Nathan: Can I get a big piece of paper to make a compraction?
Me: To make a what?
Nathan: A compraction.
Me: What is a compraction?
Nathan: It's when you put two words together and make one word.
Me: Oh, you mean a contraction... Like when you say don't for do not.
Nathan: Yeah, a compraction.
Me: Okay, but you don't need a big piece of paper to write a contraction.
Nathan: Yes I do. It's going to be a big compraction!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
VBS and Twilight Camp
This past week was a big week for all of us, especially my boys.
We had VBS at our church and I was teaching in Amy's 3 year-old class. That meant we had to be at the church every morning around 8am; of course, rarely did we get there before 8:15. And then it lasted until 12:30, but by the time the last child was picked up from my class, we'd leave closer to 1pm. It made for a busy, long morning each day, but it was definitely a lot of fun! And it was just the beginning for Alex and Nathan.
Everyday, in addition to VBS, their daddy would come home early from work (around 3:30) and would whisk them off to Cub Scout Twilight Camp. This is just as it sounds... a camp that starts in the late afternoon and ends when the sun goes down. It's any boy's dream camp. They shot bow and arrows, BB guns, slingshots. They played with mud and drenched each other with super soaker water guns. They learned to tie special knots and built a bug cage and a toolbox. They did TONS of things that all little boys love to do. Of course, the weather has been very hot and all this happened outdoors. So that helped sap quite a bit of what energy they had left each day after a long morning at VBS. And then on four of the five nights they didn't get home until after 9:30pm. So we weren't getting them to bed until around 10:15pm. What can I say... I had some super tired kids (and a fairly tired husband ;)) by the end of the week. And did I mention how tired I was of washing load after load of dirty VBS and scout t-shirts so they could be reworn each day? But they had an amazing time and made lots of great memories. The exceptionally busy, tiresome week was well worth it.
Someone (or maybe there was more than one) took thousands of pictures at Twilight Camp and uploaded them to a site where family can view (and purchase desired prints) of all the photos. I copied some for this post, but plan to buy some prints for keepsakes. I was glad to find these shots of my guys:
Nathan
I think Alex is dumping mud in that bucket in some kind of mud race
Nathan throwing (or maybe trying to catch?) the frisbee
Nathan making a volcano
Can you see Alex? He's flashing a $1 bill in front of his face (no idea why!)
Bill throwing a frisbee
That's Alex on the right (making his toolbox)
We had VBS at our church and I was teaching in Amy's 3 year-old class. That meant we had to be at the church every morning around 8am; of course, rarely did we get there before 8:15. And then it lasted until 12:30, but by the time the last child was picked up from my class, we'd leave closer to 1pm. It made for a busy, long morning each day, but it was definitely a lot of fun! And it was just the beginning for Alex and Nathan.
Everyday, in addition to VBS, their daddy would come home early from work (around 3:30) and would whisk them off to Cub Scout Twilight Camp. This is just as it sounds... a camp that starts in the late afternoon and ends when the sun goes down. It's any boy's dream camp. They shot bow and arrows, BB guns, slingshots. They played with mud and drenched each other with super soaker water guns. They learned to tie special knots and built a bug cage and a toolbox. They did TONS of things that all little boys love to do. Of course, the weather has been very hot and all this happened outdoors. So that helped sap quite a bit of what energy they had left each day after a long morning at VBS. And then on four of the five nights they didn't get home until after 9:30pm. So we weren't getting them to bed until around 10:15pm. What can I say... I had some super tired kids (and a fairly tired husband ;)) by the end of the week. And did I mention how tired I was of washing load after load of dirty VBS and scout t-shirts so they could be reworn each day? But they had an amazing time and made lots of great memories. The exceptionally busy, tiresome week was well worth it.
Someone (or maybe there was more than one) took thousands of pictures at Twilight Camp and uploaded them to a site where family can view (and purchase desired prints) of all the photos. I copied some for this post, but plan to buy some prints for keepsakes. I was glad to find these shots of my guys:
Nathan
I think Alex is dumping mud in that bucket in some kind of mud race
Nathan throwing (or maybe trying to catch?) the frisbee
Nathan making a volcano
Can you see Alex? He's flashing a $1 bill in front of his face (no idea why!)
Bill throwing a frisbee
That's Alex on the right (making his toolbox)
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Happy Father's Day!!!
