Heard Around the House

 

 

Mom:  Ava, have you brushed your teeth yet?
Ava:  Not yet.  Heaven knows I've tried.

(that is a line from a song in frozen.)


Ava:  Mom, I love this new dress too much.  (See picture of this dress above!)

Ava:  Dad, can you write down clothes shopping on my to do list.
Mike:  Ok, as long as I'm not committing to anything!

 

What a weird random picture he wanted me to take of him.  I really have no idea what he is doing!

Dawson was Mr. Talkative, Many Random thoughts in a row:

Dad, we need to go to the store so I can buy some belts.
When I grow up I want you to stand still so I can kick a ball over your head.
When I get bigger I'm going to pick up Carter so I can play basketball.

Whew!  Buddy it's hard to digest all those thoughts when it's not yet 7 am!


Carter boy is just the sweetest.  Recently he has told me that I'm going to be his Valentine.  Then he made me a valentine at child watch this week that has the letter T on it, for his Valentine.  Then today Ava gave me a letter from my sekrit admrer (secret admirer).  It said "I lav you.  I miss you."  He has also left letters from my sekrit admrer on my night stand.  He is at such a fun age! 

ANOTHER Snow Day!?!?!?!?

 

Remember how Carter had Friday off from school?  No school Monday and no Tuesday as well!!

 

 

 

 

Although the kids can get a little rambunctious from being pent up all day(s) I really love this time with them.  We had fun playing outside.  The kids made a little village: a house complete with a refrigerator, a library with snow books, and a fire truck. 

 

We also spent time making a snake town (inside), valentine's crafts, playing super hero and reading A LOT.  I like using the blog to keep track of their interests because they change so quickly.  Right now Carter is really interested in Pearl Harbor.  We've read two historical fiction books about Pearl Harbor and we've moved into nonfiction.  I found some pictures from when Mike and I visited the memorial and he has them pinned to his pin board.  Ava is really digging Junie B. and  currently we are reading Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentine.  She has also shown a lot of interest in horses lately so we have a couple of library books about the care and life of horses.  Dawson is still interested in anything trucks or trains.  I usually just go to the transportation section to pick out his library stack.

 

This little kid.  Thank Goodness he is cute.  Recently he has decided that he doesn't like to use the toilet.  He has told us that he just plain doesn't like the way the toilet sounds and plus he thinks there are dragons in it.  Sooooooo, he has started using the trash can next to the toilet and even the bath tub on occasion.  Both have been sanitized so you shouldn't have to worry about it next time you visit, and we are working hard on this problem!! 

 

Sweet girl driving the fire truck and Dawson riding on top of the fire truck.

 

She is going to be disappointed because gymnastics was cancelled for today.  Keep warm everyone!!

 

 

Bad Winter

 

Recently Dawson told me "I call this bad winter cuz its stinkin stinkin cold."

 

Boy, that kid is right on the money!

 

 

 

Carter had no school on Friday due to the extremely chilly temperatures, and looking at the forecast, he will probably have some time off next week as well.

 

Yesterday we were snowed in for most of the day.  Carter was able to go to basketball, and wonder of wonders he made a basket!  It was during practice, but I'm so proud of him because he was absolutely convinced he would never make one. 

 

It's so cozy being snowed in for a day with yummy treats (we made cookies and taco casserole!) and a movie the kids love (spy kids 3! again!)

 

Today I'm feeling the cabin fever, and I can't wait to get out. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Friday I took the kids to Pump it Up to get a little exercise and burn some energy.  Carter and Ava love this inflatable, they try to climb up the wall to retrieve the flags and then climb it again to put the flags back.

 

We ran into friends there so I lost Ava completely as she was chasing around her friends.

 

When we got to Pump it up, Dawson was too scared to even go up the inflatables by himself, but by the time we left he was running up them and flying down the slides!

 

 

The kids love having sleepovers right now.  On weekends we pull Dawson's crib mattress in Carter's room and Ava sleeps on the other little bed.  Why did we ever think we needed a four bedroom house?  They have plans for bunk beds and to share rooms forever!

 

I'm just hoping for a warm up soon, although it doesn't look like I'm going to get my wish!

 

 

Fantastic Gymnastics!

 

My two little gymnastic buddies.

 

Now that Dawson is three he is able to take a concurrent gymnastics class with Ava.  He has been enjoying it, but it is his first structured class without me along and sometimes his listening skills are a little lacking.  But it is a good learning experience, right?

 

 

 

I took more pictures of Dawson because his class was closer to the balcony and I've already taken many, many pictures of Miss Avaroo.

 

Jumping over the bean bags.

