Gwen's weeks

Ah yes...the girl of the group.  That week of the last week of school was also pretty active for Gwen.  The Saturday morning was her dance recital.  She was able to sit with me and watch the other performances so she didn't have to entertain herself in the waiting room.  Her's was the 3rd performance of the day.  I can't help but laugh that I get the "get away from me, mom" picture as well as the pretty, posed picture after the performance.  She loves her dance.  I have a feeling that we will be spending a lot more time at dance lessons in the future, once she can sign up for more than one.

Similar to previous years, her dance recital falls on the same weekend as BAA baseball tournament weekend.  She is in BAA this year, and unfortunately, her first game was too close to her recital so she couldn't play in it.  Trevor is in traveling baseball this year, so he didn't have a tournament this weekend.  Thank goodness, because I don't know how we would have been able to pull it all off.  Actually, Gwen is liking going to most of the games because there are a group of 4 girls around her age, or at least willing to play with her in most of their activities.  Anyway, this year, it still was a dance/baseball weekend, but Gwen did both and Trevor didn't have his baseball that weekend.  So below is a picture from the game that Gwen did attend.  She is getting good at watching the ball hit her bat and getting a hit most times she is up.

 Fielding is another story.  She would rather play in the dirt than watch what is going on.  Now, to give her credit, hardly any of the kids are ready at every pitch when the other team is up to bat.  So when it does get faster paced, hopefully she will be ready.  I do think she has learned a lot so far!  And she hasn't had to miss too many games.

So on Monday, was her Kindergarten graduation.  There are a few pictures here of her with some of her classmates, during the singing presentation, one with her teacher, and the picture they take when the kids are in a high-school sized cap and gown.  I still have Trevor's from when he was in Kindergarten.  I for sure am going to use it for pictures at each of their grad parties.

Gwen did not participate this year in the Talent Show.  She had quite a few people in her school that were in her dance class.  Maybe if there are still a group of them, they could get together and dance their performance.  I could see her doing that instead of a piano performance, like Trevor has done.
 Gwen had a wonderful time at the zoo as well. However, she was a lot more timid when it came to the giraffes.  I guess the size was slightly overpowering.  She also didn't care to look at the sharks in the tank, or really, any animal that would have the potential to "get" her.  I don't know why it extended to giraffes, but it did.

So as a result of being a younger sibling, Gwen got the chance to tag along to the tournament last weekend.  She loved the pool, and loved the fun she could have with the other girls that she knew from the siblings of Trevor's teammates.  I think all of the parents appreciated the break that the kids could get from their siblings during the weekend and that they always had someone to entertain them.  Hopefully we will have that as long as Trevor wants to play both baseball and hockey.  

Finally, the last two pictures, I couldn't help but take because at her game last night, Gwen was able to play her favorite position: catcher.  She played it one other time, but I was not there to see it.  She practices her throwing, back to the pitcher, and I would say that she practices her catching, but really, she practices her dodging, more than anything.  She moves to the side and sticks her glove out hoping to catch it.  It is pretty cute.  And she loves being in all that gear.  Thankfully it wasn't too hot.

She is also starting her week long camps, through the summer program here.  The first week out of school it was a VBS program, and this week it is Gymnastics.  Boy does she love her gymnastics!  I signed her up for two consecutive weeks.  She is finally able to put it all together, and is really working on her cartwheels.

So there you have it!  The month of June is more than halfway done!  It's only about 75 days until school starts again...but who's counting????!?

Trevor's weeks

Both kids had a pretty exciting and event-filled last week of school.  I wanted to get it all down a while ago, but of course, time slips away.  I'll try to do a post for each kid that primarily focuses on that last week of school.


So Trevor started off the week on Sunday going to a Twins game with Russ.  I had gotten some good seats for Russ, and it worked out to take Trevor, so off they went for the 12:10 game.  It was a kids giveaway for a Willingham jersey to the first 5,000 kids.  Trevor was lucky enough to get one.  The seats were directly to the right of the Twins dugout (looking at the field), so they could see the players going into the dugout during their at-bats.



It was a bright, sunny day, and after the last out of the first inning, Trevor was thrown a ball from Dozier.  You can see the change in Trevor's smile after he got a major league baseball!  The ball is now sitting in a case, so it will never be played with again.  There is a nice grass mark on it as well.

