{Outstanding Behavior!!}

Ethan was recognized in a school assembly this week for his "outstanding behavior". I could not be more proud! Kindergarten has been an amazing experience so far. It's so fun to see Ethan grow and excel in school.

This is a new recognition program for his school, so Ethan was totally shocked when he was called up to the stage in front of his entire school. Jason, myself and the girls were all watching from the back of the auditorium. Once up on stage, he looked out and saw us and was even more excited. It was so hard keeping it a secret the week prior because I was so happy, but it was well worth it to see his expression. Sadly, none of the assembly pictures turned out because it was too dark.

Ethan will also get to eat a pizza lunch with his principal next week. He's not sure what to make of that yet. He may be a little confused because I told him, previous to starting Kindergarten, that certain behavior (thumbs down) was not allowed at school and if it was done, he'd get sent to the Principal's office.

Way to go Buddy!! We are so proud of you!!

{Kissing Kate}

Katie can now give kisses upon request. It's so adorable! Wet and slobbery, but adorable. She also has her two new front bottom teeth. The first one came on Valentine's Day and the second one the day after. She is developing such a cute and fun personality. She brightens my day.

{8 months}

I wanted to practice some different settings with my camera today and Kate was the perfect prop....isn't she cute?

I have some very talented family members and friends...so if you're reading this, give me some pointers...don't be shy. I still have a lot of practicing to do.

{Kate's world just got a little bigger}

This morning is the first time Kate has successfully pulled herself to a standing position all by herself.

Kate LOVES this little doll that Lauren has. It just so happens to be Lauren's FAVORITE doll as well. She gets so excited when Lauren forgets about the doll and leaves it on the floor. Kate squeals with delight, which usually notifies Lauren and she quickly takes it back. This morning Lauren left the doll on the couch and Kate was determined to get it. She pulled herself up and stood for a very long time. It was very cute to see as Katie was so happy with herself and excited to have the doll in her hands. Lauren was so excited for Katie to be standing up that she let her play and chew on the doll. What a great big sis!

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentines Day!

I have never been a big fan of Valentine's Day. I think it's silly to have just one day set aside to show your love to your sweetheart. We should always be doing sweet and romantic things and not wait for a Hallmark prompting. With that said, now that I have kids, I seem to enjoy ALL holiday celebrations a little more because my kids get so excited....and it's a great excuse to bake treats. Valentine's Day is one of the low-key holidays in our house. We usually just celebrate with cards and a treat. But this morning my kids did something extra. It was so sweet and so kind. They decided to unload the dishwasher for me. I LOVED it! They told me to go sit down and they'd do everything. It was so cute to watch them work together to get this chore done. I really do have sweet kids.

And, I can't go without mentioning my biggest sweetheart.....Jason gave me a sweet card and yummy chocolates this morning before he left for work. He is very sweet and thoughtful.....that's who my kids get it from.

Shoe Day

My mom has a tradition of buying our kids shoes. She started when Ethan was just a baby and has carried on, eventhough it is getting pretty pricey the more kids I have. It is a HUGE blessing for us and the kids LOVE going shopping with Granny. She called us last week and invited us to go shoe shopping again. Sure enough the kids were growing out of their shoes. They were very excited for the opportunity to get new shoes. (I wonder how many times I am going to type "shoes" in this post?) Lauren has been wearing her Crocs all winter WITH NO SOCKS. She cries when her feet get wet, so you can imagine all the tears she's spent. But, she refuses to wear socks (can't blame her) and refuses to wear anything else on her feet, but those silly Crocs. She even has a great pair of rain boots Granny bought her, but for some reason she is married to the Crocs. So I am so incredibly glad she has new shoes to be excited to wear now. Still no socks...but at least her feet are staying dry. I didn't even care what the shoes looked like. I let her pick, and we ended up getting the ones she put on and never wanted to take off. They are black and gold...not really my style, but that's not important. Ethan, of coarse, was on the quest for a shoe that made him run "super fast". He was REALLY wanting a pair of shoes that lace up so he can practice his tying. I was totally against this idea. I can't even imagine adding a frustrated 5 year old trying to tie his shoes into the equation of me getting three kids out the door and arriving somewhere on time. It was just too much for me to try and wrap my mind around. I know I have to teach him how to tie eventually, but not right now. I think summer will be a good time....maybe. Right now he is practicing on his swim trunks and is doing pretty good. He throws a fit if it's not perfect (see my hesitation?). The store only had one pair of tennis shoes, that did not tie, in his size. Thankfully, he liked them!

Ethan picking out some "fast" shoes.

These are the winners for Ethan. Thank you, guy who invented velcro.

This is Lauren getting a pep talk from Dad about needing shoes that won't get her feet wet. She'd go barefoot if we let her. This is her "whew-huuu" dance.

Kate enjoyed watching the kids run around and try new shoes out. She even got a new pair of Robeez.

Thanks Granny!!

Happy 70th Birthday Dad!!

My dad turned 70 this last Friday. I love my Dad and think the world of him. He has such a great outlook on life and is a great example to me. Even in his times of struggle he manages to tell a joke and keep a smile on his face. He has a great sense of humor and enjoys making others happy. He really is just a big teddy bear. I am so grateful he is my dad and I feel very blessed to have my children be a part of his life. They love their Papa very much. We went to see him on his Birthday & Lauren wanted to bring him a gift. She decided to bring her two favorite books so Papa could read them to her. I am not sure how that was a gift for Papa, but I think they enjoyed themselves nonetheless.

We love you Papa....Happy Birthday!!
Dad reading some facts about 1938


Disclaimer...by having Neil Young's song "Old Man" play in the background on this blog is in no way stating my dad is an old man. I just know you like this song, Dad..and I think of you whenever I hear it.

Did you know???....in 1938 The law changed in the US that meant the minimum hourly wage was 40 cents per hour for a 44 hour working week. On October 30th Orson Wells dramatisation of "War of The Worlds" radio programme caused panic when it was broadcast more like a news breaking story than a play.

How Much things cost in 1938

Average Cost of new house $3,900.00

Average wages per year $1,730.00

Cost of a gallon of Gas 10 cents

Average Cost for house rent $27.00 per month

A loaf of Bread 9 cents

A LB of Hamburger Meat 13 cents

Average Price for new car $763.00

Blanket $5.00

Liptons Noodle Soup 10 Cents

What Events Happened in 1938
New England Hurricane of 1938 (or Great New England Hurricane or Long Island Express)
Freak Waves at Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia cause 300 swimmers to be dragged out to sea
The State of Israel is founded
Floods and Landslides in Los Angeles cause 200 deaths
The First use of A seeing eye dogs occurs
German troops enter Austria
Agricultural Adjustment Act is passed helping farmers affected by Dust Bowl
Germany begins its persicution of Jews
March of Dimes Polio Foundation Created.
A 450 metric ton meteorite struck the earth in an empty field near Chicora, Pennsylvania
Italy wins the 1938 World Cup in France defeating Hungary

Popular Culture
Action Comics issues the first Superman comic
Orson Welles's radio adaptation of The War of the Worlds is broadcast, causing mass panic in the eastern United States.
Adolf Hitler is Time magazine's "Man of the Year" (as most influential during the course of the year, not as 'best' man of the year)
Popular Films
Disney releases Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Boys Town, starring Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney
Jezebel, starring Bette Davis
Technology
Oil is discovered in Saudi Arabia.
Steam locomotive "Mallard" sets the world speed record for steam by reaching 126 mph.
Ball Point Pens are introduced
Teflon Introduced
Du Pont announced a name for its new synthetic yarn: "nylon".
The First Nylon Products Toothbrushes are marketed