Happy Early Birthday to me! (plus etc.)

Posted April 28th, 2008 by Mom | Comments (0)

This past Saturday evening, my parents and my Great Aunt came over to celebrate my birthday. Since my birthday is actually May 7, it was easier to celebrate it now, instead of conflicting or combining my birthday with the celebrations of Mother’s Day, C’s birthday and my M-i-l’s birthday.

We knew that C and J would be happier playing here instead of at my parent’s house, so my mom came over a little early and cooked dinner for me - complete with setting the table! We had chicken a la king, rice, peach halves with cottage cheese, sister shubert rolls and english peas. For dessert my mom made (my absolute favorite cake!) lemon pound cake with a sugar glaze. She also had chocolate chip cookies and vanilla ice cream available. It was a delicious meal - extra delicious since I didn’t have to cook it!

B gave me a beautiful iron decoration to put on the wall over our bed. I have been looking for something similar to no avail. He did a great job finding what I was looking for. I can’t wait to see it in place!! He also gave me a new odometer for my bicycle and a metal paper cutter. My Aunt gave me a restaurant gift card that I will immensely enjoy. The restaurant has a bakery and I love their blueberry muffins for weekend breakfasts (so do the boys!). C and J gave me a ceramic black and white cat to add to my collection - thanks boys! My mom and dad gave me the new Mary Higgins Clark book, a skirt and blouse and new brown shoes, and a Camphor glass three legged bowl (Camphor glass is a cloudy white glass that has been blown or pressed. It was made by many factories in the Midwest during the mid-nineteenth century.) that matches a 3 legged plate that I already have and love to use. This set will be a beautiful addition to my dinner table. Thanks Mom and Dad!!

After dinner, my mom even cleaned up the kitchen! What a great mom I do have to make such a special evening for me!!! Thanks, Pop, also for sharing Nana with me for the afternoon while she prepared the meal!

The evening had to end rather early since the boys needed to get to bed to be ready for church in the morning. I had to be at church at 7.30 on Sunday morning to meet up with my handbell choir so we could practice a little while that morning before we played in both worship services (I still want to call it “Big church” even after all these years!). Both times we played sounded really good. I play the big base bells (c4-f#4). I use the mallets or pluck the clapper depending on what is called for in the sheet music. I played in high school and love it. I have been with this handbell choir since January of last year.

What a great weekend! Happy birthday to me!

No Training Wheels!! Update

Posted April 24th, 2008 by Mom | Comments (0)

B worked with C some more this evening on riding his bicycle with no training wheels. C is now able to ride on the sidewalk for 3 full house lengths before stopping. When he stops, C is able (for the most part) to stop without falling. He could probably ride further, but knows that the 3 houses are his usual boundaries. I am looking forward to going on a ride with him down the street - or possibly around the block - this weekend. (This evening I had a stomach ache and stayed inside for the most part, but came outside to witness C’s amazing progress.)

B also told me that C can now start himself off, instead of needing an adult to steady him while he starts riding!

C- I am so proud of you!!!

P.S. - J now wants his training wheels off of his bicycle. I don’t know how long I can stall him, but I have told him that he needs to be at least 5 years old before the training wheels come off. We’ll see how long this tactic works with him. Who knows… I might one day see C helping J take the training wheels off of J’s bike!!

No Training Wheels!!

Posted April 24th, 2008 by Mom | Comments (0)

A few days ago, I was outside with the boys in the driveway. C and J were riding their bikes up and down the sidewalk and driveway. C came to me and requested that I take his training wheels off of his bicycle. I tried stalling, and suggested that we wait until the weekend when Daddy would be home.

Yesterday we were outside in the driveway again playing. C mentioned to me again that he wanted his training wheels off. Trying a different tactic, I suggested that he get a tool and take them off. I had spoken to B on the phone and knew that he would be home momentarily and thought he could dissuade C.

No such luck. C (with J’s assistance bringing him different size wrenches) removed one training wheel and was working on the second wheel when B got home. Since C showed such persistence, we knew that he was ready to learn how to balance and ride his bike without training wheels.

B made sure that the back bicycle wheel was secure (after the training wheels were removed) and went to helping C learn to balance on his bike sans training wheels. C got discouraged and wanted to quit, so B went inside to eat dinner. I stayed outside with the boys and C requested my help after a few unsuccessful attempts. I held onto the center bar between the handles on the front of the bike to help C balance and to give some helpful instruction. (B had used the method of holding the seat to help C balance.)

After about 15 minutes of me walking/jogging with him, he got the hang of it. He is still struggling with getting himself going, but once I help him, he is good to go for a bit, until he gets to a stopping part, stops pedaling and falls or jumps off.

C has requested that we put the training wheels back on, to make it easier to ride, but we have told him that he just needs to practice more that now the training wheels are off, they don’t go back on.

Oh, bother! The rain has started. I was hoping to help C practice some more after rest/quiet time.

Go, C, go!

Uh, oh!

Oh, no!

Crash!

Success!

Pictures 4.24.2008

Posted April 24th, 2008 by Mom | Comments (0)

C and J playing on their bouncy balls

J helping me (D) move the mulch bags around the yard to where I needed them. He was such a great helper that day!!!

C heading to 1st base. Go Wildcats! They have their first real game this evening (unless the rain comes in and ruins the schedule)!

C snuggling with J on the couch underneath the warm blanket I made that we all fight over who gets to use it…

boys loving bouncing on the sidewalk

I don’t need a wheelbarrow. I have a J!

