Spring break, or something like that.

Today was the first day of the kids' spring break, and this is how they spent the day. As I've been seeing on many of my friends' blogs, we're not the only ones experiencing extended winter weather. I just have to laugh when we see people out and about, at the store, at church, wherever, and they say "Can you believe this weather??" I'm thinking, uh, yeah. We've lived here for 4 and a half years now and it's the same every year: winter doesn't officially end until June, because there's always a chance for more snow around here!

Derby??

Tonight Chris took Noah to participate in his Boy Scouts' Pinewood Derby. Strangely, the leaders had decided not to make it a "competition", per se, because they didn't want anyone to feel bad about losing. I don't quite understand. It seems to me that in an attempt to protect our children from feeling the blow of failure, we are taking away from them the opportunity to learn how to deal with disappointment and become fair players. If we're constantly telling them how great they are, and giving out kudos left and right, regardless of how much they've worked for it or earned it, we aren't giving them much to motivate them to try harder or do better. Just my opinion...I'm not sure why I've been on my soapbox so much lately?
Anyway, Noah enjoyed himself because he got to be with his friends and play with cars. :)

Something funny.

I was just sitting at the computer while Sophie was doing an art project with glitter glue and Popsicle sticks at the table. She was talking to herself, jabbering away, when I suddenly tuned in to what she was saying, and here's what I heard: "All the boys are eX-ed out of this house, except Jesus, he can stay. But Noah, Sam, and Nick have to go!" I guess this is how it is when you're the only girl in a family full of boys!

He's 9!

Today is Noah's 9th birthday. We celebrated last night with cake, ice cream and presents, since Chris is working all day today. We had our little "party" out in our camp trailer, which we de-winterized this week. Who knows when we'll get our first chance of the year to head out in it, but we've all had spring fever, so it was fun just to hang out in the camper. Then Chris slept out in it with the 3 older kids, and they stayed up late and had fun.
Happy birthday, Noah!

To know her is to love her.

This morning I was working out on the treadmill with the TV on, when Sophie came in the room talking a mile a minute about something or other. All of a sudden she stopped cold, staring at the TV, she said: "Oh, man! I LOVE this commercial!" (See above link to said commercial.) Hey, Wizard of Oz reference, chocolate chip cookies, what's not to love? I don't know how this girl got so much personality. She makes me laugh everyday.

What gets handed down.

Yesterday we got a call from the elementary school saying that Sophie had thrown up, so we went and picked her up. She said her headache was so bad that it made her throw up. This isn't the first time she's had this happen, and now I'm making the sad realization that it seems she suffers from migraines, just like I have my whole life. I can remember having them when I was her age, also, but back then migraines weren't understood and diagnosed like they are now. It is a miserable thing to have to suffer with and only those who get them or have had them can understand, they are not like normal headaches at all, and can be so incapacitating. I had so wished that none of my kids would get migraines, but because the inclination to get them can be a hereditary issue, I knew there was that possibility. At least I can help her and understand her pain, but I am so bummed!! :(

Family movie night.

Last night we watched the first two movies in the Chronicles of Narnia series (Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, and Prince Caspian) with the kids. I loved reading the books when I was a kid, and I thought it would be fun to see my kids enjoy the same other-worldly escape. Noah and Sophie really liked them and sat and watched intently. I think Noah was inspired to read the books. I'm not really one to sit and watch kids' movies, most of the time I just don't have the patience. But it was actually relaxing to just allow myself to become lost in these movies, and it brought me right back to when I was a kid reading the books. I hope they make movies to correlate with the other books in the series...