So because I was curious as to if either of the boys were going to be on TV, I had been recording the game.  Russ texted me about the ball Trevor caught, but it wasn't anything that you could see from the game on TV.  They cut away after the last out.  But the game went on, and the Twins had a home run hitting time.  It isn't very often that there was a game like that.  And then, at the top of the 8th inning, one of the reporters went out into the stands to do a little report on what was happening in the game.  My mom called and asked me what Trevor was wearing at the game, because she thought she saw him!  Turns out, she was right!  Although I wasn't sitting watching the game, I did a little rewind, and saw him.  So did Gwen.  He is enjoying a helmet bowl of ice cream, and no one nearby knew that they were on camera.  Now he not only got a ball, but he was also on TV.  What could be better?


So back to school he went.  Monday was nothing too big for him, but Tuesday was the talent show.  He did well enough and I enjoyed listening to him during the evening performance.  They got their annual trophy for their participation which is always the best part.  Now, on Wednesday, a different event happened for him.  Because of a drawing done from the kids who won lunch with Tony Oliva, a ride in a limo and DQ, one of the kids got to swap days with the principal.  That person was Trevor.  So the day he was able to swap was the Wednesday of this week.  I asked Trevor to dress up like the principal, which meant a collared shirt and tie.  He was somewhat against it until I told him that he may have to give a speech at some point, and he should look his best for it.  So he agreed, and went into school for the day.  He was able to help out with the arrival of students, be on the morning news, and observe some of the classrooms.  I was at school for my weekly Wednesday envelope duties, so I snapped a picture of him in his "office".

He said he was going to try to get extra recess for the school, but then learned it wasn't his job to do...yet.  Maybe some day.  The principal had to go and sit in Trevor's class for the day, and they had some school work for him to do as well.  Another memorable day for Trevor.

Last day of school, the 3rd grade had an all-3rd grade party with a Hawaiian theme.  I was able to help out, and Gwen helped me helping out since it was in the morning.  The kids are very anxious to get out and start their summer vacation, but they had a good time as well.

So we made it through that week....from Trevor's perspective, he had a lot going on.  The next weekend we didn't have a tournament, so we were able to go out and play at the zoo with his cousin Adam and a good group of the Johnson family.  The weather was forecasting rain, but it held off the entire time we were there.  We got around to see almost everything, and the kids were troopers!  One of the most unique experiences I've ever seen while there was that they opened a feeding time for the giraffes.  Anyone that wanted to was able to feed the giraffe.  Trevor was psyched and did what was expected.  He even felt how sandpapery the tongue of the giraffe was.  You had to buy the crackers for the giraffe, so it wasn't free, but I think it was well worth it.

Since the zoo, we have been doing the summer activities and baseball tournaments.  The last tournament is this weekend but previous to that, we had a tournament in Rochester.  This was the first tournament where the kids decided they were going to stay in hotel for the weekend.  They had two games early on Saturday, and had Friday off.  Trevor was really excited to get down there, but we first had to wait for Russ to come in from his business trip.  He landed around 3:30, and we picked him up and drove to Rochester.  When we got to the hotel, first thing to do was to jump in the pool.  (Kids, not really first thing for the adults).  Even though it was close enough to dinner time, the kids didn't care.  They started arriving and came to the pool to swim, even if they weren't staying in the hotel.  We decided to order pizzas and eat them in the commons area, where they usually have breakfast.  Dinner was served close to around 7:30 and the kids (and adults) had a lot.  Because of the swimming, they were not as rowdy as usual, but still pretty high energy from all the excitement.

After dinner, it was after 9:00 and they had to be at the field the next day at 8:00am.  They fell asleep rather easily...at least in my room, and woke up pretty good too.  Unfortunately, the kids had a rough bunch of games that weekend, but had more swimming both Saturday and Sunday before heading back home.

Now through this whole time, Trevor once said to me, "Mom, that was the best day of my life!"  Do you know when it was?  On Friday night before going to bed in the hotel.  Well....I know Trevor lives in the moment...so it didn't really surprise me, but after the other days that he had had prior to that, I was a little surprised that it took a swim in a pool with his teammates and some pizza at a hotel to become the best day of his life.  Here's to many more, Trevor!

