Long night!

We finally persuaded the Knight to fall asleep around 2:30 this morning. He wanted to go home to his own bed. That I could not do! They slept until 8:00 which is longer than I expected them to sleep. We will head out about 11:00 and hopefully to Grandma and Papa's around 3:30-4:00!!!

We are in Iowa!

16 hours driving in the van with 3 kids.

And we are all still alive!!

:)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Naughty or Nice?

Well, the time has come for Santa to take out his naughty/nice list for the last time. The kids have been pretty good this morning. We had an awesome night playing Sorry with the Princess and the Prince last night! They both caught on really quickly. We played three games of it last night before the kids went to bed. I took this picture as they were heading upstairs. The Knight was not too interested in playing (sitting on my lap or DadOf3's lap) so he terrorized the cats and played with his bug vacuum!

Spoiled Kitties!

We found a Christmas present for Miney and Moe while out shopping at Costco yesterday! What do you think? Are they spoiled kitties or what?!?

Both Miney and Moe were big chickens when we brought their new toy inside. Miney ran and hid. Moe came out and explored and actually perched on the top of it before Miney even came out!

Friday Night(mare) Christmas Party...

One of DadOf3's co-workers invited us to a Christmas party on Friday night. Being the smart parents that we are, we checked to see if the kids were invited too. They assured us that the kids could come and that there would be other kids there and kid activities too. So, we bypassed getting a sitter, put all the kids through baths, got them all dressed up, and took them to the party.

The minute we walked into the house, I knew it was a mistake. There were literally 50 or more candles perfectly arranged throughout the house. There were glass figurines everywhere. There were 2 cats and one dog who were not used to children. There were no other kids in attendance.

It was the Nightmare Before Christmas!!!!

I wanted to turn tail and run right then and there, but unfortunately we didn't. We walked in, mingled, caught the Princess as she almost pulled down a table runner with 10 or more candles on it, saved the Prince from the dog after he accidentally stepped on his foot, and followed the 2 year old Knight everywhere as he ran from candle to candle, from cat to cat, and from figurine to figurine.

They did sit for all of 10 minutes or so after I brought them some food. The food included hot chocolate, however, and I was not in time to stop Princess from taking a great, big gulp. The hot chocolate was super hot and she burned her tongue.

Note to people throwing Christmas parties: If you do not want kids to attend, PLEASE TELL THE PARENTS! You will not hurt our feelings, and you will save us from a very stressful evening!

P.S. If you are decorating for your party using candles, kids should not be invited!!!!!

Christmas Cookies and Holiday Hearts!

The kids and I had a fun Friday. This was Princess's first day of Christmas vacation, so we decided to make Christmas cookies. Everyone got into the act, even the Knight! Here are some pictures of our fun!

<==The Princess, the Prince, and the Knight all took turns stirring the cookie dough!












<==The Prince was a little more interested in helping this year!









<==Princess after our first batch of cookies came out of the oven!















<==The Prince wanted to help decorate!







<==The Prince's cookie creation!















<==The Prince and the Princess show off their cookies!











<==Batch #1










<==Batch #2











<==Batch #3











<==Batch #4 (Miney and Moe are the black cats!)

Avoid the Grocery Stores at ALL COST!

The boys and I got groceries this morning because I needed a few, specific food items for Christmas dinner. Princess requested the "Brown and Serve" rolls that we had for Thanksgiving. DadOf3 and I decided on a modest Christmas dinner because the kids do not eat very much and we are taking off for Iowa two days after Christmas (!!!) - no need for leftovers. I picked up a nice roast. So we will have roast, potatoes and gravy, corn, and chocolate pie. This pie is one of my very favorites. My mother would make it as a special treat every once and a while. It is so good and so easy:

Get a pre-made graham cracker crust or go all out and make a homemade one.
Melt one of the huge (5 ounce) Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar.
When the melted chocolate is no longer hot to the touch, fold into a tub of Cool Whip.
Scoop chocolate/cool whip into the graham cracker pie crust.

Man oh man! Even at 8:30 in the morning the grocery store was a mad house! Take heed and do not go if you do not have to! I am used to shopping when no one else is there. I plan it that way because shopping with two boys (4 and 2) is risky even on the best of days.

