Our Five Ring Circus: April 2009

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Never a wordless wednesday (with a crayon making turorial)

I can never seem to participate in Wordless Wednesday. I always have too much too say!

Last night, before bed, I promised Dylan that we would paint lizards and make crayons. True to my word, we did just that.

Our first order of business was painting squeaky lizards. Lexie napped during that one. I told Dylan not to paint himself, but I knew from previous experience that he should remove his clothing. The tongue sticking out while concentrating must be inherited from me!

Sure enough, a bath was needed after this project!

After Lexie woke up, we made crayons. It's an easy, fun thing to do!

Preheat your oven to 350. Take the wrappers off of some crayons (I use broken ones) and break them into small pieces. Place them in cupcake/muffin liners.

Dylan wanted a Superman crayon and batman crayon so we used those colors, and Lexie chose pink, purple, and green.

Place the liners on a cookie sheet (I used a very old one in case wax spilled-it did).

Place cookie sheet in the oven and bake until the crayons are melted. Remove from oven, and let cool for 20-30 minutes. This will be the finished product: (Hmmm, they kind of resemble Reese's Peanut Butter cups!)

Have fun!

Or try to, even if you're miserable!

Ahhhh...now there's my silly girl!


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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

I Heart Faces...Reflection



I chose to enter this picture in this weeks theme, in the kids category, at I Heart Faces.

This picture was taken at the end of June, in 2008. My mom and I spontaneously decided to stop at a little zoo. It was raining out, so I grabbed my simple point and shoot digital, instead of my DSLR. I love the picture, though. I could not get a picture of my son's face, but I was able to capture it in the glass that separated the viewing area from the lion habitat.

Check out the other entries at I Heart Faces!


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Sunday, April 26, 2009

This horseshoe did not bring me luck

Lexie and I had a rather rough weekend. We have the battle wounds to prove it!

On Friday, our ferret slid down the entire length of Lexie's arm, leaving a long scratch behind. Right after that, my dad's stupid little chihuahua tried to steal food from Lexie's hand. When she pushed it away, it snapped at her, and bit around her eye. She ended up with a cut on her eyelid and several cuts below her eye. I love dogs, but I seriously wanted to punt the little stinker across the room, like a football!

My poor baby looks like she was attacked by a wild animal! Well, in a way she was.

Here's Lexie on Saturday. She had just hiked a mile on her own (Go Lexie!) and was very flushed, so the cuts are hard to see. Her lashes cover part of it as well. (You'll have to click on the picture to enlarge it. Got to figure out how to post them larger!)


Today, we were visiting my horse, and as I was letting him back out to the pasture, I got stepped on. 1000 lbs of weight right on my toes! I pushed the horse away, and the pain was so intense that I started to black out. I was able to herd my kids back to the car, and as soon as the doors shut, I draped myself across the seats and gave in to the fainting!

Now, I have swollen, bruised toes that go from feeling completely numb (that's not good, is it?) to absolutely throbbing. I'm limping around the house. I'm so bummed, because I really hit a good routine with my running, and now I have to take a break!

What's that about horseshoes bringing luck? Because that horseshoe crushed my toes!

On the plus side, the weather has been absolutely gorgeous, and we had a wonderful, fun, busy day on Saturday. Also, my horse seems to be feeling better now that it has warmed up!

Now...back to being gimpy!


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Thursday, April 23, 2009

Stop what you're doing. Go. Play.

I didn't play with my kids today.

Those words bounced through my head, as I tried to fall asleep last night.

I desperately raked my brain trying to remember a moment that I sat down and played. Sure, a few books were read in my arms, and I made them laugh a few times, but I couldn't remember sitting down and playing.

The guilt ripped through me, and I wanted so desperately to wake them up and play.

So I vowed to do better today. Just like I did when they were babies, I planned to stop what I was doing once an hour and spend quality time with them. To play with them with no other distractions.

So, I did. And it was great. Every hour I reminded myself to just stop whatever it was that I was doing, walk away, find my kids, and play. We read many books as we snuggled in the sunlight streaming in from the window. Dylan and I played a board game. We played for hours outside...I actually left my book inside this time.

It was worth it. The smiles on my kids faces showed me just how much the quality time meant to them.

There will always be dishes in the sink, bills to pay, a house to clean, an internet to surf, a book to read...but my children will not always be there. They are growing up entirely too fast, and will one day leave the house. And I will be wishing that I spent more time with them...

So, stop what you're doing. Go find your kids (or a loved one!) and have fun. If they are sleeping, peek in on them, and think about how blessed you are. They are what matter in life.

I may be a late-night blogger, but I'm going to log off, sneak into my kids rooms, and give them a big smooch. Then , I'm going to go to bed earlier than normal, so I am ready to play in the morning!

