Artquake 2010

The kids had their spring performance at preschool, this year the dance was of the hip hop genre - a routine to one of Mark's favorites - RUN DMC - in fact Mark performed his 6th grade talent show to one of their songs or should I say "beats".

The show started with each kid having a turn with Karaoke, Jakob sang the ABC's in Espanol. Other songs that were sung included, "Take me out to the ball game", "A spoon full of sugar", "Peter Cotton tail", an "ABC rap", "Twinkle Twinkle" and many other favorites!! Nicholas also did a ukulele performance and an alumni of Alder Street, Noah (7) came and played the piano.
All the kids were fantastic (minus Sarah's nutball behavior), we are so lucky to have found Alder Street Learning Center, they are like family to us and they really are wonderful with the kids.

I didn't get many pics that aren't blurry, the kids were moving so fast!
Here's Jakob and his much more confident version of the ABC's in Espanol - he also sang this in the fall and was a bit quieter and faster.




Here is Jakob in his "dance battle" with Nicholas!


Sarah didn't want to sing or dance, she was being ummmm, very TWO!

Keeping me on my toes...

After putting Jakob to bed tonight, I found him a few minutes later crying in bed, because "I miss Roxy." Oh my gosh my heart breaks for my sensitive little guy, he really does feel her loss still, it's almost been a year since she died. This came out of nowhere, well he did say that he missed his cousins Sam and Ben at bedtime, maybe that is connected somehow.

Anyhow, he said, "I miss Roxy so much, do you think she is sad without us?"

I explained how it's ok to be sad when you miss someone or when someone dies, and he said that it "hurts so bad to miss them", I explained heart break and how it hurts. These are conversations I thought I'd be having in the teenage years, not at age 5, he is wise beyond his years.

I told him how when I was driving thru our old neighborhood last week, I teared up thinking about Roxy (didn't tell him that I cried over the memory of Mark and I driving her to the Vet for the last time, while she was whimpering in pain, us pulling over so that I could sit near her in the backseat of the Volvo, her looking at me like she knew exactly what was going on - this all ran thru my mind on my drive last week and I was weeping on the way to my nursing conference - yeah maybe he gets that sensitivity from me?).

We talked about Roxy and the things we don't miss, her stinky breath, her constant whining, her skunk smelling head! Laughed a bit and then remembered all the great things about her and what a great protector of nightmares she was for Jakob and how sweet she was with Sarah, even when Sarah poked her in the eyeball before she passed away!

We talked about how she is keeping GiGi Dode, GG Rachel and my little student that passed away a couple months ago (Lesly) company up in heaven and that maybe the rainbow that I saw today was Roxy's way of making me happy today.

Jakob asked why doctors and vets can't fix everyone, I didn't really have an answer, just that nobody is perfect and sometimes God needs you in heaven and if we all lived forever there wouldn't be enough room on earth for us - that, I think made sense to him.

I know Jakob is always going to keep me on my toes with questions about life, death, science and whatever else comes along. I just wish I knew all the answers, or had something prepared or even an inkling of when he might ask these giant questions!!!

Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, can't live with her and you can't live without her!

So, we were woken up by Sarah screaming last night, around 2 am, after I tried to calm her down a few times, I finally kicked Mark out of bed to check on her. Well, he turned on the lights (umm, I never turn on the lights, that's a no no, but this time it worked in our favor), because Ms. Sarah had her hair stuck to her blanket with silly putty!! I don't know how she smuggled it into her bed, but she did. After a bit of yelling between Mark and I, on who let her into the crib with silly putty (neither of us would let her in with that of course, but I put her to bed, so I'm the culprit of not checking her sneaky little hands), a quick decision with foggy minds was made to cut her hair. Luckily it was a chunk from the backside of her head and underneath! Not really noticeable.

Here is the chunk attached to the silly putty, it looks gross, I know, but I'm so somehow going to use this as bribery in the future!



Upon waking up, what are Sarah's first words, "I WANT my silly putty", umm, I don't think so!!!
Mark took this picture after I left for work - Sarah in all her glory - seriously how can we live without her!!

Hello Spring!

We had such nice weather this weekend - sunny and we even hit 70 degrees, unbelievable! My poor body doesn't know what to think of it, how can I be sweating at 70 degrees!
We did quite a few things, went to the zoo on Saturday morning, where we celebrated Packy's birthday - the eldest male elephant turned 48!
We took lots of trips to the park, I even got a couple walks in by myself! Mark had "guys night" on Saturday, so the kids and I walked up to the Lucky Lab for pizza and a hard cider - much enjoyed by me!! We sat outside in the sun, it was fantastic.
Kids hit the sack when we got back and I caught up on all my girl TV!
Sunday, Mark had a soccer game, we tagged along, the kids played with another little girl (Emma 18 months), Jakob was the best helper for her. I swear that kid could start babysitting already, he is so responsible and so caring.
This afternoon we spent outside at the park, Sarah doing her monkey man business, and building "castles" in the wood chips. Jakob played frisbee and baseball with Mark.
I really noticed tonight how strikingly different Sarah is than Jakob, she was on the tire swing with 2 other girls that she didn't know and was the life of the party, not shy, totally the clown, she was making crazy animal noises and they were laughing hysterically at her - they all got off the swing and played together (and these girls were 3 and 4 years old). I can see a future "class clown" on our hands.

