Turtle Power!

Now that the bullhead carcasses have disappeared and the stench of dead rotting fish is gone, it is once again pleasant to live by a pond.  The thicker ice & snow pack of this past winter suffocated more of the poor buggers than usual.  This turtle was creeping around our yard last week.

We also enjoy seeing herons, egrets, lots of ducks, and a muskrat or two.  The frogs are really loud in June.  The ducks get all the stale bread during the summer and it's fun to see what else they'll eat.  They ingest all manner of cereals & crackers, but, say, gummi bears?  Not so much.  They 'chew' on them for a while before spitting them out.  Good entertainment.

This poor guy crawled back into a pond full of pop cans and water bottles and other random junk.  Need to get out the waders for the annual clean-up.

8 eyes

Nate and Adrienne just got new glasses.  Poor A was half blind for almost 2 weeks, stuck wearing her very 1st pair of glasses which are less than half the strength she needs now.  We were waiting for the new pair (#3) and for her 2nd pair to be repaired.

We had great weather again this weekend.  Little miss dramatic wanted to change into shorts yesterday and when I wouldn't let her, she raided the freezer for some ice packs.  Sheesh.  There's plenty enough laundry to do without all the wardrobe changes she requests.

I miss this show

Yay Jesus and Michael day

The stork didn't bring us our first kid, the Easter Bunny did.  We had a double celebration on Sunday, Easter + Michael's 11th birthday; the first time that Easter fell on April 4th since the day he was born in 1999.  At dinner, Michael let it go to his head a bit and remarked that everyone was at our house because of him.  He was told that Jesus edged him out.

He got a spiffy bike from Nana and Papa and a fancy skateboard and knee, elbow, & wrist pads from Grandpa and Grandma.  Later in the afternoon, though, he goobered up his special day a bit.   Michael came down the stairs too fast, fell, and landed hard on his back.  When he was still in pain an hour and a half later, I took him to urgent care where we spent more than an hour waiting to be seen.  Everything checked out okay, thank goodness.  How ironic that failure to walk down stairs correctly landed him at the clinic instead of the skateboard. 
Overall, we had a nice day with family.  Except that everyone pigged out on the candy that the Easter Bunny left for me and Nate, and ate all the birthday cake.  I was looking forward to leftovers.
Michael will turn 22 the next time Easter falls on his birthday.  I'll make two cakes and hide the candy.

Spring break + great weather...

...equals walks to the park, catching caterpillars and a boy covered in bike grease.

3rd grade fun

March is Women's History Month and the 3rd graders had to do projects on an influential woman.  Adrienne got Janet Reno, who is a woman albeit somewhat ambiguously.

They gave her a book to do some research.  I made her stop running around the house in her dress up clothes long enough to snap a picture with it.  I told her to 'look confused.'

Every Friday Adrienne brings home a classroom newsletter.  Each week 2 kids get to be the editors and every kid tells them an interesting thing happening in their life that week.  The editors get to decide which 10 or so cool facts make it into the newsletter.  It's mostly fascinating stuff like "Jack has a swim meet" and "Emily is visiting her grandma this weekend."  Last month when Adrienne got to be the editor, one newsworthy bit was "Summer learned how to get more hair volume using only a brush."  Way to go, Summer.  Last week's included "Sara is going to Jamaica.  Todd is going to Target."  Heh.  It reminds me of my dad's response when people brag about their travels - "I was to St. Paul once."

The kids have spring break next week and I hear it's supposed to get into the 70's.  Yee-haw!

crayziee hair

It's spirit week at school and Thursday is crazy hair day.  The kids are always up for looking goofy so this gives them a real excuse.  Actually it's crazy hair and feet day but I wasn't sure how to crazify their feet.  We always buy boring plain white socks and they don't have quirky shoes, so they have crazy hair and normal feet.

six years of Nicky

Friday was Nicky's birthday.  He brought Twinkies to kindergarten.  Homemade treats are no-nos these days so it had to be something even unhealthier.  The teachers say non-edible birthday treats like pencils are fine to bring instead, but who wants to be the schmoe that brings writing utensils for everyone?
Nicky was a naughty little baby.  On his first night home from the hospital he nearly gave me a heart attack.  He gasped and choked on spit-up which led to a test at six days old that confirmed infant GERD (which all babies have to some degree but his was worse).

During his first year he took Zantac, but despite the meds his reflux gave him constant minor congestion.  He also had consistently goobery eyes that required antibiotic ointment.  And he knocked out one of his teeth with a vacuum attachment when he was almost 14 months old, but that's a tale for another day.
Anyway, we had supper at McDonald's for his birthday.  I'm not usually psyched to eat there for special occasions, but on a Friday in lent it's okay since their fish sandwiches are decent.

Except for Zach, the kids have lost the ability to smile naturally for the camera.  It's weird.  We went home and opened presents...

Yep, a Chia Scooby head.  It wasn't our idea.  The alluring cha-cha-cha-Chia! commercials must have snookered him.

Nicky initially said he wanted cheesecake for his birthday, but when we went to Sam's to pick out his treat, Daddy steered him towards this big double-layered chocolate chip cookie thing with some pirates on it.  That's okay, it was pretty good.  His grandparents all came on Saturday to shower him with more love and presents and drink coffee.

what to blog?

I've been feeling un-bloggy inspired lately. I was going to talk about Lost and how it's mostly been disappointing but I don't feel like it.

I don't live on a flood plain, so yay for over 40 temps and rain and melting snow, though it's kinda dreary.

I'll just post another pic of Zachary, who picked out all the peas from his sugar snap pea pods last night.

1st band mom brag

Michael's band teacher nominated him to go to the Southeast Minnesota Band Directors Association Beginning Band Festival in May.  Whew.  What a mouthful.  Michael said about 5 kids in band got nominated.  Applications are handled first come first served so we'll see what happens.

Otherwise, not much going on around here.  Waiting for spring.  The kids are sharing a nasty cold & cough virus with each other. 

 

 Zach bugs Bruiser who's trying to soak up heat from the floor vent

  

laundry 'helper'