Wacky Pose

If they'll pose normal for one picture, I'll let them give me their wacky pose. This picture was clearly the better of the two I took.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

The family took me to breakfast this morning to celebrate my birthday at Marie Scrambler's - on of our favortie brunch spots.  The boys each made me cards with artwork, which I loved.



I've taken my birthday off from work for years now.  It's a little indulgent, but I don't indulge much the rest of the year.  I love spending the day with my family, especially since they love making it special for me.  Work will be there tomorrow. Tonight I'm blowing out candles on my strawberry pie.

Spring Soccer Roundup

Both kids were thrilled to play soccer this year.  4 year old soccer barely looks like soccer and is mostly a free for all where kids kick the ball wherever they want and all 10 kids chase it down to kick it again.  Forget passing.  If a kid didn't like where the ball was going, they'd pick it up.  Aaron was initially disappointed that he didn't get to blow the ref's whistle.  Aaron loved throwing the ball in and tried to do it whenever he could.



Alex was a real trooper this year.  He did his best in practice every time and showed up for this game in the rain.  His team was so big that they divided into two teams for game day, but all practiced together.



Aaron's coach (far left) made sure they they had fun and played nice.  The coaches at this level get to be on the field and provide direction - ("Kick it toward the goal. No, their goal!").



Alex wasn't the fastest kid on his team, but he was very tenacious on defense and rarely let the ball get past him.



Aaron loved to be in the game but was good about taking turns.  When he was in, he'd always be going for the goal.



They were both very proud of their trophies.



But not so much their haircuts.

We Thought We Were Barbers

Every parent gives their kids a bad haircut at least once, right? Right? Well, we apperently felt the need to continue this longstanding tradition.  Last year, for their summer haircuts, we sent them to a kids' barber who pulled out a trimmer and mowed down their hair to something cooler for summer.  How hard could it be?

Today we tag-teamed them.  Becky cut large swaths off with scissors to make my job easier.



I then pulled out my old adjustable-depth beard and moustache trimmer that I haven't used much since I shaved them off last spring.  The biggest problem that I had was that it wasn't fully charged up in the cabinet and it quickly ran out of steam.  It also was really the wrong shape and style for this job in the first place.



We had thrown down a sheet to aid in clean up, but I just had to get a shot of how much hair we got off on our first attempt.



The result was a blotchy hair cut for each that they had to show the world during their end of season soccer game and trophy ceremony.  Aaron looked like he started chemo a few days before.  It bothered us more than them, and Becky went to Sally's Beauty Supply and bought a real, plug-in hair trimmer that evened them out.  You can get a nice view of that haircut here.  (Remember, that's the improved version.)

Building Catamarans

This month's Home Depot Kids' Workshop project was fun and unique. They got to build matching catamarans with a canvas sail. I doubt they'll see water as they are partially glued together.

Last Day of School Fiesta

On the last day of school, Alex gave his teacher, Mrs. Coffin, a butterfly suncatcher that he made for her.  He was apprehensive about her being his teacher at the beginning of the year, but he has really thrived under her guidance.  His behavior has generally improved and he has been more consistent about completing his schoolwork during class without letting his surroundings distract him.



His reading group/language arts teacher was Mrs. Fish, who enjoyed working with Alex.  Alex has been an excellent reader for years and the small groups allowed him to be paired with kids at a similar level.



Mrs. Weinberg was his 1st grade teacher last year, and this year supplemented his education by teaching social studies.  She'll be moving down to the preschool next year, so Aaron will get an earlier exposure than Alex to her fun and novel approaches to learning.



This afternoon that had an end-of-year fiesta with Mexican food and sombreros.  Alex tried an enchilada for the first time and loved it!  What happened to our picky eater? (This also means that there's hope for Aaron's palate improving someday).  We tell them all the time that there is a world of foods that they would love, but they won't try it because they've never tried it.  Kid logic.  We won't let them claim that they don't like a food that they've never tried, but we learned a long time ago that it isn't worth a fight.  It is worth encouragement and re-offering rejected foods.  Peer pressure is fair game ("other kids your age eat pizza, Aaron").



After the fiesta, parents brought in board games, most of them mildly educational, and had a board game party with the Lower School in the Resource Center.  Summer Break has begun! We'll reconvene here in 2 1/2 months.

