The Food Chain

Ryan wanted to enter this picture at the school's Art Festival, but since it was drawn on notebook paper, it didn't qualify. Instead, he had to use one he'd done in art class. It was a leaf rubbing. He titled it: "Leaves, Duh." Boy, are we in trouble! Nothing like a 9-year-old who understands the subtlety of sarcasm.

Oh Scrap.

I am a scrapbooker. And the kindergarten classes at our school present the children with lovely keepsake scrapbooks of their year at a Kindergarten Celebration at the end of May. It made sense that I volunteer to help with putting together these scrapbooks! Honestly, I'm very excited about how they will look when they're done, but I looked at the calendar today and realized that my 10 needed to be done in less than 2 months. I'm currently about halfway through, but still--it was an "Oh Scrap" moment... So I got down to some major scrapping today!

When in Doubt, Just add More!

My Livvy is a creature of consistency. And she has definite ideas about what she does, and doesn't like. For instance, when sleeping, she does like the bathroom light on; and she does like for her door to be open. However, she does not like for the kitties to come in her room while she's sleeping (she's afraid they'll puke on her floor like Oreo used to do). Tonight when we came upstairs, we could not find the kitties at first. We then discovered that Livvy had been busy. She had gathered them up and shut them in the laundry room. And to make sure that her door stayed just the way she liked it, she got busy with her stuffed lovies...

Sleep Over

When you're a kid, life just doesn't get much better than having a sleep over. I don't know why we don't allow them more often, other than they stay up much later than usual. But other than that, it's really no trouble. And they are so excited for the days leading up to the big day. Ryan slept over at Brandon's and Sydney slept over here. And the best part was they all slept until nearly 9 a.m.!

Katy's New Digs

Ryan stopped having a bunk bed in his room soon after we moved. It has been disassembled and taking up space in our house ever since. We decided it was time to get rid of it, so Kevin reassembled it in the living room so that I could take pictures to post on CraigsList. Well, Katy began begging to have the bunk bed in her room as soon as she saw it. We debated what to do, and finally caved when Olivia assured us that she did not want it in her room. Needless to say, Katy is thrilled!

Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away

We have been in a drought situation in western North Carolina for almost 2 years now. Our surface water levels have improved alot in the past year, but our ground water is still nearly 8 inches below what it should be. This week we've had nearly 2 inches of rain so far, with another 2 inches expected over the coming weekend. Some people are complaining about the dreary, gray weather, but I am enjoying it. You can already see the plants turning greener each day. Even with all this water, we'll still be at a deficit, so bring on the rain!

Kitty Love

Midnight is turning out to be one of the sweetest, most affectionate cats I've ever met. He is happiest when being cuddled. Tonight, he was snuggled up with Kevin while we were watching TV. When Kevin got up and left the room for a few minutes, Midnight sat there for about 15 seconds, and then with a purr-eow (that's a meowy kind of purr), he lept from Kevin's spot over to where I was and started head-butting and purring ferociously. He lies on your chest and will gently touch your cheek with his paw, almost like he's caressing you. He is just precious.

So long, Farewell

Gram & Grandad had to hit the road this morning to get back to their regular lives. They were up bright and early (notice the windows are still dark outside?) this morning to say goodbye to the kids and to get to the highway before the buses and rush hour traffic began to slow things down. Gram even left off her lipstick so the kids would be free of kiss marks at school! It's never enjoyable to say goodbye, but at least we all know that we'll be seeing each other again in just 2 1/2 weeks.

Piggy Kisses

Who knew there could be so many kinds of kisses? And our girls love to get all of them: regular kisses, butterfly kisses, eskimo kisses, noisy kisses, hand kisses, blow kisses, etc. But when Daddy tucks them in, the girls always want his special "piggy kisses."

Behind the Camera

As the primary photographer of my family, I am rarely in any of the pictures that I scrap or blog. Not unless someone takes my camera and assumes photo duty do I appear. Mom has the same problem. It can be frustrating at times not ever seeing yourself! Of course, it is also a relief to not have to worry about showing up on too many bad hair days...