Fun times

Coming back from our Disneyland trip, the fun for the kids just doesn't seem to have slowed down at all.  Because of Halloween, and the part that the school does not do a costume party during school hours, that left for a lot of "parties".  Trevor got to wear his costume at the school's Costume Party that took place the Friday before Halloween.  I was with Gwen during the party where she met up with two classmates and spent most of her time dancing at the dance party.  They also had a photo booth set up to take pictures, so now she has a photograph to remember the event by.  I have to say, it really made me want the time to slow down because it really was very easy to see her just a few years older going to a middle school dance.  She behaved exactly like those kids do...giggling and running around, dancing to the music.  I don't even know if they have dances like we did in Jr. High.  I do remember how much fun it was though.  After the party, Gwen was excited that she became good friends with one of the classmates she doesn't usually see.

Then last weekend, Trevor had his hockey tryouts.  This is his last year of mites, and he is hoping to make the advanced mite team.  Last year he was in intermediate.  He made the callback scrimmage on Sunday, and we found out on Tuesday, he made one of two advanced teams.  He was overjoyed.  So was I.  I knew it meant a lot to him to be able to progress every year.  The team already has 4 practices this weekend...so let the hockey begin!  Also on Saturday, we headed to an Apple Orchard/Pumpkin Patch with Derek, Kyrsten and Adam.  It was a little chilly, but we got our warm cider, apple doughnuts, pumpkins, pictures and a hay ride.  Harvest time complete!  I couldn't believe what a well-behaved kids Adam was!  It was so nice of him to let us play around while he enjoyed snuggling in his warm clothes.

Gwen was invited to a classmates Halloween party last Sunday.  She was REALLY excited to go, because she had yet to have any actual playdates since school has started.  We know the girl from both school and she is in her dance class for the past two years.  It was a two hour party and when I picked her up, she didn't want to leave.  So we'll have to have the girl back over to our house sometime in the coming weekends.  Unfortunately, her parents work during the day, so she attends a daycare place when she is not at school.  Weekends are the only time.  So Gwen was able to get out her costume again for that party, and she got out her Jasmine costume again for her dance class costume party.  It was nice to be able to use that one again and I know it was much easier to move around in, than in her Merida dress.

Then, last Tuesday was the All-Star lunch.  I'm not sure if I mentioned this in my previous posts or not.  This lunch was set up by the school as a prize for selling their goal amount of fundraiser product in September.  The school's top 2 sellers were to be at the lunch and 5 more were drawn from the entire school.  At the lunch, would be Tony Oliva, who is a former Minnesota Twins baseball player.  The lunch was catered by TGIFridays and they had candles, flowers, a nice tablecloth, plates and made it all fancy for the kids.  After the lunch, the kids got to ride in a limo to Dairy Queen for a blizzard and back to school.  I made it a point to order all the product from family and friends through Trevor's name because I wanted him to have as many chances as possible to go to this lunch.  I did buy one ticket for Gwen so she could be in on her class drawings for treats.  So the drawing happened, and Trevor was one drawn!  I was so excited and so was he.  Shortly after, Gwen was drawn.  I was shocked....well, not really since I know she has a wild good luck streak.  Her odds were something like 1 in 400 or so.  I was just so glad that Trevor was already going, or I'm pretty sure there would have been a quick Hunger Games situation:  "I, her brother, nominate myself in her place to go to the lunch!".

I made sure to lay out the expectations for both kids, in order to behave at their "fancy restaurant" and had Trevor think of some questions he wanted to ask Tony.  He did, and I also said he probably would want to get his autograph.  Because both kids were at the lunch, I asked if I could go to take pictures and really to observe Trevor and his awe.  The other 3 kids that were drawn were two second grade girls and one first grade boy.  The two top sellers were two 3rd graders that Trevor has had in class before.  Yes, Trevor was in his element.  He sat across the table from Tony and chatted his ear off as much as he could.  He asked him if he remembered him from when he met him at the Metrodome.  I guess he did a meet and greet there when Trevor was...4???  Tony politely said no.  Trevor asked him what it was like to play for the Twins.  He said that he was very lucky.  He came from Cuba and didn't really know what it meant to play professional baseball.  He just knew he liked to play it, and loved the people he was with.  Although Tony has retired from playing baseball, he has had a lot of different roles with the Twins.  I believe he was a batting coach during one of the times the Twins won the World Series, so he had a World Series ring on.  He passed it around so the kids could take a look at it.  Trevor's eyes lit up.  Then he started rattling off all the baseball facts about the world series that he could remember:  How many times the Twins won...how the Twins weren't always the Twins....then started veering off into history lessons...why WWI started....my eyes started rolling at this point, but Tony was a good sport.  He found out that he was my son, and he told me that I must have raised him right because he really knows his baseball stuff.  He would love to sit down with him more to chat about it.  Trevor was giddy at this point.

