Hop to it!

The kids got into the attic their 1st day of track-out and pulled out all the Easter stuff. They hid eggs since we had such nice weather and decorated an Easter Egg Tree in our back yard. It's a good thing they got the Easter Eggs out to hide because Sunday evening while Chad & Jessica were over for dinner, I found the kids 3 toothbrushes behind their toilet. When I mentioned it, Mackenzie said, "I was hiding them for Easter." Yikes! I guess we should have gotten out the Easter stuff a little earlier this year. Kids do the funniest things.

Puzzling!

The kids completed their 1st 1000-piece puzzle. A major feat! They did get some good help from the Behnke's after FHE & a marshmallow roast last night.... many thanks. Puzzling is a good use of free time that creeps up here and there. It's a great lesson in patience, teamwork and enduring to the end. I was looking forward to getting my coffee table back, but the kids are eager to start another puzzle. I love their enthusiasm.

Blue & Gold

Scott's GOLD car brought home the BLUE ribbon much to our surprise. Eric & Scott spent over a month designing, cutting, sanding, and painting the Pinewood Derby car. But, 2 days before the race, the car still lacked weight and wheels... crucial parts to a fast car. So, we were surprised that Scott's car was competitive in the speed category. The races were close with winning times ranging between 2.49-2.54 seconds throughout the various heats. Scott was a good sport and it was neat to see his friends hug and cheer for him when he came out on top. What a great group of friends and leaders he has in the church's scouting program. I should probably give Eric some credit for the win too... he really enjoys the time he spends teaching Scott how to use tools, etc. as they work to build something together. He's a great father and example to our son.

Good Luck Charm

Eric calls Caroline his good luck charm (and she LOVES that!), so we had to get this little t-shirt for her to wear on St. Patrick's Day. Caroline is such a fun-loving girl. She is a good big sister to Mackenzie and a fun little sister for Scott to pal around with. Caroline is becoming quite responsible. She LOVES arts, crafts, latch hook as well as the great outdoors. She was advanced a level in her gymnastics class last night as she is quite athletic and flexible. She pays attention to the details of instruction on proper form which is probably what benefits her the most. She is a great student and we feel blessed to have such a sweet and lively spirit in our family. To know her is to love her. I'm a lucky girl to be blessed with such healthy, beautiful, talented children. It's a huge responsibility to have so much potential to work with, but I'm most grateful for the opportunity.

Green Eggs & Grits?

Yes, the kids were quite surprised when I called them to come get their breakfast on St. Patrick's Day... green eggs, green grits, green milk. Caroline was DELIGHTED! Scott and Mackenzie weren't thrilled about the color change. Scott protested drinking green milk saying it tasted like poison. I had fun with it and new I was taking chances by being so bold. Plus, I made green eggs several years ago when Scott was reading "Green Eggs & Ham" over and over and over. He didn't like the green eggs back then either. Some things never change I guess. But, the kids did enjoy following the trail of gold coins that led to a rainbow of fruit flavor (skittles) under the leprachaun hat. Holidays are so fun with the kids. I think the tradition of doing something special to show them that we're thinking of them is what makes it the most fun. Of course, when Scott got a piece of paper at church to write down words that describe his mom, he came up not only with "sweet, kind, loving, funny, cook, cleaner, loud and amazing", but CRAZY was also on the list. I think the silly songs, activities, etc. I come up with are the reasons I earned this classification, but I think it's great for them to see me not only as their mother, but as a person who has her own interests & personality. I do have fun with my family. They're my best thing.

Sisters

Mackenzie likes to do most anything her older siblings are doing. Yesterday, she got a basket to gather purple weed flowers herself. Mackenzie will be 5 soon and has really matured a lot over the last few weeks. She has become a good, reliable helper by making her bed every morning and putting toothpaste on toothbrushes every morning. She enjoys passing out vitamins too. It's fun to watch my children grow and develop character and work ethic. We've been singing a song about serving in the home to show our love ("The Family is of God"). Mackenzie LOVES music, so this has been an inspiration to her good deeds and positive attitude.