Valentine's Day

Last Valentine's Day, the kids and I had a wonderful time making their cards.  We chose one online and then all sat down together at the table and assembled.  They loved it!  This year, I figured we would do the same thing.  I found a few simple ideas and let them choose which one they wanted.  Anna and Kara chose the same cat we did last year (You're a Purrrrfect Friend) and Jack chose a ninja design.  I dutifully bought the necessary materials and cut everything out for them, so all they would have to do is assemble.  They were excited about it...until we got started.  Then, there was lots of whining and complaining.  And, lest you think I waited until February 13 and expected them to do them all in one sitting, I didn't.  I started a full week before hand and told them we could just do a few each night.  But, they were never in the mood.  Sure, it started out fine, but a few glue sticks and heart shapes later, they were ready to call it quits.  In the end, Thomas and I did about 90% of the work.  Although, in their defense, I did make them write out all the names (which was done before we started putting them together).

This blog is mostly to serve as a reminder to myself for next year to just buy a box of premade Valentines and to save us all the time, money and aggravation (although, the finished products were really cute).

Because of (more) snow, they didn't get to hand them out until the Monday after Valentine's Day.  I was very anxious for them to come home and to hear about their day.  They bounded off the bus and all 3 were talking at once, they were just so excited!  We got home and they each described their class parties and everything that had happened.  Then, they each showed me all their Valentines (out of all three class, there was only one other kid who did a homemade card, guess the other parents are smarter than I am).  It is really fun having kids at this age where everything is just so exciting!

I thought I took pictures of the completed Valentines, but apparently not.

Thomas created a surprise Valentine sock puppet.  The kids loved it!  (I thought it was clever, but wished he had waited until we were done, since I wasn't sure we needed any more distractions).

The inspiration for Jack's (it's a wrapped Hershey's bar)

Kara's Fifth Birthday

Kara turned five this week.  I know I have said this before (and, I know I'll say it again), but it amazes me how agonizingly long some days are and yet the years just fly on by.  For her birthday, she wanted to have a party at the gymnastics center.  We booked it back in November (or maybe it was early December) for Saturday, February 15.

Her actually birthday was on Wednesday, the 12th.  We had joked with her for about a week about how things might be different when she was five (i.e., we didn't know if she would give such good hugs as a five-year old, and what if she woke up much taller, etc.), so I think she was relieved when I came into her room and she felt the same.  She had to prove she could still give great hugs and was very happy with her surprise birthday shirt.  It was a school day and she brought cupcakes in to share with her class.  Then, for her birthday dinner, she chose a cheese fondue and an orange cake with "lots of different colors inside."  She opened her presents, which consisted of a clock radio, a doll from the movie Frozen, a My Littlest Pet Shop character from Anna, and a snow globe from Jack (as silly as that present sounds, it was a thoughtful gift as it's something that Kara had been asking for.) 

On Friday, she got a birthday package in from her Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Dave.  She was very excited to open it and thrilled that the birthday celebration was continuing.  They sent her some toys and lots of books.  One of the books, "The Days the Crayons Quit" became an instant favorite and I think Thomas and I have read it about 10 times in the past two days.

Finally, it was Saturday, they day of her party.  We had the late afternoon session (4:30-6:30), which made it feel like a very long day for the kids.  The gym is pretty amazing.  The kids did a few sessions last year and really enjoyed it, but there are just so many activities for them to chose from and it fell by the wayside when they signed up for soccer.  Anyway, they were happy to be back. Kara had such a good time and was very happy that so many of her friends were able to come.  We invited the little girls from the neighborhood (and their brothers, of course) and a few of her friends from Mechanicsville that we haven't had the opportunity to see in a while (along with Lily and Curtis, who don't live in the neighborhood and who aren't from Mechanicsville, but without whom no Wilson party would be complete).  It was fantastic!

Photo dump time:

This foam pit is in 9 feet deep!  

After all the cold and snow, the kids were more then ready to just run and run and run

Baby Shower!

In early January, my good friend Alecia called me and said that she and our friend Sarah wanted to throw me a baby shower.  I was very flattered, but also somewhat reluctant.  This is our fourth child and I felt a bit awkward about it. Personally, I love going to baby showers and I don't care what number child someone is having, but I think we judge ourselves harder than we do other people.  Fortunately, my excitement over the idea won out over my reluctance and we set the date for February 1st.  

