Another Spring Break Gone

Today is the last day of spring break, and I will be ready to go back tomorrow.  We had a good combination of traveling and relaxing at home.  But Sam can only do so much relaxing at home before he drives us all crazy (and truthfully, Maria does get bored and drives us crazy too).

We have accomplished a few things - almost have everything ordered for Maria's room, and have a week set aside in late April where Ben will strip wallpaper and paint whenever he's not at work.  We do still need to order carpet for both kids rooms - probably next weekend.  And Maria and I bought everything for her 4-H project and she has started her book, although we haven't actually started the sewing projects yet.  We still have a few months - I'm just glad to have that shopping trip done.

We also spent some "quality" family time together - visiting my parents for Easter, going to Great Wolf Lodge, and the kids spent Friday evening with G. and G. K. while Ben and I went out to an adult dinner with friends Jenny and Chris.

The weather didn't cooperate much, there was only one day the kids could play outside.  But it is still March in Ohio, so we can't expect much.

All in all, I'm ready to get back into a routine when we go back to school tomorrow.  And the spring is always so busy it will fly by and be summer vacation before we know it!

Eye Update

I saw the eye Dr. this morning, and wasn't surprised when he concluded that my right eye is still near sighted by .25.  I knew that there was still blurriness in that eye.  The cornea is healing fine, however.  

So he said that it may still get better.  Honestly, though, he didn't sound very optimistic.  But for them to go back and do a correction (yes, another surgery) you have to be at least .50 off.  So for right now, I am hoping it gets better.  It may be that I have to live with it.  And its really not bad compared to what I was - just a little blurry looking far off into the distance.  But its annoying to go through this and not have it be perfect.

We're Home

We got home around 2:00 today.  This morning we told the kids that we would get at the water park when it opened, and stay 2-3 hours and then have lunch on the way home.  After about an hour and a half, they were done.  Sam was so tired!  Both Maria and Sam slept part of the way home. 

Check in later for more pictures.

Great Wolf Lodge

The kids are having a great time here. We arrived around 1:00 (after canceling our stop at IKEA due to time, and having lunch at Skyline with Grandpa K. on the way here). Ben had to wait in line for a half hour to check in while the kids and I roamed around the lodge. We had two sessions in the water park this afternoon, cleaned up and ate dinner at the Grill downstairs, and then went back for a couple of hours tonight. Now we are having a snack in our warm and dry pajamas and watching Dancing With The Stars. And Ben went downstairs to get us each a well-deserved beer.

The kids really like to wave pool the best. They also spent time on the small and medium sized water slides, and all four of us went tubing in the Lazy River (although its not very lazy with kids chasing each other through there all the time). I have been wearing goggles and doing a pretty good job of keeping water out of my eyes. Ben has been doing a bigger share of taking care of the kids in the wave pool, which I appreciate. The fact is, I don't really like water being dumped on my head - I don't consider it fun. I don't like rain or even the shower much either. But I knew that when we planned this vacation - and the kids are having a blast.

Ben and I are ready to come home in the morning. The kids want to stay all day. We'll end up doing something in between.

Oops!

Today we took the kids to the Bunk and Loft factory to check out a new loft for Maria's room. We had done our research online and had a pretty good idea of what we needed. So we got everything ordered and it should be done by mid-April (they make them to order). She'll have a loft with a ladder and a bookcase headboard to put her alarm clock, etc., on. And Sam did not seem bothered that Maria was getting a loft and he was not - that may change when we actually get it home, though.

Leaving the factory, Ben was looking behind him while backing the van out of the parking place. But he had forgotten that we had to park at a weird angle next to a telephone pole. So he turned the wheel backing out and you guessed it - slammed the left front end of the van into the pole. Good news - everyone is fine, the van still runs fine and the headlight works. Bad news - its fairly beat up on that end. So he spent the rest of the afternoon at the body repair shop and the insurance agent's office. It will cost over $1300 to repair. We only have to pay the $500 deductable. But they can't get it in until April 7, and then it will take 4 days to repair. At least its drivable now. And since we work in the same place its workable to only have one car for several days - inconvenient, but doable.

In other news, Sam said after dinner tonight, "Guess what? Now I love soccer!" He and Ben just left for practice - we'll see how much he loves it after being outside in 44 degrees and flurries tonight! He wanted to take the new soccer ball from his Easter basket from G. and G. L., but its the wrong size. So we talked him into taking his new water bottle instead.

