Here is the full collection of jokes that the kids like to tell. I'm fully aware that this really is the full list because we spent 8 hours in the car/restaurants today and I heard them all. Again, and again, and again.
Erin: Hey Mommy, want to hear a joke?
Mommy: Sure honey.
E: Knock Knock
M: Who's there?
E: Boo
M: Boo who?
E: long pause to remember the rest of the joke....."Don't cry, it's only me."
E: Wanna hear another one?
M: Sure
E: Knock Knock
M: Who's there?
E: Banana
M: (oh dear....not THIS one) Banana who?
E: Knock Knock
M: Who's There?
E: Banana....etc...like 3 more times. FINALLY
E: Knock Knock.
M: Who's there?
E: Orange?
M: Orange who?
E: Orange you glad I didn't say banana again? Ha Ha Ha!!!! I'm so funny!!!!
Now Jeff feels the need to get in on the mix.
J: Hey Mommy!!!! Knock Knock.
M: Who's there?
J: Cars.
M: Cars who?
J: Just cars. (clearly he doesn't really get the idea)
E: My turn again mommy!!!!! Knock Knock.
M: Who's there?
E: Orange?
M: Orange who?
E: Knock Knock
M: Who's there?
E: Orange.
M: Orange who?
E: Knock Knock
M: Who's there?
E: Strawberry!!!
M: Strawberry who?
E: Strawberry you glad I didn't say orange again?
Clearly she doesn't really get the jokes either.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Fun Family Day
It was so gorgeous Saturday that we planned a fun family day. Erin had the early soccer game and was done by 10:30. Tom has been talking about visiting a working flour mill that's about an hour away. We went to the mill about 6 or 7 years ago and hadn't been back since. I decided if we were going to drive out to the mill we should make a day of it and do some geocaching. So I printed off the caches, loaded up the caching backpack, grabbed some new batteries for the GPS and we headed off right after soccer.
The kids enjoy the caching. It usually brings us to some cool and new places. This mill is over in the Valley with some gorgeous views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Erin and Jeff really enjoyed the mill. They got to explore outside and see the sluice and the huge wheel. Inside there is a little shop but the kids could see some of the workings there as well. The owner still operates the mill....with water power, but not when the store is open because it gets too dusty.
We spent the rest of the afternoon hitting a series of history caches that were located near historic markers in the county. We even ran into the owner of one of the caches and we chatted with him for a while. He was very nice and pointed us in the right direction for a cache that we'd not been able to find earlier in the day.
We headed back to one more cache. With the few tips from the owner I was finally able to spot it. As we approached it from a different direction we saw a small historic park nearby. This one also had a small mill. The kids really wanted to stop there before heading home. So we went down there and they hopped out of the van and started running around and exploring all the little buildings. It was very cool. It reminded me a little of myself when I was a little girl running around the "battlefield" at Concord and Lexington. Not sure I really grasped what was surrounding me, but I found it very cool. The kids were the same way. They loved the mill building and could see more of how it worked inside. There was an agricultural workshop that they also thought was neat.
The last thing we did was follow a path to the mill pond. Erin especially liked the little walk. We saw some ducks and learned about the habitat surrounding the mill pond.
At one of the stops, the kids got a hold of my camera. Of course I discovered some "fantastic shots" worth sharing when I got home.
On the way home we stopped for some BBQ at a place just across the mountain on 33. We stopped once last year and really liked it. Erin was even willing to try the kids BBQ platter.
Of course we had to deal with the general whining that comes with a long day. And the fighting in the back seat never seems to end some times. But all in all we had a really fun day exploring another area of our cool state of Virginia.
We spent the rest of the afternoon hitting a series of history caches that were located near historic markers in the county. We even ran into the owner of one of the caches and we chatted with him for a while. He was very nice and pointed us in the right direction for a cache that we'd not been able to find earlier in the day.
The last thing we did was follow a path to the mill pond. Erin especially liked the little walk. We saw some ducks and learned about the habitat surrounding the mill pond.
At one of the stops, the kids got a hold of my camera. Of course I discovered some "fantastic shots" worth sharing when I got home.
On the way home we stopped for some BBQ at a place just across the mountain on 33. We stopped once last year and really liked it. Erin was even willing to try the kids BBQ platter.
Of course we had to deal with the general whining that comes with a long day. And the fighting in the back seat never seems to end some times. But all in all we had a really fun day exploring another area of our cool state of Virginia.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Splish Splash
Jeff has really been loving his swimming lessons this spring. He's made quite a bit of progress, but a few weeks ago I thought we'd hit a lull. He still loved swimming, but was not really interested in progressing and learning more. He just wanted to play around and sink under the water. Being only 4 years old I realize the desire to just play in the water. He doesn't really feel the need to swim. It's all about fun.
