March odds and ends

 Two of my favorite people!

Isaac is starting to read.  It's slow going, but he gets better every day!  There's not a lot I love more than seeing my kids finally "get" something!  Cameron taught Isaac the vowels and somehow that made reading "click" for him.  I love how happy he is when he gets a word right!

Austin's 2nd grade concert.  "Surf's Up"!

The day Isaac used his allowance for the first time

Allergy shots - because it's a 3 hour (round trip) drive to Austin's allergist we choose to fast-track Austin's shots.  We go in once a week for 3 weeks and do 3 shots each time.  The appointments are 3 1/2 hours long - with drive time it's a really, really long day!  Austin has a good attitude and I enjoy spending so much one on one time with him.  He's a fun kid! I really like him!

Grocery shopping - we are always, ALWAYS, running against the clock!  Gotta pick up the boys from school by 3:00

Landon did his "State" report on Illinois. His biggest concern for his project was what food he'd bring.  Oats are a cash crop of Illinois, he learned and he is convinced he can make anything into a dessert - thus the Oatmeal Pie.  

So fun to see him at school - in his element!  I love his "school persona"!  I can see why the girls think he's cute, the boys think he's cool, and the teachers really like him.

They have to be contained while I finish getting ready: cartoons to the rescue.  Their favorites right now are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sofia the First, and Octonauts

rough day at baseball practice....

Isaac starts soccer this week.  Seriously, out of all these old cleats there wasn't a pair that fit him!  I think I end up buying a couple pairs for every sport season, even with the hand me downs.  Isaac's pretty stoked he got a new pair, after all.

Today was not awesome!  We are safe, though, so I guess it kind of was.  Austin and I were on our way to an ENT appointment in Boise.  Just as I got into Boise the steering on my car went out.  As I started to panic it was, honestly, as if an angel took over my car!  It was the strangest, most amazing thing.  I was in the left lane of the freeway but I was able to point the car towards the exit and the other cars on the freeway somehow melted away from me.  I coasted right off the freeway and into a gas station parking lot - the perfect place to wait for a tow truck.  

This kid's had a fever for 4 days.  He keeps insisting he's not sick, but then he puts himself to bed.  Poor little guy!

I love how Landon likes to make little things from stuff around the house.  His favorite is to look up "how to" videos on U-tube and make paper airplanes.  This is a crossbow.  I was going to crop this picture of Landon but then I noticed the glimpse of Austin in the background, laughing.  I kind of love it! 

He bought this foam airplane with his allowance.  It lasted a couple hours before it was torn apart.... 

Today we painted her nails - for the first time!  Safe to say, she LOVED it!

She got Isaac's fever.  I'm enjoying the snuggles.

Don't tell her that the lipstick she's putting on is made of plastic ;)

...yes.  Classy and Fabulous!

Our last day for his marathon allergy shots.  We've developed a little Cafe Rio tradition.  He's a fan of the sweet pork tacos; a BIG fan!

Feeling Green

    There's something about green food that makes me want to take pictures.   Our St Patrick's Day was easy going and full of spring in the air:: 8:30 am church and afternoon naps, followed by games, trampoline jumping and our green feast.

{I thought I deleted these pictures! So happy I found them!} Austin and Isaac decided to make traps again this year.  Although, their plans were ingenious those naughty leprechauns got away again!  But not before leaving a few treats.  (Ella ate her entire box of tic- tacs in about 15 min.)

The boy's came in my room and woke me up to tell me the leprechauns came.  I could tell Austin was a little bummed.  He'd already been asking TONS of questions about weather the little green dudes were real.  I sent Isaac out of the room and Austin asked, "Mom, there aren't really leprechauns are there?"  It was time to make Austin a "Magic Keeper".  In our house the non-believers become "magic keepers" or "secret keepers" so they can help everyone else feel the magic of the holiday.  It's an especially important job around Christmas as we all become Santa's helpers.  Austin understood.  He looked down in thought and I was worried he was sad to know the truth.  When he looked up he said, "Mom?  Can the Easter Bunny bring me an IPOD???!!! Please?!"  ummmm, no; but nice try, Mister....

This is Isaac's little trap.  I love that kid and his enthusiasm.  He explained to me how it would work about 90 times.  He especially LOVED that "his" leprechaun's name was "Stinky McFee".  He laughed about that all day.  

I love these little traditions that create fun memories for my little family.   

Dear Blog,

Please don't worry.  I haven't forgotten about you.  In fact, I think about you often.  I love to tell you what's happening in our little family and I especially love to print you out at the end of the year and enjoy our memory books.  But time goes by and we're so busy {living} our lives I'm having a hard time {documenting} them.

I have a goal, though.  I will be back soon, dear blog. I'm making you a priority, once again. Don't feel lost; you have a purpose.  In the meantime just know we are busy just being :: playing and living and laughing and stressing and fighting and making up and playing sports and driving kids here and there and cooking and cleaning and painting our garage and planning our tomorrows and sitting in doctor's offices and fixing teeth and swinging on the swings and making friends and bringing treats to school and learning to read and trying to get enough sleep and, really, just living in the moment.