Tony had brought some pictures that he signed for the kids, and on the picture had some of his stats.  It stated that he has had 220 career home runs.  Trevor was again, in awe.  I felt bad that I didn't have him study up on Tony Oliva before we got there.  But all was good....the lunch ended, we got some pictures in front of the limo, and the kids were off to have their ice cream.  I knew Gwen enjoyed that part the best.  Limos are cool!  The principal was riding along with them, which was good since the kids were contained.

The kids got back to school at 1:00, and Gwen headed right to class.  We carved more traditional pumpkins than we had in many years.  And then the next day she got another treat:  Another kid from her class asked if we would like to have a standing playdate on Wednesdays where every week they would go to each other's houses - trading off.  That week it was her friends house.  And it was Halloween...so the day was extra special.  I was able to get my windshield replaced on my car and have it back before the kids were done with school.  I made sure everything was set, and we headed out for the night.  It was chilly so I rode in a car while the kids walked.  We were able to hit a lot of different neighborhoods and get plenty of candy.  I was glad when that day was over.

Too much fun!  It should be illegal.  It sure is tiring on a mom.  It is now November:  another birthday month, and party month.  Less than 8 weeks until Christmas...I guess I should be starting to organize the Christmas stuff as well.  Happy Holidays everyone!

So Far, So Good

So we are halfway done with the kids' spring break, and I have to say I'm not as crazy as I thought it was going to make me.  I love routines and knew that this week wasn't going to be a regular one.  I wondered if we would get decent weather to be able to do things outside.  I have a few errands to run, ones that I would rather the kids didn't have to tag along to, and it has worked out wonderfully so far. 

I was very scared at first when the forecast was predicted to be wonderful:  High 70s and sunny both days.  And then Saturday was overcast and barely made it into the 50s.  We had planned to be outdoors on Saturday, but that quickly changed and we changed gears to head to the Works museum, which we had never been to before.  The kids loved it!  I will have to bring them back on my own because Russ quickly tired of the few activities that he was interested in.  I never mind letting them run off and play on their own as long as they are being safe, I can see them, and they have a fun time.  Gwen could have spent all day in the block building area as she is my builder, and Trevor could have spent all his time at the pinewood derby race-like structure where you could build your own car and race it down a timed track.  He is my racer.  He made me chuckle because he was determined to prove that his one wheel would be the fastest thing out there, but Russ proved him wrong.  He made a very well-designed car that speeded past his one wheel. 

Sunday, we had a low key day with a piano lesson.  It was a nicer day to be outside but it still didn't really start to get warm until well after lunchtime.  Then the days of the break really started.  Monday, we actually spend most of the day running to the airport to help some families out.  And then went out to my parents place for dinner.  Tuesday, I spent most of the day at the car dealership getting the car brought up on its maintenance.  Today, I promised to bring the kids to a local park and they lasted a good hour and a half.  It was as busy as I have ever seen it, especially since I was pretty sure there weren't any day care or school like field trips going on.  I will say though that I was glad that my kids don't have to be helped through the maze of slides and climbing things around anymore.  Trevor met up with a few people at school and Gwen found some friends to play with as well.  Tomorrow the kids are going to my parents for the night so I can get some more cleaning and organizing done.  Then we are on to the weekend. 

Trevor's only real hope was that his break wasn't filled with lots of homework, and it hasn't been so I'm pretty sure it will be a success in his eyes.  Gwen has been tired out as she got hit with a cold over the past few days so she has actually been napping.  Her hearing has also gone again as a result of the cold.  But I'm thankful there isn't snow on the ground, it hasn't been raining during the day, and the kids are getting the outdoor time that they need.  So while not a usual spring break for us, it has been a nice break from the crazy routine and gearing up for the end of school.  Can't blink now or you will miss it!

A New Year, a New Schedule

Well, I knew the time would come where I was beginning to feel like I'm getting the kids involved in a lot...perhaps too much....of activities. However, I believe one of my strengths is the ability to plan and be organized. There are some times of the day and week where I consider it very close to non-negotiable. I also take great care to try to avoid activities being scheduled for the same kid back-to-back on a continual basis. There are also things that I can tell the kids would love to do, or get a lot of benefit out of, so I have to weigh all my options before diving in to activities.