Alecia and Sarah settled on a baseball theme and everything looked very cute.  The food was fantastic, there were peanuts and cracker jacks, nachos, pigs in blanket, fruit and caramel, cute baseball cookies, and Shelly made some awesome funnel cakes.  We played some games: family feud and a game where people had to guess my answers to various questions (i.e. what is the best thing about having a boy; who is a man I admire; how will we celebrate the babies first birthday, etc.).  It was nice to sit around and be with my friends.  

It was also my first shower.  I had Jack and Anna shortly after we moved to a new city and we hadn't had the chance to make many friends, particularly since I went into the hospital at 31 weeks.  Then, Kara was born so quickly thereafter, that I don't think a shower crossed anyone's mind.  So, I had never had a baby shower (insert sad sigh).  It felt strange to be the center of attention, something I try to avoid, but I loved being there with my friends.

We got some wonderful gifts.  I felt very lucky.  Jack and Anna were only 16 months when Kara was born, so there were lots of things that we once had 2 or 3 of (cribs, highchairs, pack-n-plays, boosters, etc.). When we moved into this house last year (well, in late 2012), I got rid of the last of the big stuff.  We still had some clothes and some of the smaller stuff, like bottles and crib sheets, but even that had been picked through by friends having children over the years.  In other words, we were almost starting at the beginning with this one and it was a bit painful to buy things that we owned just a year or two ago (particularly the things we'd owned in triplicate).  I was very grateful to a neighbor who gave us a crib, bathtub, and some other things.  And then we got so many great things at the baby shower.  When I brought home all the stuff and showed Thomas and the kids, everyone's excitement over Luke increased with each cute item.  It was just a fun experience and I was so thankful to Alecia and Sarah and everyone who came.  

Making those delicious funnel cakes!

Here's Alecia hosting Family Feud.  I think my team won, but it was a close call.

So many nice gifts!  Anna, Jack and Kara quickly claimed the balloons when I got home.

The four pregnant girls, standing in order of due date.  Sarah is March 16, I am March 21, Shelly is April 22, and Jennifer is June 28 (I think I have all those right...)

Snow Days

The kids have missed a lot of school lately.  It started back on January 10, with what should have been a 4-day weekend in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Those 4 days morphed into 10.  We didn't have that much snow, but it was so cold that the snow never melted and the back roads remained super icy. Unfortunately, super icy roads and buses don't mix, hence the cancellation of school.

I am sure there are some parents that would be overjoyed to spend 10 days in a row with their children.  I certainly enjoy our time together during summer break. But, we are prepared for it then.  We have things planned and even when we don't, I can always shove them outside for a few hours. Not the case in January. In January, the entire routine is disrupted and uncertain and that is most of the cause for frustration.

So, how did we spend our 10 days off?  During the planned weekend, we went to the Smithsonian and visited the Museums of Natural and American History.  We also took a trip to Ikea (as we pulled into the parking lot, Jack asked in a suspicious voice, "hey! what are we doing at the airport.") to buy some shelves for the playroom.  We organized the basement into a workout area and a play area (theater area to be created at some point in the future).  Then, we still had 6 days to go.

One day we went sledding with some neighbors.  That was super fun.  I even tried it (unfortunately, getting out of a sled when you are 8 months pregnant is not the easiest thing to do).  And, the kids weren't really dressed appropriately.  We have never really needed snow pants or boots, so I didn't bother buying any this year.  Subsequently, we didn't last long.  But, it was great while it did last.  It was nothing like what Thomas experienced in Lake Tahoe (where his backyard provided several great "runs") or even my trips to Potato Hill as a child in Massachusetts, but it was still impressive; and I am sure there are places around here with even bigger hills that we can find as they get older.  It was definitely a good childhood experience for them.

So, what else did we do?  Thomas took time off and played lots of games with them.  We let them have extended electronics time. And, we read a lot of books. That really is pretty much it.  I had to go to work one day, which was actually on the worst of the weather days.  The high was only something like 9 degrees and the windchill was below 0.  When I got to the base none of the roads had been plowed and I found myself waddling across an icy parking lot to get to the necessary building.  Fortunately, the kids were safe and warm at home.

This week, they have already missed one day to snow and there are a few more bad-weather days predicted in the 10-day forecast.  This is definitely not the mild winter weather I expected when we moved here.  The kids were clamoring to get back to school after the long break, but as Jack said, "it wasn't really as fun as I remembered;" they are happy to wear their pajamas inside out and flush ice cubes down the toilet to entice the snow gods into granting even more days off.  Me, I am ready for Spring.