dragon pillow, Elsa, teddy bear, panda bear, and penguin

Activities:
All three of them love playing what they call "the running game," airplane rides from Mommy, hugs, kisses, being tickled, playing on playgrounds (indoor out outdoor), playing in the snow, watching tv, playing on the iPad, dancing to music, and riding rides at amusement parks.

Changing seasons

Thursday night marked the end of the kids' first ice skating class. They were in the "Snowplow Sam" class for 5 and 6 year olds. Next winter they would both be able to be in the Level 1 intermediate class. Thursday night was also Nadia's last basketball team practice for the year, and yesterday she had her last game. Paul's parents met us there to see her play. Everyone was hoping she'd make her first basket, but it didn't happen. She was closer two weeks ago. Everyone was pulling for her - the coaches of BOTH teams, the ref, players on both teams, etc. They kept feeding her the ball, and she had many attempts. Last year I had zero expectation that she'd make any baskets, but I admit that once she started making them in practices (as many as 12 in one night), I definitely got my hopes up that she'd make one during a game this year. Last week she wasn't feeling well when she played, so I had my hopes up yesterday to finally see her make a basket. I admit I felt very disappointed, but I didn't say a word about it. She loves playing basketball has improved in many ways over the past year (dribbling, defense, etc.). Paul's favorite moments were when she dove to the floor for the ball.

She is very excited about playing basketball again next year, when she'll be on a 2nd/3rd grade team. She's been on a K/1st team the past two years. The kids will be getting more practice at basketball the next two weeks at homeschool gym classes with the coach from Bucknell. Ian right now is not too thrilled at the idea of playing on a basketball team next winter, but we are going to sign him up anyhow. We are trying to get him out of this phase of saying he's too shy to do such things. We want our kids to try different things and then they can decide what they want to continue to pursue. Paul will be coaching Ian's U6 soccer team this spring. We haven't heard from Nadia's coach yet, but practices will be starting in the very near future! They will be missing two of the eight spring games due to our trip to Florida. They played all eight soccer games in the fall, and Nadia played all eight basketball games this winter.

Since it will be officially spring in a few days, a couple of days ago I also went through the house and took the remaining snowman decorations to the basement. Tomorrow it's supposed to feel like spring outside  (high of 59). I am planning on taking the kids to the playground for the first time in months. WOOHOO!

My fever broke on Saturday morning. PTL! When it still was registering at 101 on Friday afternoon I called the doctor's office, but they didn't have any openings until Monday.

Normally Paul's parents come over to our house when they come up for soccer or basketball, but they didn't come over yesterday due to all the germs floating around our house with three of us coughing. They met us at church this morning to hear the kids' choir sing in the second service (Nadia had a short solo at the beginning of the song), and instead of coming to our house they treated us to lunch at Pizza Hut so we could have a little more time together, as we hadn't seen them in a month. Hopefully we will be healthy soon so they can come to our house for a visit. Our church has an average attendance of 1,500+ so I was pleased with Nadia's poise during both services this morning. In April they are singing three verses of "Jesus Loves Me" - two of the verses they will also be signing in ASL and the third verse they are singing in Spanish in honor of those in our church who are deaf and those who speak Spanish.

Thankful Thursday

1. We all enjoyed lunch at Dunkin Donuts and the Eric Carle performance at Bucknell on Saturday afternoon.

2. We also enjoyed the Music Man performance on Sunday afternoon. I had been hoping to go to the Matthew West concert that night, but since #1 I didn't have anyone to go with and #2 we are trying to be as frugal as possible, I decided it was better to take the kids to see the Music Man. We keep trying to spend as little money as possible even though we keep coming across unexpected expenses (such as over $600 in medical bills last month and last week we paid $300 for two tires for the van). For example, because of the tire expenditure, we didn't buy tickets to the Frozen ice skating party. The kids enjoyed the musical although it was long (2.5 hours plus a 15 minute intermission). It's a hoot hearing Ian singing various songs around the house such as "Lida Rose."

