Friday, December 18, 2009

Day...whatever!

12/15/09 - branching out...an imaginary story about a sweet horse named Dove that Sweet Potato meet a few months ago:

"Once upon a time there was a horse named Dove. When Dove went to play outside she would play with the other horses. Then she would go back to her stall. The next day Dove woke up early and played outside and played by herself and ran and jumped in the air. Then Dove saw something, it was a horse! Dove couldn't believe it! But soon they made friends. Dove's owner made her come in her stall. The next day Dove woke up and heard a noise. Then all of the owners took all of the horses out of their stalls then all kinds of horses went outside. The horses ran around the barrels and jumped over the gate by the barn."



12/17/09

"Yesterday Anna and Kaitlyn came to our house. I taught Kaitlyn how to sew. Kaitlyn sewed two Christmas presents. Then Anna came in the room and asked to sew and I helped her sew Pineapple's cat. While Kaitlyn was sewing, she said that they also go to church. She said she went to CSD and she missed me because I always go in the grownup church. Then they had to leave to go to church."

It's so fun to have friend over!! While the "big girls" were sewing and hanging out, Jalapeno and his "betrothed" Anna helped make peanut butter cups. But that wasn't exciting enough for them, so they went down to the playroom, to play fire-rescue heroes!!



12/18/2009 - a big day in our home!! We went...well, let's let SP tell the story:

"Yesterday we got birds! We really didn't know that we were going to get the birds. We have three of them. We had to get a cage, a toy stick and we had to get a lot of stuff. We were going to get two birds but my mom said htat we could have three. We have to clean the cage. We put paper towels on the bottom of the cage. We love our birds. We have to take good care of the birds."



So yes, we went to the pet store to add to our hermit crab collection, which had dwindled over the summer down to one crab - Water. They didn't have any at the first store, so we trekked onward, in search of the perfect companions for dear Water. After we made our crab selection ("no we are NOT paying $3 more just because the shell is red, white and blue!") we were headed out of the store when we discovered that this store was closing, and so all of the bird stuff was half off...AND, I had in my possession cash from family to buy gifts for the kids for Christmas...sooo to make a long story short - I know - TOO LATE!! - we came home with three darling little spice finches who are named Miley, Angel and Puggy. OH, and three crabs (can you REALLY call them cute?!?) Whose names change by the hour, but I believe right now, we have Thunder Bolt (really, a crab named Thunder Bolt?!?), Rosie (no offense Granny) and Calypso.



Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Ummmm....Days 4-14...

Well, it's been kinda crazy around here for the last two weeks, so I have not had the time to get on here and keep the tally going...so I am going to let Sweet Potato's journal entries clue you in, and add a few fun pics too!

12/3/09:

"Yesterday while my mom was gone, Grammy, Jalapeno and I played war. Then Jalapeno and I played monkeys. My mom came home. Then Jalapeno, Pineapple and I found an interesting game. We danced with a jumping plastic horse. Last night we listened to music while we ate dinner. Before dinner I was drawing ballerinas for a book."



12/4/09:

"Yesterday we decorated the rail. Then Mommy and the boys set up the nutcracker. Last night we went to a place called the street of Bethlehem. We made a lantern, and a necklace, and we made all kinds of things and I can't remember the rest. We saw a show of Mary and Joseph. Baby Jesus was a real baby but it was not really Jesus. Yesterday before we went to the thing, Mommy and Grammy were putting up the houses that have lights. Yesterday I got to use Christmas stencils in a book."





12/7/09:

"Yesterday it was my Mom's birthday. I gave her a special card, it was a ballerina with a paper tutu, it was purple. I gave her a rock and a picture. Of course the rock was purple, because her favorite color is purple. Mommy also likes chickens. Mommy has a whole shelf in the schoolroom. We even have crabs."



12/8/09:

"We got to open presents and I got a horse barn. Jalapeno likes horses because he likes to copy me. but I have no idea why. We have a fake horse outside my barn. I took some paper and cut three boxes and wrote their names. Then Mommy made some saddles. My barn has a gate and a trough and a jump over gate. It has three horses because I got two with it and I got one in my stocking."