My eyes are great! Haven't felt dry at all today. Tonight is the last night I have to sleep with goggles on too! I have to buy swim goggles for the water park tomorrow - I don't plan to do much but cannot get pool water in my eyes.

The kids are excited about the water park tomorrow. We will leave mid-morning, and check out the IKEA store on the way there. We can be in the water park from 1:00 tomorrow until 8:00 Wednesday evening. But after 11:00 Wednesday morning everything goes into a locker since you have to be checked out of your room. We'll probably stay until mid-afternoon Wednesday. Not sure if I'll be online or not, so there may not be any blog posts until we get back.

More Easter Pictures

Here's some more pictures of egg coloring last night. We drove home this morning, where there were Easter baskets waiting on the kids. Most of the day was spent playing with new Easter toys and unpacking, laundry, etc. Maria has made some real progress in the cleaning out of her room, too. We threw away a lot of stuff.

No Sunday blues - spring break this week. Tomorrow we are doing some shopping for Maria's new room and then we're off to Great Wolf Lodge Tuesday and Wednesday.

Coloring Eggs

Tonight we colored eggs. Sam took more interest than he ever has before - he kept asking to color more eggs once we were done with the dozen. In previous years he's done maybe one egg and then ran off to play. And Maria was in charge - she really took care of things - all Mom and I really did was mix dye and supervise. Maria took care of transferring all the completed eggs into their container too. By next year they may not even need me to help. We have more pictures to post tomorrow once we are home and have the cord.

Egg Hunt Snowed Out

We got up to a few inches of snow on the ground here - which meant no Easter egg hunt. That was fine to me - hunting eggs in wet 35 degree weather through mud didn't really sound like much fun to me. I really wish the winter would end soon - it doesn't seem that I am usually quite this tired of snow.

This afternoon the four of us plus my parents went to see Horton Hears a Who. This story holds a special place in my heart since Maria was in the Fairbanks High School production on Seussical two years ago when she was in first grade. And she was an awesome Cindy Lou Who. So I really enjoy these Seuss stories that we became so familiar with, but at the same time I can't believe how much Maria has changed in the last two years!

Anyway, the movie was good and just the right length. Sam only went to the potty once and stayed in his seat the rest of the time! And I only slept for 10-15 minutes in the middle (I have a bad track record for movies in the middle of the afternoon). It was so nice to take a little nap and not have to re-wet my contacts immediately. My eyes are doing great! I keep putting all the drops in, but can't feel a thing today. And I did sleep better last night with those goggles than the previous night.

After the movie, we stopped at the mall where the kids each picked out a new Webkinz as their Easter gift from Mom and Dad. Maria chose a hippo and named it Bubble Gum, Sam chose a snake and named him Snakey. Now we're back at the house playing Guitar Hero - we got the kids a second guitar the other day, so one person can play lead and the other can play bass. Its pretty cool. Tonight we will color eggs, and then head home in the morning.

Eye Update

What the eye Dr.told me yesterday was true -when I woke up this morning, everything was clear! And I got to take off those goggles finally. I still have to sleep with them for 4 more nights, and last night I did not sleep well with them on. Eventually, though, I think exhaustion will catch up and I will sleep better.

I went to have my eyes checked this morning, and he said all was looking great. With my right eye I could see 20/25, with my left eye 20/20. He said not to worry, there's still a lot of healing to be done and it should get better. I also have not really had much discomfort at all today. I'm using artificial tears every hour per doctor's orders, but very rarely have the urge to rub my eye.

In other news, we are at my parents for the Easter weekend. The drive up here seemed slow, with Sam asking all the time how much longer. We made a stop to get the kids new shoes, and picked up Bee Movie too. That helped the time go faster.

Tomorrow we are going to see Horton Hears a Who and then the kids are going to pick out as new Webkinz that my parents will get them for Easter. And of course, we will be coloring Easter eggs too.

I Can See Clearly Now...almost

I had my LASIK surgery today, and it went well. Definitely uncomfortable, but not painful. The actual surgery was unpleasant, but at least it was quick. And the first couple of hours at home were pretty rough. I slept, but not soundly, and kept waking up to wipe the tears that had slid from underneath my goggles onto my cheeks. Looking out the window, though, I can already tell that things are much clearer than they are without contacts or glasses before today.