Preschool Picnic/Lower School Field Day

This is Aaron and his P-3 preschool teacher, Mrs. Meinecke.  She had her hands full this year with eighteen 3 & 4 year-olds.  Aaron had thrived this year and is very excited about going to the big kids preschool next year.



She had help from Miss Thorpe who was in there for half a day most days in the morning.  Becky volunteered her time there on Tuesday mornings which allowed the teachers more small group assessment and teaching time with the kids.



Today they took the whole class out to a local park and had an end-of-year picnic and playtime in the park.  Aaron was thrilled that they had watermelon and apparently tried to eat two pieces at the same time. :)



When they got back from their picnic, they were able to catch a little bit of the Lower School's field day on the soccer field. It ended with the traditional kids vs. teachers tug-of-war.  Alex is on the far left , second from the end in the muscle shirt and shades.

Magic Glasses

Aaron got his first set of magic glasses today. They have transition lenses and will help correct his myopia and astigmatism. Strengthening his left eye will also keep it from turning out like it wants to. He has mixed feeling about them but is generally positive. He stopped by the office today to show them off and posed in my desk chair.

Sprinkler Fun

It's hard to beat a cool sprinkler on a hot day - complete with soccer shorts and Crocs

Practicing Bike Riding

Today we practiced bike riding in the driveway.  Alex has been having trouble balancing and pedaling at the same time.  I read a trick online that I tought might help.  Parents had noted that the balancing is the harder part of that equation to learn, and recommended removing the pedals.  They were easy to remove and now Alex practices by pusing himself along like a scooter.  He can put his feet down for balance whenever he wants, but tries to go farther each time.  I'm hoping this is his year.



Aaron outgrew the trike that they grew up with and can pedal around on Alex old bike with training wheels.  You have to push him to get him started, but he can keep up the momentum, steer, and brake fairly well.  Both boys need more practice, so we'll be out again this summer.

Spiky Reader

Some hair gel, a good book, and a comfy couch. And, as Alex just noticed, an "S" on the wall which stands for Spiky.

Hovercraft Fun

Chris pulled out a fun device that he built - a hovercraft. Seriously. I can't replicate it, but I think I got the general idea.  It is a piece of plywood that he covered in a blue tarp and used measured cuts and duct tape to shape the lower section into a skirt with an opening smaller than the base.  He cut a hole in the board and stuck the output end of an electric leaf blower into it.



When you turn it on it pushes air under the board and out the hole in the tarp, providing lift.  He push the boys around the driveway for a while.  He assured me that it would hold me and so I took a trip down the driveway as well, when I discover a serious design flaw - no brakes.  Chris chased me down and stopped me with a broomstick, that I realized he has used for this purpose before.  I don't think I'll try this at home, but it was cool to ride.

Cincy Zoo and Slip-n-Slide

Yesterday we drove to Cincinnati to spend the weekend with our friends from medical school - Dawn, Chris, and their kids Rachel and Ben. We got up today and decided to go to the Cincinnati Zoo.  They are revamping some of it, but we got to see most of it including a great exhibit of male white lions.  They were pretty and at one point they roared a roar that would make you evacuate your insides if you were out on the savannah.  Some of our favorite moments of the day didn't involve animals.  We rode on the zoo train which the kids loved.



The kids gravitated toward the playground which included a big spider net jungle gym.  We thought we might catch a live bird show that was on the schedule.  It wasn't until we got to the outdoor ampitheater that we realized that the schedule we were given when we entered was for the next day and there was no bird show.



Instead, we were treated to a free concert by Roger Day.  He's a children's music singer/songwriter and we had a great time for this hour-long concert in the zoo.  He got the kids to help him act out some of his favorites, like "Mosquito Burrito" (those are mosquito finger puppets that Aaron is waggling above), "Dream Big", "It's a No No to Kiss a Rhino", and "Ready to Fly".



We did get the three boys to capture and then pose on a stray crocodile before we left.  He wasn't moving very fast, so it was easier than we thought.



To cool off that afternoon, they set up a slip-n-slide up on a hill in their yard.  It was great because of that hill - gravity pulled you so you didn't have to worry about timing the run with the fall on the face.  You could just start out on your face if you wanted. 



We ate grilled meats, helped Dawn with a puzzle she was working on, had fried ice cream-flavored ice cream for dessert.  After we put the kids down, we played Guitar Hero III on their Wii late into the night.  Dawn schooled us by playing "Slow Ride" by Foghat on Expert.  I guess we'll have to get out own and practice.