This was not the best of days.

I won't go into the gory details , but our little trip involved pulling hair, kicking, and pinching by both boys. Sigh. I absolutely abhor shopping trips like that.

To top it all off, there were lots of stressed out people shopping today. Yippee! Extra glares at MomOf3 with the implied meaning of "Can't you control your children?" Days like this used to make me want to crawl under a rock, but not any more. I have developed a thick skin over the years. My philosophy is this: "If you have not shopped with toddlers/pre-schoolers in the last 5 years, then don't judge me." Simple as that.

On a happier note, I should not have to go venture to the grocery store again until after we get back from Iowa in January! And by that time, the Prince will be in pre-school and I will only have to take one child shopping...at least until school is out in May. Hey! I will take what I can get!

Here's to hoping that is a little easier on this mom of three!

International Week Party

Princess's class had their International Week party this afternoon. They have been studying Australia and have done some fun things like tour Outback Steakhouse. Lots of parents volunteered to bring in goodies for the kids. Here are some pictures of the day!


<==Princess explained to the class how to play Musical Chairs! That's my girl!













<==There are only 7 girls out of 20 kids in Princess's class. Apparently the whole grade is like that - very boy-heavy. The girls played Musical Chairs first.


<==This gal helping Princess choose her wrapped book was a co-room parent with me last year. It was fun to catch up with her!


<==Here are the boys playing Musical Chairs. They didn't get as rough as I expected them to get! AB is grinning from ear to ear.

All in all, the party was a success. It makes me a little bit sad that my kids do not get to have Christmas parties like I did when I was a kid. I remember the excitement of choosing a "girl toy", the anticipation of waiting all day for the party to start, and the fun of bringing my present home to show my sister and my parents. The best gift I ever received at one of these parties was my very first diary. I still have it and it is just a hoot to read.

Letter to Santa

Dear Santa:

I've been a good Mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the pediatrician's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with a red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze; but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.

I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your sister," because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container through a window in a bag with a clown on it.

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my daughter saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think she wants her crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always,
MOM

P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to always believe in Santa.

*Santa has asked that this gets passed on to all the mommies you know*
(This was sent to me and I thought it was too cute to not post it!)

The Prince is heading to Pre-School in January!

DadOf3 and I visited a pre-school yesterday and signed up the Prince! He will got on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 until 2:00. They actually had room for the Knight too if we wanted to send him, but I don't think I am quite ready for that! This will give my little, middle-child, Prince something of his very own. Princess didn't get to to go pre-school, so he is kind of excited about it.

It has been super busy around here. Princess has her class party today and I am going to attend. DadOf3 is going to work from home for a little while since the party is during nap time. I will post pictures of the party this afternoon. Should be fun!

Happy Wednesday!

Christmas Hoopla!

I was tagged by KC to do the Christmas Hoopla
Here is what it is

1. List 12 random things about yourself that has to do with Christmas.

2. Please refer to it as a 'hoopla' and not the dreaded 'm'-word

3. You have to specifically tag people when you're done. None of this "if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged" stuff is allowed...then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you -- but the more, the merrier to get this 'hoopla' circulating through the blogosphere.

4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it and I'd like to get as many people involved as possible.

5. If you want to -- please give me, Andrea, some link-love as the 'Hoopla-Creator'. I love new blog-traffic.


Here we go!

1) I love everything to do with Christmas from the gaudy blinking lights to Christmas Eve service.

2) Christmas Eve will always bring to mind being at my Grandpa and Grandma's with all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins on my Mom's side. I can see my two oldest cousins passing out presents in Santa hats and all of us laughing, having a merry old time!

3) I love to bake Christmas cookies and I am quite excited to have two (maybe 3) little helpers this year. Princess has been able to help me the last 3 years or so. The Prince and the Knight were not interested last year but they may be this year!

4) I used to go Christmas caroling every year with my UMYF (United Methodist Youth Fellowship). I have not done it in years, but it would be fun!

5) My Christmas Shopping is 99.9% complete!

6) I have my Christmas presents 99.9% wrapped - I am usually doing that on Christmas Eve or the night before we leave for home (Iowa).