Today I took the kids to the Lazy 5 Ranch with Gram & Grandad. It is always fun to see all those animals up close and personal--some a little too close (like those pesky emus who kept putting their heads inside the van!). We got to feed and pet llamas, watusi, several types of goats, zebras and giraffes! One of the llamas was quite aggressive and tried to grab the feed bucket from dad's hands; and an overzealous zebra was successful in stealing my bucket. We all laughed so hard and had such a fun time together. Of course a fair number of pictures were taken, but somehow this one felt most appropriate to share. Great minds think alike!

Waiting

It is the fate of younger siblings to wait around while older siblings participate in various activities. By the time they become interested in their own activities, the older sibling is generally too involved with theirs to be able to sit around watching all the time. And unfortunately the girls don't seem to show any interest in getting involved in any activities yet (yes, I know that's probably a good thing and I should enjoy it, but I entertain all kinds of mommy guilt about somehow depriving them). However, once they do get involved, we will insist on Ryan attending their events whenever possible!

Anyway, it is always a happy day when the place where Ryan is playing a sport has a playground. It makes the waiting so much more fun for them! We were all happy to see the play area when we arrived at Stumpy Creek Baseball Park on Saturday for Ryan's skill assessment day. Throw in two grandparents who are more than willing to play along, and it was a very fun (an long) wait indeed.

Movie Night

Our family began our Friday night tradition of pizza for dinner and a movie afterwards when Ryan was four. We generally put the fun on hold during the summer months in favor of playtime outside (still have pizza, though!). We've watched more movies than I can remember, and it's been a fun time of snuggling on the couch for all of us. This Friday, Gram & Grandad joined us to watch Bolt. I snapped a quick pic during the previews before the snuggling began. Katy spent the movie sprawled across Gram & Grandad, Olivia was curled up with me, and Ryan had Midnight ensconced on his lap. Sicky Kevin got a chair by himself... :)

It Must be March Madness

Basketball on the TV? Check.
Basketball on the computer beside you? Check.
Sheets of completed brackets littering the sidetable? Check.
Highlighters with the brackets (one color for wins, one for losses)? Check.
Mountain Dew close at hand? Check.
March on the calendar? Check.
It's that time of year again. 64 teams get whittled down to 1 National Champion over the next 3 1/2 weeks. And this weekend is the big one with 48 games being broadcast. Kevin is in sports heaven. Hopefully he's got some good brackets this year!

Livvy - Future Vet

The kindergarten classes are currently doing a unit on Community Helpers. They got to take a field trip to a bakery to see how things worked, and they've had mystery guests each day this week--parents of kindergarteners who are coming to tell about their jobs. Today the mystery guests were a "people doctor and an animal doctor" according to Livvy. She was so excited and kept talking about how she wanted to be a veterinarian when she grows up. Katy had also said she wanted to be a vet at preschool graduation last year, but she has now decided that she wants to be a fashion designer. It will be interesting to see how these dreams either change or are fulfilled through the years.

Evidence of Them

I recently read about an interesting photography assignment. At least I thought it was interesting. You look around your home to find evidence of someones existence there. Bedrooms don't count--too obvious.

Today after the kids had left for school and I was cleaning up the kitchen from the morning rush, I noticed proof of Olivia and Katelyn's existence in our home, and it made me smile at their sweetness. Honest! Okay, so maybe a tiny bit annoyed that they hadn't cleaned up their stuff, but mostly I thought: "Hey! Here's what I can photograph for that 'evidence' project."

As you may already know, they are really not into baby dolls. At all. But they love stuffed animals. I guess they wanted to be sure that this dog would be fed while they were away, and perhaps they actually remembered the "no eating out of the kitchen" rule... Or perhaps they were suggesting we have pizza, soda and ice cream for dinner.

I Found You!

Our kittens really enjoy playing with and being loved on by our kids. That being said, they also really enjoy having special hiding places when they're not in the mood. For that matter, I wish I had a special hiding place sometimes! When we first got them, their favorite hidey holes were under the couch and under Katy's dresser. But they've grown, and no longer fit quite so easily into those spots. While putting away laundry today I discovered Bella's newest hiding spot--under the lowest level of clothes hanging in Kevin's closet.

Limerick Time... Again!