Right now, several hours since surgery, I am fairly comfortable. I'm still sensitive to light, and my left eye feels a little like there is something in it. My right eye feels great. But these goggles, that I have to wear until tomorrow morning, are driving me crazy! They keep fogging up and so I have trouble seeing anything clearly. I do dry them off every 10 minutes or so, but it only lasts a minute or so before it goes back to being foggy. Could be a long evening. But I am able to read some and watch TV too.

The kids think I look funny in the goggles. Maria said, "Don't take this offensively, but you look like a bug." Sam is just confused as to why I can't take them off.

Why Can't Anything Be Easy?

I have LASIK eye surgery scheduled for tomorrow morning at 9:00. When the Surgery Center called they asked if that time would work out for us, and since we can drop the kids off at school at 8:00, we could just make it there by 9:00, and the early time meant that we would be able to get home in plenty of time to pick the kids up from school. And the weather is too warm for delays, so it should all work out. Right?

Wrong. There is a heating problem at the elementary building. Today they put the kids on the buses for a while and a Columbus Gas person came to check out a possible leak. Apparently they found the problem, but it can't be fixed until early morning. Which means the whole district is on a 2 hour delay.

So we called Jenny, Sam's Friday sitter. She can't help because they are leaving for Florida at noon (spring break starts Friday). We called Andy and Lisa -they both have 8:00 meetings so they had to call Lisa's parents in Marion to stay with Mason. Just as we were thinking that Ben and the kids would have to drop me off for surgery (in Columbus), bring the kids back here for school, then come back to pick me up, Lisa called back. Her parents were willing to keep Maria and Sam with Mason, and take them all to school. The kids know them pretty well and I'm not anticipating any trouble. We are so glad they are willing to help - otherwise Ben would spend all morning going back and forth!

The good news - for the last hour I have not had to worry about the whole laser cutting into my eyes thing - I've been too focused on what to do with the kids!

Uh-oh

At the end of soccer season last fall, I signed Sam up for the spring session. The advantage to the early sign-ups were that you could have the same coach and the same team, and we liked our coach and wanted to stay with him. Plus, Sam is pretty good at soccer and seems to enjoy it most of the time. But over the winter he's been taking swim lessons and we haven't talked much about soccer for a while.

This afternoon we got a phone call from Coach Keith, giving us details of the upcoming season. I really didn't think it would start until April but his first practice is Monday. So Ben told Sam that he would start soccer on Monday and Sam said, "Darn! I hate soccer!"

Could be a long season.

Context Problems

I'm happy to report that Sam has quit using the word "Poop" all the time. It's not a major part of his vocabulary anymore. But being a 5-year-old boy, he is still testing just what he can get away with saying. We went through this a little with Maria too, but she has always been easy and it would just take one warning for her to stop saying a word I considered inappropriate. But Sam is much more stubborn, and seems to be more influenced by what other kids are saying.

Yesterday he started saying "Oh my god." I corrected him and said he wasn't allowed to say it. And, as usual with his current phase, he asked me why not. I told him it wasn't nice. "But God isn't a bad word."

"No, not always. It depends on how you use it." At this point I realized he was not ready to understand the context of when its OK to say and not OK to say, so I just ended with "You say Oh my gosh, not oh my god, or you get in trouble." Then, luckily, it was time to go out to the bus for school, so the discussion was over and has not come up again yet.

Then last night in the tub, I was helping him wash and told him he needed to make certain he washed his penis. He told me that was a bad word and I wasn't allowed to say it. I told him it was OK if we were talking about that body part, but not OK to call someone a penis. He let it go but I can tell he doesn't really get the difference. Or maybe he does and is just trying to be difficult, I don't know. I imagine he'll catch on soon enough if he keeps getting in trouble for using these words when he's not supposed to.

It always amazes me how a different child can bring up so many new problems. I should have learned by now that raising Maria is no training for raising Sam, but wouldn't that make life easier? Although, maybe then I would be bored. I doubt it, though.

Lesson Learned

I told Maria at dinner tonight that she needs to start cleaning out her room and getting rid of stuff since we will be getting new carpet and painting soon. I emphasized with her to actually THROW things away, not just move them around as usual. She said she would clean out one desk drawer each night this week.

She started on the first one about a half hour ago. And she is throwing stuff away. But she's also giving several things to her brother. And if he says "No, thanks," then she tries to talk him into taking it. So she's still moving it around - just into places where I have to clean it up! I guess this is just a motherhood lesson - it will always be my responsibility to clean up my kid's messes - at least until they move out!

Last Day for Contacts...Ever!