7) I sing Christmas carols in any given month. If I am down, this is a sure-fire pick-me-up! (Plus, it annoys the heck out of my husband, so that is an added bonus! Ha!)

8) I love putting up the Christmas tree. We usually put it up the Friday after Thanksgiving since we normally do not travel during Thanksgiving. I feel very sad when we put it away for the year.

9) I love buying Christmas presents. It is fun to look for the perfect gift. I feel pretty happy about this year. :)

10) I love attending children's Christmas programs. We used to do one every year when I was in school. Attending them brings back good memories.

11) I love to hear about Christmas traditions! Ours so far are 1) Putting the tree up during Thanksgiving weekend, 2) Getting our family photo taken in front of the fire place (thanks to the tri-pod and the timer on the digital camera, 3) Sending out Christmas cards, 4) Talking about the nativity and what it means to us, 4) Traveling after Christmas to see our families in Iowa. What are your Christmas traditions?

12) Everyone who wears a Santa hat this time of year makes me smile. :)

I tag, Sandy, Mrs. Mandypoo, and Skittle.

Saturday Night Date Night!

DadOf3 and I are going out on a date tonight. True, it is going to involve some catch-up shopping but it is still a night out away from the kids, something we both need. It will be fun! We have a favorite restaurant that we always go to on date night, and I am really looking forward to it. We have had a pretty good day. The kids are all bathed and ready for the sitter. The pizza is in the oven for the kids. We all kind of got naps. I say "kind of" because the Knight was not a good napper. He woke up after about an hour all crabby. We got him back to sleep and then the Princess got up with an attitude. All the saga of a Saturday afternoon!

Princess and AB

Princess and AB have been friends since Kindergarten. They were in the same class and even started off the year sitting beside each other, not unlike this year. At the beginning of the school year, we told the kids that if they wanted to continue to sit next to each other, they would have to watch their chatting. They did a great job and still sit together.

Oh to be a little fly on the playground so I could watch these two play at recess! The stories that I have heard are so cute that I would like to see for myself. Apparently, Princess and AB run around the track holding hands, they always play in the playground together, and when the other is sick, they are each a little bit lost. AB's mom is a friend of mine, and she told me something on Tuesday that was pretty cute. She said that people come up to her and say, "Wow! It must be nice to know who your daughter-in-law is going to be already!

Yes, this is cute, but a part of me was upset by it.... I am ever so thankful that Princess has AB. They get along famously! They help each other in the classroom, according to their teacher. They love each other's company, that is evident. But for goodness sake - they are only 6 years old!

How sweet and romantic a story it would make if they did end up getting married in 20 or so years (after college has been completed). But I for one am not going to put that kind of pressure on my daughter. There will be plenty of time for crushes and dating (and all of the fun and heartache that it involves) down the line. I am in no rush to send my daughter into battle this young.

For now, I am just thankful that she has a best friend when she is away at school. It does not surprise me one bit that her best friend is a boy. She is surrounded by boys between her brothers and daddy. We are also very boy-centric in the neighborhood.

Anyway....

Crazy Week!

This week has been totally nutso! Monday was basketball practice for the Princess and the Prince. Tuesday I helped take the kids in Princess's class on a field trip to the Outback steakhouse. Then Princess had girl scouts always crazy because I have to wake the boys up early to pick Princess up from school and drop her off. DadOf3 also came home sick on Wednesday night. Poor guy was just achy with a head ache and felt miserable. I put him to bed and the kids and I made bagel pizzas for supper. DadOf3 actually stayed home sick from work yesterday - I cannot remember the last time he did that. Poor guy. He is much better today though and back at work!

This morning was crazy too. First I had a meeting at the school so I drive Princess in. There is going to be a silent action to raise money for the school in the spring, and that is kicking off now. DadOf3 stayed home with the boys so I could go without having to watch them too. It is a good thing that he did because the boys were in rare form today. I had to run to the grocery store to get some stuff for MOPS tomorrow, and it was, in a word, sucky. It is my turn to bring something hot for breakfast at tomorrow's MOPS meeting. I am going the easy route and taking little quiches. They come frozen so all I have to do is warm them up. Some of these women make fantastic egg casseroles so I feel like I am cheating, but tonight is going to be crazy too. I am taking all three kids swimming with AB and his mom. AB is Princess's best little friend in school. I have a story about Princess and AB but that is a post all its own!