Our neighbors, the Sedgleys, have a super fun St. Patrick's Day party every year. Everyone brings delicious food, we have lots of beer and Shamrock Juice. This year I brought a Chocolate Guinness Cheesecake. It was divine. But the highlight of the party is the limerick contest. To read your limerick you must climb onto a stage, ring a bell and don a ridiculous hat. It is so much fun! And my limericks have been one of the winners each of the past two years! Tonight was no different. I would share my rhyme, but it was a bit too bawdy...:) Oh, and the party started on Saturday night, but this picture was taken well into Sunday morning.

This is the End

My life has become one marked by seasons. No, not the ones you'd think. Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter have been replaced over the years I've spent with Kevin by Baseball, Football and Basketball. Now, while March Madness may just be getting started in the world of college hoops, today is the end of the basketball season for Ryan's team. They had tied for second place after the regular season, so were in the championship bracket of the league's playoffs. Last weeks win gave them the privelege of playing for the championship today against a team that was only defeated once, and that was because half their players were out with the stomach flu.

Our boys were so excited, and after the first 3 quarters we were winning by 2 points! Our team played some amazing defense and did a great job of shutting down the other team's offensive game. Unfortunately, our team committed a few too many fouls during the last quarter, and their kids sank every single foul shot. We ended up losing the championship, but it was an amazing season of growth for all the boys on Kevin's team. Just about every parent wants their child back on Kevin's team next year too.












Baseball begins next Saturday. And I need an SLR for next basketball season so I can actually get decent shots during the games!

Strings

While at the vet for routine shots, I noticed a poster on the wall showing how cats age compared to humans. During their first year of life, kittens age the equivalent of 20 (!) human years. Midnight and Bella are about 2 1/2 months old now, which makes them the human-equivalent of about 4 years old. They are so playful and inquisitive. The tiniest thing becomes a mesmerizing source of entertainment. But their favorite is the old kitty standard: the string. Doesn't matter what kind, or whether it's attached to something. If it's a string, it's fun.

Jump

Not satisfied with just riding his bike, now Ryan must learn how to do tricks on it. Like riding without hands. And popping wheelies. And jumping. Makes my heart stop, but Kevin assures me it's a boy thing and I just have to relax.

They Survived

As you may remember, one of the things I was most concerned about with last weeks surprise snow was whether our flowering trees would still flower. After all, that is one of my favorite parts of Spring (aside from the gorgeous weather and longer daylight hours). I was quite relieved to see our trees covered in beautiful blossoms this weekend. Have I mentioned how much I'm loving the macro feature on my camera?

Worn Out

These used to be a pretty Carolina blue. They used to each have a strap for the back. The bottoms used to have treads for traction. They didn't have holes in the soles and toes. They've traveled to West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. Ryan has gotten a lot of miles out of these Crocs. His new ones, in Hokie maroon (his request), should be arriving in the next few days. Hopefully they won't show the Carolina clay quite as much!

Letting Go

It doesn't seem that long ago that we got Katy her first tricycle for her 2nd birthday, complete with a special handle that let us help her to make it go. Now, less than four years later, not only has she graduated to a bicycle, today she gave up her training wheels. Kevin ran behind and held on for the first 10 minutes or so, teaching her the basics of stopping, learning to lean into a curve, etc. But then he had to let go and let her go on her own. Funny how teaching your child to ride a bike is analagous for parenting. You hold on to your child for a while, but eventually you hope that everything you've taught them is enough and you have to let go. And then you get to sit back and watch them succeed, or be there for them when they fall down. Today, we were just cheering for our big girl.

Patience & Dexterixy

When I first saw heat and set perler beads, Ryan was about 4 years old. I thought they looked like a great way to improve manual dexterity, and they truly are. However they were a bit too tedious for him to do for any length of time. The girls have recently become more interested in playing with these beads and will spend a fair amount of time making designs and patterns out of these little bits of plastic. This weekend, Ryan, Samantha & Cameron got in on the fun and really made some interesting and intricate designs. You've got to love anything that will keep kids so engaged for such a long time, even if it does pose a threat for a monumental mess...

Hey Kevin!

You just coached your grade 3 boys basketball team to an exciting, 27-22 victory in the semi-finals and will get to play in the championship game next week! What are you going to do next?

We're going to Big League Hot Dog Company for lunch!