 

He is yelling at me in the balcony, "Mommy take my picture!"  Um, buddy you are supposed to be sitting down on your square with all the other kids.

 

Walking on the balance beam

 

He was very hesitant to do this, and he kept telling the teacher "I can't do it.  I can't do it."  After a couple of wobbles he got the hang of it.

 

Way to go Dawson Boy!

 

And after discovering that Jackson has a High School Gymnastics team Ava has declared to everyone that "I'm going to be a polar bear gymnastics girl!"  Only time will tell!

Off to the Races!

Today's favorite play thing has been the ride on ponies.  Ava and Dawson have been chasing each other all over the house.  But the funny thing, it makes them sound like such city kids.  Here is the conversation they were having:

 

 

 

 

Ava:  Gentlemen start your HORSES!

 

Dawson give me your best horse riding face.  Ok.  That's original.

 

 

Dawson:  I can't go any farther.  My horse is out of gas.

 

Hmmmm, not quite how it works guys!

Gymnastics Birthday Party

Saturday night all three kids were invited to a gymnastics birthday, and they had a ball.  They had free reign of most of the gym!

 

 

 

Ava loved running down the long trampoline runway and jumping into the foam pit.

 

Dawson was in the mood for some happy baby.

 

Carter was a little pinball and played with everything, but I think he liked the trampolines a lot.

 

Ava and Carter both tried the zip line.  They held on tight, swung across the gym and flopped onto a big mat.

 

 

CAKE!!

 

Not surprisingly everyone fell asleep very quickly after that!

Basketball

Yesterday was a busy day for our family and it started off with Carter's basketball practice/game. 

 

 

He really, really, really wants to make a basket, but it has been hard for him to get it all the way up.  But plenty of other little kids can do it, so I know it is possible. 

 

 

 

 

 

Here he is practicing dribbling during practice time, he does pretty well.

 

 

He got the ball twice during the game and brought it down the court, but he didn't get to shoot.  Carter is not a pushy kid, so when someone else tries to take the ball from him he gladly obliges.

 

 

Go Chicken Nuggets!

 

The team is supposed to be the Denver Nuggets but they have renamed themselves the chicken nuggets.

 

 

He always leaves basketball with a big silly grin on his face.  Great job Carter!

Funny Stories from the Boys

 

 

Dawson had his three year check up this week.  Our 37 inch and 33 pound little boy is growing great!  The doctor remarked that he will be very well prepared for preschool next year and of course loved his superhero cape.  I was a little scared that he was going to be uncooperative because he loudly declared before the appointment that he didn't want to go and was going to tell that doctor to "go away." 

 

Ava has long been able to confiscate my phone and use it to take pictures, and now it appears that Dawson has mastered this as well.  Judging from the toes and the fifty pictures of trains in various positions, I may need to start hiding my phone a little better!

 

Carter has declared that this is his normal hair....

 

and this is his superhero hair.  But I cannot push his hair to the side because that would give away his superhero identity.  Love my boy's imagination!

Skymax

 

 

Carter has a four day weekend, so today I had my entire clan for an adventure.  I love having Carter home with us, I miss him so much when he is at school!

 

So today, we went to a trampoline arena that just opened called Skymax.  The kids had a BLAST.  Pardon the terrible pictures, but I couldn't have managed the big camera while also jumping.  But you get the idea. 

 

 

 

 

This is at the open jump area.  Dawson was no fear as usual and was running EVERYWHERE.  I couldn't get any pictures of Ava, she was chasing around her friend Oliver.  But Ava was a little jumping bean, she loved watching the older kids doing gymnastics on the trampolines.  So then she started practicing her gymnastic moves, front rolls, pike jumps, straddle jumps and donkey kicks.

 

You can see Carter boy behind Dawson in this picture.  They also had a basketball area that he really enjoyed.  But Carter and Ava's favorite part was the sky bag. 

 

 

 

 

 

This is Ava on the sky bag....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and Carter too. 

 

 

What a fun day with my three favorite little people in the world!

 

 

Spy Kids

 

Well, Meme and Bob-Bob you guys have created a new interest in our house: Spy kids.  When we returned home and found out that it was on Netflix, the kids have watched parts of it almost daily.  We have made OSS (the spy agency) flags, dressed all in black and wrapped belts around our arms to look like spies.  Dawson crawls around the house pretending to be Argonaut the spy dog.  Typically I am the Time keeper (evil bad guy) or when I'm lucky the spy mom (Jessica Alba).  Carter has taken Ava's baby alive diapers and made diaper bombs to throw at the time keeper.  I'm sure next week there will be a new favorite movie, but it's fun to watch their imaginations run wild!