The BEST Christmas Cookies EVERY!

My mother, my sister, and I used to make Christmas cookies every year in December. Here is the best Christmas cookie recipe you will ever find!

Here is the Christmas cookie recipe: As copied almost word for word as written by my sister many years ago!

(Double the recipe!)

2 cups flour 1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp salt. 1 Tbsp. milk
1/2 cup butter 1 TBsp sugar
3/4 cup sugar 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1) Sift flour, baking powder and salt.
2) Cream butter and sugar, add egg and beat until smooth and fluffy. Stir in vanilla and milk.
3) Add flour mixture and beat well.
4) Chill until easy to handle. ( Really important or it sticks.)
5) Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness on lightly floured board.
6) Cut out cookies!!!
7) Place on lightly greased cookie sheet (and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, opts. YUCK!!
8) Bake in 400 degree oven 6 to 10 minutes, cool, and decorate. (Don't forget the yellow snow!!)


Enjoy!

Sunday Update

We have had a good weekend. DadOf3 took a 1/2 day to work on the deck on Friday. He got the stairs started on Friday and finished on Saturday. Next is the railing. After a few coats of stain, it will be done and there will be much rejoicing at our house. :)

Yesterday DadOf3 worked on the stairs all day until 5:00. One of his co-workers and his family came over to play some cards after that. I made a couple of fun things to eat - my good taco dip and banana bread. The kids love the banana bread. Playing cards was fun....

Taco Dip
Brown 1 pound of ground beef
Spread two 8-ounce packages of cream cheese on the bottom of a 9x13x2 pan
Sprinkle browned ground beef over cream cheese
Pour 1 1/2 bottles of your favorite kind of salsa over the top of the meat
Sprinkle shredded Mexican cheese over the top of the salsa
Serve with corn chips

First Name Meme!

I have been tagged by Sandy over at A Grande Lemon Slice for this "First Letter of your First Name" Meme!

Using the first letter of your name, answer these questions, they have to be real answers, nothing made up and you can’t use your own name as an answer.

1. Famous singer: Diana Ross
2. Four letter word: Damn!
3. Street: Diablo Avenue
4. Color: Dark Green
5. Gifts/presents: Diamonds (Ha!)
6. Vehcles: Durango
7. Things in a souvenir shop: Designer t-shirts
8. Boy name: David
9. Girl name: Danette
10. Movie title: Die Hard
11. Drink: Dark Hot Chocolate
12. Occupation: Dentist
13. Celebrity: Demi Moore
14. Magazine: Dell Crossword Puzzles
15. U.S. city: Des Moines
16. Pro sports: Daytona 500
17. Fruit: Durian
18. Reason for being late for work: Don't want to go!
19. Something you throw away: Discarded food
20. Something you shout: Don't hit your brother/sister!

That was fun! I am tagging anyone who wants to play! Just leave me a comment so I can check out your answers!

Weight Loss Wednesday!

Well, noting exciting to report. I didn't gain but I didn't lose either.

Blah blah blah blah blah. :(

Success!

The boys and I had a busy day. We did meet up with MomOf2Boys at the park with her youngest. Then we headed to Lifetime Fitness. 65 minutes on the treadmill and 15 minutes of weights later, and we were outta there. DadOf3 came home for lunch then there was just enough time for a quick shower before Princess came home from school. We got right to her homework this afternoon and then headed out for supper. Usually we go out to dinner as a family on Thursdays but DadOf3 felt like going out tonight and I wasn't about to argue with him about that! Ha! The kids were good and then we headed to Target to browse. Not too bad of a night. 10 minutes until bedtime for the kids - I may hit the hay too. I am dragging tonight!

Learning from Our Kids.

(NOTE: I started writing this last week Thursday. I have a much better attitude today!)

I learned something from my boys today. Skip to the end for my lesson.....

Can a stay at home mom get burned out?

This has been a really bad week for me. I know it happens to all of us, but as a stay at home mom, I feel extra guilty about even thinking that I could be getting burned out.

I do the same thing day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. Most of what I do cannot be seen. I pick up the same toys all day and then when DadOf3 comes home he sees them on the floor yet again, and it is like I have done nothing.

