Plan B...

My mom took the boys to an ice-cream store the other day. A sign on the door stated that they were opened at different interval times due to weather (what does that mean?) So mom told the boys, "Well, we will need to go to Plan B." Jack looked up at her and said, "Does that mean we are going to break in?"

An Interview with the Boys...

Okay, after the boys had been running around, being loud and basically being their stuck inside boy-selves...I had to think of SOMETHING for us to do last night...so i decided to interview the boys. It will make a good addition to my weekly scrapbook (which I am still up to date with!) and it kept the boys preoccupied for a few minutes.

You will need click on the image to make it readable for you....

I asked some very basic questions...what is you favorite color, what do you want to be when you grow up, what do you like to read. So unoriginal (give me a break, i was thinking on my feet!) AND, I completely forgot the ordinary question: What is your favorite food?!

I got some very ordinary answers...but I must say it was interesting.

Neither boy had to think about their answers. They told me the first thing on their mind...even when Jack told me he wants to be a hippie when he is all grown up (does that surprise anyone? Though, when I was his age, I wanted to be a paper doll - they had really cool clothes! I obviously did not become a paper doll and so I am hoping that jack will not become an everyday hippie.)  It cracked me up that when I asked them their favorite song, they both sang their answers.

Then shortly after we were done, they were back to being their stuck inside boy-selves again....
Sam  microwaving ice-cream...Jack watching it spin and melt ~ practicing some hippie activites!

Happy Skype Grandma Darlene!

Yesterday was Jason's grandma's birthday. She is 95 years old! Way to go Grandma Darlene!
The boys wanted to wish her a happy birthday, so we skyped her last night...she gets a kick out of the whole skpye thing!


I am in the bottom frame taking a picture of Darlene...my computer screen, I noticed, is a bit nasty!

A close up of Grandma Darlene...giggling after the boys sang her happy birthday...

The boys filled in Grandma Sharon about all the happenings...

And a short visit from Einstein...Grandma Darlene use to wear wigs to keep her head warm in the winter instead of a stocking cap and Jack thought his Einstein wig would be a great stocking cap...yea...can't wait until he wears his new "stocking cap" out tomorrow....

A Beautiful Day...

Yesterday was so nice...almost 70 degrees. the boys went outside to play and of course I had to have them "pose" for a quick "photo shoot."


I would like to have had a different background (a big red barn) and Sam in a different shirt, but you get the idea of what I was going for...

The Jack jumped in. I don't know if you can tell, but he really wasn't into it. I listened to a photographer once and she said that kids will be very posed and stiff when first taking pictures, but wait...the natural poses (and laughs) will come...sure enough...

This is one of the" natural" ones. Sam looked down to see what jack was up to...Jack's face makes me laugh, it seems he's saying, "I'm out of here...you with me?"

And this is another very natural one...you can only guess what jack is acting out...with boys, all conversations, etc. lead to this subject.

I think he did this because he knew it was his "out."  We were done after this picture...

Project Life...

I started this project the first week of January, but haven't mentioned it to many because I wasn't sure if i would keep it up to date.
i am proud to let you know, that I have been able to keep up this project called "Project Life." You keep track or document things that go on during your week. At first it sounds overwhelming, but i really, really like the process. I take so many pictures and keep so many every day things, that this is very "doable" for me.

Above, i have pictures of everyday things. the 2x3 note cards explain the pictures or add more details of the week. Sam wrote a note to Jason - which I kept and we also went to the play Strega Nona. From the play i had a newspaper clipping and our ticket. I have always kept alot of these items and now i have a quick and easy way to keep track of them and "display" them for the boys to see in the future.

This week i included a story about Sam, a favorite quote and jack writing his last name for the first time.

If I find i have more room, I include receipts from different places...the library fine i had to pay (again), gas receipt and a eat out receipt, too. I have also included my grocery list and receipt from that.

This week doesn't have as many pictures, but included my staples receipt for buying ink, the flyer from the play this weekend and a drawing from jack. A full week is actually 2 of the above pages.

i keep things from the week in an envelope and then sit down at the end of the week or after a couple of weeks and put things in the scrapbook. I have also included a few scrapbook layouts (jack losing his first tooth and valentine's day picture) of some of my favorite pictures. It has taken the pressure off of having to scrap each photo and thinking of a layout and how to incorporate the receipts of everyday. Also, I don't have to take a photo each day, but have a great record of went on during the week.

For more ideas check out becky's blog (the Creator of Project Life) and alli edwards, too!

At the Civic Center...

The family headed to the Civic Center for another of the family series plays. This show was based on Leo Lioni's books: Fredrick, Inch by Inch and Swimmy.


A few before the show pictures.
 See the little girl drinking her water bottle behind Sam's head. She was SO annoying through the entire show. First, she talked through the entire thing, took her shoes off, drank her water, swung her charm bracelet around, SMACKED her gum, made sure we all knew how BORING Fredrick was and she wanted to see the worm and sniffed every 5 seconds (yes, every 5 because I counted!) UGH!!