When I take my contacts out tonight, it will be for the last time ever. On Thursday I'm having Lasik surgery, and I have to wear glasses for three days prior. The Dr. told me I should throw my contacts out after I remove them tonight, so I'm not tempted to wear them over the next three days. Why would I be tempted to do something that could adversely affect the outcome of surgery on my eyes?! But I guess people do.

I'm so looking forward to seeing clearly all the time. I'm dreading the surgery a little but mostly staying focused on the outcome. I can't imagine being able to see clearly when I wake in the middle of the night, or not worrying about getting water in my eyes in the pool. I just can't wait. I've had contacts since I was 13, glasses since I was 10. I will be so free!

Krazy City is...

...krazy busy, krazy loud, and krazy - oh my god my head will explode if I can't get out of here krazy. That's where my nephew Brandon's 11th birthday party was yesterday. Its like Chuckie Cheese on steroids. They have arcade games with tickets winnings, but they also have some indoor rides, mini bowling alley, indoor go karts, even glow in the dark mini golf. The kids had a great time. The adults counted down the two and a half hours until they could escape. Plus with the blizzard last weekend, they seemed to be double booked and it was filled with people. Lines were too long for my kids to want to wait to do the go karts or rock climbing wall. It was the screaming that got to me. The inside rides made it like walking under the roller coaster at an amusement park. Except that it was inside, so it felt like your head would explode. And you couldn't just walk away.

Both Sam and Maria had a great time. They each won the shooting water game twice, which meant they got a medium sized Nemo stuffed toy. (OK, Sam needed a little help, but the other adults were helping to so I was essentially competing against the other Dads. He never would have won otherwise.)

At the beginning of the play time, Wendy asked Maria to hang out with Brandon's girlfriend Delaney, whom Brandon left to fend for herself. Later, Brandon caught up with them and we rescued Maria so she wouldn't be a third wheel.

Sam keeps asking to have his birthday party there. When I tell him impossible, its two hours away, he just keeps asking Why not? Hopefully he will figure it out by September.

After the party we went back to Wendy's house where the cousins had a great time playing together - Guitar Hero, Webkinz, and air hockey. We also got to visit with everyone, which was impossible at Krazy City. I was so pleased that my Mom is actually doing quite well after her shoulder injury two months ago. She's currently in physical therapy, which she says is the most painful thing she's ever done, but it seems to be working. We didn't get home until 10:00 and Sam is still sleeping.

Brandon's party was just part of our busy weekend. Maria had a slumber party Friday night. Ben had band contest early yesterday morning (he had to get up at 5:00!), and after Sam and I picked Maria up at her party, we had to drop her off and then later pick her up at a special Saturday ballet practice. (All of these trips were through some very dense fog!) We all met back at the house at noon and headed to Cincinnati, eating lunch on the way. Today Maria has another birthday party, this one re-scheduled from last Saturday, and her first 4-H meeting with her new club. Unfortunately, both things start at 2:00, but she's not the only party-goer involved with 4-H so the meeting will be quick and she shouldn't miss much of the party.

And sometime today, we have to get the laundry done, groceries bought, bathrooms cleaned, etc. Not a very relaxing weekend. But didn't we spend enough time stuck at home last weekend?

Friday Downer

Who doesn't love Friday? Just one more day until the weekend! I am usually a little bit happier on Friday morning knowing that I will be teenager-free in just 8 more hours.

But lately Sam has been a real downer. I don't even remind him its Friday when I get him up. But he knows. Its starts with "Do I have to go to Ms Jenny's? I don't want to go to Ms Jenny's." (There is no pre-school on Fridays). This morning he had tears in his eyes and said "I hate Fridays!" So I cuddled with him a little while (and told myself this was more important than making the beds), and told him that we all sometimes have to do things we don't want to, and was there anything he could take with him to make his stay there easier. This is tough to promise because whatever he takes goes on the bus with him to Kinderpaws for the rest of the day. Luckily, he chose a movie and his stuffed dog "Pluto," both of which fit in his backpack. Once he accepted that he was not going to be able to get out of going, he handled it fine and walked into her house without any pouting.

But I don't want to go through this all spring. And I know that once he gets there, he has fun playing because he tells me about it later. I don't know if its all the days we missed (a few were Fridays), or the fact that last week he had to stay all day because they cancelled Kinderpaws, but I wish I could keep him (and therefore me) happier on Fridays.

Back to Normal?