I do laundry only to have to do it again three days later. Even when all of the laundry in the house is done, the clothes we are wearing are dirty.

I make breakfast for Princess, and the minute everything is cleaned up, it is time to feed the Prince. I get his breakfast cleaned up and it is time to feed the Knight. Then it is snack time and lunch time and supper time....... Sometimes I miss a dish or two and it is like I have done nothing all day long.

I was having a nice little pity party for myself this morning when I loaded up the boys to run some errands. Princess's student teacher's last day is tomorrow and the class is throwing her a going away party. And by "the class" I mean me. (Pity party alert.) I have MOPS tomorrow and I really need to go. It is nice (necessary) to get that reminder every other week that what I am doing for my kids by staying home is a good thing. I wanted to get everything ready for the party so I could go to MOPS, leave early and go throw the party.

The boys had really good behavior during the running of the errands, so when we were done I drove them to the park. Usually we walk so I can get the extra steps and they can get some exercise (worn out!), but since we were running late, I just drove.

While getting supplies for Princess's student teacher's last day, I came across buckets and shovels in the Party Supply Store. Our buckets bit the dust about a month ago do to their popularity and my little boys' not-so-gentle hands. The boys could not be more excited to have buckets again! Our park, like many parks, has pea gravel under the swings and slides. The boys love to dig in the pea gravel.

So we headed to the park, and they started to dig.

While I was watching them, it occurred to me that they were not getting anywhere. They dug and dug and dug and dug. Sometimes the pea gravel would cave in what they had just dug. They didn't care - they just kept on digging, having a great time. Sometimes they would dig a good sized hole and then decide that it had to return to its original state and start filling it back up! A minute later, they were back to digging a big hole again.

In the state of mind I was in last week, this equated to housework.

Maybe after I have done all of the housework it does cave back in on me and does look like I have done nothing. Maybe the laundry pile gets leveled just to be built up again.

But so what?

I still did those tasks even if no one can tell. I am still getting things done for my family, things that they would certainly notice if they were NOT done! Even if it is taken for granted and goes unnoticed, I am still helping them (whether they like it or not!).

Plus even though the idea makes me laugh, the thought of someone thanking me or bursting into applause for everything I do around the house would really get annoying after a while! Ha!

I guess what I learned from my boys is that if you can be happy during the process of getting something done, then that may be all that really matters.

Wednesday Update!

Yesterday was a super crazy day! We made it to the gym and the boys had fun in the playroom. It has been a while since they were there so it was all exciting and new again.

We came home, had lunch, and I put the boys up for naps. The Prince did not nap (grrr!) but in a way that was OK. I was going to have to wake him up early anyway because we went back to the gym to swim after school. Princess, AB, and the Prince had a great time playing together and I had a nice time chatting with AB's mom. It was actually her birthday so Princess brought some party hats! If I had known I would have done something special for her. She has been so nice to Princess!

The plan for today is to go to the park with the boys and head back to the gym. My arms are stiff from lifting weights yesterday but it feels good. :)

Lifetime Fitness Goals Week #11

It has been a while since we have made it to the gym (bronchitis, Thanksgiving, and school commitments) but it looks like we will be going twice today. I am going to hit the treadmill this morning and this afternoon we are meeting some friends to go swimming. The kids will love that!

Here are my Lifetime Fitness Goals for this week:

Monday - grocery shopping, Big Laundry Day
Tuesday - Go to Lifetime Fitness, take boys to park, Take all 3 kids swimming this afternoon
Lifetime Fitness: 65 minutes on the tread mill (710 calories, 3.63 miles, 4-7% incline)
Weights (arms, chest, shoulders, legs) X 3
Finished laundry
22,130 steps (10.96 miles, 10 points)
Wednesday - Go to the park and then go to Lifetime Fitness
Thursday - Go to Lifetime Fitness
Friday - Go to Lifetime Fitness

Happy Tuesday!

Fun Quiz!

What The Holidays Mean to You

For you, the holidays are about emotional connections and bonds. You are happiest being around those you love. You celebrate the holidays in a minimalist style. You are likely to only give one great present and decorate your house with a few special items. During the holidays, you like to feel cozy and comfortable. You're happy to stay inside with a roaring fire and a warm drink. You think the holidays should be nostalgic and sweet. The holidays bring out your inner child. Your best holiday memories are warm and intimate. You remember special moments more than gifts or parties.