How I Like to Spend My Day

If I had my way, I'd spend my days scrapbooking. But that just doesn't work into my schedule of other stuff that HAS to be done. Plus it's just not as much fun to scrap by myself. But this weekend, Steph and the kids have come down for a visit, my other chores are under control, and we will be scrappin' the days away. It doesn't get much better for me than hearing our children have a great time outside, listening to fun music, chatting with my best friend, and being creative and productive.

Handsome and Hopeful

Well, it's been exactly 2 weeks since Kevin found out that his position at JP Morgan Chase was going to be dissolved in April. He has been busy posting his resume on The Ladders and Monster, and networking with his years of contacts. He has three promising prospects at this point, and today he is going to a second interview to be the VP of Sales at a mid-size company in Charlotte. This meeting is with the CEO, so if all goes well he may be coming home with an offer. Gulp.









ETA: Things went well with the interview! The CEO and he really clicked. Turns out the CEO knows the man who was the CEO of the company Kevin was working for before JPMC bought them. They've had him do a personality profile test (they said his scores showed him as compatible with their company's environment). He has another meeting with the VP of Marketing next week, and then we'll see. He's also being flown to Baltimore next week by another company for an interview. He's feeling much more positive now.

Works for Me

I know I'm not the only one who deals with the mystery of the missing socks. But aside from the obvious, one of my biggest frustrations about this dilemma was what to do with the socks I DO have. I kept misplacing them in "safe" places, and then when I'd finally find its match, I wouldn't be able to locate the other. So now, this is what works for me.

Rock On

I wish I could somehow have sound attached here so you could hear Katy singing along LOUDLY to her music! She had her door closed and she was just rocking out to Carrie Underwood's "Flat on the Floor". It just gave me flash forward kind of visions of her pre-teen years. And flashbacks to mine. :)

We Interrupt the Regularly Scheduled Weather...

to bring you lots of snow. At least it's a lot for here. I'm trying to be positive and enjoy the beauty, but honestly I'm not real thrilled. It is pretty though. The kids are off school today, and even though we have some melting on the roads, they'll be off tomorrow because the temperatures are supposed to dip into the low 20s all night so everything will freeze. Nothing around our neighborhood has been plowed, and there is NO WAY the bus is coming down the hill into our neighborhood! Unfortunately that means they'll be taking away days from our Spring Break since there are no snow days built into the school year here. I'm hoping that there won't be permanent damage to all the flowering trees that have been blooming and the daffodils. We will be losing at least one more of our pine trees, maybe two since it's a wet, heavy snow. But as you'll see in one of the pictures, it could have been worse! Chip & Allyson were VERY lucky-two trees down, one right in front of their cars, and one right behind.
On a more positive note, I've take TONS of pictures, but will only be sharing the scenery shots here--you'll have to wait until Christmas for the cute kid pics! We've had some massive snowball fights. No snowmen have been built yet, the girls were too cold. And instead of using boxes for sledding, we broke out the boogie boards.

Inside Out and Backwards

Legend has it that when students wear their pajamas inside out and backwards on a night when snow is predicted, school will be cancelled the next day. Well, they are calling for us to get 4-8 inches of snow (in CHARLOTTE, in MARCH, can you IMAGINE my HORROR!!!!!), so Ryan did his part to get the day off tomorrow. We also flushed ice cubes (another legend recently learned from our friends in Virginia). Based on the fact that it is snowing quite heavily and that it's already sticking on the roads at 8 p.m., I have a feeling it will work.

Oh, and since our area reputedly does not own snow plows, it may work for several days...

Trouble Spot

I know that every home has areas that are hard to keep in order. This desk and counter area by our garage door is one of the worst for me. I really do try to straighten it every few days, but if I miss a few times it just blows up. And then I get overwhelmed. And then I ignore it. And then it gets worse. And so on, and so on. Can you tell where we are in that cycle today? I plan to get it back in shape by the end of today.

On another note, I'm now 2 months into this project, and enjoying it so much! Already finding it interesting to look back on the year. It motivates me to keep going. And I'm finding it funny that I've done more posts in two months of 2009 than the entire year of 2008. Hope you all are enjoying too!











Edited to add: DONE!