Jump Rope for Heart a Big Success

From Alex's school Newsletter:

The Lower School (Grades 1-6) participated in Jump Rope for Heart in late March and raised $3,544. No school in a 14-county area has raised more money in their first Jump Rope for Heart event.

The donation will help the American Heart Association in its battle against heart disease and stroke by allowing increased funding to go towards research and educational programs. Maumee Valley's Physical Education program was awarded a $200 gift certificate to US-Games to purchase physical education equipment.

Fun at the Park with Nana & Papa

After the Butterfly House, we had lunch at the San Francisco Oven, and then went to a park near Alex's school while Becky picked up Alex. Aaron went all over the jungle gym with very little fear. He even walked up the big metal slide a few times - once with Nana right behind him.

Showing Nana & Papa Butterflies

We took Nana & Papa to the Butterfly House today while Alex was in school. This was Dad's 1st time in a place like this.
He took lots of pictures with their new camera, including several of the abundant Blue Morpho.
For the first time, Aaron was apprehensive about the butterflies. At times, he was paralyzed because they were flying all around. He felt better if one of us was holding him.

After about half an hour, he loosened up a little bit and would walk around with someone, like Nana.

The Glass Museum

Nana & Papa Evans came into town yesterday for Grandparent's Day at Alex's school on Friday. While Alex was at school today, we took them and Aaron to the new Glass Museum that opened last year. This is a part of the Toledo Art Museum, located directly across the street. Since the Libbey Glass Company is located in Toledo, this has been known as the Glass City. Through the Libbey family and other generous donors, the museum had amassed a large collection of ancient and modern glass works. Of course they have glasses and bowls, but the collection includes tables, sculptures, and other art and functional pieces. The oldest are thousands of years old, though most of the pieces were hundreds to dozens of years old. Some of the more modern art pieces were made in recent years.



This punch bowl and table were made by the Libbey Glass Company for a World's Fair near the turn of the century - I think around 1905. Part of the art around us was the museum itself. It was designed by the ..... group from Japan and built by local contractors. The interior and exterior walls are made of glass and all of the corners are rounded - no right angles. Unfortunately, Aaron bumped his face into the glass at least 3 times because he didn't see a wall in front of him. The nearby security guard said that she did that too during her first week there.



Besides the glass collections, they have a glass furnace that is used by artisans and students. Since all of the walls are glass, you can watch them at work while you tour the museum.



The other surprise feature was this long room on one edge of the museum with movable stools, but no glass (other than the walls) so Aaron could wiggle around a little. It was hard being in a museum with lots of pretty displays that he couldn't touch, but overall he did a good job. Today was also my parents 37th wedding anniversary. I turn 36 this year, so the math checks out ;)

Recipe Summary - April 2007

I want this post to be a link back to previous posts that had recipes in it, so that it will be easy to refer back to. I'll update it as I add new recipes. Please check out our...

Ribs
Paella
Fruit Salad
Jambalaya & Creole Sauce
Fire Roasted Corn
Spatchcocked Chicken
Baked Eggs and Potatoes
Becky's Chili
Black Bean Soup
Lime Guacamole

Mommy Tip - Lime Guacamole

I found that squeezing fresh lime juice on my homemade guacamole helps preserve the color and tastes great. I typically mash up one ripe avacado, mix in a dash of granulated garlic, kosher salt and ground pepper to taste, and then squeeze a quarter lime wedge over the whole thing.
-Becky

Easter 2007

Becky and the boys got dressed up and went to Easter services at Westgate Chapel. The boys were wearing alpaca sweaters knitted by Grammy Hardage. They all enjoyed it, then came home to find that...

...the Easter bunny had braved the snow and freezing temperatures to deliver eggs full of candy, toys, and money for the boys.

He was very sneaky with some of his hiding spots, but the boys found them all.

We went back inside and opened the eggs. The boys shared this moment of brotherly love. Then we had an Easter dinner of ham, corn, roasted potatoes, carrot sticks, sesame wheat rolls, biscuits and our eggs from yesterday. Aaron had chicken nuggets and fruit.

The boys then opened Easter gifts from us, Nana & Pana Evans, and Grammy & Grandpa Hardage. Lots of candy, toys, coloring books , and outdoor toys that will be tested in warmer weather.


Alex got a bike this weekend, that also will be tested in warmer weather. Aaron's favorite toy was this black puppy dubbed Black Beauty. Happy Easter everyone!

Making Easter Eggs

Becky tried out a new kit this year that involved sticking the boiled eggs in a plastic bag, dripping egg dye on them, and then rubbing the dye on the eggs through the bag. Aaron got stripped down as a precaution.
Alex wore an old shirt he'd already gotten paint on in the past. He tried out multiple color combinations.
They made 9 in all and had a blast. One more day to Easter!

