Spring Break day two

So, today was an interesting freebie. Ella and Jacob thought it was so cool to help mom clean house - for like an hour or more. Jacob vacumned, until I couldn't take the noisy vacumn anymore. Ella mopped and then cleaned windows. It occupied nearly a full morning. Then they got bored.

So, Ella, Jacob and I went to McD's to eat and play. They played for 1 & 1/2 hrs. while I read - a win-win situation. Callie was with Julie today and Christian and Shannie stayed with Mark. Shannie has the ear infection that has made the rounds here, even though pediatricians will tell you they are not contagious - whatever - 3 in the past month or 2.

Christian started out the day just a pickin' on Callie. He has definitely established that pecking order - for whatever reason. The wierd thing is when just the two of them are home, they play well together. For some reason if Ella and Jacob are around - he constantly picks on her.

Mark and Jonathan took the boys to get their hair cut. There used to be a barbershop in our mall that cut African-American hair, but it close some time ago and we've had trouble finding a place near by ever since. Conor and Shannan have a good friend - Orlando who has a shop, so they headed out there. Well, Orlando was delayed and so no one was there. They ended up going to a shop across the street. She did a decent job - Jacob loves having his hair cut. Christian hates it. It often takes 3 people to hold him while their trying not to cut something other then his hair. I think for the summer we'll just shave his head weekly as he's getting his bath. Not really worth the money or fight when you can't get the cool detailing - which is the part Jacob loves so much.

Today ended with a rousing game of newspaper tag - Mark chases the kids and slaps them with a newspaper - they love it. They run and scream as if they're scared. Hi-larious. Then we read our book - The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright. What an awesome writer. She never wrote down to kids and they all listened intently. The vocabulary is so rich. So many words not used much - the rained teemed down - for instance. It's our second generation of kids to enjoy her series about the Melendy family. Hopefully I'll be able to read it to my grandkids next. By the way, Melissa texted today that she is 1 cm. dilated and 50
% effaced, so little Kaia is on the way. We can't wait to meet our granddaughter.

Spring break day one

So, we are on a very tight budget right now and the kids are on spring break. This morning I told Ella we need to find as many free things to do this week as possible. Today's free deal is Ella and Jacob are on their way with daddy to the Y in Eagan which has a water slide. We already have a membership, so no extra cost. Hopefully it's entertaining and they come home tired and happy.
The weather is yuck for now, so all outdoor freebies are a no go.

Yesterday on the way to church as I had to admit the several inches of snow we got was very beautiful hanging on the trees Ella said - Mom - it looks like heaven. Well, what can ya say - we're on the way to church don't ya know. She is definitely a cup half full sorta gal. She and daddy had their picture taken Sat. as they packed Easter bags for Here's Life Inner City - another freebie now that I think of it - and it was put in the Sun. paper. Kinda fun. She's been photographed for the Star Tribune twice in her short 7 years. The first time was almost 3 years ago when the paper did an article on our family and there were many photos of us all. The photographer and journalist followed us for about 6 months. It was a fascinating experience and the kids thought it was "normal" to have a photographer follow you around and take your picture everywhere you went - for sure the most photographed 6 months of their lives, or ours for that matter.

I took Callie to the eye doctor who was thrilled that she continues to progress as she has. We always have to giggle as she hardly ever wears her glasses - has thrown 2 pairs out of moving vehicles. Not a real incentive for us to keep replacing them. They generally stay safely in her glasses case in her backpack going back and forth to school. So, when they say - wow she's doing great just keep doing what you're doing. We crack up and inside we're thinking - oh, you mean nothing - great we'll keep doing that. She's just such an amazing kid and God has healed so many of the emotional and physical scars she came with. We just lean back and watch - in awe of the strength of her spirit and the power of God's touch.