247. Help! There is a great group of sixth graders who are crossing guards for the half-day kindergartners. (I think they enjoy getting out of class.) Today's group was especially enthusiastic. They love to run and try to shut our van door. (not automatic, requires muscle strength unneeded on car doors for the last 10 years.) They did a big happy dance today when they got it on the first try. I always clap for them when they get it shut. Fun group.
248. Sneak Attack! Today we have a new installment in the never ending list of - who is the S-Train today? Today we are. . . A LIBRARY NINJA! (courtesy of the show Jacob Two Two) Dressed in patriotic pajamas with a laminated library card (the S-Train invented laminating with clear tape) the S-Train Library Ninja makes sure that overdue books are taken back on time. (So we really need him around here!) He also helps make sure people don't color in their library books.
Gear includes: Laminated Library card - scans books to see if they are overdue, gets you into the library ninja lab.
Laptop - looks like a piece of cardboard, but has everything a real computer does. Plus, you can carry it around.
Cell phone - Keeps you up to date on the latest library emergency. Helps all the library ninjas keep in touch. Plus, shoots laser beams.
Belt Buckle - Can be put on any belt. Comes with the initials NU for Ninj-Uh.
Can we never grow up? Please?
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Fun night at school
246. Cool Videos. They made a cool video of the BBQ for Mason that we had at science night. Susan did a great job. You can find it HERE. You have to sign in to facebook to watch. It's an awesome video! So much love going out! (The S-Train watching water rockets will be another favorite thing when I get pictures! There are a couple on the video.)
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Unexpected surprises
245. Blue Tongues. One minute you're sucking on a lollipop. The next minute someone says, "Hey! Your tongue is blue!" It's always fun while they last. (They were smiling right before I took the picture!)
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Practice?
244. Practicing? I had the biggest laugh yesterday when I got home from picking the kids up from school. The oldest was apparently attempting to practice the piano. Or read. Or both.
I needed a good laugh.
I needed a good laugh.Friday, May 14, 2010
Mega-Update post
It's about time I got back to this blog. I'm falling behind my goal of one a day for the year. So - here are a few things that have been going on while I've been out of the loop.
234. Concerts. The oldest has had - solo and ensemble for district and state, a band concert, junior festival, and a piano recital. She has one more piano performance for judges next week. Sue has had a choir concert and tour, a strings concert, and a strings group tour. Lou has had a strings group concert and a regular strings concert. The S-Train has had a kindergarten program to sing to parents. Lots of concerts. They have all done very well.
I love going to these. They feel like the pay off for the kids' hard work. It's fun to realize how well they are doing and how far they have come in a year.
235. Camp. Sue and Mr. C just got back from three days of camping with her class. They had such a fun time. Sue loved the food. Mr. C was in charge of the canoes. The kids weren't supposed to take the canoes past the bridge on the lake. They asked if they could anyway. Apparently his answer was, "No. There are trolls under the bridge." They loooooked at him.
236. PTA. It has been fun and it is almost over for the year! I think next year needs to be a little calmer. We have such great ladies there. A child in third grade was recently diagnosed with cancer. He is currently at St. Jude's. It has been neat to watch the community rally around.
237. Sue and her bake set. She saw it at the book fair and had to have it! She is having such fun with it. She's made mini mini muffins twice already. She loves cooking and we are glad to let her have at it!
238. Lawn Mowing. The girls have been mowing a neighbor's yard. Sue stayed inside while Mr. C and Lou started. She wanted to finish her mini muffins. Since Lou did a lot more of the yard she got paid more. She liked that! She said she's learning about having a business. That you have to keep doing it.
239. Walking home with the S-Train. We had a great walk home from school the other day. It was just the two of us, so we could take our time. We played tic tac toe in the sand and watched the cutest baby birds getting fed in a birdhouse nest. Then, as we are walking by an overgrown yard the S-Train surprised me. "Fescue!" he said. "Fescue?" Mr. C had told him the kind of grass and he remembered! We had this whole discussion about how wheat was a kind of grass...
240. Our Cat. Sleeps on its back.
241. Our Garage. Has recently been invaded by a raccoon. He pulled the nearly empty cat food bag through the cat door into the back yard. Also ripped a new bag trying to get into it. I saw him coming into the garage and slid the cat door closed after he ran away. Hopefully he'll find another home for food. On another note, our car apparently smells like wet dog when it is wet. On the outside. I'm wondering if that raccoon tried to mark his territory. . .