Sea Turtle Eating a Jellyfish

I asked Aaron what he called this piece displayed as part of the Preschool Spring Concert and Art Show. His answer: "Sea Turtle Eating a Jellyfish".

Blue & Gold Banquet 2008

After his soccer game today, we ran home and Alex changed into his full Cub Scout uniform, including the patch vest that Becky had put together for him, using all of the extra patches that he had accumulated.  Then we all piled in the van and drove to the Pack 90 Blue & Gold Banquet.  Traditionally this is the award ceremony for Scouts that have earned their advancement badges, and is usually done in February or March.  We had been working hard on everyone's achievements and had started a little late in the year with our meetings in October; so this year's Banquet got pushed into May to give everyone time to complete the requirements for their badges. 



The banquet was held at the house of one of the Bear Scout's parents. After the playtime on their massive jungle gym and pizza for the banquet part of the night, we all assembled in the rec room in the basement for the ceremony.  Alex had completed the achievements for the Wolf badge a month ago, but he'd been waiting until tonight.to receive it. Becky went through all of the extra awards the boys had earned first, including Sports and Academics belt loops and pins.  Then Alex received his Wolf badge and the 4 elective arrow points from her and looked very proud.  The other boys got their badges, and then we all got to eat cake.  Not bad for our first awards banquet. 

Defending the Castle

Alex made this for art class, and it also was featured on the back of the Spring Concert program. Alex says it is a "picture of the good guys jumping out of the castle onto the bad guys to sneak up on them." The background sky is watercolor and the rest is crayon.

Alex's Spring Concert

Alex took a larger role in this year's Lower School Spring Concert.  He'd been telling us about a part playing one of the seven dwarves for over a month, but we just found out recently that he had a secret role.



Early in the fairy tale themed concert, several princesses were struggling with what they were looking for in a good man.  Alex came out with a crown and proclaimed that he was a prince and therefore the man of their dreams.  They turned up their noses at him (in song, of course) and he stomped off for a quick costume change.



Soon thereafter he came out as Happy the dwarf.  They had their own song, and the chorus had been echoing through our heads for weeks from impromptu practice sessions at home: (To the tune of Heigh Ho) "Don't mock, Take stock. It's true, we really rock. We're Bashful, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy, Doc."

Alex promised us that having his shirt half-tucked into his pants was an intentional choice, important to the motivation of his character's personality.

February 2008 Posts

As regular readers of this blog (Hi, Mom!) already know, I am way behind again after just getting caught up. The usual excuses about being very busy and or tired can be inserted here, but it is something I want to catch up on. It's already mid-May which puts me a solid 2 1/2 months behind. My fingers are cramping in anticipation of the typing that I know is coming. As you can imagine, my other blogs (listed somewhere over on the right) are being neglected a bit also. I am pretty caught up on my 101 in 1001 blog. I am still planning on working on the My Disaster Kit blog and there should be a new post up there soon describing a small, personal-sized disaster kit that can be thrown into the bottom of a bag. One thing that has stalled me there is a new blog that I found from someone who took the lessons he learned after fleeing post-Katrina New Orleans and applied them to a new plan to protect him, his family, and his future livelihood (if a devastating catastrophe made us suddenly flee Ohio, could I prove to another state that I am a trained, board-accredited, and licensed physician?). This blog made me change some of the ideas that I have had and will lead to a re-tooling of our disaster preparedness plans and subsequently the blog. One of the key points of that blog is that "Survival is not a kit". He's right, of course, so I've got to make kit building a small part of our preparation plans, and focus on the process. How quickly can we get out of the house in case of fire? What would we grab if we had 1 hour to evacuate? How can we prove who we are if we have to leave quickly? Can we carry and use the kit contents?
Keep an eye on that blog for answers to these questions and in the meantime, enjoy these February posts.

Spring Sensations Cake

For a cake walk at the school carnival, Becky made this Spring Sensations cake.  The inside is a confetti cake with internal sprinkles.  She then frosted it and covered it liberally with more sprinkles and candy flowers.  We hated to give it away.

Recycled T-Rex Puppet

Alex had to make a puppet for class out of found or recycled materials.  The body of this T-Rex is a paper towel tube. The fingernails are, you guessed it, pistachio shells.