That Is One Way To Play

Adam is taking piano. I have been very pleased to see how his songs have progressed over this past year.

This week he is learning about rests.

The first time he was playing the song that required him to "rest" he looked at his book and said, "I need a shoe!" I could not figure out why on earth he would need a shoe. He got one (note, 1 and only 1 shoe). He put it on his right foot (always his right foot). He played his song. Soon I figured out that his piano teacher taught him a rest was about as long as it takes to stomp your foot.

I guess he needs to stomp with shoes on! It's okay with me, if it helps him to learn his music! I'll just be sure to keep a shoe near the piano.

Easter Eggs

At Easter time there are lots of fun activities to do, that we don't do any other time of year. At Easter Mom makes Paska (a Russian Easter bread), we have egg hunts to attend, and we color eggs.

We colored eggs this morning with boys (my boys and Carol's 2 boys). Eamon (being almost 13) didn't seem too sure that coloring eggs was a "cool" thing to do. However, once I got all the stuff out, he soon changed his tune.

We tried something new this year. We added a bit of oil to certain colors and it made some of the eggs have a marbled look.

I was really impressed with the colors that came out. The boys did a great job.

Now, I wonder what I will do with all the hard boiled eggs I have.

Even When I'm Not Looking

This evening Mike and I had a fundraiser dinner to go to.  We were going to leave our boys at a friends house and get a babysitter together.  I fixed dinner for the boys and put it on the table.  I was working in the kitchen, and I looked over to find my boys holding hands and praying.  I was very touched  and told the boys that I was proud of them for remembering to pray.  Adam looked at me pointedly and told me, "we always pray before we eat."

I was also very touched that they were choosing to hold hands!

Ducks

Saturday, Adam was feeling a little down, due to the fact that Austin was going to a sleep over for the 2nd weekend in a row. I decided we need to have an "Adam evening." I told Adam that he could choose what activities we would do that evening. Adam was not really sure what he wanted to do.

After supper, I was doing the dishes and I was trying to come up with a fun activity to do with him that would be special. Then I thought of some bread pieces I have the freezer. I had been saving them to make bread pudding, but decided that feeding the duck would be more important.

We got the bread out of the freezer to thaw while I finished the dishes. Then got our things together, and headed out to feed the ducks. Adam enjoyed watching the ducks rush to the pieces of bread we was throwing out to them. Some of the ducks were almost fighting over the pieces.

It was a simple activity, but it was fun and special for a night when Adam needed something special.

Thought For The Day

Last evening, Adam was looking very thoughtful, then asked, "Why do they call W Double U? Wouldn't it make more sense to call it Double V?

I have to say he has a point!

Boxes

Since we found the snake in our basement, we decided it was time to clean things out! While do so, we found (or created) some empty boxes. These boxes were odd shapes, dilapidated, or just not right for storage. Mike took them to the back yard to let the boys play with them. The boys had a great time stacking,

 

being in,

being under,

crawling through,


or just whatever!

They enjoyed the boxes, until it rained that afternoon. Until we realized it was raining the boxes were soaked. But, they provided a great morning of fun!

Sunday Surprise

This week we are on Spring Break! It has been rather cold considering it was the end of March. Cold enough, in fact, that Sunday we woke up to have snow on the ground. It wasn't a lot of snow, but enough that...

Adam could form a snow bunny. The bunny even has a carrot (the stick going cross ways). The one thing that I thought I wanted to do while on spring break was to paint the upstairs bathroom. It is in need of a new coat. Sunday after supper, I went to the basement to take inventory of the supplies we have and what might work. Mike came down to look at what I had found. He left, I was following, but was soon frozen with fear when I saw this in our storage room...

My legs felt weak, I didn't think I could move. Yet, thinking back I think my toes were only a few inches from this creepy critter. I told Mike he needed to get it out of the house, I wanted it gone, I wanted it dead. He got something to pick it up with, and said he needed a cake topper. I went upstairs, stood in my kitchen and thought, "cake topper, do I have a cake topper? What is a cake topper? What can I use instead of a cake topper?..." Mike came by and saw me standing there. He said, "I'm really surprised your not moving faster." I thought about a bowl that would work. I don't use it often, the sides are high, etc. I went to get that bowl, but Mike in the mean time saw my bread bowl. He told me that was the one he wanted. I hesitated because I make bread in that bowl, but thought if it gets rid of the snake, okay.

Mike took the snake outside while he looked the kind up on his ipod, he was having trouble finding it, so I got my "ipod" (aka: the world book) and found it was a garter snake. Mike gently took the snake to the field at the end of our road and let it free. I would not have been so kind!

I started to look for new houses that evening. Mike said, "we are not moving!" So, I told him we HAD to get an exterminator in if we were not moving. He wasn't fond of this, but finally agreed. The exterminator came on Wednesday. He looked around. He found something. I saw him deftly put it in his pocket. I asked what that was. He replied, "oh, a dead snake." What?? How creepy! Then, of course, Austin had to see it. His response was, "COOL" (Sorry Austin, this is anything but cool!)

He sprayed the house, put stuff in my flower beds, and said we should be good for a year.

So, over this spring break we are now cleaning the basement!

Oh, when I went to bake bread the other day, I just could not use THAT bowl! I had to find another.