It looks like it's going to be a five day week for us here. No snow days or delays. This is a good thing, don't get me wrong. But it really seems like this week is dragging by! I checked - I think its been since the week of January 21 since we've had a five day work week. (A couple of those 4 day weeks we're a planned break). Today is also the first Wednesday we've had school in three or four weeks - I lost track.

I'm tired of snow, tired of slush, tired of my winter clothes! I'm ready for spring. But for so long, watching the weather was a way of life - tracking the next storm, discussing whether the timing would be right for delay or cancellation, etc. This happens a lot in our house since we don't have to go to work when the weather is bad, so I know we are a little more obsessed about it than most people. Now, with the weather warmer, it's like something is missing. Just looking forward to life getting completely back to normal - the way is was in January, when it never snowed!

Swim Lesson Delinqent

Tonight I took Sam to his swim lesson. This is almost always Ben's job - I only fill in when Ben can't do it. I just don't like going to the Y - you always have to park a mile away, we have to go into a Family Locker Room since Sam and I are not the same sex - which is a hassle, and I don't feel like being social with other parents I don't know. I know that sounds terrible, but I can handle teenagers all day. After that, I just don't feel like pretending anymore - if I don't know you, I would rather you leave me alone.

But tonight Ben had his concert so I took Sam. He was excited I was going, which was surprising. But when we got there, his behavior was awful. And I've never heard Ben say that about him at swimming. The first time he got into trouble, he argued with Ms. Bethany - something about him getting blamed for something another little girl did (can't hear specifics with all the noise in the pool). After that, it was like he decided that he was going to be a pain. He kept splashing and having to be told not too. And he was also just a little wild and unfocused. I never know if the teacher wants me to get up and help or to leave her in charge. But whenever I got up to go over there, it seemed he would quit. And Sam wasn't the only one - the little girl next to him was sneaky and an instigator, but she was smart enough not to get caught.

When Sam got out of the pool I told him his swimming was good, but his behavior was not. I gave him the lecture about how he knows better, how I was very disappointed in him, and how if that happens next time we will have to take him out of the pool. He didn't really act like he cared at all - just kept going on being happy-go-lucky. But he knew I was mad - he didn't ask me to change off of XM radio and onto his Guitar Hero playlist, which he always does. Then about half way home, this little voice in the backseat said, "Please don't tell Daddy."

"Tell Daddy what?"

Pause.

"About me making bad choices." Ms Jan's preschool code for misbehaving.

"Are you going to start making better choices from now on?"

"I promise, I won't do it ever again."

So I ended with a "We'll see." I had already called Ben on my cell phone to vent - I guess Sam didn't notice that. But I may ask Ben not to say anything to him and we'll see if he does better next time without him having to step in. I just wish I understood why after all these swim lessons, he decided to not play by the rules today.

Update -
Tonight Sam told me that Brigit pushed him at swim lessons and he got in trouble for it. That's why he was "mad," and apparently decided to act out. I told him this still wasn't acceptable, but I will be watching this Brigit very closely next time. Sam also cuddled up with me when he talked about it - wanted to know that he was forgiven. So I feel better about the whole situation and am ready to let it drop.

Of course, then we played Sorry, I won, and he threw a 10 minutes - kicking - screaming - crying tantrum. He's always going to be stubborn - I just hope as he gets older he learns how to control it.

Sledding!

We went sledding this afternoon at the high school with the Smith's. It was fun and not too cold. Roads are looking pretty good.

Some More Snow Pictures

So Let's Talk About Snow

My day, for the most part, was all about snow. Maria got me out of bed this morning begging to go outside and play in the snow, so I did finally get up and she and I and Sam headed out into the wild. It was still snowing and blowing, so we didn't plan on staying out long. We were just about to come in when I decided to dig deep holes in our biggest drift, which was over three feet deep. After some additional construction to make leg room, we all had nice deep holes in which we could sit and get out of the snow and the wind. Maria and I even made a small tunnel so we could see and talk between our caves.

In the afternoon session, we went out when the snow was starting to wane, and there was easily another six inches of snow on top of what we had in the morning. All of our tracks were covered and drifted over, and there was a lot more snow that had fallen into our snow caves. This time was all work for me however, getting the driveway cleared with the snow blower. The drift in front of the garage was also over three feet deep and it was a hard packed drifted snow that took some extra work to get out of the way. The kids came in ahead of me and walked around taking pictures and measuring the snow. Our deepest drift was 39 inches. I'm guessing we got around 14" snow, based on the field behind our house which was not drifted. Our first plow came through around 6:30 tonight, but might be drifted over again by morning.