Unfortunately, the new year has not exactly gotten off to the stellar start that I would have hoped. Trevor, then myself, and then Gwen all came down with a bad head cold as we were coming home from our trip to the lake house. Trevor did not go to school on Monday or Tuesday and seemed a little sad because of it. It makes me feel good that he is at the point where he does like to go to school. I took him in to the doctor, just to make sure everything was ok, and two doctors checked out his lungs and said that it had the soundings of beginning pneumonia. He had not had a fever of 100.4 or higher, so he could still go to school, although his energy level was why I was keeping him home, not because of a fever, and he did not wheeze, but that I was welcome to have Trevor go down for a chest x-ray. If I would rather, I could also wait for a few more days to see if he could fight it off himself, or not. The third option, which I chose was to give him an antibiotic because if it did become pneumonia, that is what they would give him anyway. With the option of either letting him get worse, or helping him get better, I decided to help him get better. That was on Monday. He still did not go to school on Tuesday because he was up a good part of the night coughing and didn't get enough rest.

Gwen did catch a cold, but it wasn't bad enough for her to be up at night, or have a fever, so she did get to go to school on Tuesday. So then I decided during that day to call and see what kind of new activities the kids could get in to. Right now we do have hockey for Trevor and swimming for both of the kids. I found a close and reasonably priced dance studio for Gwen to take lessons at which started on Wednesday afternoon. It is a half hour lesson for both tap and ballet. I washed all of her clothes that I picked up at Target, and when Wednesday came, she was so excited to know that she could put all of it on and do her dancing that I promised her after we picked up Trevor from school she could put it on. When she got all the gear on, she was in heaven. The smile on her face was heartwarming. During class, I found it interesting that she actually enjoyed the tap part more because the class was going to perform a show with their tap shoes at the end of the month. I did not sign her up for that show. However, I did get her signed up for the spring recital on our Anniversary weekend. I have a feeling when that costume comes in, it will be added to her wardrobe of princess dresses.

The other thing that I found was for Trevor. There was a daily deal for in-home piano lessons, so I took advantage and called to schedule that session. Those start next Thursday for a half hour. I explained it to Trevor, and he seemed skeptical. He has always loved his own playing of the piano, but I don't think he has ever understood that taking lessons would lead you to being able to play songs that you recognize and like. A few days ago, I showed him an easy song on the black keys of Mary Had a Little Lamb and since then that is what he wants to practice. I think he thinks he needs to be able to show his teacher that he knows a song on the piano. I really like this option because it is during a time when it won't interfere with other activities and we don't have to go anywhere. Perhaps it will even make me keep my house cleaner than usual.

The third and final change to our schedule is something I promised Gwen. At her preschool, they also have a childcare room. Gwen has been asking to go in there forever. They have guinea pigs, different toys, and get to eat lunch as well. So during the time when my mom is not able to come over on Wednesdays, Gwen will be going into the childcare room at preschool. I'll have another four hours to do things for myself on Wednesdays.

So big changes for our family are coming this year. Hopefully everyone enjoys their new activities.

Give me a D!

Holy Cow. The weather was unbelievable. The boat was in the water, and we were able to get down to the cabin by 3:00. Since Trevor was in AM Kindergarten, this will probably be the last time we can get there early on Friday. Unless we take him out of school. Regardless, we hit some traffic, while we were still in Minnesota, but otherwise smooth sailing out to the lake. The weather was mid-80's so the kids and I were in the water by 3:30. Gwen was a little confused at swimming with a life jacket on, since when we were in Florida, she was swimming with floaties. But it was interesting to watch her quickly learn when we took a quick boat ride to the creek and jumped in to the warm water there. Then, she enjoyed swimming around in the open water. Perhaps it was because if she thought she could touch the bottom, she wanted to.

So we got done with our swim and got ready to go to our dinner at the Stone's Throw. Eating out on their porch, having their good food was heaven again. I had to cut out of the evening festivities in order to finish my school work for the weekend. Then thinking I'd do well to go to sleep early that night too, I tried to head out for the night. Trevor had other ideas. I think he was revved up to be at the lake and swimming, so he woke up at 2am and couldn't get back to sleep until 4:30. I moved him into the other guest room so he could cool down but he was still up shortly after 7:00. So much for my trying to get ahead on sleep.

