Thankful Thursday

1. My parents came up last Thursday! We met in Sunbury around 4pm for a quick dinner together at Subway and then headed to the ice rink where they could spend time sitting by the fire with Oliver (to warm up!) and also spend time watching Nadia and Ian skate (brrr). They were also able to see their Karate class on Friday morning and Nadia's basketball game on Saturday morning. Paul and my dad bowled two games on Friday night, Grandma colored with the kids and read them books, my dad built Legos with Ian, etc. Nadia didn't do all her usual school work on Friday, but she did read part of a biography on Samuel F.B. Morse to Grandma, played the piano for them, practiced counting coins, and practiced some addition flash cards.

2. My parents brought up a myriad of goodies for us such as some cereal they didn't want, Maurice's Lego sets from when he was a kid (12 sets!), and an assortment of things that Yvonne and Joe had set aside for us when they were packing up to return to Turkey last month. We are very appreciative!

3. The home school P.E. class on Friday was a self-defense class (along the lines of stranger danger) taught by a woman with her black belt in Karate (who also teaches computers in a public school). The kids really enjoyed it! She brought a long a variety of items that used to be tools for gardening and such in China many years ago that are now used as weapons in Karate. I had a wonderful chat with a homeschooling mom (Erin) who moved to the area a few weeks ago from Altoona. I feel like I have met several women in the past few weeks who could become friends (more than just acquaintances). This is an answer to prayer!

4. The kids continue to make progress in their ice skating lessons. They started to learn how to skate backwards last Thursday!

5. Nadia is making progress with her basketball skills! Last Thursday night she made her very first basket during their practice. I noticed during Saturday's game that when she was playing defense she was both guarding her man AND looking to see where the ball was (first time I saw her doing both of those things at the same time). She also did the best with dribbling that I had ever seen her do. The ball was actually bouncing back up high enough so that she could dribble it down the court! Now she needs to remember to keep dribbling when she is about to make a shot. It's a good thing the refs don't blow the whistle for walking in the K/1st grade games. :)

6. My parents treated us to pizza on Friday night. Buying pizza used to be the norm for us, but I've been making our pizza lately at home, and it just does not compare At All to pizza from Vennaris. Yum! We had some leftovers that we were able to enjoy on Saturday night. Also, they got us donuts for breakfast on Saturday morning, and this is the one month of the year that Dunkin Donuts serves my MOST favorite donut - the Brownie Batter donut. I have *no* idea why they don't sell that donut year round. It is scrumptious! Nadia was wishing she had requested that donut instead of a chocolate frosted with sprinkles. I promised her we'll get donuts once more this month so she can have one of those brownie batter donuts before they stop selling them.

7. On Saturday (2/7) I wrote about Oliver turning 2 1/2 years old, but that date (in 1997) was also when I met Paul at a ballroom dancing class. We've known each other 18 years now! I love him so much!!!

8. My dad was able to help with two projects on Friday! He assembled the bed frame we had bought at Sears a couple of weeks ago. Oliver's mattress and box springs are no longer on the floor. He also attached some wood (from Oliver's crib) to the frame of Ian's bed because the box springs kept crashing down. Thanks so much, Dad!

9. Oliver is healthy again! Saturday was the last day I gave him breathing treatments for his most recent cold. Hoping he stays healthy for awhile, and I'm very grateful the last cold didn't result in another hospitalization or the addition of another medication to his daily routine.

10. My favorite consignment shop had a 50% off sale on Saturday, and I was able to go there during Oliver's nap. I bought 19 different things (some were outfits that included a shirt and pants, some were pairs of shoes, some were just a single item like a pair of pants), and my total bill was $21.66! Nadia has been wearing the pair of cowboy boots I got her (thinking ahead to horse back riding camp in June) almost every day around the house. I also brought some things to sell. I have never tried to sell anything at this consignment shop before. Unlike most shops, she actually buys things up front. Most consignment shops you don't get any money until someone buys the item from the store. I brought Oliver's crib set, a pair of snow pants, a pair of snow boots, and a baby scale, and she gave me $52. Over the last three years I've just been giving everything away (not selling anything). I am planning to try to sell some things and will keep donating others. Maybe I can sell enough things there that I won't need to spend any more money at that consignment shop. If we lived closer to the store, I am sure I would be shopping there more often than I do.

11. Oliver only woke up once on Tuesday night, and he woke up dry on Wednesday morning. Ian also stayed in his bedroom until about 6:50. What a blessing for this tired Momma!

12. The kids continue to make progress with their puzzle skills. Yesterday Nadia completed a 300 piece Frozen puzzle (having done most of it herself) and Ian started and finished a 211 piece Star Wars puzzle (with some help from me). Way to go, Nadia and Ian!