What Do the Holidays Mean to You?

Monday Update!

Wow! We have had a busy Monday so far. We put Princess on the school bus bright and early as usual. After the boys got up and ate breakfast, we headed to the grocery store. As you know from my past blogging (whining?) grocery shopping with a 2 year old and a 4 year old can be hit or miss. Fortunately, today went very well. We got all of our stuff in record time and no one got hit, kicked, or burst into tears. That spells SUCCESS in my book! :) Today is also Big Laundry Day - I know! We live an exciting life! Ha ha! I try to get every piece of laundry through the wash and put away on Mondays and Thursdays. This makes for a lot less mess around the house. I actually like laundry day because I can see the big pile of laundry at the beginning of the day dwindle down to nothing by the end of the day. (Yes, I am warped!)

Anyway - Happy Monday!

My Elf Name!

Your Elf Name Is...

Happy Fluffernutter

What's Your Elf Name?

Saturday Night Faux Campout!

Princess is in Brownies, and I must say she has outstanding leaders! They each have a 1st grade daughter and started this troop last year when they were Kindergarten Daisies.

Saturday from 3:00PM until 8:00PM they had a faux camp out! The girls did everything but sleep in the tent overnight. It brought back so many fun memories for me. I was a girl scout from 1st grade until 9th grade.

<==The Girls taking turns putting charcoal in the charcoal chimneys!






<==Princess's turn!














<==Princess helped make hotdogs wrapped in croissants! They baked them in cardboard ovens. Pretty neat!




<==Time for some tent fun! The girls sang silly songs and hung out in the tent!













<==Time for some fresh squeezed lemon-aide!








<==The girls made quite the spread!

















<==Princess eating her campout supper!










<==Princess roasting marshmallows! Yum!







<==Princess receiving her VERY FIRST badge! It was a "Try-It" for camping!









<==Time for some campfire songs before heading home! The girls had a blast!

Basketball for the Princess and the Prince!

Saturday was a super busy in FamilyOF5Land too!

I took Princess to Basketball Evaluations Saturday morning. This is really kind of neat. One of the big churches down here runs an athletic center. In the winter they offer basketball and cheer leading. Last year Princess chose cheer leading and it was a lot of fun but I cannot tell you how happy I am that she chose basketball this year! I would much rather have her participate in a sport than watch and cheer for a sport. (Side note: Those little cheerleaders worked really, really hard last year and I came out of the entire experience with a better understanding of how cheer leading works! If she chooses cheer leading next year I will be fine with that.)

In any event, she wanted to try basketball this year! So, I signed her up, paid online and took her to her evaluation on Saturday morning. Evaluations are not has bad as they seem. The coaches are trying to spread out the talent so no one team is better than the rest of the teams. This is a "for fun" experience.

While I was there I asked if the Prince would be able to participate too? He is 4 1/2 and they require the kids to be 5. I was ecstatic when they said "yes"! I brought him in for an evaluation. He will be playing on the Kindergarten team. How cool! I have been meaning to get him into some sort of sport since he turned 4, so this is great!

Hopefully they will have practices on the same night. They will both have games on Saturdays so that will get a little crazy but it is all in the name of fun and exercise!

Friday at Princess's school!

Friday was a super busy day here in FamilyOf5Land! Princess's student teacher who has been in her classroom since the beginning of the year had her last day on Friday. Being a room parent, it was my responsibility to plan a "reception" for the student teacher. (It cannot be a "party" because the school only allows 3 parties per year. Whatever!) Since it was only a reception, I could not bring in a cake or cupcakes or anything like that so I brought in muffins and juice boxes. The boys went with me. I didn't ask if I could bring them. I figured since I was throwing this little shin-dig they were invited too. They were actually really, really good! We call this"Fire Station Behavior" because they were so good when they visited the Fire Station about a month ago. We had MOPS in the morning and then left an hour early from that to attend the reception. Lots of running around but it was worth it. Princess's student teacher was quite surprised and I think that she knows how much we appreciate her!