To my dad...
To Bill's Dad...
And, of course, to the father of my children...
I love you all!
Happy Father's Day to these fantastic fathers, and all those other special dads out there. I hope you all had a great day. You certainly deserve it!
Basketball
Basketball season has arrived and the boys are thrilled!
Both Alex and Nathan had their first games on Saturday. Nathan was so anxious to play. He is amazing at dribbling the ball and I'd have to say that was probably his favorite part of playing the game. He had a great time and we enjoyed watching him and all the kids play. They were really cute!
He's wearing the black jersey, #23
Alex had a fun time, too, but got a little frustrated at times. They did things a little differently for his game. They had one boy from each team wear a different colored jersey, so then each child would know who he/she was supposed to guard. This may have helped playing defense, but since most of the kids still don't really know their team mates that well, it made playing offense difficult and confusing. It was even harder for Alex. His first practice was cancelled and he missed the second practice, so Saturday's game was his first time to meet his coach, his team and actually play a basketball game. But despite all of that, he had lots of enthusiasm and played hard. Tomorrow he'll get a chance to practice with his team, and I know that's going to help take some of the confusion away.
Alex is wearing the black jersey, #22
Next Saturday they'll get to play another game and I'm looking forward to it!
Both Alex and Nathan had their first games on Saturday. Nathan was so anxious to play. He is amazing at dribbling the ball and I'd have to say that was probably his favorite part of playing the game. He had a great time and we enjoyed watching him and all the kids play. They were really cute!
He's wearing the black jersey, #23
Alex had a fun time, too, but got a little frustrated at times. They did things a little differently for his game. They had one boy from each team wear a different colored jersey, so then each child would know who he/she was supposed to guard. This may have helped playing defense, but since most of the kids still don't really know their team mates that well, it made playing offense difficult and confusing. It was even harder for Alex. His first practice was cancelled and he missed the second practice, so Saturday's game was his first time to meet his coach, his team and actually play a basketball game. But despite all of that, he had lots of enthusiasm and played hard. Tomorrow he'll get a chance to practice with his team, and I know that's going to help take some of the confusion away.
Alex is wearing the black jersey, #22
Next Saturday they'll get to play another game and I'm looking forward to it!
The Informal Demonstration
I meant to post about Amy's actual Informal Demonstration soon after it occurred, but life has just been too busy. So here is the synopsis, over a week later...
The makeup session that I was so fearing went rather well. A good friend came over and gave me moral support, and with her daughter's help was able to demonstrate how easily those fake eyelashes could go on. Amy put up a little fight, but with the distraction of friends, the eyelashes were attached fairly painlessly. The overall experience was so much better than the night of the rehearsal. I was feeling much more relaxed about the evening. We even left on time and got there super early. Bill actually had time to take the boys to Burger King for dinner and pick up flowers for Amy before the performance even started.
I was still not feeling great, but went backstage with Amy since she insisted. It was chaotic back there, but at the same time it was fun to be behind the scenes. And when she performed, I was able to stand on stage just back behind the curtains, so I could see her from fairly close up. She did great, though I could tell she was a little nervous. And just before her tap routine in the second act, she rubbed her eye and knocked off an eyelash. I had a horrible time getting it back on and it ended up quite lopsided for the performance. But at least it was on!
We made it through the whole performance and from what I was told, everyone did fantastic. It was a fun experience for all, but quite draining. I look forward to the next one, thankfully a whole year away. ;)
Eating fruit snacks before the performance (and so kindly offering Mommy one)
All the little ballerinas playing Candyland between performances
After the performance, proudly showing off her flowers from Daddy and Granny and Paw-Paw
Cute close-up
The makeup session that I was so fearing went rather well. A good friend came over and gave me moral support, and with her daughter's help was able to demonstrate how easily those fake eyelashes could go on. Amy put up a little fight, but with the distraction of friends, the eyelashes were attached fairly painlessly. The overall experience was so much better than the night of the rehearsal. I was feeling much more relaxed about the evening. We even left on time and got there super early. Bill actually had time to take the boys to Burger King for dinner and pick up flowers for Amy before the performance even started.
I was still not feeling great, but went backstage with Amy since she insisted. It was chaotic back there, but at the same time it was fun to be behind the scenes. And when she performed, I was able to stand on stage just back behind the curtains, so I could see her from fairly close up. She did great, though I could tell she was a little nervous. And just before her tap routine in the second act, she rubbed her eye and knocked off an eyelash. I had a horrible time getting it back on and it ended up quite lopsided for the performance. But at least it was on!
