Nice Try

Kilian and Lucy were having a "discussion" in the back seat of the car on the way home from school. It was getting louder by the minute. I could tell Lucy was getting very frustrated - almost at her breaking point where it can get ugly.

Then I heard Kilian calmly say, "Lucy, how about if you just give us the silent treatment?"

Not what I had in mind

when I purchased some sidewalk chalk for my little girls.

They were brighter and cheerier than your usual snail, and their slimy paths were outlined with the corresponding color.

I didn't pre-approve this activity - I walked out to check up on them and found some neighbors walking by making weird faces, then saw why.

Ewww. Just ewwww.

I was mean and wouldn't let the kids use any of my cookie sheets as a lid for these slimy things. They had to think of other materials, so Kilian cut part of a cardboard box, then put a heavy phone book on top of that. The next day we found that snails can "eat" through thick cardboard, the cover and 13 pages of a phone book. Who knew?

When the cat is away...

the mouse will paint.

Brad can't stand it when I do this, but I love to surprise him with a paint project when he comes back from an out of town trip.

Looking back at a few of my more bold attempts, I can see why he might get nervous, but this time I think it turned out ok.

When he and Kilian return from camping with the cub scouts, he'll get to see what I worked on a few hours ago. Whether he likes it or not, he can't complain about the cost. This was leftover paint from my parents' garage!

I almost forgot to take a "before" picture.

After

Now to find (or make?) some curtains...

Hoops and Cousins

Over spring break all but one of my nephews and Brad's brother came to visit. We did lots of fun things to keep kids busy, like going bowling, playing baseball at the park, playing laser tag, glow in the dark putt putt, and we even found a bouncy house.

Here is our fancy parking lot, dollar menu picnic.

Great way to avoid pricey bowling alley/laser tag lunch prices!

I think one of my favorite parts of the visit was watching the bigger guys (+ Lucy + our neighbor) play basketball.

The weather was right, and everyone seemed to be into it
although Lucy pretty much stayed in the back - not too close to the action.

(She must take after me - I was a timid ball player from 7th to 9th grade and quit when things got too intense on the J.V. team. I think I mostly liked getting to leave school early and braiding most of our team's hair on those long bus rides)

So what were the preschoolers up to during the game?

hmmm...I'm still not sure exactly what it is they were doing, but they were having fun, too.

Now to catch up

"Super K"

• preparing for 1st communion
• creepy crawly season has started (mostly roly polies, slugs and spiders so far)
• loving gymnastics

"Luthy"

• trying to grow 4 front teeth in - not unlike her baby brother
• making big progress with reading
• being agreeable - she often (but not always) lets Camille have the purple cup or lets Kilian have the last granola bar just to be nice.

"Camilli-willi"

• looking out her window and telling me every morning that it "looks like mall weather!" (regardless of if it is 65 degrees and sunny or snowing).
• mastering the fake cry
• helping me dust (see video....and turn the volume way down or off...it's loud!)

"Ollie-bear"

• waving, clapping, trying new foods, cruising around and standing for a couple of seconds w/o holding on to anything
• other milestones we can check off the list: played in potty water for the first time (3/24/2010), ate dog food (3/26/2010), and started blowing raspberries while being fed pureed food (3/27/2010).
• still not sleeping through the night
• favorite word/sound - very low "duh" - example below.

me: hi oliver
him: duh

me: good morning!! are you ready for breakfast?
him: duh

brad: what are you doing?
him: duh

Brad: Do you need a new diaper?
him: duh

Alleluia!

He is risen indeed!

From the James boys

and the James girls,

Have a very, very Happy Easter!!