STEM Night

To start this post, I just want to say--I love the school system my boys are in!!!

The other night, they had a STEM Night. You might be asking, "What is STEM?" Well, it stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

They had the children go into their grade groups, and they started with their projects.



Austin was to build a boat. They had an assortment of supplies to build with. They were to have the boat float down a trough (sort of) in a certain amount of time. Austin built one. Then found out it was too long. So, he had to cut it in half. Then when he had it go down the trough it was about 39 seconds. He kept working, and working on it until he got his time to 16 seconds. Mike was with Austin's group, but he told me that Austin was the only one that worked on his own. All the other students had their parents or sibling do the work. I was so proud of him!


Adam had to build a marble track. It had to have 6 direction changes, one tunnel, and one sound effect. Adam loved working on this. I only had to give a few suggestions. At one point, a lady came to see what he was doing. She asked Adam his name, he answered, then started talking about the track again. She asked his last name, he answered and started talking about the track again. Then she asked who his teacher was, I could tell he really did not want to talk to her, but he did answer her, then started talking about the track again. He had so much fun, and I was really proud of what he was able to create.

I am so glad we attended this fun evening. I am even more glad that these opportunities are taught in our schools.

Austin's Hair

Austin's hair is driving me crazy!! He is starting to grow it out some. I Like little boys to have nice clean hair cuts. Not requiring combing, etc. However, if this is the worst rebellion he does, I'll take it.

I have made some comments about heading out to get a trim to his hair. He has declined several times.

The other day I mentioned something again, in hopes of him giving in. He said, "Well, I guess I could have a little taken off my hash browns." I had to laugh and correct him. "Honey, they are called side burns, not hash browns." :)

I remember when Austin was little he used to ask for coffee with mushrooms meaning Hot chocolate and marshmallows. They are little mix-ups, that I find adorable.

Adam in Recent Days

The other night I was out for the evening. When I got home I checked my e-mail and found a message from a friend at church. She told me that she had asked Adam to take a message that she called but "he seemed a bit baffled" by this request. I e-mailed her back and decided it was good. The next day I was cleaning up some papers and found one that said, "arinhes" then a phone number. It was in Adam's hand writing so I asked who Arinhes was--thinking it was a friend from school. At first he said he had no idea. Then the light bulb went on and he said, "OH , she called yesterday and wanted you to call her back." Then it hit me--it was not Arinhes, it was Erin Hess. Thank you, Erin, you have provided Adam with the experience of his first phone message. Maybe next time I will recognize your name.

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Adam has started this thing...sometimes it is almost cute. Sometimes it drives me up the wall. We will be looking at him and say, "Adam...." and we will proceed with our question. He will look at us and say, "who? me?" The other option to this scenario is that Adam is the only other person in the room. When asked a question, he still responds with, "who?me?" Sometimes I wonder if it is just habit. I only hope it is a passing phase, and it passes before I have to say, "yes, you" too many more times. :)

Tea for Two...

...or four.

This past weekend we went to see my sister and her family. Mamaw had decided that Saturday morning there would be a tea party for Grace (and Austin and Adam, if they chose to participate.) I wondered if my boys would do it since tea party can sometimes be seen as "girly." However, these boys never cease to amaze me with what they will do for Grace. The not only sat at the tea party, they actually participated. They ate the dainty snacks (cookies cut in quarters, and M&M's)--although what boy would turn down that type of snack? I think they thoroughly enjoyed their time having "tea" with Grace and Mamaw....

I was saying this tea is the weakest tea they will ever have...it was actually water :)
After the wonderful tea, Austin and Grace took to the dance floor.

It didn't last long, but they were seen dancing. Might I just say how cute that is.

Adam's 3rd Tooth

Over Christmas break, Adam was really working on a tooth that was loose. The first week that they were back at school, Adam came home one day and said, "Guess what?" Then he smiled with a hole where a tooth should be.

Mike told me that at recess he was sitting on the porch (it's not really a porch, but I'm not sure what else to call it--it's a covered cement slab outside the gym door) and he was working and working on that tooth. He worked on it until it was out! He showed his teacher and she sent him to the nurse.


The nurse put the tooth in a very cute container to take home.

He has 2 more loose teeth. I wonder if he will try to lose them at school to get more of these containers...

Allie

Our boys have been asking for a pet for some time. I kept putting them off saying that we would not have time to train the pet with Mike and I both working.

In the fall a lady came to our door asking if we would like a gray kitten. She was adorable! But, she had not been fixed, she was not trained. I said, "no."

Over Christmas break someone I know had found a gray cat that had apparently been dumped in the neighborhood that my parents live in. They were looking for a home for her. We decided to give her a try.

Her last owners did a great job of training her. She is a gentle cat. She is very special cat (She has 6 toes on her front paws).

We named her Allie. If Mike and I would have ever had a girl, her name would have been Allison. We were talking with the boys and we thought, she was apparently dumped, I often think of Alley cats as being dumped and homeless--it has a double meaning for us.

The boys (and Mike and I) have fallen in love with the kitty. The boys have been trying to read her "Bad Kitty" books. What's funny is they get a short way in and she will leave. Almost as if to say, "I'm not a bad kitty!"

She has been a great addition to our family.

A New Cousin

Austin and Adam are very excited to announce that...

they have a new cousin.

Glen Matthew was born on December 30, 2011. 8 lbs 13oz and 21 inches long.

Welcome to the family Glen. These boys sure have a lot to teach you!