242. Home repairs are getting done. Hurray for tax returns! The washer decided the trap under the ground - that we knew was giving out - was done. So we got that fixed. And the next round of windows are on order! Yea! Progress!
243. Mothers' Day flowers. Aren't they pretty? I got two vases full of irises and daisies! The irises came out of our neighbor's yard. They told Mr. C to come and cut a whole bunch. They had too many. The daisies are from our yard. The flowers were so pretty we took them to church to share.
Anyway, that's enough of a mega post update. More later!
234. Concerts. The oldest has had - solo and ensemble for district and state, a band concert, junior festival, and a piano recital. She has one more piano performance for judges next week. Sue has had a choir concert and tour, a strings concert, and a strings group tour. Lou has had a strings group concert and a regular strings concert. The S-Train has had a kindergarten program to sing to parents. Lots of concerts. They have all done very well.
I love going to these. They feel like the pay off for the kids' hard work. It's fun to realize how well they are doing and how far they have come in a year.
235. Camp. Sue and Mr. C just got back from three days of camping with her class. They had such a fun time. Sue loved the food. Mr. C was in charge of the canoes. The kids weren't supposed to take the canoes past the bridge on the lake. They asked if they could anyway. Apparently his answer was, "No. There are trolls under the bridge." They loooooked at him.
236. PTA. It has been fun and it is almost over for the year! I think next year needs to be a little calmer. We have such great ladies there. A child in third grade was recently diagnosed with cancer. He is currently at St. Jude's. It has been neat to watch the community rally around.
237. Sue and her bake set. She saw it at the book fair and had to have it! She is having such fun with it. She's made mini mini muffins twice already. She loves cooking and we are glad to let her have at it!
238. Lawn Mowing. The girls have been mowing a neighbor's yard. Sue stayed inside while Mr. C and Lou started. She wanted to finish her mini muffins. Since Lou did a lot more of the yard she got paid more. She liked that! She said she's learning about having a business. That you have to keep doing it.
239. Walking home with the S-Train. We had a great walk home from school the other day. It was just the two of us, so we could take our time. We played tic tac toe in the sand and watched the cutest baby birds getting fed in a birdhouse nest. Then, as we are walking by an overgrown yard the S-Train surprised me. "Fescue!" he said. "Fescue?" Mr. C had told him the kind of grass and he remembered! We had this whole discussion about how wheat was a kind of grass...
240. Our Cat. Sleeps on its back.
241. Our Garage. Has recently been invaded by a raccoon. He pulled the nearly empty cat food bag through the cat door into the back yard. Also ripped a new bag trying to get into it. I saw him coming into the garage and slid the cat door closed after he ran away. Hopefully he'll find another home for food. On another note, our car apparently smells like wet dog when it is wet. On the outside. I'm wondering if that raccoon tried to mark his territory. . .
242. Home repairs are getting done. Hurray for tax returns! The washer decided the trap under the ground - that we knew was giving out - was done. So we got that fixed. And the next round of windows are on order! Yea! Progress!
243. Mothers' Day flowers. Aren't they pretty? I got two vases full of irises and daisies! The irises came out of our neighbor's yard. They told Mr. C to come and cut a whole bunch. They had too many. The daisies are from our yard. The flowers were so pretty we took them to church to share.
Anyway, that's enough of a mega post update. More later!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Keeping up with the End of the Year craziness!
Hopefully we are near the end of the crazy busyness and back to normal busyness.
226. The Oldest is enjoying being busy. She says, "There's something to do every night! We're never at home bored!" I know I felt the same way when I was her age. Enthusiastic, ready to bounce to the next thing, and not at all bored. - There wasn't time! She's looking forward to a June packed with activity.
227. The Oldest and her quintet got a I (one) at both district and state solo and ensemble competition! If you haven't heard about their quintet - it's unique. They don't fit into any normal category. There is one baritone (oldest), one french horn, a bassoon, and two clarinets. They couldn't find music for the longest time. They would ask band teachers for music and the teachers would say, "For that combination? . . . Sorry." Finally a step-mom/band teacher gave them some low brass quintet music to try. It worked! And so they went on. They kept coming over to practice, and it was great fun. The Oldest also played a solo at district and got a II (two).
The group began as a quartet. One of the girls (N) was telling someone about her quartet that got a one at state! Then she named the people in her group. The other person said, "Isn't that five people."
