A Day of Celebrations

Easter is a special day for us as Christians as we celebrate Jesus' resurrection from the grave and the salvation we have in Him.  Meghan and I really enjoy going to church on Easter morning if at all possible, and this year we were able to make it happen despite a tight schedule.  We went to the 9:30 service at LBC, and we were joined by Julie, Andrew, and Brent.  Afterward they then headed over to Mom and Ron's house, while our family went home first.  While there, I "hid" some eggs, and by that I mean I placed some eggs in plain view, such as between the diaper stacks in the TV shelf or just placed on the center cushion of the couch.  Joshua and Clara each found some eggs and seemed pretty satisfied with themselves.  We then gave them their Easter baskets which included small stuffed animal bunnies that Meghan constructed and sewed herself.

Then we headed over to Mom and Ron's for the second half of the day, which was a party to celebrate Grandpa and Grandma's 60th wedding anniversary.  We had some delicious Jack Stack BBQ for lunch and got to spend time hanging out, talking, and playing games, including playing a really fun game (a Boggle/Scrabble hybrid game) that was homemade by one of their friends.  We also presented them with some cards and gifts, and Grandpa unexpectedly took the floor, so to speak, and said some really wonderful words about Grandma and then played the song that they've adopted as their song, "You're My Best Friend".  I missed the very beginning of his speech, including his opening line of "Jeannie is my best friend", but the rest of it can be seen here. 

It was a really special day from beginning to end.  I'm so happy that we have salvation in Christ, and the next most important thing behind faith is family, and it was an honor to get to celebrate the 60th wedding anniversary of the couple who best models an ideal marriage more than any other that I know.   

Bubbles and Towers = A Great Soccer Day

Joshua's actual soccer timeslot is on Saturday morning.  For the first two Saturdays we were unavailable during that time, so we had to do a make-up session on the following Friday.  Yesterday we made up for last Saturday, so we're now back on schedule, and so this morning was our second morning in a row.  Today they did two new things.  First, the coach did bubbles.  Joshua loved this.  A lot.  It's been awhile since we've done bubbles with him, but I guess we should do it again.  In the picture above, it looks like he's not participating, but he had just popped a bubble at waist-level.  But click on the picture to enlarge it and look at the sheer joy on his face.  He was more excited than any other kid and screamed/grunted with joy each time another round of bubbles was released, causing the other parents in attendance to giggle at his excitement, as it was really cute.  Then we did another one of his favorite activities: building towers.  Using the cones and the "discs", they were encouraged to build towers.  Joshua, as an accomplished tower builder had no problems with this and built the tallest tower in the class.  I'm not sure these activities increased his soccer skills, but as long as he's that happy, I'm fine with it.

Poor Girl!

Today we were all sitting at the table eating lunch when Clara tried to reach too far out of her chair and somehow fell out of it. But she was strapped in and most of the straps held so she ended up bringing the entire chair down on top of her. Luckily, being attached to the chair did seem to slow her down so she was okay, but she has a large mark on her forehead, that you can see here that we think is from the strap and also had a bloody nose. Because she wasn't too hurt, the prospect of a second glass of milk cheered her up enough to make her stop crying, though you can still see one remaining tear in this picture. But as soon as she was done with her milk, she remembered what had happened and she started crying immediately again.

Bumper Chairs

One thing the kids really love to do sometimes is push chairs around the kitchen island. Since we have wooden floors, the chairs slide really easily and they run around and around and eventually crash into something or go on the carpet. It doesn't sound very fun, but somehow it entertains them for a really long time over and over again. (Our house is not normally clothing-optional, but Joshua had just spilled water all over his clothes so they were not available at the time of this photo. He was happier that way, really.)

Way Back Wednesday: Goats

So about three years ago, we didn't even have kids. Which seems completely impossible. Yet it is true. And since we had a lifestyle with way more free time, we had date night every week. But most of the time we would just go out to dinner. However, once a month we took turns planning a more elaborate date of meal with activity and we would choose the budget at random between like $10 and $150. One of Jason's times to plan was a pretty low budget and he took us to Deanna Rose. I love animals, including goats so this was a really fun thing to do. And, since I didn't have kids, I had barely heard of this place at the time. I am not big on traditional romance. Do not ever buy me candy or stuffed animals and think they are a gift. Flowers and jewelry are nice, but I am extremely picky about both and you probably don't want to take a chance if we haven't discussed it first. I don't really believe in Valentine's Day. Which is all okay because I didn't marry a very traditionally romantic person anyway, so if I wanted a vast heart-holding teddy bear collection, my life might be disappointing. But I do find it totally romantic to have a husband who knows me so well that he takes me to see goats on our date because I love goats. It was a fun day.

I'm Not Really Liking Those Apples

I try very hard not to ever leave the kids unsupervised unless they are secured in their booster seats, but occasionally I have to go to the bathroom. So today, even though I was only gone maybe a minute, Joshua took that time to move his chair over to the counter and get himself a delicious apple. Because he is a very giving boy, he also gave Clara an apple. Luckily, I came back before he also gave Natalie one. I am never thrilled when he gets food himself, but at least this was pretty close to lunch time so we just started lunch with some apples.