I'm starting to get a little nervous about this week with my dress rehearsals on Monday and my Mid-Year (renamed the "Winter") concert on Tuesday night. I would hate to cancel, but we're honestly extremely underprepared having lost 7 days of school in the last month and a half, and too many 2 hour delays to count. It will be interesting, to say the least.

Sick of It!

I am so tired of putting the kids in snow gear, then taking them out of it again. Finding places to dry the wet clothes, the floor being covered in wet spots because we have no good place for both kids to undress without falling on top of each other. Then making hot chocolate, climbing over wet clothes to get into the pantry for the marshmallows - tho only part of the hot chocolate that Sam actually consumes.

Please, please, after this snow melts let me put away the snow gear until next winter!

Maria just asked me if we were still on a Level 3 Snow Emergency. I said, "Not sure. Why? Do you have somewhere you need to go?" And she said, "I'm so tired of being in the house!"

Please let this be the end of the snow!!!

More Snow!

We're definitely snowed in today - it makes all those little snows earlier this winter seem so pathetic. We've missed a lot of snow days (7), but they were mainly small snow events or freezing rain - where driving conditions are bad but not as exciting as everything covered in several inches of white. Unfortunately, this snowstorm would have been much cooler if it had happened six weeks ago - right now we are all just so tired of snow - even the kids.

But you can't fight nature, so we're making the best of it. Ben and the kids will go out later and play in the drifts. According to the news, we had 6 inches last night and its been snowing again for several hours already this morning. The wind is strong and the drifts are unbelievable. When we walked home from the Smith's house last night, some of the drifts were at least 2 feet. Poor Sam - he took two falls on his face and was crying by the time we got in the door. So I got him out of his wet clothes and into dry pajamas as soon as possible - but he was most upset because he thought that his fortune form his fortune cookie was missing. Once we found that - luckily he dropped it inside and not outside - he calmed down pretty quickly.

We actually let out of school 2 hours early yesterday - and that has not happened at Fairbanks in Ben's 15 years there. Unfortunately, I convinced Lisa Thursday night (I was at her house filling in as a sub for her Bunko club), that we would never dismiss early and so she sent her parents back to Marion. Then we got the call at 11:00 Friday that we would go home at 1:00, but Mason came home with us so it ended up working out. Then we ended up going to the Smith's for dinner and margaritas - got home around 10:30. Maria tends to get bored there - Mason and Sam play together and Lindsey is too young to play anything for more than a few minutes. So she played Solitaire at the table while the adults played Euchre.

Now that the kids are up - looks like it could be a long day. Maria has had a cough the last few days - it sounds horrible this morning. At least we have some good cough medicine left over from her sinus infection in December. And Sam has an upset stomach and is just laying around - won't eat anything. He wouldn't eat any dinner last night, so I wondered if something was wrong, but he played fine so I assumed he was just being stubborn. We'll just have to wait and see.

Snow Day #7

We haven't gone to school on a Wednesday in weeks. It seems that these storms always come on Tuesday and by Wednesday the roads are terrible. Could be worse, we could be missing school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, or we could be my parents, who had an ice storm last night and haven't had power since 8:15 last night. Oh yeah, and a tree fell on their house - but at least it only took out their fence and downspouts.

Everything was covered in ice last night and this morning- we thought we might lose power too, but we didn't. The roads were very slippery, and then the ice was covered by a couple of inches of snow overnight. So we weren't surprised we didn't have school, but hate to lose another day. Especially when we really thought we might actually have a 5 day week this week. Ben has a concert and contest next week and has lost so much rehearsal time - but he's been fairly positive and at least hasn't taken out his stress on us.

The kids played outside this morning - when they came in Sam said "Everything is covered in icicles!" They both had a great time exploring everything covered in ice. By the middle of the day the roads were clear so we went to Tuttle mall for lunch and some shopping. Maria got her Wacky Zingo, thank goodness, and they also each got a new hooded sweatshirt (they have both grown out of their old ones), and Croc shoes for spring. Maria had ballet later this afternoon. Otherwise, we spent the day being lazy and playing video games.

Maybe Webkinz Not That Bad

We're into the third day of both kids having Webkinz (and of only Sam having the Wacky Zingo -pet for Webkinz that allows him to play all sorts of cool games) and I have to say its going much better than expected. Sam needs help logging in, but then can navigate the site pretty easily - to find the games he wants to play. He recognizes the titles of things he likes to do, and so only needs help if doing something new. And Maria has dealt with the unfairness of not having a Wacky Zingo yet very well - but I did promise I would get her one soon.