We made it through the whole performance and from what I was told, everyone did fantastic. It was a fun experience for all, but quite draining. I look forward to the next one, thankfully a whole year away. ;)
Eating fruit snacks before the performance (and so kindly offering Mommy one)
All the little ballerinas playing Candyland between performances
After the performance, proudly showing off her flowers from Daddy and Granny and Paw-Paw
Cute close-up
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Finally on Stage
Amy has been asking me for months when she'd get to dance on stage. I'd tell her, "Not until your recital." Or as I am supposed to refer to it, her informal demonstration. Last night she finally got her opportunity.
This was her second rehearsal - the ever so important dress rehearsal. We'd had a studio rehearsal a couple weeks ago. I am one of the host moms, which means I stay backstage with Amy's class and help make sure the girls stay together and get them where they are supposed to be. It can be a hectic job, as a hostess is also responsible for making sure they are in their appropriate attire, makeup applied, hair perfect, etc. I was both looking forward to it and dreading it all at the same time. The dress rehearsal meant fully dressed for performance - full makeup, including false eyelashes! I've been apprehensive about those silly eyelashes ever since the parent meeting before Amy even began her ballet classes. I thought to myself, you want me to glue false eyelashes on my 3-yr. old (and keep in mind, Amy was actually only 2 when I found out about the lashes)... and you expect her to dance with them on??? Talk about your disbelief.
So fast forward to yesterday. The big day had arrived. And I was sick. I'd caught Amy's virus - the one she had all last week. I'd been sick since Saturday, but I still had a low grade fever that morning and figured no parent was going to want me around their kids. So I got another mom to perform my hostess duty. It meant I got to sit in the auditorium and watch the whole rehearsal. This was both good and bad. First of all, long story short, I'd made a doctor's appt. that afternoon that took longer than I'd expected. I wasn't left with as much time as I really needed to get Amy dressed and ready. And try putting black eyeliner on a 3-yr. old when your low on time and your hands are shaking! I was making a complete mess of Amy's make-up, so I finally gave up and we left almost 30 minutes later than I'd wanted to. So not only were we late getting there, but Amy's make-up was not done - including those before mentioned false eyelashes. The other mom ended up finishing her up, which I felt so bad about. And on top of that, I think it traumatized poor Amy. Obviously, she didn't want strangers messing with her. She had a meltdown halfway through and claimed she was finished for the night. She wasn't going to dance anymore. Thankfully, I was able to convince her otherwise.
We made it through the night, and if you ignore the bad make-up, crying, and in the end, missing one eyelash, she did quite well. She couldn't remember much of her dance routines, but she smiled a lot and waved to the audience. When she was on stage, she was happy. Who could ask for more?
Sadly, I don't think this experience met with Amy's expectations. What she had been looking forward to for so long ended up being a rather unpleasant night for her. She's been telling me all day that she does not want to go back to "that room" (where they waited between performances) with those "other mommies".
So tomorrow night for the big performance, no matter how tired or congested I feel, I'll be backstage with her. Hopefully, things will go more smoothly!
Here are some pictures from the night. Pictures and video are not allowed during the real performance, so I did the best I could at the rehearsal. I wish I'd gotten closer (and less heads in my shots)!
This was her second rehearsal - the ever so important dress rehearsal. We'd had a studio rehearsal a couple weeks ago. I am one of the host moms, which means I stay backstage with Amy's class and help make sure the girls stay together and get them where they are supposed to be. It can be a hectic job, as a hostess is also responsible for making sure they are in their appropriate attire, makeup applied, hair perfect, etc. I was both looking forward to it and dreading it all at the same time. The dress rehearsal meant fully dressed for performance - full makeup, including false eyelashes! I've been apprehensive about those silly eyelashes ever since the parent meeting before Amy even began her ballet classes. I thought to myself, you want me to glue false eyelashes on my 3-yr. old (and keep in mind, Amy was actually only 2 when I found out about the lashes)... and you expect her to dance with them on??? Talk about your disbelief.
