Winter Fun

I admit that I absolutely dread winter every year. It's not the snow or even the ice. It's the cold. I hate being stuck inside all the time but I also really don't like being outside and freezing. That is why I am always very happy to see the end of winter come.

Today was in the upper 20s and low 30s so it wasn't so cold it was miserable outside. It was actually very enjoyable. I took Jacob, M and P sledding. Something I had been promising to do all winter but it has either been too cold or not enough snow. Today we finally had snow and warmer weather so we all went to the hill.

The hill near our home wasn't very busy which was a really nice surprise. The boys had a great time whizzing down the hill and Matt really loved it. He had to be coaxed back to the car by a promise that I would pull him on the sled as fast I could until we got back to the car. I also took the kids down to the edge of the lake and let them walk on the ice which they thought was really neat. P tried to see through the ice to find some fish but of course the ice is just too thick.

I don't mind this time of the year. For winter, this is my favorite part. Warmer temperatures and the promise of spring. Ground hogs day is coming and whether Jimmy sees his shadow or not, I hope for an early spring. Baseball, picnics, flowers and green grass all sound really nice right now. Along with a new job that will allow us to enjoy it more. I can't wait.

Miniature Golf

I took Jacob and our friend, P, miniature golfing last night. I was bummed when I realized I forgot my camera and my cell phone so there are no picutres. Neither of the kids had ever been miniature golfing or had a clue what to do. I think that actually made it more fun. No one was a lot more skilled even though the Jacob is 5 and P is 9.

We got our balls and clubs and I spent a moment teaching the kids the rules of the game. I then showed them each how to stand and hold the golf club so that they could putt the ball. Of course Jacob immediately lifted his club up like he was hitting a long drive and sent the ball sailing through the air (not bad for never hitting a ball before but bad for miniature golf). Jacob went off chasing his ball that was now bouncing all over the course and I got P started. The kids forgot the whole taking turns thing and just started hitting the ball until they finally got it in the hole.

I moved us to hole 2 and reminded the kids that we were taking turns and to putt the ball not hit it as hard as they could. I showed Jacob (again) how to hit the ball as a putt and the importance of not hitting it too hard. He nodded his head and the kids were off again. Not taking turns but having fun putting and not hitting drives.

We moved on to the third whole and I again tried to teach the kids about waiting for your turn and scoring. Again they just got too excited. I realized that I was the only one counting putts or even caring what the score was so I put the score card away and decided it was time to just have fun. I still tried to get the kids to take turns somewhat so that they wouldn't run into each other but I wasn't really strict. As long as they weren't right on top of each other, I let them just have fun.

We played about half the course and then got to the remote controlled boats. This was the end of golfing for us. It was a lot of fun to try to steer the big boats around the water. P and I kept getting our boats stuck but Jacob was a pro. He was able to get his boat to go where ever he wanted and even backed it into the "piers."

We finished the night with muffins, cookies and slushies. I am so grateful Jacob's friend, Lela, gave him the gift certificate for his birthday. We probably wouldn't have gone otherwise and the kids had a great time.

Halloween 2009

We started our halloween festivities yesterday. Some of the parties are calling them fall harvest parties but they all involove treats and costumes so I call them all halloween parties. Last night was our first one.

I took Jacob, M and our friend P to the YMCA last night for their halloween party. The kids made treat bags at the first stop and then headed off to the gym. They loved playing the games and picking out the small toys and juice offered. After games, we headed over for face painting and then a few minutes to the dance. Jacob would have stayed until the end but M and P were exhausted. M wasn't really moving around much and I could tell he was getting close to a meltdown so we left about 30 minutes early.

I took several pictures but they all have M or P in them. Here are 2 of Jacob as a fire fighter. M was a police officer and P was a movie star.

We are ready...

FOR HALLOWEEN!

Jacob, M,and our friend P finished buying Halloween costumes last night. We are going to our first Halloween party of the season in just two weeks. So what do an 8-year-old girl, a 4-year-old boy and a 2-year-old boy want to be for Halloween?

Jacob- A fire fighter
M- A police officer
P- A movie star in a very beautiful silver dress.