3. It was a treat to have dinner at McDonald's on Monday night using a gift card Oliver received at Valentine's. Lately I've been cooking seven days a week, which has rarely been true over the past 13.5 years of marriage, so I appreciate a night off from cooking even more these days! We even splurged and let the kids get ice cream. Ian had his very first hot fudge sundae, and he LOVED it. I have even gotten him to eat hard ice cream at home lately. Maybe the next time we're at Friendly's he will eat a sundae? We had planned to go to Friendly's yesterday night because Wednesday is the best day to go (kid's meals are cheaper) and spring break seemed the ideal week to go, but the fact that Ian and I had a fever nixed that plan. It's a good thing we didn't go because Ian didn't eat his dinner last night.

4. Yesterday I "bought" four tickets to SeaWorld and four tickets to Kennedy Space Center using Paul's credit card points so we didn't spend a penny for those eight tickets! Woohoo! Oliver is still free at both places (and at Disney) since he won't be three years old yet.

5. Due to our fevers, Ian and I didn't go to church last night. Paul took Nadia and Ian to AWANA and just hung out at the church with his chemistry textbook. I can't remember the last time I had one-on-one time with Ian. Usually if I am home alone with one child I'm with Oliver. We built a cabin with Lincoln logs, read books, etc.

6. I am very grateful that thus far Paul and Oliver have escaped this bug. Nadia still has a cough (day 8 for her), and Ian and I still have fevers, runny nose, cough, etc. Every time I check my temperature or his, the lowest it has been is 100 degrees and many times we're at 101. Paul had a hard time sleeping last night due to my coughing (sounds like a bark). I do have a little bit of energy today. Yesterday I couldn't even bear the thought of going to the grocery store to get some bread (so I sent my sweet hubby for it).

7. Yesterday it got up to 54 degrees! If I had been feeling even a tiny bit better than I did, I would have taken the kids for a walk, but I didn't have the energy even to drive 5 minutes to the grocery store. I never left the house yesterday, but it's supposed to be back in the 50's on Monday. The snow has been melting so maybe we can go to the playground on Monday? That would be awesome! I know that it will technically be spring next week, but it's very encouraging for the weather to start to feel like spring is around the corner.

8. Oliver has slept until at least 7:00 the past five mornings in a row. WOOHOO! I am now a big fan of DST! Ian sometimes gets up to go to the bathroom earlier, but he has been good about not coming in to our bedroom until at least 7:00. He proudly walks in with his Batman clock to show us that it's 7:00. Way to go, Ian!

9. Oliver stayed dry in bed every day over the past week even though he's been sleeping in later than usual! If it wasn't for the fact he had one accident during the day, I would be able to say he went a full week without any accidents. Once this week he waited too long and made it to the bathroom but peed on the floor (and in his clothes) before he got up on the toilet.

10. Nadia and Ian enjoyed their field trip to the Maple Sugaring program on Tuesday.; It was nice that Paul was able to watch Oliver at home during that trip as he wouldn't have enjoyed the 2+ hour long program.

11. It has been SO nice having Paul working at home this week since it's been spring break. We usually don't eat any meals with him Monday-Thursday, and sometimes the only meals we eat together are on Saturdays/Sundays. He's been spending a lot of time this week working on the computer (up in our bedroom), but he has been coming down for meals and such which has been WONDERFUL.

12. I finished our taxes for 2014 this week. It's always a good feeling to know that is no longer on one's "to do" list. Our federal refund is much smaller than what we got back the past three years, but I am still thankful for what we are getting back. Every little bit helps! Ideally Paul would be able to do research this summer so that he could apply for industrial computational chemistry jobs in 2016. We had assumed if I didn't get a part-time job that he would need to work this summer to earn some extra money, but we are trying to see if we can possibly make ends meet without him doing that so he can put his time this summer into a bio-physical computational research project with two other profs at Bucknell.

13. We had free pizza tonight that I didn't make from scratch. Yay! We all enjoyed pizza and other goodies at the kids' ice skating party this evening. I am so glad they were able to take these lessons and learn how to skate forwards and backwards. Then Paul took Nadia to her last basketball practice for the year. The parents played the kids this evening. We're looking forward to her last game on Saturday!

14. We're almost done reading Anne of Green Gables. What a delight! Next up is Mary Poppins!