We woke up o Saturday to another unbelievable day. The guys went golfing, without Trevor, and the rest of us set up at the beach by around 11:00. It was warm enough in the sun to be in the water for most of the day. Gwen was ready to be done at 1:30 or so. Trevor was tired as well. I mistook Gwen being tired for actually wanting a nap. At about 2:30, I headed out expecting Gwen to sleep with Russ and Trevor to sleep with my mom (which he did) so we could head out for a boat ride. It was a great day to be in the sun. Lots and lots of my wonderful Vitamin D that I crave. We got back I think by 5? At this point I wasn't keeping track. We had a bbq style dinner and server Trevor helped take everyone's order. It is one of his current favorite things to do. That evening we played a game of dominoes, which I won somehow. It was a very fast game, and I was thankful to get to sleep "early"...at least for the lake.

Sunday again was a really warm day, but windy this time. Gwen and Trevor were in the water early, but it was obvious that Gwen wasn't going to make it much longer. So I decided to stay back with her to finish up my homework so she wouldn't bother anyone needing to come back to the house. We got out her little wading pool and I let her play with the little princess dolls that I figured wouldn't get too damaged. The tubes were out with the little kids and adults. Because it was so windy, I guess it wasn't too much fun for Trevor. But his turn came after about 4 hours of playing in the lake. I think he was a bit exhausted. We were able to go out to dinner again on Sunday evening, outside again, and very enjoyable. More dominoes and cards in the evening.

So we missed our yearly parade here in Bloomington, but with the weather what it was, I couldn't resist staying that extra day. I know the kids got their dose of fresh air, and if we can find the time to do it again with the same weather, we will be really lucky. Hopefully July will be wonderful too. We got so lucky this year, and I hope our luck doesn't run out!

You would think this week would be bad....

But it was really good. Really, really good. I know I'm going to forget like half of the stuff that went on this week, so I may have to come back and rewrite a few things. We'll have to see how that goes.

Going all the way back to Monday. It seems like forever ago. It was Trevor's first baseball game. It was raining and cold and windy. Not exactly good weather for watching baseball. It reminded me of 13 years ago, watching Russ pitch in the pouring rain. This time, I at least remembered an umbrella, and thankfully I didn't bring Gwen with me, or else we would have had to sit in the car. Gwen was able to stay at home with Grandma and Amy. She was perfectly happy doing so.

Tuesday, instead of going to golf, there were two meetings I was attending at school. One was on a new multi-age class set up for next year that will have half 1st graders, and half 2nd graders. My brothers participated in these types of classes growing up, but I didn't get the chance. Before going to the meeting on the subject, I was actually turned off to the idea. The more I thought about it, and listened to the arguments, the more I thought it might be a good fit for Trevor. After discussing it with Russ, and Trevor's current teacher, the more it made sense. So right now, we have tossed his name into the ring. We will have to see if it works out, but for now, it may.

Wednesday, we decided to go out and bring Trevor to the science museum while Gwen hung out with my mom. My dad, my brothers and I all would go to the science museum at least once a year, sometimes more depending on what the exhibits were. The last time we were at the Children's Museum, it was obvious that Trevor was getting a little too old for it. We had also been at the Science Museum when the Star Wars exhibit had been there. At the time, it was a little too old for him, but there was still a lot to do. So this time, my dad came with us, and decided to go on all the attractions. We did the omnitheater, and saw the exhibit which was the "Dead Sea Scrolls". We got there almost at 2:00 which turned out to be great because while there could have been schools there, they had left at that time to get back to school. So Trevor had his run of the place. The places that excited him the most were the human body, specifically the girl that when you opened a door of her face, she "sneezed" and blew out water. But there was also a lot of time at the microscope looking at different things like muscles, bones, and other small objects. He also loved the weather part, where they created a smoke tornado that you could break up. I think it might have helped him feel a little bit better about tornadoes, seeing as how we always seem to talk about how dangerous and destructive they can be. He also made it through the omnitheater performance of "Arabia". Yeah, not my choice of fun for a young kid, and there wasn't enough cool feeling when they did the scenery to keep him interested. But to his credit, he made it through without much complaining. Then on to the Dead Sea Scrolls. I think what saved this was that they had a cell phone-like automated tour guide that you entered numbers on a sign that talked about what you did. They had a "family" guide and an "adult" guide. I decided to go on the family guide to keep up with Trevor. We simply played the who can find the next number first. I think the historical significance was lost on me. Again, I was glad that Trevor survived through it without much complaining. The other thing that Trevor enjoyed doing while we were there was that right at the entrance to the exhibits, they had a "newscaster" place where someone could sit in front of a teleprompter and try to become a newscaster. Can you imagine how much time Trevor wanted to do this? If you know him, he was right at home doing this. So overall, I think it was perfectly age appropriate, and it still gave him exposure to things that he may not understand or appreciate, but at least I didn't think he would outgrow it anytime soon.