Today was the last lesson for this session. Jeffrey was all excited for class today. He has had a new instructor these last two weeks. She's really good, but very strict. Makes the kids stay "behind the line" unless it's their turn. And if he jumped too early, he'd have to sit out for a jump. He wasn't as fond of her as he was the girl he'd had since February.
Today on the way into lessons we talked about how he'd have Miss Lizzy again. And she really wanted him to try some new things today. He said he'd try floating on his back (his big issue of recent lessons). And he did, I was quite proud of him.
At the end of the lesson they always do jumps. It's Jeff's favorite part of the lesson. He'll jump in the opposite direction of the instructor as far as he can. Today for his final jump the instructor had just walked the other 2 boys across the pool. She stood at the far side of the pool, made clear eye contact with Jeffrey and told him she wanted him to jump in and swim across. Of course I'd decided to leave the camera at home today thinking there wasn't going to be anything new.
Jeff made sure he understood what she wanted him to do and went for it. He jumped in, bobbed up and started swimming. He stretched himself out. Brought his arms out of the water to "scoop" and swam about 25 feet to Miss Lizzy. I was so proud of him. He went from just wanting to sit on the bottom of the pool to trying to keep himself near the top and really using his arms.
We're taking a few weeks off, and then we will get back into lessons in June. Erin's going to take some too. She got some new goggles for her birthday and it seems that might make a big difference in her willingness to get wet. We'll see.
Today was the last lesson for this session. Jeffrey was all excited for class today. He has had a new instructor these last two weeks. She's really good, but very strict. Makes the kids stay "behind the line" unless it's their turn. And if he jumped too early, he'd have to sit out for a jump. He wasn't as fond of her as he was the girl he'd had since February.
Today on the way into lessons we talked about how he'd have Miss Lizzy again. And she really wanted him to try some new things today. He said he'd try floating on his back (his big issue of recent lessons). And he did, I was quite proud of him.
At the end of the lesson they always do jumps. It's Jeff's favorite part of the lesson. He'll jump in the opposite direction of the instructor as far as he can. Today for his final jump the instructor had just walked the other 2 boys across the pool. She stood at the far side of the pool, made clear eye contact with Jeffrey and told him she wanted him to jump in and swim across. Of course I'd decided to leave the camera at home today thinking there wasn't going to be anything new.
Jeff made sure he understood what she wanted him to do and went for it. He jumped in, bobbed up and started swimming. He stretched himself out. Brought his arms out of the water to "scoop" and swam about 25 feet to Miss Lizzy. I was so proud of him. He went from just wanting to sit on the bottom of the pool to trying to keep himself near the top and really using his arms.
We're taking a few weeks off, and then we will get back into lessons in June. Erin's going to take some too. She got some new goggles for her birthday and it seems that might make a big difference in her willingness to get wet. We'll see.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Peter Pan
I am Youth. I am Joy. I am Freedom!!!Well Peter Pan has been over for a week now. We are sad it is over, but glad to be done with the craziness. It was so much fun. Erin was just the cutest darned Tinkerbell. And I was the proudest mommy on earth. There was a TON that she had to learn and remember, much of it without talking. Almost all pantomime. She learned the her dances really well too. Tom as Captain Hook was fantastic. Of course all the kids were obsessed with him and thought he was just the funnest person ever. We got a few pictures and some videos. I'll save the videos for a later time but wanted to share some of the pictures today.
Where's Meghan?
Tink Doesn't Like Wendy
She Does Love Captain Hook
You Shut Me In the Wardrobe!!
Drinking the PoisonErin's Birthday
Early last Monday morning I was awakened by a little bird chirping in my ear.
"Mommy guess what? I'm 6 now."
She just couldn't wait past 6:30 to fill me in on the news. Since she had school that morning I stumbled out of bed and got her some breakfast. Uncle Jeff and Rylie were still visiting, so Rylie joined us for breakfast. Erin was very excited to get to school because she knew she'd get a crown and get to be the line leader all day. What more could a birthday girl ask for.
The family joined her at school for snack. Erin had made brownies to share with the class on her birthday. Rylie and Jeffrey enjoyed visiting the school and meeting some of Erin's friends. They even got to play a game in the cafeteria after snack since it was raining and they couldn't have recess outside. Later, at lunch, I brought Erin some chicken nuggets and strawberries and sat with her while she ate lunch. She'd been waiting for me to come for lunch on her birthday, apparently that's what the cool kids' moms do.