Mommy Tip - Pool Noodle in Bed

Jason found this post about traveling with kids, suggesting to bring a pool noodle along to slip under the sheet at the edge of the bed to give kids a reminder not to roll off the bed. Aaron is sleeping in his old converted crib. It has three walls and is open on the front. Like his brother, he likes to sleep on the edges of the bed; so, we bought one of those bedrails that slips under the mattress, but only extends partway down the bed, giving him a spot to climb into bed from. He prefers to sleep with entire body on the pillow across the width of the bed - but lately, he's gotten too long to do that. This meant his head was getting shoved into the net portion of the bedrail, making him look like a fish caught in a net. I've coaxed him into lying lengthwise now. Yesterday I removed the rail and slipped in a pool noodle we bought. After a nap and a full night in bed, it seems to be working.
-Becky

Mommy Tips

Jason has been encouraging me to blog more, but I haven't been sure what to say. I realized that I've found, developed, stolen, or otherwise obtained numerous little tips that help make my day more efficient and running smoothly. The smoother things go, the more time I have to spend with the kids and the more sanity I have left at the end of the day. I'm going to start posting them here, but if I get the hang of this, I may transfer them to their own blog. One thing at a time. These will all be labeled with the "mommytips" tag - so you'll be able to click on the mommytips label on the right side and bring them all up. Please feel free to disagree or add new ideas in the comments section.
-Becky

Spring Break 2007 - Cincinnati

Right after getting back from the water park, we did some laundry, got a good night's sleep and headed down to Cincinnati. We have good friends from medical school that live down there - Dawn and Chris and their kids Rachel and Ben. Dawn introduced Alex to a small harp on a wood base that had room underneath for a paper song sheet that showed him which notes to play in what order. Rachel showed us her blankets she's been making for girl scouts, including the Cars blanket she made for the boys. That night, after getting the kids to bed, Dawn and Chris introduced us to a video game for the Playstation 2 called Guitar Hero. Instead of a joystick, you control the game with a guitar-shaped controller. You have to "strum" it and finger buttons on the neck in time with the music. It's hard to describe, but you can watch a random 8-year-old do it here playing "Freebird". Out of all of us, Dawn was the best. She plays the flute and I think that this helps her, but nevertheless she put Chris and I to shame.The next day we went to the Cincinnati Children's museum which has several fun and educational things for kids to try. Alex loaded foam rubber rocks into a crane bucket and later worked the crane to drop them into the yellow dump truck you see behind him. They shot plastic balls across a room with jets of air and other cranes. They played in a pretend vet's office, a diner, and a construction site.
They also had a water area like they do at COSI which of course they loved. Their favorite part had to be the forest with logs you could crawl into and climb up into tunnels, mazes and bridges. It had a real aquarium that contained some bass and a Lucite tunnel that you could use to crawl into the middle of the aquarium for an eye to eye view of the fish.
That night we had dinner at the Iron Chef restaurant which had the chef prepare and serve your food from a grill right at your table. We loved it, but especially the kids. Alex tried white rice for the first time and like it. The chef tried to coax him into trying some vegetables, but he would have none of it.

One of the kids favorite parts were the fire tricks he did, like build a volcano out of onions and caused it to erupt. We'll be talking about this around here for a while.

Jason's 101 in 1001 Project

I found a blog post suggesting a way to lay out several large projects in a manageable timeframe. I had several things that were in my someday/maybe pile that I wasn't getting any traction on. I also had several lynch pin items that would open new doors for me if I could just get the ball rolling on those key items (I think I just mixed 3 metaphors). The post suggested laying out 101 things you wanted to get done within 1001 days. The poster suggested the following guidelines:

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (i.e. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (i.e. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as new year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.

2. Stay Focussed. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.

3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.

4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.

5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

These seem like reasonable guidelines. I posted my list on a new blog and I will use this blog to update my progress on it. Since I started my list today, then I have until Christmas Day 2009 to complete it. I welcome your comments and suggestions.

All I Want For Easter Is...

One of these days Alex will believe me. I've been telling him for days that his top left tooth was loose enough to come out. When I repeated it again tonight, he proceeded to claim that I was incorrect and wiggled it just to prove it to me, and it came out in his hand.

Spring Break 2007 - Castaway Bay

As part of our Spring Break vacation, we took the boys for a couple of days at Castaway Bay. The weather was still ugly, so an indoor water park hit the spot. They were doing construction on the room we reserved, so we were upgraded to a suite with bunk beds for the boys in their own room. The online downside was that it was right across the hall from the arcade which was a little noisy. The plus-side of that was that it was also near the water park entrance.

A favorite feature was the wave pool that starts up every 10 minutes. The boys loved it, especially Alex, who is getting brave enough to hold his own at the deep end of the wave pool (with one of us nearby). In between the wave cycles, the boys talked me into being a water train. Alex went on the water roller coaster with me - once. Maybe we'll try again next time.

After our 1st day in the park, we had some dinner and finished the evening in the game room. We played skeeball, Ms Pacman, racing games, Whac-a-Mole/Gator/Spider, air hockey and several games of skill/timing. We let the boys stay up late - especially since the noise from the hall wouldn't let them go down early anyway.

