Do you not know what causes that?

Three Sisters

Owen, Clara and Ada were playing dress up and this was how they came down...

Ada's Early Birthday

Well we had Ada's birthday party a bit early.  We invited everyone over to celebrate but it was really a combo birthday/4th of July/Going away for the Pepperstones. We rented an inflatable and the girls had fun all day while we cleaned up and got ready.  But just as the party was starting, a serious thunderstorm with hail came over the town.  Eventually it let up and Benjamin and another older kid got sopping wet while "drying" off the inside.  Then the other kids went back.  She loved her gifts and the cake was awesome.

The headbands were a huge success as was her very own baby doll, complete with Etsy cloth diapers!

The Truth

So it's breakfast and Ada is busy doing her normal routine of complaining about everything because she's sleepy. Hilary, nicely, from the other room says, "Ada quit complaining." Ada says very matter-of-factly, "I'm not complaining, I'm whining."

We all got a good giggle.

Spring Sing 2008

This year Ada's class sang a bunch of sun related song, while Owen and Clara's group sang bedtime songs.  This was Ada's 1st year and Owen and Clara's last...

Making Up Songs

Ada loves to make up songs.  Most of our kids have done this, but the lyrics this morning were just precious. She was reading a book about the Angel Lailah (pronounced Lilah) who teaches babies the secrets of the world before they are born and then reminds them to keep the secrets by putting her fingers to their lips as they are born, leaving the indent on your upper lip. So Ada sat at the piano singing, "Lailah lived in your uterus... Lailah lived in your uterus..."

Spring Break 2008 Day Three

Day three was really not that exciting. Clara went with me to the grocery.  Then we had biscuits with breakfast. The kids helped put groceries away (love them!). Then I made pizza for lunch and they had a picnic on the back porch with pretzels and pizza. Then they had ice cream. (Love these new tiny little servings of ice cream!)

Zac's family picked up Isaac to play. The mattresses for the bunk bed were delivered. Benjamin helped me put the on. Girls are happy.

The rest of the afternoon was really spent sitting in the doctor's office with Ada.  Her legs are still crooked and the other mommies were hounding me.  My doctor said, "Tell the other mommies that Ada is fine."

Homework

This morning Ada got immediately out of bed and picked up a folder with a few blank note papers in it.  Her "homework."  She brought it every where today.  She kept saying that she needed a pen and a diet pepsi to do her homework.  She even took it to school. Her teachers thought it was adorable and gaver her some crayons.  So I wrote her name in eight different colors on her homework while she copied me.  (She also has to sign out every day at school.)  Too cute!

Chanukah (Night #1)

The great Chanukah experiment of 2007 has begun!  This year I decided that every night of Chanukah one child would celebrate with gifts.  We'd focus attention on that child, read books they'd chosen and let them light candles.  Ada did really well tonight.  She loved her presents and all the kids played together with her toys.  Sharing for a 2 yo is sometimes hard, so sometimes it was parallel play, but quiet, fun play nonetheless. And since we're going in reverse age order - she only had 2 candles to light.  Here are a couple of pictures:

Catching up in pictures!

Ada was pretty happy about dinner...

 

Clara previews the Pippi Longstocking Hair

The "Haunted House" we made from a kit...

Where do I start?

Well, it's been a wild couple of weeks to say the least.  It started off at the Lamaze International Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.  The good news is that I figured out how to fly and NOT drool on myself for days afterwards - Xanax!  I actually worked on a plane.  It was great to not have panic attacks.  And lest you believe it to be a one time trick - it worked every time. I rode four, count them, four airplanes in two weeks!

In AZ I gave two presentations and lead two special groups. They were fun and exciting. I also enjoyed just relaxing with my good friend, Pat. I also picked up some goodies for friends who are CBEs. My room was way far away and it felt like a real hike, but it had a nice view of the mountains.

I came home for about 40 hours.  In which I went to HS open house, had a dinner date, shopped like a mad woman, fixed dinner for 15 guests for Rosh Hashana, did a radio interview, and went to services. I left services to go to the airport, and changed my clothes in the parking lot.

ICEA was fun, though I was wiped out. I had a good time with my room mate, Teri Shilling, even though I think I drove her a bit nuts.  She did get some good laughs in, mostly at my expsense. We had dinner with Penny Simkin, Kathy McGrath and Rachel Miller one night which was so fun to just sit and talk. We also spent a lot of time talking to Debby Amis and Jeanne Green while at ICEA, though they had led a training seminar at Lamaze, but they were busy then and unavailable for converstaion. I did two more presentations and helped Teri lug her two 74lb (EACH!) suitcases to her sessions.

I made it home in time to spend some girl time with Laurie and Paula.  We stayed out until 2 a.m.  Then back on the road with the kids for school, brunch, our first book club and stamping!

Some memorable highlights from the week:

• Ada insists on telling me how to drive. If I go the "wrong" way she tells me all about it.
• Hilary apologized for a flare up she had - which was very mature of her.
• Grandy (my mom) had a birthday and I took grandma to see her.
• Grandma informed Mom that she wouldn't live much longer. (Grandma didn't know why we were laughing so hard.)
• Clara and Owen are loving soccer and ballet.
• Lilah has fallen and scrapped up her knees again!  Poor baby. Though she is pleased with her new shoes.
• Isaac is not liking homework, but glad to be back in Tae Kwon Do and chess.
• Benjamin, after a lengthy conversation about the role of electricity in the body, including the ability to pass that electricity on, concluded: "So if it's a lightening storm outside, don't walk around holding hands..."
• The fish is alive, even after I cleaned the tank, but the boys declare that the tank still smells.
• Kevin is very, very, very glad I'm home.