Bet you can't get them all right....

Ack!! I got two days in a row of zero's on my stat counter. Zero people checked to see if there was anything new here. My loyal readers are giving up. I guess posting more than once every two weeks would be helpful, huh? I still have nothing. I am composing three posts in my head about the end of the school year but was being lazy about uploading pictures.

Here is a little facebook quiz thingy to keep you busy until then. Aren't you glad you checked today?


1) Favorite childhood game is ________.
a) monopoly
b) basketball
c) running races
d) jump rope
e) candy land

2)I secretly would like to be a ________ for a day?
a)pastry chef
b)scientist
c) illustrator
d) librarian
e) all of the above

3)My favorite flavor of ice cream is ________.
a) chocolate
b) strawberry
c) vanilla with sprinkles
d) rocky road
e) all of the above

4) How old was I when I went on my first date?
a) 14
b) 15
c) 16
d) 17
e) 18

5) What am I scared of?
a) clowns
b) thunder
c) horses
d) mice
e) water


6) What would be the perfect present for me?
a) jewelery
b) flowers
c) books
d) new dress
e) ski trip

7) Who is my favorite Disney character?
a) Tigger
b) Mickey
c) Goofy
d) Cinderella
e) Dopey

8) What would I be willing to eat for 10,000 dollars?
a) Get your checkbook, I'll try anything once
b) Anything with wiggly legs
c) Anything slimy
d) Anything still alive
e) Keep the money,I have a lightening fast gag reflex

9) Which of the following did NOT happen to me as a kid?
a) Had my front teeth knocked out by a clothesline
b) Cut my face when a window fell on my head
c) Caught bubonic plague from a chipmunk
d) Broke my wrist playing ball
e) Stepped on a nail and got a hole in my foot

10) How many schools (K-12) did I attend?
a) 3
b) 10
c) 6
d) 5
e) 8

11) How old was I when I got my drivers license?
a) 16
b) 18
c) 20
d) 23
e) 25

12) What are my favorite animals?
a) butterflies and frogs
b) cats and horses
c) tigers and giraffes
d) dragonflies and butterflies
e) dolphins and humming birds

13) What instruments have I learned to play?
a) flute and violin
b) clarinet and piano
c) clarinet and saxophone
d) flute and piano
e) recorder and kazoo

14) What did I not get a varsity letter for in high school?
a) basketball
b) track and field
c) soccer
d) academics

15) Which reality TV show do I watch regularly?
a) American Idol
b) Dancing with the Stars
c) Survivor
d) The Bachelor
e) The Amazing Race

16) How did I celebrate my 18th birthday?
a) Cake and chic flicks with my college roommates
b) A dinner out with mom and dad
c) A sleepover with my sisters
d) Clubbing with my girlfriends
e) A movie and bowling with my senior class

17) I have a college degree in what?
a) English
b) Elementary Education
c) Nursing
d) Liberal Arts
e) Music Education

18) What was my favorite place to hide for quiet time as a kid?
a) in a tree
b) under the bed
c) in the bathroom with the door locked
d) behind the couch

19) What was the mascot of my graduating high school class?
a) cougars
b) grizzlies
c) pirates
d) vikings

20) What do I most enjoy shopping for?
a) groceries
b) shoes
c) make up
d) gifts for my kids
e) clothes


I shall post the answers tomorrow. Facebook users, no cheating!

Here are the answers:
1. c
2. e
3. a
4. c
5. d
6. c
7. a
8. e
9. d
10. c
11. d
12. a
13. b
14. c
15. e
16. a
17. b
18. d
19. c
20. b

Happy Half Birthday

Rebecca is six months old! Wow, how the time flies! At her check up she weighed in at a lovely 17 1/2 lbs. She is growing so fast! Happy half birthday to Becca, and congrats to the rest of us for making it through the rough patch.

I love watching her personality start to come through. She is rather serious, treating us to belly laughs only on special occasion, but loves to smile at the people she loves. She is curious and persistent and already knows what she likes (and doesn't like) and is trying very hard to communicate with us.

I didn't want her to feel left out of the achievement category, so here is what she can do now: roll over, sit up (for a few moments anyway), suck her thumb, drool, grab everything and put it in her mouth, kick in the bathtub, rock herself in the bouncy, and eat smooshed food. Go Rebecca! You have talent, too!

Fresh and clean right out of the bath.

Drop and give me twenty!! Actually, she was just trying to reach my glasses....

Mom is victorious! Her first bottle of formula- no tears, gagging, or spitting up. I just needed to let her do it on her own schedule.

Big blue eyes and her serious face. She has nothing but love for that big yellow ducky.

And did I mention that we love, love, love her? We do.

Some quick updates

Is it sad that almost every post I write has been titled "random"? Maybe it is a sign that I need some organization around here, even in my head.