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Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Tuesday & Wednesday's Musings

We have had two more days of rain since my last post. Tomorrow is the start of some beautiful weather!

Yesterday, the kiddos and I wore orange for Stellan and said a prayer while he was in surgery.

I tried to snap a picture before we hurried out the door, but Batman and LexieBean CrankyPants were not in the mood. (Hmmm...is Batman picking his nose?)

We spent the afternoon visiting my parents. While we were there, my cell phone took a plunge into the toilet and it's battery life came to a slow, vibrating end. Nasty. Lexie's thoughts on the incident? "Ewww, dwoss." Totally, Lex. That's just dwoss!

Because I cannot live without my cellphone (on my behalf, we don't have a landline), I headed out to get a new one. Before I left, I reminded my dad that he should get used to carrying his cell phone with him when he's out and about. He told me he existed 68 years without a cell phone, and doesn't need it. AHEM. I hope he was thinking about that when his van temporarily died in a parking lot.

My dad and Dylan decided to come along, and they had a treat at Dunkin Donuts while I picked out a new phone. $3 and 15 minutes later, I left with my new baby. Thank you 2 year credit and rebate!

..............My old phone came back to life late last night. HA!

Grant's great uncle passed away early Saturday morning, and the funeral was last night, immediately following the viewing. It was the kind of service that had you laughing over memories more than crying. Grant's Uncle Tom started a very successful car dealership, so his name lives on.

My parents watched the kids while we were gone, and we didn't pick them up until very late. Dylan had a blast with my dad, as usual. They played in the rain for 2 hours, and built a personalized, wooden chair for Dylan to use at his daddy's "campfires." Lexie just drove my mom nuts with her new, terrible two antics. Hehehe! Both kiddos went to bed late...which meant that they slept until noon today....SCORE!

Speaking of today, Lexie turned 26 months old and Dylan is officially 4 years, 5 months old. I can't even comprehend the fact that my daughter is 2, let alone 2 years, TWO months!

I got in another run today...running is my new addiction...and crystal light lemonade. Anybody that knows me and my extreme hatred of artificial sweeteners is probably passed out on the floor right now from that news!

This is entirely random, but I have had an amazing dinner each night this week. And I cooked two of them! On Monday, we had spiral cut ham, smashed potatoes, butter beans, and salad. Grant was in heaven. Yesterday, my mom made me one of her usual gourmet meals that she blesses me with two nights a week. She made this delicious chicken dish-cut up chicken, zucchini, leeks, celery, and carrots in a chicken broth-like sauce, served over noodles. French bread with garlic butter and herbs, and vanilla cake with blackberry coolwhip frosting completed the meal. Today we had the leftover ham in a delicious ham, potato, and cheese casserole, served with salad. YUM! I'm hungry again!

Tomorrow's meal will never live up to those. It's just me and the kids, and since Lexie only eats macaroni and cheese, I guess that's what we're having. On second thought, I'm having the leftover chicken dish! ;)

Here's to waking up to some sun tomorrow! It's about time!


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Monday, April 20, 2009

Rainy Day Blues

It's another rainy, overcast day here in PA.

We have been stuck inside all day, and the kids were restless. Luckily, my best friend's son was here for most of the day, so Dylan and Lexie had a playmate.

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Dylan has been fighting haircuts since a sign fell on his head almost 2 years ago, which required staples to close the wound. Quick, but not painless...no pain medication was used. OUCH. Needless to say, it's been a struggle ever since. As soon as scissors come near his head, he flinches and runs away. All I've been able to do was trim the front of his hair! So he has been sporting a shaggy 'do for a long time.

Somehow, while Lexie and Tyler were napping, I convinced Dylan to let me cut his hair. It took some coaxing..."Buddy, you're starting to look like a girl." "Look, your hair is longer than Lexie's!" Finally, with the promise of a shower by himself-no sister in the tub with him- after the haircut, I was able to start snipping and shaving.

Here he is, sporting his new faux-hawk!


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After Tyler went home, I put a movie on for the kids. Dylan picked "Homeward Bound." My animal lovers have been glued to the TV for 45 minutes now. Big mistake, though. All Lexie keeps saying is, "Kitty fell in the wad-er! That's baaaad!"

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This is where we put the kids when THEY are bad.

Okay, so not really. But Lexie loves to hang out in our chihuahua's crate for some reason!

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Happy Rainy Day....thank goodness the sun is supposed to shine in a few days!


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Sunday, April 19, 2009

A lazy Sunday

Our plans for today were canceled.

I guess that was a good thing, because we had a really busy day yesterday. We visited our horse, went to a birthday party/picnic, and then hung out with some friends.