The only problem, really, is that Sam is all about the games but not into taking care of his Webkinz. You have to feed it, put it to bed, etc. And I think its a combination of his not being able to read, along with only really wanting to play the games, but no matter the reason, poor Pluto ends up "sick" pretty often. So we have to take him to visit "Dr. Quack." (The kids don't get this play on words but I appreciate it.) Anyway, this morning Dr. Quack reminded Sam that poor Pluto needs to be fed HEALTHY foods and needs to be put to bed at night before logging off. I helped him buy an apple and some milk and fed it to Pluto, after which Dr. Quack pronounced him cured. But I knew this putting him to bed thing was going to a problem upon logging in each morning. So I turned to the household Webkinz expert.

Maria said, "Sam can't put Pluto to bed until he BUYS him a bed."

Me: "How much does that cost?"

Maria "About 150 Kinzcash."

Me: "How much does Sam have?"

Sam: "About 50."

This is not good. Sam's poor dog is not going to have a bed for several more days - and that's only if he quits buying stuff the dog doesn't need, like the hat he bought yesterday. I finally reminded myself that this is a game -not even my game - and supposed to be fun, so I resigned myself to getting a lecture from Dr. Quack every morning until I convince Sam to buy his poor dog a bed. (I did check with Maria that the dog would not actually die under any circumstances.)

Then a little while later both kids were playing on their Webkinz accounts on different computers, and Maria said "I'm going to buy a bed for Sam's dog and send it to him since he doesn't have enough money." Isn't that cute?

So the good thing about Webkinz, is the kid's pets can play games together, buy and send things to each other, and Sam and Maria can play it together. Maybe its not so bad after all.

4-H Nightmare

A lot of kids around here join 4-H groups and take part in the fair. Having experienced 4-H myself with my sewing projects as a kid, I thought it was a good idea when Maria told us she'd like to be involved. She was also certain that she wanted to take a sewing project. I did two years of sewing projects when I was about 10 or 11, and know nothing else about sewing than what I learned from that experience. So it was important to me to choose an advisor who would be able to help with this project.

So Ben called the 4-H office and got the name of an advisor who specializes in Home Ec projects. And she's someone we know of through the school - does some substitute teaching among other things. Ben called her about a month ago and she would love to have Maria, such a sweet girl, etc.

I took Maria to the first meeting. On a Sunday of a 4-day weekend that we altered out plans around so she could go. She was so excited. When we got there, we found out that the advisor Ben had talked to was out of town. The assistant advisor was gruff, had no idea that the first advisor had taken on 4-5 more kids, and was extremely unwelcoming. I was ready to just walk out and find another group. But Maria had her heart set on staying. So we stayed.

Maria took part in this meeting - even though she only knew one other boy there (a lot of the kids were form the Lutheran school, not Fairbanks, another reason I thought maybe we should look elsewhere). She nominated people for officer elections, just raised her hand and actively participated. By the time we left, the officers all knew her as "Maria," not "Mrs. Keller's daughter - can you believe how old she is already." I was so proud of her - at her age I would never have that confidence.

But I still felt uneasy about the attitude with the club advisor not really wanting anyone new. And Maria had no girls from school that she knew in this club. But when she, Ben and I talked about it at home, Maria insisted she was fine in this group and wanted to stay.

Last night was the next meeting. I asked Ben to go with Maria to see if he got the same feeling I did. But apparently, the meeting was moved and no one called us. So Ben called the cell phone of the original advisor, who was out of town again, and she said they had switched the meeting and we should have been called. We weren't. Maria was in charge of refreshments so there she is with her two liters of juice and cups for 25 people and no one there. We still haven't been called and do not know when the next meeting is.

Now Maria was ready to look for another club. I just hoped it wasn't too late. We e-mailed Jenny, who is also Sam's Friday morning babysitter and the most organized person I've ever met. But she's good with kids too - Sam really likes to play board games with her there. She called us last night, and they have room for Maria. Almost all Fairbanks kids, and 1 or 2 from Maria's grade. They take all kinds of projects - animals and others. So the only bad part is that it looks like I am going to have to help her with her sewing project, but at least we feel good about the club she's in. I'm so relieved this is resolved.

I'm in Webkinz Hell Again!