Dawson Funnies

Dawson does this dance every time I get the bag of dates out of the pantry.  How sweet!  He really knows how to make me smile.

 

 

Heard around the House:

 

 Dawson hands me a paper with some stickers and random scribblings on it.  "This says Happy Birthday Dawson.  Have a clever birthday."

 

 

Where does he get this stuff?!?!?!

Finger Paint!

 

Fun times mixing colors,

 

making handprints,

 

Definitely PROCESS not product art!

 

As you can see Roover was in heaven!

Our Weekend

 We had a wonderful weekend with our kiddos and family.  It started off with Carter's first basketball game at the Y.  He did good with dribbling and passing, but had a hard time getting the ball in the hoop.

 

So, hopefully we will be able to make it to the Y sometime this week to Practice! Practice! Practice!

 

 

We went to see our little cousin Andrew at his FIRST birthday party.  He was such a cutie and we enjoyed playing with all his brand new toys.  We came in late and he was opening his presents.  He made eye contact with Dawson and got a big smile on his face!  Very sweet.

 

I am such a ding dong, I brought my camera but no camera card so these are my only pictures.

 

 

 

Today Carter and I spent time making an All about me poster for school.  Here are the highlights:  I love to wear camo, I want to work at a museum when I grow up, my favorite superhero is batman, my favorite book is James and the Giant Peach, I like to play with legos and eat pizza and I like to play basketball and soccer.  He was very happy with the results.

 

 

And now, another edition of Silly Sleepers!

 

 

 

Dawson sleeping with a head light

 

 

Ava with her baby cuddles

Frozen Week

 

After enduring water valve-gate on Monday we spent lots of time together until Carter went back to school on Wednesday.

 

 

We got so many new puzzles at Christmas and the kids love working on them.

 

I was trying to take a picture of Ava working on her puzzles and this kid came and stuck his face in the camera.

 

Frozen Days (as opposed to snow days) take a lot of effort to keep the kids busy.  Our days included board games (frog rush and Scooby doo), painting, lots of reading and spending hours listening to the Frozen sound track.  Which, coincidentally works really well on a frozen day.

 

Tonight Carter begged to make gingerbread houses.  We hadn't done it at Christmas time, so even though it's a little out of season I went with it.  We did the really easy version with graham crackers iced onto milk cartons and candy stuck on. 

 

Of course it was frosting on the cracker, frosting in the mouth and repeat.

 

This week Ava told me "I loved giving presents at Christmas time.  When can I get everybody more presents?"  She has such a giving little spirit.

 

The results!

Trouble with a capital T in train pajamas

 

This kid is trying to make sure I'm totally gray by 35

 

 

So, this morning was wonderful with the kids.  It is frigidly cold, so school has been cancelled for today and tomorrow.  We made waffles for breakfast, read some more from James, played lots of Legos and made lots of inventions/lighthouses and eventually it was time for lunch.  I sent the kids to the basement to burn off a little energy while I was preparing food.  I went to turn on the faucet and......a trickle and finally no water.  I start to panic because it is so frigidly cold outside I'm sure the pipes are freezing.  I turned on all the faucets in the house, no water anywhere and I leave them on.  In the basement I spend three hours heating pipes with a hair dryer, setting up space heaters to warm things up, using bed buddies to wrap around the pipes and still no water.  I call five different plumbers and I finally I can find one that will be able to come today to check things out.  I had a play date scheduled with a handy friend, so I asked her to come over and look things over.  Right after the water meter there was a little valve that I had overlooked.  Sure enough she turned it on and water restored!  Immediately I knew the culprit.  After a stern talk with all three kids, a very guilty face verified my instincts.  I'm so thankful for my friend for saving me from a big plumbers bill (it was going to be overtime, gulp) for a tiny little easily solved problem.

 

This kid.  He still hasn't figured out that curiosity killed the cat.

 

Some bonus stories:

 

Today Carter asked if he could stay in his pajamas.  I said that was fine, we weren't planning on leaving the house with the cold temperatures.  His response?  Yay!  I don't have to change my underwear!

 

Bob-Bob has given Dawson a new nickname: iceberg.  Mike and I both agree it is totally fitting because he plows into things and is as cold as ice.

 

Ava is such a sweet little caring soul.  Recently she came into my bedroom sobbing in the middle of the night because she missed her cousin Riley.  Then last night there was some wind and Dawson was scared.  Instead of coming into my bedroom he turned to his big sister for comfort.  They both ended up on the floor in our bedroom, but it's nice to know that she likes to care for him as well.

 

Enough stories for know, but please say a prayer for my too curious for his own good little boy.