Posted April 12th, 2008 by Mom | Comments (0)

My flower beds have needed mulch. My dad was nice to bring home his company truck so my mom could get her pine straw and mulch and so I could get some plants and 21 bags (57 liters each/2 square feet each!) of mulch. Thanks Daddy!!!

This morning around 10:30 my dad came over and C rode with him in the truck to the mulch store. I followed in my car with J. This way C could ride home with me and J could ride with Pop in the truck on the way home. After arriving home around 11:15, B and my dad unloaded the plants and bags of mulch. I had not yet had breakfast, so I quickly ate and fed the boys their lunch. B then got C ready for his t-ball practice while J and I went outside to begin spreading the mulch.

I quickly realized that spreading the mulch was going to be a physically exhausting adventure, as in past years. However, this time I wasn’t going to have B home to take the bags where I needed them since B was about to leave to take C to practice. I thought about using the wheelbarrow, but it has a flat tire. I also thought about using my parent’s 2 wheeler, but I didn’t want to go get it. All of a sudden, here comes J on his jeep. Problem solved?

J was a very willing, and enthusiastic helper. J brought the jeep over to the piles of bagged mulch and backed up to where I could easily lift a bag and place it on the back of the jeep. I then instructed J where to drive (backyard flower bed, front door flower bed, in front of C’s window or J’s window, etc.). J drove to exactly where I needed the bag and then stopped and waited for me to unload it and then went back to the driveway for another bag. I couldn’t have drug or pulled or lifted all of those bag and taken them where I needed them if it weren’t for J! He was a great helper.

Before spreading the mulch, I needed to dig out the trench in the front yard that separates the grass from the flower bed across the front of our house. The trench prevents grass from growing into the flowerbeds and keeps the yard looking nice. Over the last summer and winter, the trench has filled in quite a bit and just needed some maintenance. In addition, some of the dirt from the flowerbed had run off into the trench during heavy rains. I was able to use the dirt I dug out of the trench to build up the flowerbed around some of my bushes on the front row of the flowerbed. J was a willing helper in this task as well! Like I have said before, J loves dirt - especially if he is given encouragement to get dirty! He used a hand shovel and trowel and went to work on digging up the dirt and piling it around the plants.

After spreading the first 15 bags of mulch, I moved on to planting my new plants and then put mulch around them. After this tiring (but yard beautifying task) I then went to the back yard to finish with the mulch. While I was around back, B had already arrived home and put J in a warm bath - oh, my goodness, that kid was filthy!!! He obviously had lots of fun!! The back of his neck is sunburned to prove how long he was outside (so is the back of my neck and my shoulders from wearing a tank-top). I then came inside for a relaxing shower and nap.

Evening has come upon us. The mulch is spread. I’m physically hurting from the exertion, but very pleased with how the yard looks. Thanks again, Daddy for getting the mulch home for me. With B’s vehicle, it would have taken many trips to bring the plants and bags of mulch home. This saved us a lot of time.

I don’t have to think about the mulch again until the fall… woo hoo!

Go Wildcats!

Posted April 10th, 2008 by Mom | Comments (0)

C had his first t-ball practice of the new season this evening. He was great! His coaches are a husband and wife team, along with their older sons. They have a son that is C’s age and plays on the team as well. A huge THANKS for coaching yelled out to Coach Jim and Mrs. Christy!!! This season is going to be so much fun!!!

As this was the Wildcats’ initial practice, a lot of time was spent on throwing the ball back and forth in teams. C remained focus and had a great time (although we need to work on him reining in the force of his throws - we don’t want the ball going onto the next field!). The team also did runs around the bases and practiced hitting the ball off of the tee. I’m not sure yet if C will be more comfortable hitting the ball left or right handed. He tried both ways this evening. Hitting right handed, the ball went more towards first base. However, hitting the ball left handed produced the ball soaring straight at 2nd base. We’ll see which way is more comfortable for him in the coming practices…

At one point, the team split into two with some players hitting the ball and some on the field. C loved being on the field. He was positioned at short-stop. Whenever the ball was hit anywhere on the field, C ran for it. (We’ll have to encourage him to let some of the other players participate more…) If C got the ball, he would throw it home. If another teammate got to the ball first, we could watch C having a discussion with that teammate. The usual result was that they gave the ball to C for him to throw home. Not sure how C was so persuasive, but he was very effective!

We have already returned home (obviously) and had a dinner of roast that has been in the crock-pot all day. It was delicious. Over dinner at the table, we talked about C’s practice. C said that his favorite part of t-ball this evening was “catching.” This is such a different response from last year. Last season, C preferred hitting and his least favorite part was catching in the field. I am thrilled at seeing his progression from last year to this year.

While C practiced, J played on the nearby playground - I know my arms are going to be hurting tomorrow from pushing him on the swing for so long (I could watch C play and push J at the same time). C is playing for a church team near our home. Our church doesn’t start kids playing t-ball until they’re older than C, therefore, we are playing on this team. C played for this church last year as well. There is an awesome group of people at this church, very friendly.

I can’t wait until Saturday! C will have his next practice and I know he is looking forward to it as much as I am. The games start the week of the 21st. So, we get to practice for this week and next week. (I’ll email the game schedule to the grandparents as soon as I receive it!)

Go Wildcats!! BTW - our team colors are silver, navy blue and gold. We are the “Bold Believers” and our Bible verse is 1 Thessalonians 2:2 - As you know, we had struggled…but with the help of our God we were bold to tell you His gospel in spite of strong opposition.

Awesome verse! Hopefully we won’t have to struggle to win some games…