The Jewels did a fabulous job once again – they really enjoy getting up there on the stage and showing the judges what they can do. Took 1st place again for both dances (being the only team in their age group again) – and this time they received a special “Too Cute” award from the judges. And they were definitely Too Cute! See for yourself!
Kirk never wanted a swingset. He didn’t want it taking up space in our yard, he said there’s no reason for it when we have a park so close… I had a really hard time talking him into getting the small one we had. Two swings and a tiny deck with a slide. So he really surprised me when a month ago he announced, “I think we should get a bigger swingset.” Really?! Well, then, let’s start shopping!
Kirk and I make decisions a little differently. He sees something he likes and says, “Let’s buy it.” Me – I have to look at all the different options, taking note of all the ones we like, make lists weighing out the pros and cons, and eventually make a decision that I probably question once or twice after it is all said and done.
Well, here you have it. Our new swingset. Decision made in about 3 days. We compromised on our decision-making ways, and we are very happy with the one we chose.
We went from this… 
…to this!
And yes, my handy husband put it together - with the help of a handy father-in-law (thanks Papa Dit), two handy friends (thanks Troy and Brian), and a wife who reads directions meticulously.
The best part is the kids are having a blast!
They asked to wash the dishes. Yes, I said asked. I gleefully slid out of the way and let them have at it.
Okay, is this safe?? Well, I suppose it’s safer than pulling them behind the lawnmower in a snow sled tied to the lawn mower, which is how my dad did it growing up.
These pictures were taken by another mom last weekend.
I’m Cute Near the end of the song, they storm the front of the stage and get to do this cute little pouty thing. The judges loved it!
Martian hopLove their little martian faces!
1st Competition down, and a big success – Jewels did a fabulous job! They took gold with both of their dances (tap and jazz). Okay, so they were the only team in their age group. But they really did nail it! And even though Gab and I had to be up at 5 am on Saturday to get ready and be there by 7 am, we really had a great time!
Easter afternoon, Benjamin went poo on the toilet – very exciting! But even more exciting? He stood up, pointed at the poo and exclaimed, “Momma, poo poo!” Another word to add to his vocabulary list – his 3 new words are poo poo, hop, and two!
That night in the middle of the night, Benjamin rolled off the end of our bed. I heard a boom and a cry; I scooped him up and immediately could smell blood and feel the wetness on his face. By the time we turned the light on, there was blood everywhere – his first bloody nose! Poor little man.
A beautiful day at the MN Zoo with our great friends!
Dolphins are always a favorite!
Benjamin’s got the finger shake going
Enjoying our time with our buddies E & B
The kiddos and I enjoyed a walk through Elm Creek Park Reserve today. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing just a bit, and we met a few critters along the way.
Exploring with their binoculars
Wood Frog – he jumped across our path and scared Benjamin
Painted Turtle – we watched him start on shore, enter the water, and take off for a swim
Gabriella loved how the lake sparkled!
Such a sad face – she was collecting leaves along the way, but when I told her she had to throw them back to nature, she did so very reluctantly.
So we have a basket of Gears that we have not played with in a long time. I bought them a while back at a consignment sale, and they just haven’t been a big hit. But today, we put them to good use. This idea was from No Time For Flashcards, one of my favorite blogs for great kids ideas.
The kids enjoyed putting the gears in the back of the truck, driving it down the road, and sorting the colors for all of 5 MINUTES before they started to fight. Gab stomped away mad, and Ben continued to sort. Just one of those days.
Sid the Science Kid is a current favorite in our house. The show does a lot with collecting data and charting your findings. So Gabriella and I decided to do our own study the other day (Ben was asleep in the car – his current favorite, and only, nap location).
We picked up Jimmy John’s for lunch – yum! and parked in the Cub Foods parking lot facing Hwy 101. Gabriella thought it was so cool to unbuckle and climb in the front seat with mom. We tallied how many cars we saw in four different colors.
Our data looked like this:
And then we charted our findings:
Gabriella commented that it was the most fun lunch ever! I guess we’ll have to do this one again – mommy really enjoyed it too.
AND MOMMY SNUCK AWAY TO GET THE DISHES DONE – YAHOO!
The Jewels got another opportunity to show their dancing skills this past weekend at a charity event for the Chloe T. Foundation. The girls did a fabulous job, and it was so fun to watch!
