Everything just seems so boring and un-blog-worthy around here these days. We are stir crazy and bored of winter and bored of it getting dark so early. We are bored of Scott being sick for a week and a half (poor guy). We are bored of watching TV and playing Wii (I use the term "we" liberally there). Bored of the daily grind.
So in search of something to do (and something to blog about) we ventured to the duck pond today. It's actually a pretty good time in the winter. For some reason it seems to be a congregating spot for ducks from all over, so it is rather overrun. Plus, it being freezing cold and all, not very many people go out to feed them, so they are extra hungry.
The end result is very aggressive birds who will snatch the bread right out of the hand of the almost-2-year-old that's feeding them. June kept yelling at them when they'd steal a big piece.
Oliver got really nervous when they'd come up close and kept reporting to me as if I should do something about it. I did -- I took pictures, kept giving June more bread, and laughed a little when they'd snip at her fingers.
Despite his protests, we had a good time and June perfected her quacking sound.
On another boring day earlier this week, we built a fort.
And what a mighty fine fort it was, if I do say so myself.
I got involved to make it strong and durable to withstand the almost-2-year-old and to mitigate the number of fights it caused (well that was the hope, anyway). Uncle Zack's favorite zip ties came in handy. The fort lived for about 3 days before Dad insisted he needed the couch back and we needed to sit on real chairs for dinner.
Apparently boredom also breeds pyromania.
Scott says it's genetic and to brace myself for all the things Brenden will burn over the next few years. I guess I should be grateful for now that it's limited to candles and small things in the snow. Needless to say this activity also makes Oliver very nervous, and he constantly reports to me what's going on and asks, "does Brenden need to be done with that now?" We did finally have to put a stop to it after using up the third butane lighter.
Of course there have been craft projects too.
This one was inspired by an episode of Fetch with Ruff Ruffman where the kids went to a shoe manufacturer and got to learn about and then try designing their own shoes. Oliver had me print out about 20 copies of this shoe sketch and has been coloring them in for days. And you probably can't tell from the picture, but the toe and heal are covered with fabric -- he tells me which color and where to put it and has me cut it out and glue it down for him.
Then you know that part of Curious George rides a bike where he's delivering newspapers and then stops by the pond and folds paper boats to float in the water? Yeah we did that today too. I helped a bit with the folding part, but it was all Oli's idea.
As a matter of record keeping...
June talks a lot these days. She says Mommy, Daddy, Oliver (Wah-wah), Yo Gabba Gabba (babababa), phone (pho), sauce (used for any sort of topping whether powder or liquid), bottle (ba), Christine (Tine), baby, nigh-nigh, pacifier (fie), what, hello, bye-bye, doggie (fa-fa), and lollypop (bap-bap). When she thinks she missed something good she'll say "wha wha wha wha wha?" until you fill her in. That can get annoying.
She is yet to come up with a repeatable word for Brenden and Rachel (please don't take this personally -- she really does love both of you!). She sings along with Yo Gabba Gabba on the parts where DJ Lance says "Yoooooooo" and "break it dooowwwwnnnn". She does funny faces to try to make people laugh. She loves daddy best during the day and mommy best at night (as in won't even look at dad or play with him or let him hold her for even a second). She plays with things in 30 second spurts - her dollhouse, tea set, babies, monster trucks, hotwheels cars, the doodlepad. She's a good climber and knows all about pushing chairs and stools around to get what she wants. She loves to play in the sink filling spoons and cups and pouring from one to the other. She has a major sweet-tooth and loves to use said chairs to sneak nestle quick straight from the container.
Thanks to all of you who are willing to indulge her constant desire to talk on the phone. I know it's boring and incomprehensible, but it really does make her so excited to have an actual person responding on the other end of the line. If anyone else out there is willing to take her calls, please let us know as we are probably wearing out our standbys.
As for New Years resolutions...
I've decided there are no more excuses and I have to buckle down and cook for my family. This week was pretty good -- 5 homemade meals, only one trip to Panda Express and one pizza order on date night. It's convenient that this resolution comes in the same year that I expressly decided not to exercise as much (you get to do that when you're pregnant, right?). Oh and about that - I'm feeling fine, thanks for asking. I'm blessed to not get sick when I'm pregnant. I've heard the heart beat and had an ultrasound to confirm there's really something in there and there's only one of them. Other than that it's been rather uneventful so far.
That's it for now. Time to put the kids to bed. Over-and-out. Adios. (Can you hear the boredom dripping from my very being?! I seriously need a project.)
I know these cute little crocuses don't stand a chance of survival, given that we still have at least a month of winter left, but it's still a welcome sight and an exciting indication of what's ahead.