I, however, was bored. Lexie took a marathon nap, and Dylan was outside with Grant and his dad. So I sat down, and did something I've been meaning to do for a long time. I decided to change up my blog. I was ready for a new background, new header, and new pictures! It's spring...time to start anew!


...and just for the record. Lexie and I did NOT stay in our pajamas all day.


Okay, so maybe we did.


Thursday, April 16, 2009

Easter Sunday

I have to conclude my Easter weekend post with our Easter Sunday! The day dawned bright and sunny...the kind of day that brought a smile to your face. Dylan and Lexie woke up, spotted the Easter Bunny footprints on our floor, and followed them to the kitchen, where the bunny hid their baskets. Both kids were excited about their goodies...Lexie had to break open the box of Peeps immediately.

We headed off to church. The combination of the service and the sun-filled church left me feeling so joyful and blessed. Lexie's charm came through in the middle of the service. Grant had taken Dylan up to the front of the church for the childrens sermon. After that sermon, the church was silent as everyone filed back to their seats. As soon as Lexie spotted her daddy and her brother, she said, in her adorable little voice, "HI DADA! HI DYL!!! HIIIIIII!" Her excitement rang out through the church, and everyone errupted in laughter. The kids were absolute angels in church, earning the praise of several people and the Reverend.

After church, we stopped by Nannie's house for tea (and candy). Nannie gave Lexie and Dylan the most obnoxious, noisy bunny toys...they loved them, though!

We then headed to Grant's other Grandma's house for dinner. Delicious, as usual! Dylan had to entertain the roomful of people...typical Dylan. Lexie hung out on Grandma's lap, and played peekaboo with her skirt.


Our last stop was at my sister's house for an egg hunt and my family dinner. The egg hunt was fun (though chilly!) and dinner was great, but everyone left rather quickly after dinner...due to some interesting events. Hey, life in a family this big is bound to be crazy.


When we got home, the kids attacked their Easter baskets, which they apparently had been missing all day. Dylan went straight for the candy, and Lexie stole Dylan's playdoh monkey.Overall, it was a wonderful Easter Sunday, and I really couldn't ask for a better day. It was beautiful outside, the church service was great, and we spent the day with our loved ones.

After such a busy weekend, all was quiet in our house...

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

A little bit of "mad" in me

My kids have me laughing all day long. I wish I would have thought to record some of the things they have said in the past. It's amazing how quickly you forget the cute little stories and the cute ways that they once pronounced a word.

So, without further ado, here are a few funnies from the past few days.

Lexie has a difficult time saying Eric, which is Grant's brother's name. On Easter Sunday, he walked into the room, and she happily greeted him with, "Hi Dork!!!" He was appalled..."Did she just call me a dork?" Aww, she didn't mean it. ;)

Lexie slept in her pigtails the other night, and when she woke up, her hair elastics were gone, but the hair was still in place. Dylan kept telling her, "Wow, Lexie, I like your hair horns! They look so cool!"

Dylan was a bit ornery at my parent's house tonight. It was out of character for his usual, happy go lucky self, so I asked him on the way home what was wrong with him. "Were you feeling sick, buddy?" He responded with, "No. I wasn't sick. I just had a little bit of mad in me."

I'm hoping we never see the lot of mad in him.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

The Easter Bunny has arrived!

We kicked off our Easter weekend with an Easter Eggtravaganza on Friday. It is a huge egg hunt and Easter festival at a local church. An estimated 3500 people were in attendance. And it was pouring down rain. I'll just put it this way: mass chaos, but great fun for the kids! It was our third year attending the Eggtravaganza. Dylan loved it, but Lexie was a bit overwhelmed by all the people.

Donut decorating

Dylan and Lexie waiting for the egg hunt to begin...that was a zoo!

Dylan and his cousin, Brady, after the egg hunt

Lexie's reaction to the Easter Bunny

Dylan and the Easter Bunny
I had to hold Lexie on my lap to see the Easter Bunny. She was happily talking to him (or is it a her?) from a distance, but did not want to get too close!

Today, we went to Chuck E Cheese for my nephew's fourth birthday party. The kiddos had a great time. Chuck E Cheeses...where a kid can be a kid...and where a mom leaves with a migraine!

Tonight, we made cutout sugar cookies and dyed our Easter eggs.

The kids took a brief hide-n-seek break before dying the eggs.
Right before bed, Dylan and Lexie put their empty baskets on the table.
While they were sleeping, this happened: (I know, I know...but I really did get great deals, and I'd rather go easy on the candy!)

I found a trail of bunny footprints leading to the baskets.

Hopefully the kids will be well behaved at church in the morning!!!