And then she got teased. "Guess how many people are in N's quartet?. . . five."
(Oh I can so see myself doing that! One slip of the tongue. . . )
228. Mr. C is enjoying taking kids to soccer games!
229. The kids are enjoying getting paid for stuff. Last year's sugar challenge, dandelions, mowing the neighbor's lawn. We are enjoying them paying for their own stuff.
230. Lou had a fourth grade strings ensemble concert. They sound amazing for 4th grade.
231. Giggling at the scriptures. I was reading a little in the old testament the other night and I started giggling. The girls wanted to know what I was giggling about. Well. . .
In Numbers everyone is complaining to Moses about what they have to eat. (Numbers 11: 4-5) Nothing but manna miraculously sent from heaven in the middle of the hostile desert. They say - "Who will give us flesh to eat?" And they remember that in Egypt they had fish and cucumbers and melons and leeks and onions and garlick. (It actually lists all those things.) Of course, if I'd eaten nothing but manna for years and years and I remembered all the other kinds of food there were, I might do the same thing. (As the veggie tales song goes - "it's filling, but bland!")
Anyway, Moses is fed up, and talks to the Lord and says, "Why me? Do you really hate me so much that I have to deal with these people? Why are they my job? They aren't even my kids! I feel like you want me to carry babies to the promised land. And, where am I going to get them flesh to eat anyway? I can't do this. Instead of making me deal with all these complainers, if you really like me, just kill me now. Please." (Numbers 11:11-15)
So the Lord says,"I will help you out. I'll give you help from others in your group. And about the food, tell them," "the Lord will give you flesh, and ye shall eat." You won't eat for one day, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days. You'll have flesh to eat for a month! Until you're so sick of it that it comes out your nose! That'll teach you to complain about coming out of Egypt!" (Num 11:16-20) It sounds much nicer in the King James English, but that's what it means.
Moses wonders how on earth that's really going to happen this far out. And the Lord says, "You think I can't do it? You just wait and see." (Num 11:21-23)
So then Moses talks to his leaders and lots of people run around prophesying and in verses 31-33 they get all the quail they can eat, piled up two feet deep for a day's journey on each side.
Anyway, Moses' speech to the Lord just cracked me up.
232. The S-Train is cleaning like crazy! He has taken a personal interest in making sure the table is clear and things are picked up. I think he figured out that this is something that makes his mom happy. I am happy to encourage such industry!
233. Mothers' Day. The S-Train keeps hinting at a great surprise. In Primary they asked the kids about what they had done for their mothers. The S-Train was so excited to tell about how they had made me breakfast in bed. Mothers' Day memories are sometimes as much for the kid as the parent!
The primary children were practicing "I Often Go Walking." Sniff. Sniff. I'll be a puddle next week!
226. The Oldest is enjoying being busy. She says, "There's something to do every night! We're never at home bored!" I know I felt the same way when I was her age. Enthusiastic, ready to bounce to the next thing, and not at all bored. - There wasn't time! She's looking forward to a June packed with activity.
227. The Oldest and her quintet got a I (one) at both district and state solo and ensemble competition! If you haven't heard about their quintet - it's unique. They don't fit into any normal category. There is one baritone (oldest), one french horn, a bassoon, and two clarinets. They couldn't find music for the longest time. They would ask band teachers for music and the teachers would say, "For that combination? . . . Sorry." Finally a step-mom/band teacher gave them some low brass quintet music to try. It worked! And so they went on. They kept coming over to practice, and it was great fun. The Oldest also played a solo at district and got a II (two).
The group began as a quartet. One of the girls (N) was telling someone about her quartet that got a one at state! Then she named the people in her group. The other person said, "Isn't that five people."
And then she got teased. "Guess how many people are in N's quartet?. . . five."
(Oh I can so see myself doing that! One slip of the tongue. . . )
228. Mr. C is enjoying taking kids to soccer games!
229. The kids are enjoying getting paid for stuff. Last year's sugar challenge, dandelions, mowing the neighbor's lawn. We are enjoying them paying for their own stuff.
230. Lou had a fourth grade strings ensemble concert. They sound amazing for 4th grade.
231. Giggling at the scriptures. I was reading a little in the old testament the other night and I started giggling. The girls wanted to know what I was giggling about. Well. . .