This is the humming bird from Inch by Inch. All the birds were large puppets. Very cool!
(the girl behind me INSISTED that the pink flamingo was actually a parrot.)
The puppeteers had a question and answer session after the plays that explained how the different "puppets" worked....

And of course, jack wanted to ask a question.
Thank goodness (he didn't get called on) his "question" was answered by the puppeteers. They explained how Swimmy the fish was projected onto the screen. He was thrilled that his question was answered and he didn't even have to ask it!

Next show...Darwin the Dinosaur. Hopefully that will be too scary for a certain little girl and she won't attend and i can have a more enjoyable experience...unless the mom who sat next me decides to work on her i-phone through the entire play again! (yep...what a great role model for her kids!) At least she was quiet.

Home Show...

Last Saturday we went to the Home Show in Des Monies. It was the first time for all of us...WOW...what a place!

This is Sam looking down at all the booths...at this point he isn't too thrilled...looks like a lot of home stuff to just look at.

The highlight of the day was when we stopped at the Woodharbor booth. They were the ones who remodeled our kitchen for us.When we walked up, jack got so excited...he had spotted this banner - of OUR KITCHEN! Yes, their "ad" was a shot of our kitchen. We then spotted the exact same picture on the brochures they were handing out...of our kitchen!! When I was taking this picture, a lady walked by and said, "Wouldn't you like to have that as your kitchen!?" I wanted to turn to her and say, "IT IS MINE!" But i thought that would be rude, so Jack said it instead...actually, he didn't, no one said anything, but we had HUGE grins on our faces!
If you want to see more pictures of our kitchen, click here!

We are always on the look out for ants for my sister, who the boys refer to as "Aunt." We came across this one..the largest ant we have seen for aunt! So was the price!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Happy Valentine's Day
to all our friends and family!

Always wanted to make "highlights" on a black and white photo and finally figured out how to do that on photo shop. yea!

We were teasing jack that his hair (which needs trimmed up SO badly) that he had Justin beiber hair...which did not please him!  At one point he told Sam, "I DO NOT have Justin BEAVER hair!"  He then walked off and mumbled..."Justin Beaver Dam."
 I thought we were going to wet out pants!

Random Photos...

Things have been pretty quiet around here...it is too cold to go outside and there is only so much to do inside.  Basically the weather has intruded with my picture taking!!
So I thought i would share a few photos from February....


When I need to go up to our mailbox, I drive...it is too darn cold to walk all that way!! The boys love to jump in and go along for the ride...they sit in the WAY back and look out the window...all I can see of them is their little faces.

Last week, the boys had a snow day and they needed to get out, so we drove around to check out all the snow...it was very bright out and Sam wore a pair of my OLD sunglasses...he looks like a little Harry Carey!

Jack finished basketball camp and received a gold basketball pin and an "certificate of completion." Jack is showing off the diploma in true Jack style...upside down!

Sam is also playing basketball...I got this shot right after he stole the basketball, dribbled down the floor and scored. It was fun to see how happy he was...but, he still very "cool" about it! You can see the grin on his face in this photo.

Skiing With Jack...

It is so cold here. We woke up to a temperature of -10...but it did warm up to a balmy 1. So, jack and I decided to stay in for the day, except for picking up Sam from school, and went skiing on the wii. I snapped a photo of us on the ski lift heading to the black diamond slope called Eagle Ridge.

If I would ever buy a ski suit...it would be in red (just like my little mii girl), but I definitely need to lighten up on the blue eye shadow!

Sunday Sledding...

On Sunday, we took the boys out to Sleepy Hallow for a day of sledding.
Jason and Sam have been there, but this was my and Jack's first time...


To get to the top of the hill, you sit in your tube and hook it to a pulley type thing (very nice!)...once you get to the top you have to ROLL off your tube, a helper unhooks it and you are on your way. Rolling off your tube is not a pretty thing!

Here are the boys before our first run down the hill...which is a mere 15 stories! We all got to the top, then jack decided that he didn't want to go down...well, you really don't have any choice - only way down is on your tube. So, off he went with a shriek and absolutely loved every minute of it!

The boys and I....

and a self family portrait after two hours of sledding.

Goof Balls...

Sam was playing something on the computer while Jack watched and they both got a case of the giggles...


Jack having a belly laugh...which leads to...

Sam having a belly laugh!
They really need to get outside, which isn't going to be happening today!

Basketball Camp...

Jack has basketball camp on Saturday mornings. He LOVES basketball! Here are a few things they do at camp...


They practice their dribbling.
Right away, Jack spotted that their basketballs were from Cazadors - his favorite Mexican restaurant.

They practice their shooting.
This is Jack's highest shot..he was very proud.

At the end of practice they do some running.
The kiddos get into two lines and run down the gym and back. they are to high five the next person in line when they are done running...this rarely happens, so the next person in line patiently waits until the finished runner remembers to come back and give them a high five. Also, when they run down the gym, the two runners constantly look at each other and smiling.


And of course, jack needed to take some time to meditate at break.

After basketball, Jason and I were telling Jack that he did really well.
Jack told us, "I am get the hanging of the dribbling. Yea, I did pretty super today."
He gets his humbleness from his father.