Not a lot

No real news. Nothing super funny. Just feel like I should be posting more.

Jeff borrowed some movies from a guy at work and we have watched two. I am now hooked on the Bourne series and James Bond (we watched one of each). I even checked what was available at the library today. Quite intriguing they are. I have also decided that I really really really want to go to Europe. Really bad.

We have started a new scheduled book reading time. Bedtime was not working out due to Tan the Man, so we have moved it to mid-afternoon. Everyone gets around the table eating snack, Tan in his high chair--contained and away from the pages of the book. And then I read as many books as we can fit in. The girls are really liking this.

Speaking of Tan, he has another ear infection. Hopefully the $81 worth of antibiotics will actually get it this time.
Princess Sparkle was purplicious for school today. EVERYTHING was purple, even underneath.
Peanut had library today. She spent 20 minutes gluing small foam shapes to a paper bag hat.
We baked snickerdoodles. Yummy yummy yummy. We loooooove sugar.
Raining here, snow is gone. I want sunny spring. Even though I know it takes the rain and the wind to bring real spring. I want it now.
Happy April to everyone tomorrow.

Let's Go Fly a Kite

Yesterday was fairly nice and there was just enough wind. The girls found their kites in the garage. They have been begging for a full year. Last spring was not good--newborns and wind are not usually a good mix. Plus, Fairview was somewhat tree lined,which was beautiful but not kite friendly. Yesterday, conditions were perfect, just not in our yard. So we walked to the high school a few blocks away. School is on break and the parking lot was empty and the winds were just right. Peanut's kite used all the string and she ran and ran with it. She really loved handling the kite. I loved this picture of her. You can kind of see Sparkle's success in this photo. She enjoyed the experience, but was slightly apprehensive and got cold.

Tan Man on the other hand LOVED the wide open expanse of the parking lot and went crazy! He was running and running and running as fast as those little legs could carry him.

So that was to some degree the culmination of our spring break. We stayed home. Sparkle just wanted to play with her toys and go for walks. We baked some. We watched some movies. I got down toys they had not played with for awhile. We had playdates. It was a good time. It was cheap. We were happy.

Now. Here is a little game...can you spot what is different about this picture???

madness i say

A few fave photos from the March and February archives. Tank shows off his new Hawkeye hat and guitar hero toy at his party.

And how much blue cake he can eat. Too bad Mommy wasn't thinking about his sensitivity to blue dye. Sure enough he had a reaction, but it was small and cleared quickly.

Sparkle Princess really really likes stickers. She had dance pictures today. She is adorable in her costume. I can't wait for the recital!

The GMAC wives club at St. Patrick's Day in downtown Chicago for the dyeing of the river.

Jeff and I had a fabulous stupendous time together this weekend. I could go on and on and get mushy, but I'll stop here.

The Tan man has an ear infection for sure. And then the doctor looked in his other ear and throat and said, "Yes, he definitely needs antibiotics." My poor little one refuses to walk. He just wants snuggled.

The girls have a crush on the boy next door. He is a freshman and babysits for an hour or so every so often. "He's cute," gushed both of them.

Word of Jeff's tiling skills is spreading. He is in the bathroom of a co-worker tonight. Hopefully doing a good job and earning himself some beer money.

Spring break is next week. I am trying to decide how brave I am . How many fun things should I plan and how far should I go from home? The train and downtown might be fun. Might. The zoo? Hmmm. A Jumpy place? Too many possibilities. Maybe just play with the tons of toys they own.

Is

Tanner is ...
1. ONE! We had a huge, successful birthday party and baptism with all of Jeff's and my immediate family. Lovely fun weekend.
2. Walking EVERYWHERE, scooting down the stairs facing forward, still cutting the top two teeth he's been working on for 2 weeks now and crying constantly, not sleeping, climbing and standing on things, turning off the computer and anything else that he can reach the buttons. You know your basic one year old.
Annika is...
1. In a new gymnastics class that is a little harder, but that she thinks is still easy and fun.
2. Getting over a cold.
Phoebe is...
1. Done with said cold that she is passing to the rest of us, so off to yet another birthday party.
2. Reading like a mad woman. So fun to hear her read to us.
Nicole is...
1. Scrapbooking instead of blogging, getting on facebook, or cleaning.
2. Excited to go on an all day date with my husband tomorrow.
Jeff is...
1. Watching all of the college basketball games and world classic baseball games.
2. Planning said date to downtown Chicago to watch them dye the river green, watch the St. P parade, enjoy green libations and good food, and enjoy the day with Nicole.
Photos of all coming soon.