After school we played around until dinner -- Roast Chicken, Corn and cheesy potatos. What Erin wanted. Finally after dinner we let her have her presents. The DS was a big hit, but mommy played a mean joke and gave her an empty box. The real reason is that I had taken it out of the box to charge it for her so she wouldn't have to wait. Most of her presents from Mommy and Daddy were DS related. She got 3 games and an extra one from Uncle Jeff and Aunt Robyn. Add in a new shirt and a couple of books and we've got a great birthday.
Happy Birthday Miss Boo!!!!
"Mommy guess what? I'm 6 now."
She just couldn't wait past 6:30 to fill me in on the news. Since she had school that morning I stumbled out of bed and got her some breakfast. Uncle Jeff and Rylie were still visiting, so Rylie joined us for breakfast. Erin was very excited to get to school because she knew she'd get a crown and get to be the line leader all day. What more could a birthday girl ask for.
The family joined her at school for snack. Erin had made brownies to share with the class on her birthday. Rylie and Jeffrey enjoyed visiting the school and meeting some of Erin's friends. They even got to play a game in the cafeteria after snack since it was raining and they couldn't have recess outside. Later, at lunch, I brought Erin some chicken nuggets and strawberries and sat with her while she ate lunch. She'd been waiting for me to come for lunch on her birthday, apparently that's what the cool kids' moms do.
After school we played around until dinner -- Roast Chicken, Corn and cheesy potatos. What Erin wanted. Finally after dinner we let her have her presents. The DS was a big hit, but mommy played a mean joke and gave her an empty box. The real reason is that I had taken it out of the box to charge it for her so she wouldn't have to wait. Most of her presents from Mommy and Daddy were DS related. She got 3 games and an extra one from Uncle Jeff and Aunt Robyn. Add in a new shirt and a couple of books and we've got a great birthday.
Happy Birthday Miss Boo!!!!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
The Birthday Party
We had THE Birthday party last weekend. We contemplated doing two seperate parties. Erin really wanted a bowling party, but we explained that she could only invite 4 friends if we did that. Jeffrey has never had a party before so was happy with anything. We decided to hold a joint party at the park for both kids. They each invited 10 friends from school. We had about 15 kids show up total.
Of course it threatened to rain all week. The forecast claimed rain, rain, rain. I did my "Rain Go Away" dance and we ended up with a great day. It was a little warm but we had plenty of water and lemonade. The kids played on the playground for a while, ran around with bubbles, took some whacks at the pinata (which gave in much more quickly this year, but at least everyone got a whack), watched daddy juggle and played everyone's favorite game.....tackle Tom.
It was great to watch all the kids just run around and have fun. Laid back and relaxed, that's the way to hold a party. Don't know how long we'll be able to do the combined party (or if we'll even want to do it again) but we're very glad it worked out this time.
Get Daddy!!!!
Stand Back Daddy, I'm Gonna Whack It
It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time
Of course it threatened to rain all week. The forecast claimed rain, rain, rain. I did my "Rain Go Away" dance and we ended up with a great day. It was a little warm but we had plenty of water and lemonade. The kids played on the playground for a while, ran around with bubbles, took some whacks at the pinata (which gave in much more quickly this year, but at least everyone got a whack), watched daddy juggle and played everyone's favorite game.....tackle Tom.
It was great to watch all the kids just run around and have fun. Laid back and relaxed, that's the way to hold a party. Don't know how long we'll be able to do the combined party (or if we'll even want to do it again) but we're very glad it worked out this time.
Erin and Brandon Climbing UP The Slide
Get Daddy!!!!
Stand Back Daddy, I'm Gonna Whack It
It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time
Loving The Swings
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
A Visit from Daddy's Family
Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Jeff and Cousin Rylie all came down to visit this past weekend. Aunt Robyn and Cousin Avery were supposed to come along, but Avery came down with bronchitis and they had to stay home - we missed them. Feel better Avery.
We celebrated the birthdays together and everyone came to see Tom and Erin in their final night of Peter Pan. They all really enjoyed it and were so proud of Erin for being such a cute Tinkerbell.