The next day Aaron tried the fort in the middle of the park. While Alex would climb to the top and slide down the biggest waterslides it had, Aaron could just do the shortest two - but he loved it.

To unwind and warm up, we made frequent trips to the hot tubs. They are connected through a tunnel to an outside section, but this is the first time that we've been where we thought it was too cold to spend much time out there. Alex took this picture.

Alex wanted to try the cargo net crossing. After several practices, he got halfway across by himself. With me in the water hold the buoys as he crossed them, he made it all the way. He thinks that he can do it by himself next time.



We didn't bring our tripod so we propped this on one of our bags on a lobby chair and got a family pose before driving home.

A Person's A Person, No Matter How Small

As we left Suessical, The Musical a few weeks ago, Aaron was singing this refrain from the show. It sounds beautiful coming from a small person, so today I got it on video.

A Trip To Gramps

Aaron was pretending with Becky today and told her she needed a train ticket.

"But I don't have one", she said.

"You can get it, it's up there!", he said emphatically pointing to the light at the center of our bedroom ceiling.

"Up there?"

"Yes, up there on the Eye-ple Tower."

"The Eye-ple Tower?

"Yeah, the Eye-ple Tower in Paris, Gramps!"

Lemons Are Sour

He insisted despite our admonitions to the contrary.

We obliged.

A New Face At Home

I let my facial hair grow my 1st day of college, thinking that it made me more grown up. I long since lost that need, but I became accustomed to that face in the mirror. Except for a couple of instances when I felt I had to shave off the 'stache and beard (and then promptly regrew it), I have had some form of this on my face since that day. At one point I felt that it was such a part of my face that I would just as soon cut off my nose as shave it off. Lately I've been shaving with a Fusion 5-blade razor instead of my Norelco electric one, and I like the closer shave. It's hard to shave around the goatee with a razor though and I was encroaching on it in ways that left it a little lopsided.

Last night after we put the kids down, I shaved it all off. There were parts of my face that had not felt a blade, or wind for that matter, for years. I shocked Becky while she was reading a book, but she really liked it. The boys however, had never seen me without it. When we woke up this morning, I showed Alex, who giggled, then hid his face in the covers for a little bit and sobbed. When I asked him later about it, he said that it was very startling for him. I sat with him and rubbed his back and talked to him until he relaxed. What really sold it for him was the opportunity to tell his brother about it. We both went in and Alex broke the news. I picked him up just as he was waking up and he made a startled noise and said, "I'm scared!" I asked why and he said, "You're different!" I explained it to him and he came around quickly. He repeated the "You're different!" refrain several times this morning and kept wanting to see my face. He didn't want to touch it at first. He asked me where my mustache went. When I told him that it went into the sink when I shaved it off, he wanted to rescue it so I won't be different anymore. Both boys have gotten used to it and Becky was sold from the beginning. I like the way it feels, so I'm going to try this for a while. It confirmed for me that it had nothing to do with who I really am. Same Daddy. Same Jason.

Celebrity Wait Night 2006

We went to a fun fundraiser for Alex's school tonight called "Celebrity Wait Night. It was a more downscaled version of last year's auction. The auction is such a big deal to pull off that they only do it every other year. Tonight we got to socialize with our friends and check a small number of auction items.
The kids all contributed some work to art projects for the auction. Alex's class decorated this apron with flowers - the petals are their thumbprints. Alex's flower is the red one in the lower right. Our prize item for the night was winning a set of tickets to a May performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat by an area kids theater group. Alex wanted to go after we saw it at the Stranahan and brought home the soundtrack.

The highlight was getting waited on by our own celebrity - in this case it was Mrs. Seiberg - Alex's music teacher. She was great, so we left her a "tip" as a donation to the school.

Aaron's New Toolbench

Alex's Native American Presentation

Tonight we were entertained by Alex's Native American performance at school. The entire Primary has been working on this for weeks months. In art class they made sculptures (like the bison on Dad's Day), parflesh pouches like the one on his belt, and other drawings. In Social Studies, they learned about the tribes of several different regions and tonight they took turns reading passages describing the lives and cultures of these tribes (Alex did a great job with his).
In Music class they learned and performed several Native American songs, dances (pictured here), and games.

After showing us his artwork, and that of his classmates (and a snack with juice) we all gathered back in the Resource Center and learned a game that the kids had demonstrated earlier that night. Aaron did a good job sitting through the performances and enjoyed the game at the end. The only sad note was that Alex's teacher had been instrumental in putting this all together, but was unable to attend tonight; albeit for a good reason. She's still on maternity leave for the birth of her new son.

Another One Bites The Couch

I tried to tell him that it was loose enough to come out, but he didn't believe me until his face bounced against the couch in the basement.

Building a Butterfly House

Kids Workshop Day at Home Depot brought us out together to build a butterfly house in preparation for Spring when it finally arrives. Aaron is fully into this now, though he still needs a lot of help.
Alex still needs one of us to start his nails, but he's got no problem using a hammer to build away.

Now all we need is some warm weather and some butterflies!