Last night I bought plane tickets to fly to CA this June. The 16th- 3rd. Flying out of Baltimore into Reno. This way we can spend a few days with Mike's family (whoever will take us I guess) and then go see my family as well. Camping at the beach- woohoo! Too bad we are going to freeze to death. 60* at the end of June? Really?
Anyway, I am flying will all 3 kiddos by myself. Any hints on surviving a cross-country flight and then an 6 hr drive with three kids, one who gets car/plane sick, one who is in perpetual motion, and one who is teething, would be greatly appreciated! Or maybe you can just pray for me.....

Signed the kids up for swimming lessons today. Hooray for pool weather. Don't forget the sun block.

Lenna has decided on horse camp this summer. She has never ridden a horse, except for the ponies at the fair, so we will see how she does. She kicked my butt and monopoly last night. She snatched up the purple and the orange ones and started putting up houses like crazy. I was bankrupt in three laps.

Becca is 1/2 this month. That warrants a post of its own, but lets just say she is rolling, scooting, sitting, and drooling. Not to mention killing me every day with her red fuzz, blue eyes, dimples, and chubby baby feet. We love, love, love her!

Today we were walking on the dirt track at the school before I took Andy to preschool. He was bored, so I told him to write me a message in the sand that I could read on my next lap. He wanted me to get him some food, so he scratched this out in the dirt all by himself- "I um hogre" Read phonetically- I am hungry. I was so proud of him! Things are clicking for my little guy! He told his teacher "Yeah, I just listened to the letters!" His celiac test came back "elevated" but we had been avoiding most wheat because we thought he had an allergy. I am letting him eat whatever he wants for the next month then we will repeat the test and get Lenna poked, too.

Mike finished another semester of school with A's and B's. Only two semesters to go! We are enjoying having him around in the evenings again before classes start again next week.

He gave me a great Mother's Day present- a weekend at a church event with my good friend R including a night in a hotel with a jacuzzi, two days of eating food I didn't cook, and full access to the church bookstores. Not to mention great speakers and musical numbers that really made me feel inspired and motivated again. Mike stayed home with kids to do pick ups, baseball games, birthday parties, etc. I still got breakfast in bed and cute cards and little handmade surprises on Sunday.

I am shopping for a minivan. What do you drive? Why? What do you love or hate about it?

One more week of school, then it is summer vacation. Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!

Budding Author

A parent brag post for archival purposes. Consider yourself warned.

A few months ago Lenna came home with a post-it stuck to her homework folder informing me that her story had been selected to represent the first grade in a writing contest called Young Georgia Authors. I patted Lenna on the head, told her I was proud of her for doing her best, and then quickly forgot about the whole thing. She didn't of course.

About a month ago the principal called me to tell me that Lenna's story had won the contest at the county level and was being submitted to the regional and state contests to represent the district's first grade. She was calling to ask permission to publish it on the school website (which you can look up if you are local or find a link on Lenna's private blog if you are family) and announce it on their little news show. I had to act surprised when Lenna came home from school- bounding off the bus at a full run, jacket flying, book bag dragging, waving her paper and shouting, "Mommy! Mommy! I won! I won! My story won for the whole county!" I haven't seen her that excited since Christmas.



Andrew and I were invited to stay for a few minutes at the school to watch Lenna read her story to the school on the morning news show. Andrew thought it was neat to see Lenna on the tv.



A few weeks ago we received the official letter from the school board inviting Lenna to their meeting to receive a certificate. I took the other two kids to a sitter (Mike was taking finals) and Lenna and I went to the meeting. She was a little nervous but also proud. After we celebrated with some ice cream before we collected her siblings.

As the last part of her prize she was able to visit and eat lunch with a "real live book arthur!" who was doing an assembly presentation for the school. She came home with the websites of several children's magazines that publish student writing, determined to "see myself in print!"

The only thing holding her back now is her handwriting- "Mom, I just wish I could write as fast as I think. I have so many ideas, but by the time I get it all written down I forget what I wanted to say!" The lament of authors everywhere, I suppose.

We've got talent!

A few weeks ago our ward primary had a talent show. Lenna and Andrew brainstormed and deliberated for several weeks over what their talent would be. Finally Lenna decided she would show off her jump roping skills while Andrew hesitantly agreed to tell his favorite knock-knock jokes.



The Saturday of the show Lenna had two make-up soccer games. We went to soccer and then left a few minutes early, hoping to catch the last half of the talent show. Lenna walked in the door just in time to be the closing act. She was exhausted from two hours of soccer but managed to keep the rope going for most of her song. She also brought along a copy of her story that she had entered into the Young Author's competition and the letter of recognition she received from the school board inviting her to an award ceremony.