Later in the evening, Scott came home and we opened some presents from him and from M&D, Laurel & Webb, and Annee,
including this lovely handmade bag (it really pays to be Annee's sister these days). Then Scott and I headed up to Sundance for dinner at the Treeroom. I can't even describe how amazing their peppersteak is. I know it's the most boring and tame thing on their menu, but seriously, it's unlike any steak you've ever had and I'm telling you the exhorbetant pricetag is definitely worth it (once a year).
We came home and enjoyed a scrumptious chicken pot pie casserole topped with mashed potatoes (Rachel - you should post a link to the recipe - it was fabulous), plus corn bread, broccoli, and lemonade.
Scott made an amazing yellow cake w/chocolate frosting for dessert (following Zack's 2can recipe) - my favorite!
Dinner was followed by a rousing game of Monopoly. Those who haven't played Monopoly with the Zackrisons before might not completely understand what that means. But Ken & Nate got the hang of the free parking $$, IOUs, bartering, and immunity pretty quick and after eliminating all opponents R&K duked it out to the bitter end, Ken ultimately claiming victory.
Oliver invited 6 Kindergarten-aged boys to our home to play games and eat cake. He designed every aspect of the party including what type of wrapping paper to use, exactly how the invitations and cake should look, what games to play, what goes into the goodie bags, and who gets which hotwheels car to play with. For some reason he was obsessed with the candles that would go on his cake. We bought 3 different kinds to choose from and down to the last second he switched them out and tried different ones before he could settle on a final configuration.
We played Red Rover, did Time Trials, picked racing names & numbers and made stickers, played with hotwheels cars on the floor, ordered pizza, ate cake, and opened presents. The party was a success and although 6 kindergarten boys can be quite roudy and noisy, they all thankfully got along well.
Friends party done, Brenden home from school, some lego building, now on to the family party. As a member of the Brickoven Pizza kids birthday club, we invited Rachel & Christine & special guests to joins us there for dinner. Brickoven is a favorite joint since they have wandering balloon artists who will come to your table and blow and twist and create anything you can imagine. Oliver was quite excited about his eagle.
Then after dinner a portion of the group (everyone minus R&K) headed over to Color Me Mine for a little ceramics painting. Who would have known on a Friday night the place would be packed with date couples and we really should have made a reservation! But we waited and got in and had a successful time painting penguins, dogs, fish, flowers, and pirates (pictures to follow -- we go pick up the finished products tonight).
Heaven forbid getting through a whole post without a single picture of June! Her two favorite things right now: her umbrella and her pink plastic chair.
Brenden started working on this 500-piece puzzle a couple weeks ago, and has left it in this state on the dining room table for days now. Why won't he finish it? He goes off to school every day and leaves me at home, already admittedly bored, to face the temptation all on my own. I'm dying to work on it, but have tried to hold myself back, but it's getting to be more than I can bear. Especially when my other choices for activities are washing dishes or folding laundry (or that pesky job I do gratefully still have).
The end result is very aggressive birds who will snatch the bread right out of the hand of the almost-2-year-old that's feeding them. June kept yelling at them when they'd steal a big piece.
Oliver got really nervous when they'd come up close and kept reporting to me as if I should do something about it. I did -- I took pictures, kept giving June more bread, and laughed a little when they'd snip at her fingers.
Despite his protests, we had a good time and June perfected her quacking sound.
I got involved to make it strong and durable to withstand the almost-2-year-old and to mitigate the number of fights it caused (well that was the hope, anyway). Uncle Zack's favorite zip ties came in handy. The fort lived for about 3 days before Dad insisted he needed the couch back and we needed to sit on real chairs for dinner.
Scott says it's genetic and to brace myself for all the things Brenden will burn over the next few years. I guess I should be grateful for now that it's limited to candles and small things in the snow. Needless to say this activity also makes Oliver very nervous, and he constantly reports to me what's going on and asks, "does Brenden need to be done with that now?" We did finally have to put a stop to it after using up the third butane lighter.
This one was inspired by an episode of Fetch with Ruff Ruffman where the kids went to a shoe manufacturer and got to learn about and then try designing their own shoes. Oliver had me print out about 20 copies of this shoe sketch and has been coloring them in for days. And you probably can't tell from the picture, but the toe and heal are covered with fabric -- he tells me which color and where to put it and has me cut it out and glue it down for him.
That's right -- my lemon tree! It's covered in blossoms now and it smells soooo goood when I walk past the dining room (it's current indoor location right in front of the south-facing window).
This exact same cookie jar has sat in a place of honor on the counter in the Wiley's kitchen for as long as Scott can remember, and now we have one too! And of course a new cookie jar calls for a fresh batch of cookies, so that's always a happy day.
