Birthday field trip

Grace is turning 10 next Tuesday. I can hardly believe my little caboose isn't so little any more.  Instead of a party she picked a friend and we went on a day trip.

We went to Baltimore to the science center and it was so much fun! None of us had ever been and we stayed until they shut the lights off on us and still didn't see it all.

There was so many hands on, interesting things to do. The girls had a great time.

We saw a 3d iMax movie about penguins. Learned about dinosaurs and space,  our bodies and tornados, we did experiments and built things and solved things and saw things blown up.

We stopped at Golden Corral on the way home. It was gross but they girls enjoyed the cotton candy, gummy bears and rolls. Awesome dinner.

Friday night

Tonight the manly men went camping.

In the cold. Our friend Mark says there is no such thing as bad weather only bad gear. The boys have pretty good gear. For the camping merit badge you have to have 20 nights of camping. Ethan has about 9 or 10 now so he should finish that up this year. I don't think either Rob or Ethan love to camp but I am glad they go. 

Meanwhile we did girl stuff. We went to Target and to Olive Garden and then dyed Hannah's hair:) Next we'll cozy up in bed and watch a movie. Hannah says its wrong to stereotype "boy" stuff and "girl" stuff but I say "pishaw!" I celebrate the differences. One is not better than the other and certainly either gender can enjoy either activity but men and women are different. They have different responsibilities and different roles and I am glad.

Snow Day

This is what passes as a snow day in southern Maryland. None the less there were shouts of glee and children's laughter in the streets and on the green. Grace spent a lot of the day outside playing and a lot of the day spilling hot chocolate on the counter and tracking snow and winter wear thru the house.

Unfortunately Ethan was, and still is, sick. He spent the day in bed.

Hannah slept all day. Didn't feel great but did go to school today. She missed seminary though. Ethan stayed home today. He still has a fever. So is Grace, she was up a lot of the night with a stomach ache.

Inside out and backwards

It's been so chilly. I subbed today and had bus duty. It just about froze my face off:(

All the kids are hoping for snow and consequently no school. Grace is wearing her pajamas inside out and backwards to insure a sufficient snow fall.

We shall see. I am always grateful for a lovely home that keeps us warm and safe and dry.

update:  It worked!!! We woke up to snow and no school!

Football

Three generations of men in our family are Ohio State alumni. They are proud Buckeyes and tonight was a red letter day. Ohio won the national championship 42 to 20 against Oregon. We had some friends, and some snacks, over to watch and I stayed up and attentive to the game:) It was a lot of fun and very exciting. 

brrr!

Saturday: Rob patched holes in the walls.  We want to paint and some prep work was needed.
We went to Costco, always a good time.
The missionaries came over for dinner. Dinner was adequate but not stellar.  I felt a little bad about that.
I waited up until midnight to go pick up Hannah, and then waited in the cold parking lot for another hour.  Brr.

Her trip was a lot of fun.  They took lots of workshops on acting and saw some plays and hung out in the hotel lobby and generally had a wonderful time.

Sunday: went to church.  The talks were good.
Stayed after church for a long time since Hannah had BYC.  She came out pretty excited about some cool activities they planned.
David Duke came over for dinner.  We always enjoy his company.  I made garlic & brown sugar chicken which I thought turned out really well, mashed potatoes, brussel spouts and a peach cobbler.

This morning, 5:15 am, we got the welcome phone call, two hour delay in school start times! Yes! Our mornings are so much nicer when kids leave the house at 8  instead of 6.   Every day should start after the sun rises as a general rule.
I don't know why today we have a delay, there isn't any snow and it's warmer than last week's 9 degree morning.  There's no rhyme or reason I suppose but I'll still gladly take it.

strange day

We woke up this morning earlier than usual.  4:45.  Hannah had to be at the school at 5:15.  She went on an over night field trip to the MD thespian festival.  They are performing their one act and also watching others and going to workshops and other fun acting things.  I am disappointed because all the plays that the high school does seem to have very dark themes; mental illness, alcohol, cannibalism, adultery. I don't understand why.  What's wrong with Enchanted??

Anyway I got back just in time to get Ethan up and then Grace.  I was going to sub today but when I got back I was greeted by Ziva throwing up.  What?  We don't know what was wrong with her but she threw up about 4-5 times as well as problems out the other end.  I spent several fun filled hours cleaning carpet.  She was sick as a dog, and then got better.  Weird.

So it's been freezing.  Really freezing.  Yesterday it was like 9 degrees.  This morning it was 24 when I took the last kid to school.  Sadly that last kid had a field trip today....to Elm's Beach.  Outdoor classroom.  Who plans that for January?  I sent her in her big jacket, and a sweatshirt and a long sleeve shirt and boots and two pairs of gloves and her baklava and a hat and a hood and with a sack lunch.  It was pretty funny at the bus stop you could tell exactly who was going on the field trip as they looked very much like the little brother in a Christmas Story.

She did say that they had a good time and were warm enough.  So good. 

Tonight was Ethan's first indoor soccer game of the season.  It is always exiting.  Today's game especially so.  You'd have thought we were at a pro game with the shouting and clapping from the sidelines.  It was fast paced and tons of fun.  We did lose 7-6 but it was still so much fun!

Weirdest thing of all, I suggested to Rob and we take the kids out to dinner before the game.  Not too long ago a pho restaurant opened up in our little town and we have actually gone there once.  The food was good but the service was so slow it was painful.  Since then I've heard it got better so I wanted to try again. While we were talking about it on the phone he said fine but Grace would hate it.  To which I replied yes.    She's a picky eater and really only likes pizza, fried carbs, sugar and Subway sandwiches.  Normally everything else is met with complaints. 

So we go.  And she can't even read the menu but is willing so she tells me to order chicken, which I do.  Then the food arrived and she loved it.  She tried mine and loved it.  She ate it all and talked pleasantly and talked about how good everything was and maybe if she goes on a mission to "Mongolia" she will first check if they have "normal food" like Subway and then if not she could eat this.  I did tell her it wasn't Mongolian but Vietnamese and she accepted that and continued to eat.  She also said that she since she was good at selling girl scout cookies door to door she figures being a missionary will be a piece of cake. "Mom if they say no I just say thanks and try the next door...same thing."

So it's odd to have Han gone tonight.  It's always strange to have a chickie not in the nest when it's time to go to bed.