12/10/09:

"Today we are having chocolate chip pancackes. Jalapeno came to Daddy's office to tell me. I was in a hurry. We all like chocolate chips. One time Jacob, Christian and Will came and we had chocolate chip pancakes. This morning Mommy was blending some chocolate chips. I am glad that it did not wake up Grammy. We don't always have chocolate chip pancakes."

12/14/09:

"Today we are going to the gym. There is a foam pit, and a trampoline, balls, big stuffed shapes, and you can roll in a big circle because it has handles. We like to go to the gym because it has all those fun things. It also has gymnastics bars. I always swing on the bars because I can practice for the trapeze at home. I am happy that Grammy gets to go. But I am sad that Grandpa didn't get to come."

One of the things that Grammie and Sweet Potato have been doing a lot of, is sewing! SP is getting so good with her needle and thread! She is making pillows, an apron for Grammie, and stuffed animals for her brothers.



Another special event that happened while Grammie was here was we got to go to the Compassion Christmas party - the kids had a great time watching and listening to some drumming and singing from Africa, eating cookies, making an ornament and listening to story time.



So as you can see, it has been a busy two weeks! We so loved having Grammie and Grandpa here with us, and everyone is so sad they are gone.

Naptime is over - better get busy!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Day 3...


Sweet Potato's journal entry:



12/02/09
"Why did I get ice cream? Because I kept my room clean. I had to keep my room clean for fourteen days. And I did. And since I kept my room clean I got a chocolate dipped cone. Jalapeno and Pineapple kept their room clean. And after the fourteenth day Grandpa and Grammy came. And we went to Wendy's and after Wendy's we went to DQ. Last night we cracked nuts. Then I had to go to bed early. Then I fussed about my glasses. Today it snowed but it is too cold outside. Last night I got to sleep in the boy's room."

Like I said..."character training"!!

We started a plan, two weeks ago to keep our rooms "inspection ready": toys put away, clothes put away or in the laundry, beds made. Each day they got a check mark if they met the criteria...if they got 11 checks, they get an ice cream cone, 14 checks and they get a chocolate dipped cone. They all had to sign the "contract" and did amazingly well..the boys got twelve checks, and Sweet Potato got all fourteen!! Now instead of saying "Go clean your room" fourthousandsevenhundredtwelve times, I say, "hmmm...I wonder if your rooms are ready for inspection?" and they all race away to make sure they are...Mommy is loving it!!







While I was at MOPS today, the kids got to stay home with Grammie and Grandpa! They played games, colored, did puzzles, played cards and read books - what a fun morning!

After the boys went down for quiet time, Sweet Potato and I sat down to do the 'prescribed' math for the day...and she was HOT, so we did seven days worth in about an hour! It makes up for the days when the brain is turned OFF, and we don't get any done!!

Another day full of learning, and it's only 2:41!!

Day 2...


Day 2:

Sweet Potato's journal entry:

12/01/09
"Today Grammy and Grandpa came and I am glad. Grammy takes us to McDonald's but only Grandpa takes us to DQ. Mommy took us to Wendy's and then we went to DQ. Yesterday I got to use two ovens! I am glad. I love horses and Jalapeno likes horses too. Mrs. Bethany likes tigers. Grammy likes a canary bird."

Today, we went to the "Big Belly Airport" (don't ask me why they call it that, they started using that term when they were 4 and 2...preschool humor, I guess) to pick up Grammie and Grandpa...can you say EXCITED?!!? After spotting the ugly blue horse (I mean honestly...with the gorgeous view that the airport provides, why do we need to have Denver guests talking about the bright blue horse with the flaming orange eyes?!?), we parked and went in to meet them at the top of the escalator.

After dinner, the boys got to color with Grammie and Grandpa, while Sweet Potato had some, shall we say, "character training"...hoping for a more relaxed day tomorrow!