Andrew practiced diligently at perfecting his comedic timing. He was ready to go- until we pulled into the church parking lot, where he refused to get out of the car until I promised that I wouldn't make him go on stage. Instead he brought a painting of a rainbow he had made at school that week to show to his primary teacher. But why waste the cuteness? Here are a few of his favorite jokes.

Knock Knock. Who's there? Cows Say. Cows say, who? Cow's say MOO, not whoo!

KK. Who's there? Who. Who, who? I didn't know you spoke owl!

Why do ducks have flat feet? To stomp out forest fires.

Why do Rhinos have flat feet? To stomp out burning ducks!

Why did the boy throw butter out the window? To see a butterfly.

Where does a giant gorilla eat for lunch? Whatever he wants!

What time is it when a hippo comes to visit and sits on your couch? Time to get a new couch!

You are welcome!

Aren't they talented?

Rain, rain go away

Its raining. Inside and out.

I have so many things I am supposed to tell you about. The church talent show, Lenna's writing prize, Rebecca's 1/2 birthday, Andrew's baseball game, Easter stuff, summer plans, etc, etc. And of course all the personal stuff I have been meaning to write about but haven't motivated to share yet.

And here I sit, typing about all the stuff I should be typing about but am not. To distract me from all of that, I will tell you what I have been doing the past week. I have been sick. I caught a cold somewhere and it hit me pretty hard. I think I am finally feeling normal aside from a lingering cough. However, not normal enough to be motivated to catch up all the stuff I neglected while I was sick. So the laundry is piled up, the sink is full of dishes, I am not sure what I am making for dinner, and I am sitting on the couch blogging, reading, and eating crackers straight out of the box. I am still sick enough to take a break, right?

Lenna and Andy both had appointments last week. Lenna has had some digestive issues that have gotten worse lately. She is improving but not yet in the clear. Thank goodness they make taste-free fiber supplements now. We are trying to avoid more invasive procedures.

Andrew went to the allergist. They repeated a skin test that they had done about a year and a half ago. Then it named half a dozen things that were responsible for his discomfort. I have been pumping him full of different combinations of allergy medicines for over a year with no satisfying results.

As of last week he is officially allergic to ... nothing. We have moved on to asthma and celiac disease as the most likely causes for his coughing, wheezing, rashes, and a handful of other symptoms. Also considering a tonsillectomy to reduce the snoring and sleep apnea. We are awaiting test results but I am already mourning the loss of pizza delivery, chocolate chip cookies, and homemade wheat bread. I am so having a stash cupboard! And significantly reducing our savings plan and adding to our food budget so my kids can eat gluten-free.

Today everyone is ill in their own way. Rebecca has a low grade fever, a cough, and a rash. Andrew has a runny nose, and Lenna has a stomach ache and spent the weekend with a strep throat carrying family, so I am just waiting for a call from the nurse.

Blah. I need my routine back. And a chocolate bar.

Play Ball!

Andrew has decided to play baseball this year. He is in the youngest group, the tiny t-ballers.

It is a great program. They all line up to bat, every kid makes it home, then the teams trade places. This repeats for about four innings. Sometimes the coach has to steer the batter to the right base, or stop a runaway grounder with his foot, but it all works out in the end. They even have a very professional-sounding announcer in the booth announcing their names as they come to bat and giving play-by-plays.

The league is ran by a church, so they stop in the middle of practice to say a prayer and talk about how much Jesus loves them. Andrew's coach is great. You can tell he has worked with young kids before and really knows what he is doing.

Andrew is excited to see Coach Bobby every week. And how do you get nine excited four year olds to sit still for five minutes to talk about Jesus and read Bible verses? Smart guy.

The rest, well you just have to see for yourself. These are photos from Andy's second practice. He had his first game today and the pics will be up this week. Prepare yourself for the cute-ness is all I can say. Dimples in a uniform- look out world!

I know I am cute.

Hit the ball, then run that way!

Good form!

DL? No way! He will play though the injury! A self-inflicted light saber wound. Watch out for auto-extend.

I'm ready. Not that any of you could hit it way out here.

The ball is never coming over here. When do I get to bat again?

So, um, do you think one of us should pick that up?

Airplane overhead. Forget about the ball for a while. Practice is over!

GOAL!!

(Click to enlarge)

For our first foray into organized sports, Lenna played spring soccer this year. She started out not knowing the difference between a cleat and a shin guard, but ended the season with promise. She really found her niche in an unexpected place, the goalie box. She loved that position and did really well. She played through a bruised/cracked tailbone, jammed fingers, and several balls to the face. Sadly, her most significant injury occurred when I shut her foot in the car door after a particularly long night. Sorry sweetie.

Her team only had two returning players (the rest were first-timers) so they didn't do so well statistically but the difference between their first and last game was amazing. If they all play together in the fall they will be great. Lenna is considering soccer academy for her summer camp to learn some more goal-keeping skills.

She really had a good time, which was the most important thing, right?