Unfortunately: my modus operandi

Thanks, Jamie! It's only funny because I know I'm not alone here...

T-ball season begins tonight!

We finally had some spring rain yesterday, so George's 1st practice was postponed until today. Well, it did quit raining last night... Now we have snow. You can imagine the mud we're going to have! You have to love our springtime here in Montana...

Miss Amy's Field Trip

Today, after a morning meeting, I called my dad to see if today was a good day to do lunch. Since I was already in the heights and knew that Amy's husband was home sick, I called to see if she'd like to get out of her germ-infested house and come along.

Cafeteria food for lunch wasn't the draw (although, it is for my kids!). Amy wanted to come look at the helicopter. After a lunch of "girled cheese" for the kiddos & wrap sandwiches for us, we headed for the helipad.


Without Rhys & Brennen there to compete for seats, Kjersten & Cael were able to crawl around freely! Amy chatted with my dad long enough to decide that this would not be the career of choice for her: something about being bothered by blood...


Kjersten parked in grandpa's spot. Note the shorts. It was supposed to be 71 today. (It wasn't but she couldn't pass up the chance to wear shorts before it snows again on Wednesday.)

No pictures of Amy or my dad. I'm sure that doesn't bother either of them!

Cool science!

"Go on, Evan! Touch that ball... It won't hurt. Honest!"


"So this is how a propeller works!?"


It's harder than it looks to turn that wheel!



75 lbs of gear (if he were to don the oxygen tank).

Practicing with the daVinci Surgical Robot. These kids have so much experience with video games that this little exercise was a breeze! Turns out, video games are a true life skill!

Blasting perfect smoke rings with a garbage can drum. This was one experiment we'll be recreating at home!

Blowing giant bubbles...

AJ loved keeping these balls airborne. He needs one of these at home!

We'll be going again next year... it was fabulous! (Not to mention, my kids have now been assigned a science fair project to enter! I love great inspiration!)

George sits still...

No. This isn't how he got the cavity that needed filling... This was the prize for drinking the nasty tasting medicine (Versed). I find it funny that the dentist gives out suckers, although she promises that this sugar-free lollipop actually helps prevent cavities. Whatever. I'm sure it's a ploy to get repeat business!


Getting loopy. It took all sorts of bribes to get him to sit with me. He wanted to keep jumping over to the other side of the waiting room. He truly did NOT grasp how quickly his sense of balance was disappearing!

He did just fine with the actual filling. I don't think the pre-med was necessary for the filling. I think it was so George could sit still for the 40 minutes it took!

Then the mama thought a trip to McDonald's for ice cream & to play with AJ would perk him up. The mama was wrong. Instead, he bit his numb tongue and his head lolled terribly to the side.


Isn't that the saddest thing you've ever seen?


Poor George. And, the mama was totally empathetic but amused. I've never seen my little boy sit still for so long!

No worries. By the time we set off for the rest of our errands, he perked up considerably!

My favorite meal...

Chicken pot pie is the ONLY pie Rhys will eat. It's a very popular meal around here. With the kiddos and their appetites getting bigger, the days of making one pot pie is disappearing! It leaves no leftovers & I'm certain everyone would have seconds if it were an option...

Did you know, chicken pot pie is a fabulous OAMC meal? Double your recipe & freeze one. It's no more work and the result is a spare dinner for another night. Good stuff!

My very complicated Chicken Pot Pie recipe:

Melt 1/3 c. butter in a large sauce pan. Add 1/3 c. flour~ stirring constantly for two minutes. Stir in 2 1/2 cups milk with a tablespoon of chicken base (or equivalent of chicken bullion)mixed in. Allow to simmer while stirring until thickened (few minutes). Add 2 cooked & diced chicken breasts. Stir in vegetables (corn, peas, green beans). If you're adding potatoes or carrots, be sure to cube them into small pieces and partially precook them. Pour into prepared pie crust or 9x13 pan. Top with 2nd crust or biscuits. Bake at 400 degrees until crust is golden brown or until biscuits are done.

Alternative idea: pour prepared filling over prepared biscuits. Yummy!

A boy and his bike...

Last year, George decided he no longer needed training wheels. You see, learning to ride on gravel is hard. Learning to ride with training wheels is harder! He took off the wheels. It was still hard. He went back to riding his scooter.

Now, with the snow melted... the time has come.

He's off to a good start.


Whoops.


"Hey mom! Take a picture of me!"


I think he has it down. Pretty soon, he'll be riding down to the mailbox with the big kids! Poor Cael... He'd better hurry up and figure out this bike riding thing!

Wednesday play date

AJ & George hanging out at McD's before they run off to play!

This play date is as much for the mamas as it is for the kiddos! It gives us time to chat and wears the kiddos down just a bit. It's a win-win!

Snow forts

A boy & his 'dinothor'...

Well... first, a boy and his big brother!


Here's Cael and the beloved 'dinothor'. I promise to get some video (had some and a child deleted it!). 'Dinothor' is his most favorite toy...


'Dinothor' is loved even when he's inanimate!

The whole point of Girl Scouts, right?!

Maybe not, but it's a pretty good perk!

Missing winter...

Yes. You read that right. I loved this winter. All 90 days in a row of snow on the ground. It was beautiful and it entertained my little boys like you can't believe... Best of all- NO MUD!

Not exactly a day at the spa...

Everybody needs an Auntie Sara & an Uncle Josh!

Sara paints...

And embellishes...


While Josh is charge of blowing dry...


The end result is a happy little girl (and a happy 2 year old boy)!

Incongruent...

Kjersten has a monthly cooking class at a local store. The class is taught by an amazing woman who I've had the privilege of learning from in her own home. The girls just love Miss Bonnie and the mamas love having the girls actually take instruction happily!


They learn, they cook, they eat. It's a good thing!


They even wash their hands!

Then, after we pick her up... we trek to McDonalds for our weekly lunch date with my girls and the kiddos! (Undoubtedly, Miss Bonnie would shake her head if she knew...)

Ruby red war paint?

Actually, the color is "Apple Brandy" by Clinique. I don't know what they were thinking or why I wasn't supervising well enough to catch this early on...

"I go too?"

Finally... Cael gets to go to the dentist! He loved it~ especially the junky toy from the treasure shelf when he was done! I love that the kids love to go to the dentist! That's just how it should be. I still remember my favorite childhood dentist: Dr. Kingery. I think these first years of dental care set a life-long attitude towards these necessary visits! So, I'm particularly grateful for our pediatric dental office. They make it so easy on all of us!


Getting x-rays.



Getting his teeth "counted" and then "making them shiny."


All done!

Our very own Girl Scout!

Every family needs their own supplier of Girl Scout cookies, right?! Kjersten's friend, Christian, asked Lou to join her troop. The fun began with ironing on patches. Ummmm, not my gift! (Don't look to closely at her sash or at the kids' Awana vests. Yikes! That should have been taught in those bringing-home-baby classes!)


The 1st troop meeting for Christian (the fashion plate in the center) and Lou.

Mary Beth leading the girls in her famous "shopping cart dance"! It's a wonder the picture isn't blurry- I was laughing so hard!