Keeping Things Interesting

Hannah has been a little frustrated lately because she has gotten a lot more interested in moving and keeping up with the other kids, but she still can't really go anywhere. She still really enjoys her playmat, though. She used to enjoy batting and watching the toys, but now she likes tugging on them and seeing them bounce back or make noise. She also enjoys her exersaucer. She can sit, but not reliably. I think as she gets steadier with sitting, she will be more entertained and hopefully stay happy.

Big Girl in a Big Bed

When you have two kids a year or so apart, you have two main options: you can buy two cribs or you can move your older child to a bed earlier than most people do. Joshua made this decision easy for us when Clara was ready for the crib because he started climbing out of his crib at 14 months, forcing us to move him to a bed, even though I didn't even move Clara to that crib until he was 18 months old. This made things a bit harder when it comes to Clara and Hannah because overall I feel Clara has a harder time with transition than Joshua, but I also was not terribly motivated to buy a crib to use for only one kid for a year or less. So we decided to try her in the toddler bed and see how it went. Surprisingly, it has gone super smoothly with no problems whatsoever. We started at nap and she cried only a minute or two longer than normal and that was a couple days ago and there have been no issues. I was pretty nervous that she would freak out about it, but she has adjusted really well so I guess we will stick with one crib.

Neverending Winter

Today we got some snow, which is fairly unprecedented for March in this area. Not only are Jason and I very much ready for spring, but so are Terrence and Natalie. As you can see from their forlorned little faces, they were profoundly disappointed at having to go out in the snow (though less so than they were later in the night since we got a lot more snow, and we could have as much as eight inches by morning). Luckily, Terrence was able to quickly get back to his favorite spot. Natalie also was sleeping on the sofa, but she is a little tougher so she didn't need to be under a blanket.

The Beginning of Organized Sports

Today was a day I've been very excited about it, though more for what it represents than the actual activity itself.  We signed Joshua up for soccer, and today was the first day.  I loved playing sports growing up (and still do when I have the opportunity), and soccer was definitely my favorite.  I hope all of our kids play sports, but Joshua is the oldest, so he's the closest to being ready.  And given that his proclivity for sports is already apparent, I think there's a good chance he'll enjoy them and play them.  I look forward to watching him learn different sports, but I'm especially excited about soccer, which is why today was so fun.  It was pretty basic stuff, of course, since they were two-year-old kids.  They did some stretching and games (Red Light Green Light) and did some work with the actual balls, both soccer balls and bigger inflatable balls.  Joshua's favorite activity was when they were encouraged to kick the balls at the cones to knock them over.  He thought it was awesome that he could cause destruction by kicking a ball.  He had fun, and I'm looking forward to the upcoming sessions.  Afterward we stopped by Christa's to get his hair cut since he was getting a little shaggy.  Here he is being as Christa described "my best-behaved customer" and then showing off his new 'do as we got in the car to head home.

Now Watch This Drive

Since Joshua has recently discovered the joys of hitting balls with sticks, I decided he would enjoy golf and, since it's still a bit chilly, it's something we can do in the house. He really enjoyed this and named this fun new game "hit it". Clara also got in on the action. Joshua really enjoys wearing K-State hats while playing sports so as soon as he realized we were playing a sport, he went right over to get his favorite K-State stocking cap so he could wear it while hitting the ball.

Way Back Wednesday: Dog Halloween

As Jason mentioned, Terrence was named after Terence Newman. So the first time I made them Halloween costumes (in 2004), I made him a little K-State jersey. I decided Natalie should be a cheerleader. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be to make costumes for dogs who wouldn't hold still for fittings. Plus, that was well before I got my good sewing machine and my first sewing machine was awful. Even so, they turned out cute and the dogs are fairly willing to wear clothes, so it went well. Unfortunately I don't have time to make them costumes anymore, because I really wanted to add them to our Wizard of Oz theme last year. I made Terrence's helmet (you can sort of see it in the first picture) out of paper mache and the thing about Terrence is he really hates hats or anything on his head. So he didn't wear that part much.

A Long Way to Go For Some Food

Today I had a business meeting in Dallas.  The plan was to fly there in the morning, go to the meeting, and fly home in the late afternoon.  Instead, when I was about to take off for Dallas, I was notified that our meeting was canceled.  It was too late to get off the plane, as the cabin door was closing, so I flew to Dallas, booked earlier flights home, and then found a nice restaurant in the airport for lunch.  Then I headed to my gate and got on the plane.  I didn't have a direct flight either way, so I essentially flew to Dallas with two segments each there and back just so I could enjoy a meal in the airport.  That may not have been the best use of my company's money, but it couldn't be avoided.  Here I am in front of some sort of weird glass sculpture during the short time I was in the state of Texas.