Jakob is so reserved when it comes to finding new friends, he is definitely getting better at it and actually played with the neighbor kids quite a bit this weekend for hours at a time - which is new and wonderful for us! But, they are just so different, I don't know if it's a girl thing to be more social or if it's their personalities, Jakob is really a watch and see and put all the pieces together kind of guy, where as Sarah just jumps right in and tells you all about it - hmm, wonder where she gets that from?!
So, Sarah played awhile with her little buddies, until her attention span ran out, then she proceeded to take her socks leggings, and her shoes off, and played in the wood chips - with bare feet! If anyone has been around Jakob and wood chips, Oh man, you know this is totally the opposite of him!
They are such amazing kids, their quirks make me nuts, but I so LOVE them and enjoy every little moment with them!

Oh, I should mention Sarah's newest thing to do is to ask you if you are ok, like if you are sitting on the couch:
"You ok Mama, your tummy hurting?", "You cold Mama?", "You sad Jabub?", "You need a hug", "You tired Dadda?"
It's the cutes thing!!

And Jakob is really getting into pretend play, he brought his sword to the park today and wore his pirate eye patch to Trader Joe's, had to take it off to see to push his cart around though!

Jakob and Sarah are both loving an old Jack Johnson song, one of my favorites, "Bubble Toes", we've been playing it in the car daily on our ride home, they both totally groove to the part where he says "Move like a jellyfish, rhythm is nothing", they are moving their arms and legs, it is so cute! Jakob says, "Yeah Daddy, I like the part in that song where Jack says - this little girl came and she sat next to me...move like a jellyfish..." He can almost get that whole part! I love it!!

Here they are, celebrating Packy's birthday with their elephant ears!

Oh and there was cake, of course enjoyed by all!

"I'm a real monkey man!"
"Look Mama, I'm so big!"

Overheard the kids saying....

"What did you do at preschool today?"
Sarah: "Ummm, I played Norma. Style and Class, that's Norma says"
Jakob: "I played Scooby Doo with my friends, I was Scooby...we figured out mystery stuff and who was the monster."

Walking to the park last night,
Jakob:" How are seeds made?"
Me: "From the plants that drop them"
Jakob:" No, I mean how did a seed get made, like the first seed?"
Mark: "That's like asking which came first the chicken or the egg."
Me: "Jakob, nobody really knows how the first seed was made...when you become a scientist you can figure that out."
Jakob: "Like a paleontologist, I could find the first seed?"
Me: "Yep"
Jakob: "Oh, ok."

Tonight, Jakob was outside in front playing with the older little girl that lives across from us, I heard him talking to her about music,"Yeah I like rock n roll music, because you can really rock to it, right?"

Sarah helping me make dinner, "I need my apron on, I make dinna for Dada, he like nookles (noodles)"
"I want more spicket (biscuit)"
"No more fruit, make a tummy ache"

"I dub you Mama" - so cute!!

Visit with the cousins!!

Sam and Ben (and their awesome parents) came to visit us for their spring break - which included Easter and Ben's 5th Birthday! It was quite the week! I had to work so Auntie Ang was on duty for most of the week - and she kept those kids busy! Hiking, roller skating, trips to the library, treasure hunting (geocaching - which Jakob LOVES), swimming, OMSI, the Children's museum (she did this by herself with all 4 kids - she's a miracle worker!) and many other activities! I know that Jakob and Sarah had a blast with Sam and Ben, Jakob was crying when they left, and Sarah still asks where they are everytime she gets out of bed! We are so lucky to have such a fun family who is willing to fly up to Portland in spring - talk about rainy weather!!

Not sure when this was taken, but I had to put it in, Sarah is a hot mess here, not sure where she is coming from or where she is going, but she's ready with dress shoes and her cell phone!
Dying Easter eggs! Sarah managed to crush a few and get her hands dyed some horrific looking pink color that stayed for days, but a good time was had by all!
Ben working hard on his blue egg! He was very patient.
Serious work with Auntie Ang!
Hiking boys!
Sarah, crazy girl, dancing with her 3 D glasses on! Why wouldn't you do this?!
Ben's 5th birthday!
Look at those cutie pie lips!
3 musketeers!
An attempt at a group photo!! Of course the 2 year old is on the move!
A visit to the park, Sarah is showing off her, "I'm a real monkey man ," move, where she hangs on anything she can!
The whole gang!!!