Thursday, Kyrsten came over to watch the kids for me while I did some accountant stuff. You should see how much Gwen enjoys having girls over to play. Especially ones that are willing to pay her a lot of attention. Russ also came home around dinner time so the kids had some time with him as well. Today, I did Trevor's Friday stations at school, for the last time. Russ will be doing it next Friday, but after that, Trevor will be done with them! He only has 4 weeks left of school as a Kindergartner. I asked him today how he felt about that, and he said he was a little excited, but also a little sad. I am happy to say that he seems to be heading down ending it on a good note. We haven't had nearly as many issues recently as in the past, and I think he just needed more direction to help him figure out how to better behave.

While the weather here this week, until today, has been rainy and cold, we have had so much going on, it has been not even on my mind. Also, I have been asked to look at a start-up company's accounting records which has REALLY pumped me up. It is so clear, by how much I enjoy doing this sort of thing, that it really is the right career for me to get in to.

So that's all I can remember for now. Whew! Hopefully I don't have much more to report for now. Bring on the hot weather!!!!

Discovery of new things

So it's getting close to that time of year. Doubly close with Trevor's birthday thrown in there. We actually had our ECFE class discuss toddler toys and all the different inexpensive or free things you can do or make that your kids might like. Coincidentally, the day before Gwen had gotten out one of our lei's from Disney World. The way that she plays with it, she broke the string and all the flowers came off. They are silk...I think. Not the shiny kind, but the dull, soft kind. I didn't notice that she had broken the necklace, and was putting the dishes in the dishwasher when I heard her singing a song like London Bridges. Recently, we had been singing a song about falling leaves to the tune of London Bridges, and noticed when I watched her that she had thrown a lot of these flowers up in the air like we did with the silk leaves to sing the song. While I have since gotten all the unnecessary pieces of the necklace out of the way, she LOVES these "leaves". She will lay on the ground and want you to throw them up in the air and land on her. However, she gets too excited and can't stay on the ground. I had considered going to Michael's to get some leaves like at ECFE, and now I don't have to.

Then yesterday, with the great weather we had been having, we were outside playing after lunch. I had been looking for our box of chalk, and can't seem to find it. But I did find a few bunny shaped chalk that we could at least play around with a little bit. Gwen just wants to have the bunnies hop around and will draw a little bit with them. Trevor wasn't really interested in them a whole lot until I started using them to write words. Then Trevor realized that he could do the same thing. I wrote random words, not trying to write anything in particular. So that's what he did. He had such a good time, and we spent a good part of the time doing that, so I figured I would break out the window crayons for the porch area. That was a great hit with both kids. Trevor could draw and write words, and Gwen could pretend she was just like Trevor. If Trevor let her on the same window that he was on. I don't know how much longer it will work, because it already was a little chilly on the windows. But it was an inexpensive way to play with the kids for a while.

Last night we had our H1N1 vaccinations. They were out of the mist, so unfortunately, Trevor was a bit upset when he found out that he would have to get a shot. But we did take care of our seasonal flu shots for Trevor and I, and I think we are going to be done for the season. They may get more of the H1N1 for kids under 9, but with the fact that Trevor actually got the flu, and the vaccine, I am comfortable with him being adequately immunized. I'm not sure what they are going to do for next year. Now we go to the doctor soon for Trevor's well-check. And he has no reason to be nervous.

On a good note, the nurse that helped us with our shots, was very nice and complimentary for both kids. They recovered quick, and Gwen got freaked out when she saw me get a shot. But I think that helped Trevor realize (after the fact) that I didn't think the shot hurt. So Trevor is happy to say that he's done for another year. Perhaps there won't be any more shortages of the mist, and we'll be good for a long time. At least with Trevor. Gwen's got more shots in her future. We'll see how that goes.