In Numbers everyone is complaining to Moses about what they have to eat. (Numbers 11: 4-5) Nothing but manna miraculously sent from heaven in the middle of the hostile desert. They say - "Who will give us flesh to eat?" And they remember that in Egypt they had fish and cucumbers and melons and leeks and onions and garlick. (It actually lists all those things.) Of course, if I'd eaten nothing but manna for years and years and I remembered all the other kinds of food there were, I might do the same thing. (As the veggie tales song goes - "it's filling, but bland!")
Anyway, Moses is fed up, and talks to the Lord and says, "Why me? Do you really hate me so much that I have to deal with these people? Why are they my job? They aren't even my kids! I feel like you want me to carry babies to the promised land. And, where am I going to get them flesh to eat anyway? I can't do this. Instead of making me deal with all these complainers, if you really like me, just kill me now. Please." (Numbers 11:11-15)
So the Lord says,"I will help you out. I'll give you help from others in your group. And about the food, tell them," "the Lord will give you flesh, and ye shall eat." You won't eat for one day, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days. You'll have flesh to eat for a month! Until you're so sick of it that it comes out your nose! That'll teach you to complain about coming out of Egypt!" (Num 11:16-20) It sounds much nicer in the King James English, but that's what it means.
Moses wonders how on earth that's really going to happen this far out. And the Lord says, "You think I can't do it? You just wait and see." (Num 11:21-23)
So then Moses talks to his leaders and lots of people run around prophesying and in verses 31-33 they get all the quail they can eat, piled up two feet deep for a day's journey on each side.
Anyway, Moses' speech to the Lord just cracked me up.
232. The S-Train is cleaning like crazy! He has taken a personal interest in making sure the table is clear and things are picked up. I think he figured out that this is something that makes his mom happy. I am happy to encourage such industry!
233. Mothers' Day. The S-Train keeps hinting at a great surprise. In Primary they asked the kids about what they had done for their mothers. The S-Train was so excited to tell about how they had made me breakfast in bed. Mothers' Day memories are sometimes as much for the kid as the parent!
The primary children were practicing "I Often Go Walking." Sniff. Sniff. I'll be a puddle next week!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Celebrations and concerts
Alright. It's about time for another post. I've been a little MIA on the blog lately. That's because the last two weeks might just win for busiest yet! (And around here, that's saying something.) One night this last week we had to move a piano lesson to accommodate two concerts and two soccer practices. We have had at least two things every evening. And that leads me to ...
218. General Busyness. I'm so glad that we are blessed to have the luxury of this busyness. It's the end of the school year so concerts and assemblies and such pop up with amazing regularity. It's amazing that we don't have more conflicts than we do! But honestly, this type of activity is so much more appealing to me than staying home trying to figure out what to do every night. It gives structure to what is going on. And it's so fun to see the kids growing and doing. The only sad thing about it is realizing this part of my life is flying by and won't last forever. Everyone is at such fun ages.
219. Dancing. And dress shopping. We went dress shopping to outfit the oldest for a dance. She needed something new for summer. We got one with a half an hour to spare! When she got home from the dance Lou asked who she danced with. She said, "This one kid. And this other kid." Lou, "That was his name?!"
220. TEETH. We've all been to the dentist lately. So far - no braces needed. (Mommy happy dance goes here.) And the big news - The S-Train lost his first teeth!!
They have been hanging on by the tiniest roots for weeks! Tooth number one came out at soccer practice. (And amazingly made it home after being put in the pocket of his soccer shorts!:) ) Tooth number two came out the next night after he dribbled a basketball into his face in the church gym. (Maybe we should have played basketball sooner.)
221. Choir Concert. Sue had her end of the year choir concert for the parents. She is so excited because today the choir does a concert tour to several nursing homes and ends up performing downtown. They sound great!
222. Milk Jug armor. I meant to post about this earlier. We have a great knight helmet the oldest and the S-Train got together and made a couple of weeks ago out of a milk jug. It has a visor you can put up and everything. Unforturately it has led the S-Train to believe that he needs a whole suit of milk jug armor for Halloween next year. He is saving milk jugs in the basement. If he doesn't use them soon, I'll break his heart and dump them, or the recycling people will have to tip the basement into their truck! (They are all washed out.)
223. Cheerios Guitar. An after school project by the S-Train. So authentic he made a pick (out of a Krispy Kreme box) and mirrored the way it is held by watching his music teacher at school. A work of art.