Grandma and Grandpa got Erin and Jeff new bikes for their birthdays. We surprised the kids by taking them to ToysRUs and letting them pick out their own bikes. Erin really just wanted to stay home and play with Cousin Rylie, but we convinced her this little trip would be fun. It didn't take long to pick out the bikes once we found the right sizes. Erin, with her long legs has a 16" bike that's white and blue...super cute. Jeffrey's all torso so the 16" Cars bike was too big for him, he was perfectly happy with a 14" Diego bike though. After about two minutes of riding around the store, the kids were pros on the bikes. So much so, we rode them right out the door. Once we got home we let them ride them around the deck.
On Saturday we had a birthday party for the kids. Both got to invite 10 friends from school. We had about 14 kids total. After that we headed out to dinner at the "Fire Place" for our Mother's Day/Erin's Birthday Dinner. Cousin Rylie was so tired, she slept through the whole dinner.
Sunday morning Grandma and Grandpa stayed for a Mother's Day breakfast. Then they had to head home. After that the rest of us took a walk to the bridge and down to the lake. Jeffrey collected rocks. Rylie picked flowers. Erin collected caterpillars...one still living upstairs in a jar.
On Monday we celebrated Erin's birthday together in the afternoon and then headed over to visit some friends in the evening.
All 3 kids slept on the floor in Erin's room. Even Erin. She couldn't miss out on the fun, so no one slept in her bed. We loved seeing them all play and sleep together so well. We don't get to see Cousin Rylie very often so both Erin and Jeffrey really loved the time they had to play with her. They played Pets, hide & seek, mommy & baby, Princesses, shared the V-Smile, blew bubbles....it was great.
We can't wait until we all get to play together again.
We celebrated the birthdays together and everyone came to see Tom and Erin in their final night of Peter Pan. They all really enjoyed it and were so proud of Erin for being such a cute Tinkerbell.
Grandma and Grandpa got Erin and Jeff new bikes for their birthdays. We surprised the kids by taking them to ToysRUs and letting them pick out their own bikes. Erin really just wanted to stay home and play with Cousin Rylie, but we convinced her this little trip would be fun. It didn't take long to pick out the bikes once we found the right sizes. Erin, with her long legs has a 16" bike that's white and blue...super cute. Jeffrey's all torso so the 16" Cars bike was too big for him, he was perfectly happy with a 14" Diego bike though. After about two minutes of riding around the store, the kids were pros on the bikes. So much so, we rode them right out the door. Once we got home we let them ride them around the deck.
On Saturday we had a birthday party for the kids. Both got to invite 10 friends from school. We had about 14 kids total. After that we headed out to dinner at the "Fire Place" for our Mother's Day/Erin's Birthday Dinner. Cousin Rylie was so tired, she slept through the whole dinner.
Sunday morning Grandma and Grandpa stayed for a Mother's Day breakfast. Then they had to head home. After that the rest of us took a walk to the bridge and down to the lake. Jeffrey collected rocks. Rylie picked flowers. Erin collected caterpillars...one still living upstairs in a jar.
On Monday we celebrated Erin's birthday together in the afternoon and then headed over to visit some friends in the evening.
All 3 kids slept on the floor in Erin's room. Even Erin. She couldn't miss out on the fun, so no one slept in her bed. We loved seeing them all play and sleep together so well. We don't get to see Cousin Rylie very often so both Erin and Jeffrey really loved the time they had to play with her. They played Pets, hide & seek, mommy & baby, Princesses, shared the V-Smile, blew bubbles....it was great.
We can't wait until we all get to play together again.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Happy Birthday Erin!!!
Happy 6th Birthday Miss Boo
Erin's 25 Things
1 -- I have almost 100 Little Pet Shop Pets...and I still love when I get more.
2 -- I scored my first goal in soccer this spring.
3 -- I am actually NOT the shortest person in my Kindergarten class. I'm second.
4 -- I have a very good friend in class named Brandon. Mommy's best friend in Kindergarten was named Brandon.
5 -- I'm super ticklish and LOVE being tickled.
6 -- At bedtime, now instead of listening to 2 stories, I read one to mommy and daddy first.
7 -- I got my first big role in a play as Tinkerbell in Peter Pan.
8 -- I think my daddy is the funniest and funnest person ever.
9 -- I like to pick up caterpillars and bring them home to keep in a jar.
10 -- My favorite movies range from High School Musical to The Incredibles and Last Unicorn.
11 -- I know how to play lots of games on the computer and have 3 Webkinz.
12 -- You can no longer call me a "big" sister by either weight or height. But I'm still older.
13 -- Cooking with daddy is one of my favorite things to do.
14 -- I want to be a chef when I grow up.
15 -- I can write my first and last name and know close to 100 words on sight.
16 -- I like practicing cartwheels in the living room.
17 -- I'll stay up talking all night during sleep overs with Oma.