So fast forward to yesterday. The big day had arrived. And I was sick. I'd caught Amy's virus - the one she had all last week. I'd been sick since Saturday, but I still had a low grade fever that morning and figured no parent was going to want me around their kids. So I got another mom to perform my hostess duty. It meant I got to sit in the auditorium and watch the whole rehearsal. This was both good and bad. First of all, long story short, I'd made a doctor's appt. that afternoon that took longer than I'd expected. I wasn't left with as much time as I really needed to get Amy dressed and ready. And try putting black eyeliner on a 3-yr. old when your low on time and your hands are shaking! I was making a complete mess of Amy's make-up, so I finally gave up and we left almost 30 minutes later than I'd wanted to. So not only were we late getting there, but Amy's make-up was not done - including those before mentioned false eyelashes. The other mom ended up finishing her up, which I felt so bad about. And on top of that, I think it traumatized poor Amy. Obviously, she didn't want strangers messing with her. She had a meltdown halfway through and claimed she was finished for the night. She wasn't going to dance anymore. Thankfully, I was able to convince her otherwise.
We made it through the night, and if you ignore the bad make-up, crying, and in the end, missing one eyelash, she did quite well. She couldn't remember much of her dance routines, but she smiled a lot and waved to the audience. When she was on stage, she was happy. Who could ask for more?
Sadly, I don't think this experience met with Amy's expectations. What she had been looking forward to for so long ended up being a rather unpleasant night for her. She's been telling me all day that she does not want to go back to "that room" (where they waited between performances) with those "other mommies".
So tomorrow night for the big performance, no matter how tired or congested I feel, I'll be backstage with her. Hopefully, things will go more smoothly!
Here are some pictures from the night. Pictures and video are not allowed during the real performance, so I did the best I could at the rehearsal. I wish I'd gotten closer (and less heads in my shots)!
Amy on the far left, smiling at the crowd
Amy - the one with her hands in the air
Amy (in the middle of the photo)
Amy is the one on the left (such good form :) )
Amy is on the left, arm raised and foot out
Amy is the one standing in the back, far left
Friday, June 05, 2009
Stir Crazy
This is our 5th day stuck in the house. Amy woke up sick on Monday morning and is still running a fever today. Nathan began running fever last night and has a fever today. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that Alex doesn't get it... or Bill or myself for that matter. I think this makes up for the long period of good health we've had. We've now done our share of being sick. Would it be possible for us to go back to being well? Please?
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Out with the Old...
Approximately $200 for Bill to fix the old dryer... Looks like I get to go dryer shopping!
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Esther
In our Bible lesson today we talked about Esther. It was such a fun little lesson.
Hamantaschen cookies: We used apricot preserves, Goldens & Cherries, Craisins and pecans for our filling. Yummy!
Alex and Nathan as King Xerxes (Nathan took off his crown already)
Amy as Queen Esther (we keep our costumes simple :) )
After we'd completed all of our other school work, the boys cut strips of brown yarn that I then tied onto two longer pieces of yarn. The bigger section with all the attached strips could then be wrapped over their ears to make it look like a beard. They had so much fun running around with their new beards! Then we made a special cookie dough that needed to be refigerated for a couple of hours before we could complete our special Bible lesson cookies - to be eaten at tea time, of course.
Once lunch was finished and our cookie dough chilled, we completed our tea time cookies. We made Hamantaschen, which are fruit and nut filled cookies that are made in the shape of Haman's hat. These are typically eaten as part of Purim, which is a celebration of Esther and the ancient Persian Jews' victory over Haman and his plan's for their annihilation. The boys wore their beards and crowns (neither wanted to wear the three pointed hat that represented Haman) and ate their cookies while I read to them the story of Queen Esther. Amy, who is still fighting illness, did not want to eat her cookie. And Alex wasn't too fond of the filling, though he devoured the outer section in no time. But Nathan and I both found the cookies - in their entirety - to be absolutely delicious! I have to admit... I ate two. And I could have eaten more if I hadn't forced myself to stop. But they really are so delicious while warm. Mmmm....
The kids are now finishing out their Bible lesson with a viewing of one of our favorite videos: Veggie Tales Esther, The Girl Who Became Queen. Thanks, MFW, for a fun lesson on Esther!
Hamantaschen cookies: We used apricot preserves, Goldens & Cherries, Craisins and pecans for our filling. Yummy! Alex and Nathan as King Xerxes (Nathan took off his crown already) Amy as Queen Esther (we keep our costumes simple :) )
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