Kidisms

With Brooke becoming increasingly more verbal, this segment has been renamed "Kidisms".

Context: Chris yelling out the window at the squirrel to get off the bird feeder
Derek: Why you do that?
Chris: Why did I tell "Curl" to get off the bird feeder?
Derek: Yes
Chris: Because that food is for the birds
Derek: That makes "Curl" sad

Derek: Blue eyes can see in the dark
Megan: Can brown eyes see in the dark?
Derek: No only blue eyes can. Brown eyes can only see in the daytime.

Megan: Brooke, where are we going?
Brooke: Gigi's howse (house)
Megan: What are you going to do at Gigi's house?
Brooke: Pway (play) oys (toys)

Context: We put a cup on the deck to catch the snow that is falling. 
Derek: Waiting is hard.
Megan: Yes it can be. Do you know another word for waiting. Have you heard of the word patience?
Derek: Let's play a game while we wait for patience.

200th Post!

Its hard to believe that this is our 200th blog post in just over 9 months! Its kinda crazy that we have had almost 12,000 views on our little blog since we started this crazy thing. With that many hits we know we have more than just family that read our blog and we want to say thank you.

So, we thought we would share our top 5 blog posts.

#5 - Command Center

#4 (tie) - From Sand Box to Rock Box & Happy 5 Years

#3 - Golf Tournament

#2 - Pizza Cupcakes

#1 - Hungry Caterpillar Birthday

We will be back on Wednesday to share some funny things the kids have said that you don't want to miss.

Down by the Lake

This past Saturday, we went to a kids consignment sale to look for a few things. The church that was hosting the sale is right off a lake so instead of taking the kids into the mayhem, Chris took them down to the lake to check out the boats and other fun stuff.

These guys were especially friendly and came right up to the kids to see if they had any food but thankfully they didn't nip at the kids.

 They even let Brooke follow them on their walk.

They can be so nice and loving towards each other sometimes.

We took a walk around the lake when I was finished shopping and stumbled upon this playground. The kids were in hog heaven!

We let the kids run around and get all their energy out while we were waiting for the 1/2 off sale. Most things that don't sell at the consignment sale are marked 1/2 off and then they reopen to try and sell as much as they can. We had our eye on this jogging stroller and since I had been stalking researching on Craigslist, I knew that even at full price it was a great deal but we didn't feel right about it since we haven't done a ton of running since Chris sprained his ankle and we didn't need more "stuff".

So, we finished at the park and Chris got in line a few minutes before the 1/2 off sale started. He sent me a text message that he was in line about 3 minutes after the sale started and I assumed he was still in line to go into the sale. Then, I saw him come out the door with the stroller and I was surprised.

This is something that I had wanted, since I really hate running by myself at night (yes, I am a wimp about being cold) but there is no way we were going to spend $100-$300 on a double running stroller. I am so thankful that God provides for our wants as well as for our needs. This stroller is in almost new condition with no stains or rips and brand new brakes for $34!

Ok, so Derek was frustrated with me for taking so many pictures of him and I caught this one. He looks so grown up in this picture. I know that he keeps reminding me that he is going to be 4 on his birthday but I guess I didn't believe him until I saw this. Oh my. He is growing up too quickly.

Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere...

Bubbles are a source of fun and cheap entertainment. Derek and Brooke never seem to get bored of them so we do them rather often.  

We dance to the bubbles.

 Derek has tried to karate chop them as they come out of the bubble blower.

Brooke was trying to swat the bubble above her head but you don't see the bubbles in this picture.

Happy Birthday Chris

Last week was Chris' birthday. He got cards, text messages, and calls from family (including my Mom who was in Isreal!). He got to pick the menu and he chose pizza, specifically Vocelli's pizza, which is a local place not far from out house. He got to watch the sport channel during dinner, but it was quickly turned off because it was making him agitated since Wes Welker decided to go to Denver and it was all over the sports news channels.

Even though he is leaving the bank at the end of the month the girls at his office wanted to do something special and decorated the office for him.

He has been enjoying his birthday goodies, specifically brownies and whoopee pies. I'm glad he doesn't share or I'd really hate the number on the scale.

Happy Birthday Babe!

Homemade Room Fresheners

I decided to try making my own room deodorizers. With two kids in diapers/pull ups, the trashcans and the area around them get really nasty in a hurry and yes we take out the trash frequently! I have tried a number of items from Target and none last very long so it was at least worth a shot.

I have a ton of baby food jars in my garage and since they aren't getting any action anytime soon they seemed like the perfect victim for my project.

I had Chris drill 6-8 holes in the top of each jar. Then, I filled them with 1 Tablespoon of baking soda and 20 drops of essential oil. I then painted the top with my free Lowe's sample paint and added a label to identify the scent. Voila! Easy peasy homemade room fresheners.

What's the weather going to do?

We are at that stage where the weather can't decide what to do. When I looked at the 10 day forecast on my phone last week, I laughed. We get ridiculous weather but this was calling for 3-5 inches of snow and then 60's just 3 days later. Ha! Well, I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes.

Last Wednesday (3/6)...

Saturday (3/9)...

Amazing what a few days will do. Saturday was in the mid sixties and we all needed some outdoors time so Chris and Derek washed the cars (hence the outrageous outfit). I weeded the flower beds and Brooke helped a little when she wasn't trying to lick the last snowball size remains of frosty from the front yard.

Its been a while...

Its been a crazy month at our house. Yes, this post sounds like what you would read on a Christmas card but it helps to bring us to the present.

Chris: Accepted an offer and will be leaving Union First Market after 6+ years. He starts his new job April 1st but it will require a certification so he has/will be doing a lot of studying to pass that. He sprained his ankle about 3 weeks ago so he hasn't been able to play soccer and has been taking it easy lately.

Megan: Almost finished with her 5th benefits renewal at work. Benefits renewal for HR folks is like tax season to accountants. Lots of late nights and deadlines. She has been reading non-stop since she read something about reading reduces stress. She has read 21 books (and endless magazines) since January 1st and blew through her goal of 15 books for the year.

Derek: Lately he has been showing his creative side with building and creating various things out of legos. He also wants us to work one-on-one with him practicing his letters and numbers and "do school". He never ceases to amaze us with what he puts together and funny things he says (more Derekism posts to follow).

Brooke: She is talking nonstop! She has quite the personality and the more she talks the more we are beginning to see her spunky independent side. She is our dare devil and provides us with at least one "heart attack moment" a day.