18 -- I'm known to sing Simon & Garfunkel's Cecilia very loudly in public venues.
19 -- I love to swing at the playground, and if you get me started I'll keep myself going for a long time.
20 -- I want a Nintendo DS for my birthday and, I'm getting a . . . DS!!!
21 -- I have interesting thoughts on the life (and death) of Abraham Lincoln see History Lesson for more details.
22 -- I haven't cut my hair all year. It's getting long.
23 -- My teacher's name is Miss. Smiley. Best name for a Kindergarten teacher ever.
24 -- Rather than listen to kids music I prefer Simon and Garfunkel or even Queen (but Rocknoceros is still OK)
25 -- I will always be my mommy and daddy's special little Boo.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Jeffrey's Special Day
Jeffrey had a really busy day on his birthday last week, but it was super special. He got to go to school and have all his friends sing him "Happy Birthday". Just to make sure everyone knew the words he sang himself Happy Birthday a few times first. At school he got a Birthday Crown and brought in cupcakes to share with his friends.
After school it was time for swimming. He LOVES swimming so this helped make his birthday extra special. He wasn't too happy about having to take his crown off in the pool, but I explained that it would probably get wet in the pool and he wouldn't be able to wear it again. So he gave in. He did get a special "Birthday Smoothie" at the gym before we headed to pick Erin up from school.
The kids got some play time after Erin got home from school, and then we headed in to dinner at Jeffrey's favorite place....Red Robin. Really, the burgers are pretty good, the kids can make noise and there's a 6 foot Red Robin that walks around the restaurant. What more could you want? Jeffrey ordered a pizza and even tried some onion rings. Of course the Birthday Ice Cream Sundae was the only thing that got completely finished.
After dinner we were finally all together and Jeffrey got to open his gifts from mommy and daddy. He loves his pocket V-Smile. The cars and Leggos were a big hit too.
This was a great day. Jeffrey was so excited to tell everyone that it was his birthday, and I mean everyone. Watching the pure exuberance about it was amazing. We're so glad you had a special day Bud.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Happy Birthday Jeffrey!!!
Jeffrey's 25 things.
1 -- I love anything with wheels. Cars, trucks, trains, tractors, buses. You name it. If it has wheels, I'm obsessed with it.
2 -- I have too many favorite movies, Wall*E, Cars, Peter Pan, Incredibles are just a few.
3 -- I haven't worn Pull-ups for over a month, and occasionally will even get up in the middle of the night to pee.
4 -- Reading by myself or with sister, mommy or daddy is still one of my favorite things to do.
5 -- I can sing the entire Hook's Tango from Peter Pan.
6 -- When I listen to the score to Wall*E I can tell you exactly what is happening during the movie according to the music.
7 -- I like to make shapes like Dinosaurs, Pirate Ships, or the Axiom out of my grilled cheese sandwiches.
8 -- I wear a shoe size 11, and shirt size 5/6. I'm a big guy.
9 -- I'm the same height as my big sister (actually a smidgen taller).
10 -- I will tell you my favorite color is black, but I usually pick out things that are blue.
11 -- If mommy would let me, I could play on the computer all day.
12 -- I can 'almost' swim by myself, but I would much rather sink to the bottom of the pool.
13 -- Whenever I see a Hershey's Bar or a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup I scream, "Chocolate World!!!!"
14 - -My best friend is Sage and we can get into all kinds of trouble together.
15 -- When I go to sleep I still need Blankie (and Doodle, Wally, my Lightning McQueen pillow and red Lightning McQueen blanket)
16 -- I take a nap for mommy at least a couple days a week.
17 -- I told my mommy I want a puppy. She said no.
18 -- I love going to preschool. My favorite time at school is recess.
19 -- I can almost write my name, but I'm only willing to write Jeff (not Jeffrey) but don't call me Jeff.
20 -- I want to do whatever my sister is going. She's my best sister.
21 -- I love the word "actually" and make frequent use of it.
22 -- I like to sing and have pretty good pitch.
23 -- I love bowling and mini golf and continually beg mommy to take me to one or the other.
24 -- What I want most for my birthday is to ride a train...I'm getting a hand held V-Smile system.
25 -- I may make things difficult for mommy and daddy at times, but I really do love them.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Birthdays with Noni, Grandpa, Oma and Uncle Jon
We got to celebrate our birthdays with mommy's family when they came down to see Peter Pan. It was a very pretty afternoon so we sat on the back deck and relaxed together. We love being able to spend time with our family. Here are a few pictures from the afternoon.
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