Game Pioneer

I've long been a fan of making up random games using whatever equipment is around me.  So I was excited to see Joshua do something similar today.  He seems to love sports and balls and loves hitting things with other things, and he combined that by inventing his own game.  He's only two, so it's a basic game, and it consists of using a little wooden hammer/mallet from one of his toy sets to hit a yellow plastic ball around the house.  It's sort of like croquet, except he doesn't limit himself to hitting it through wickets; he just hits it across the floor and then tracks it down and hits it again, repeating this process over and over.  I'm excited for him to be a little older when we can start playing these types of games together, eventually being able to make up rules and scoring and things like that.  But for now I'm just happy to watch him have fun on his own.  

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Today we came home. Although it was a super fun trip and it was really nice to have time away from the kids, we were definitely excited to come back home and see them (and the pets. Who actually seemed more excited to see us than the kids). Today was St. Patrick's day and normally I make Irish Stew and colcannon and mint chocolate chip ice cream. However, since we didn't come back until the afternoon, I didn't have time and we had shamrock-shaped pizza, guacamole, and store-bought mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches. And the kids wore their green outfits.

Vacation Day 4: USS Midway and Sailing

Today we started our day at the USS Midway museum, which is a former aircraft carrier that was decommissioned shortly after the first gulf war. This was an awesome museum that we both really enjoyed and was our favorite thing we did in San Diego. We really wished we had more time here because we didn't have time to look at the lower deck at all. We spent a lot of time on the top deck, where most of the planes are, and also saw some of the quarters and ready rooms that were also near the top of the ship. This reminded us a lot of the USS Missouri, only the ship was more modern. The planes were from a variety of eras.

The reason we couldn't stay longer is that we went sailing in the afternoon. We had never been on a sailboat before. The sailboat we were on was in the America's Cup in 2000. They teach you a little about sailing and you are able to help out with it if you want (I am not really into paying to do work so didn't do that much, but Jason liked doing his part to turn the boat). We both enjoyed trying something different, especially once the wind picked up later in the day. I imagine some people go on that excursion and think, "Wow, sailing is awesome. I will go home and take lessons." For us, we thought it was fun, but more because it was different, not because sailing will be our new hobby.

After sailing, we were both tired and we have a super early flight tomorrow, so we didn't want to stay out too late. But we did eat dinner at another touristy reastaurant in Old Town, tonight called Rockin' Baja. It was an interesting cross between Joe's Crab Shack and a Mexican food restaurant and we enjoyed our food and the fun decor. And also that, like almost every restaurant in San Diego, they had a super large outdoor eating area.

Vacation Day 3: Balboa Park and Torrey Pines

Today we got up early and ate breakfast at a fun place called Hash House A Go Go. The food was great, yet portions were huge. Here we are with our meals. And yes that is a BBQ bloody mary with a pork rind garnish in the picture with Jason. And no I would not recommend it unless you, like him, enjoy drinking condiments.

After breakfast, we went to Balboa Park. We did the audio tour to get an overview of the park. It is massive and we couldn't come close to seeing it all in one day. It was beautiful and we enjoyed being outside and seeing various parts of the park.

After walking for awhile, we decided to pick a museum to see. We decided on the Museum of Man which sounded very interesting on the website. Unfortunately it is probably the worst and dullest museum I have ever been to. There was a traveling exhibit on torture which was well-done and interesting, yet also extremely depressing (we decided a Holocaust museum was the only thing we could think of that would be sadder). The rest of the museum was a bust and we didn't stay there for long.

After improving our moods by walking around Balboa Park some more, we went to Torrey Pines State Reserve. Of course, by then the fog had rolled back in, so of course it was foggy and cold. But it was still a beautiful park and we enjoyed walking on the trail and then we also walked along the beach.

After it got dark, we decided to eat some Mexican food in Old Town. We really enjoyed this meal even though the restaurant was a bit touristy. In Kansas City, we only have Tex Mex and this was less cheesy and more coastal, so it was a really nice change.

Vacation Day 2: Not Totally Vacationy

The main reason we were able to take this trip is Jason's job. This helped us indirectly because he can use his frequent traveler points and miles to pay for things like my flight, the rental car, and hotel. But it also helped directly because Jason also was in town to do a roadshow, which means his company paid his airfare and the parts of our hotel and rental car that were directly related to that. Today was the roadshow, so Jason spent his day doing that. Here is looking all professional in his suit. I spent the day laying around and reading and watching tv. I really enjoyed that because I never have days like that at home.

After the roadshow, we went out to dinner with our friends the Tildens, who moved to California earlier in the year. Two of Jason's co-workers who were in town for the roadshow also came. We had a lot of fun and the food was super fresh-tasting and good. I really wanted to eat fish tacos while in San Diego so this was an excellent opportunity to do that.

After dinner, we walked down the pier to see more of the ocean, though it was foggy and cool once again. On our way back, we saw a lobster fisherman (or lobster catcherman? whatever you want to call him), pulling in a lobster. He was pretty excited about eating it for dinner tomorrow, but he was willing to let Jason hold it. Fun fact: California lobsters don't have claws so they can't really hurt you. Here is Jason with the lobster. I would have liked to name it Larry, but I have found it's best not to name future food.