Today Sam had his appointment with a dermatologist to look at this bump on his nose. Its been there since September and we've been waiting for this appointment for over a month. He asked if it would hurt, and I told him I didn't think so, that if they would have to take it off they would give him medicine for the pain.

Wrong. The Dr. said, after looking at it under bright light that was also right in Sam's eyes, that they were going to have to use a needle to "scrape a little skin off to see what's underneath," and that it would "feel a little funny." I was thinking, "Be honest, tell him it will hurt," but I guess they were afraid he might freak out. So the nurse held his head in place, I held his hands, and the Dr. scraped, poked, and squeezed to see what would come out of this cyst. Sam was a trooper - said "It hurts" a few times and squirmed a little, but that was it. I was so proud of him and the Dr. and nurse both told him how brave he was when it was over. Afterward he cuddled on my lap while the Dr. talked with me.

So here's the verdict - the Dr. could only get a little bit of white stuff, it was mostly blood. He thinks it was a type of virus in there, and now that it has been let out it should heal on its own. But we have an appointment in two weeks in case it doesn't. In the meantime, we keep it covered and clean to prevent infection. Didn't really get into what's next - just hoping this does it and it goes away.

So after Sam went through that, I told him we could stop and get him a Webkinz that he has been asking for - I felt so bad about his suffering! I thought we would stop somewhere on Sawmill on the way home (the Dr. office was in Westerville). After we're on 270 West for a couple of miles, Sam tells me that he wants to go where we went yesterday (Easton), since that's the only place he's seen the one he wants - Wacky Zingo. Easton is in the opposite direction. But after reviewing my options (looking for this thing in a bunch of places and then ending up having to go back to Easton anyway), we turn around and head to Easton.

Parking at Easton, I realize I have no change for the parking meter, and we decide to risk it. So we run into Limited, Too, ask the salesperson for the Wacky Zingo, which they have, pay for it and run back to the car. And I didn't get a ticket! So we were both in a great mood the whole way home - Sam thrilled with his Zingo, me relieved that his nose is most likely fine and finally we are on the way home.

But I should know by now that things are never that easy. Apparently,the Zingo is a pet for the Webkinz, and unlocks all sorts of cool games on the computer, but only if YOU HAVE A WEBKINZ TO BEGIN WITH. And Sam doesn't - this was to be his first. So the Zingo, by itself, is useless. So after dropping Maria at piano, we stopped at Goodies Galore and Sam picked out a black poodle Webkinz so that he can register and play on the computer. Now he thinks he has two Webkinz, Maria is jealous because she doesn't have a Zingo and can't play the cool games that Sam can, and I am exhausted with how ridiculous this has all become. I just wanted to reward Sam for having a tough time at the Dr. I'm sure I will be getting Maria a Zingo for her Webkinz soon. And of course, they can't share. The Webkinz people are way too smart for that!

Lindsey's Birthday

This afternoon we went next door for Lindsey's 3rd birthday party. We had a great time as you can see by the pictures. Lindsey got 5 new baby dolls - not sure where she'll put them. All of her school friends invited were boys, and she pretty much tells them what to do most of the time. Maria had fun taking care of the little ones, but when the boys got to be too much for her she played some Wii with Mason.

Sam missed the middle part of Lindsey's party to go to another party. This one was for Lily, a preschool classmate. And it was at the bowling alley, and Sam loves to go there. I left him there - Lily's Mom is Maria's third grade teacher so I knew he was in good hands - and went back to Lindsey's party. I felt a little guilty since many of the moms stayed, even though we weren't required and to be honest Sam didn't really want me there (he's so different from his sister). But when Ben picked him up, Mrs. Pearson said Sam was a very well-behaved boy (high praise from an elementary teacher) and did great. He bowled with a Kinderpaws friend and an 8 year old girl, and beat them both! I was so relieved - good to know that he was on his best behavior there.

We got home around 5:00 and played Beat the Clock to get the house clean - we set the oven timer for an hour and see if we can get the entire house clean in that time. Ben dusts and does floors, I do bathrooms and kitchen, and Maria did the basement and her room. Sam helped some with the basement. We got it all done and now Ben is picking up Bob Evans for dinner. (I can't cook and mess up the kitchen so soon after I cleaned it!)

Tomorrow we are going to Easton and Maria is going to pick out her new bedroom bedspread and curtains. She's picked stuff out of a catalog, but we want to see it for real before we order. Plus its supposed to be sunny and 50 degrees, and we want to get out and enjoy the weather some before it turns cold again!