224. Home Concert. To celebrate the loss of teeth the S-Train wanted to have a party. He's also been rearranging the house off and on for days to get ready for a concert he wanted to have with his cheerios guitar and drums his sisters made in art class. In fact, he had a three minute concert the other day when I wasn't home.
So yesterday he invited a friend over and we combined the two. He had music written out - for himself and for the drummer. And they made tickets.
Now I knew we had lots of tickets floating around from the previous concert. Not wanting to use up paper for another batch of tickets, I said, "Why are we making tickets? Don't we have a bunch already?"
The S-Train, "Those are expired!"
(He was so serious. I had to go in the other room and laugh.)
Then the concert. We had great announcers and singers.
After it was all over they set up an autograph signing station in the basement. The girls had knighted them (like McCartney or Elton John) for their contributions to music. So they needed to wear their milk jug helmets for the event.
And if you've lasted this long, I'll leave you with one more thing that made me smile this week.
225. Overheard in a meeting.
First person - says something quietly.
Second person - "What?"
"Oh, nothing, I was just talking to myself."
"Sorry. I was eavesdropping."
I cracked up.
218. General Busyness. I'm so glad that we are blessed to have the luxury of this busyness. It's the end of the school year so concerts and assemblies and such pop up with amazing regularity. It's amazing that we don't have more conflicts than we do! But honestly, this type of activity is so much more appealing to me than staying home trying to figure out what to do every night. It gives structure to what is going on. And it's so fun to see the kids growing and doing. The only sad thing about it is realizing this part of my life is flying by and won't last forever. Everyone is at such fun ages.
219. Dancing. And dress shopping. We went dress shopping to outfit the oldest for a dance. She needed something new for summer. We got one with a half an hour to spare! When she got home from the dance Lou asked who she danced with. She said, "This one kid. And this other kid." Lou, "That was his name?!"
220. TEETH. We've all been to the dentist lately. So far - no braces needed. (Mommy happy dance goes here.) And the big news - The S-Train lost his first teeth!!
They have been hanging on by the tiniest roots for weeks! Tooth number one came out at soccer practice. (And amazingly made it home after being put in the pocket of his soccer shorts!:) ) Tooth number two came out the next night after he dribbled a basketball into his face in the church gym. (Maybe we should have played basketball sooner.)221. Choir Concert. Sue had her end of the year choir concert for the parents. She is so excited because today the choir does a concert tour to several nursing homes and ends up performing downtown. They sound great!
222. Milk Jug armor. I meant to post about this earlier. We have a great knight helmet the oldest and the S-Train got together and made a couple of weeks ago out of a milk jug. It has a visor you can put up and everything. Unforturately it has led the S-Train to believe that he needs a whole suit of milk jug armor for Halloween next year. He is saving milk jugs in the basement. If he doesn't use them soon, I'll break his heart and dump them, or the recycling people will have to tip the basement into their truck! (They are all washed out.)
223. Cheerios Guitar. An after school project by the S-Train. So authentic he made a pick (out of a Krispy Kreme box) and mirrored the way it is held by watching his music teacher at school. A work of art.
224. Home Concert. To celebrate the loss of teeth the S-Train wanted to have a party. He's also been rearranging the house off and on for days to get ready for a concert he wanted to have with his cheerios guitar and drums his sisters made in art class. In fact, he had a three minute concert the other day when I wasn't home.
So yesterday he invited a friend over and we combined the two. He had music written out - for himself and for the drummer. And they made tickets.
Now I knew we had lots of tickets floating around from the previous concert. Not wanting to use up paper for another batch of tickets, I said, "Why are we making tickets? Don't we have a bunch already?"
The S-Train, "Those are expired!"
(He was so serious. I had to go in the other room and laugh.)
Then the concert. We had great announcers and singers.
They played two songs. "I'm a rock star" and "The S-Train lost a tooth." The best was when they were going to start the second song. The S-Train said, "STOP! I have the wrong notes!" He apparently hadn't switched from this
to this.
to this.
After it was all over they set up an autograph signing station in the basement. The girls had knighted them (like McCartney or Elton John) for their contributions to music. So they needed to wear their milk jug helmets for the event.
And if you've lasted this long, I'll leave you with one more thing that made me smile this week.
225. Overheard in a meeting.
First person - says something quietly.
Second person - "What?"
"Oh, nothing, I was just talking to myself."
"Sorry. I was eavesdropping."
I cracked up.
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