All three kids are very excited and eager to wear their costumes. I can't wait to get some pictures. Our biggest dilemma of the holiday? Trick-or-treating at the zoo is the same day as the party at Grandma's church. I guess we will have to see how the weather is and make our decision then. So the party count is 2 Halloween parties and trick-or-treating Halloween night. It should be a great time!

Pictures From Last Night

We celebrated our friend, P's, eighth birthday last night. We have been mentoring her through Big Brothers/Big Sisters for about six months now. Things are going well. Like any relationship, we get more out of it than we give.

We took her to Chuck E. Cheese for some pizza and games. The resteraunt is under construction as they expand and remodel but there was still plenty of room and things to do. Chucke even gave away free tickets and all of the kids got to hug him!

After dinner we went to Toys R Us. P picked out a new Bratz doll. They also had a sale that included a free insulated lunch box with every backpack purchase. M and Jacob get to take their lunches to school once a month. I let each child pick out one new backpack and lunch box for school.

Some Good Days

We have had some very good days the past week. Of course, everyday with my children is a blessing but some are better than others.

People who are close to us know that Jacob has hit a rough patch in his development. He is 3 1/2 now and has been experiencing some of the same behavior issues as other children his age. Nothing major but more difficult than normal. Thankfully, I am in enough parenting groups to be able to see other parents struggle during this age and know it is just a phase. I also see enough other three year olds to know how lucky I am that his behavior is not any worse (and to worry how M will be at this age since he is a more difficult child).

The past few days have shown an improvement in behavior from both kids and allowed us to really enjoy ourselves. The kids went to school yesterday and I worked. After work, I picked them up and we picked up our friend, P. P and Jacob were able to have a lot of fun playing outside while M and I made pizzas inside. M wasn't thrilled about being stuck inside with boring me but we made it work.

We finished eating pizza just as M's social worker arrived for a home visit. She really didn't have much to say except that she will work on finding out if M can go on vacation with us next summer. It would be hard to leave him behind but I do have a friend willing to take him if needed. She is approved for respite care so at least he would be with someone he knows. I am really hoping M's mom or the courts will approve him to come with us though.

After dinner, I took M, P and Jacob to the park. P exclaimed, "this park is fun!" after we had been there for a few minutes. We stayed for about forty-five minutes and all left tired and thirsty. Jacob and P had a great time chasing each other around the park while I chased M and tried to keep him off the really high equipment. It is so hard to be too small to keep up with the bigger kids. I think he had fun with me. It will be nice next year when he is big enough to play with the older kids.

The weather has been absolutely perfect. Highs have been in the low 70s and the sun has been shining. It is so easy to see the good in life and enjoy the kids when the weather is wonderful. Today is another gorgeous day and I look forward to taking the kids to a local community center for our monthly single parents meeting. It is a chance for single parents to get together and let our kids play. Most of the kids were adopted and most of the parents chose to become single parents. It is always a fun time when we can get together.

A Fun Friday In Pictures

Just some fun pictures and a reminder that most days are much better than today has been. Jacob, M and our friend P went to Chuck E Cheese for some pizza and fun. Jasmine came along to help out with M. Everyone had a great time and left tired.

A Night of Fun and Minor Frustration

Jacob, P, M and I had a nice evening together Friday. There were a few minor problems but they led to a good laugh later when I was able to see the humor in it. The kids were wonderful and great about adjusting our plans as we went.

I stopped at home afterwork to change clothes and grab the baby bag. M, P, Jacob and I planned to go to a gym for an obstacle course. I got all of the kids picked up and arrived at the gym 30 minutes after I thought the open gym began. I was wrong. The gym I chose didn't start until 6:30 PM despite the other two beginning at 4:30. No problem, I thought. I packed the kids back into the van and headed off for dinner.

We decided to go to a pizza and gameroom resteraunt. I thought it would be a fun way to spend an hour while we waited for the gym to open. Just as the pizzas came out of the oven, M had a diaper explosion. Not just any explosion. This one left a mess on one of the rides. I quickly cleaned it up and told management so they could disinfect the ride. I ran out to the car with M and Jacob and grabbed the baby bag. We ran into the restroom (with a few complaints from Jacob because he couldn't keep complaining).

Once in the restroom, I discovered that I did not have any extra clothes for M. I realized that someone (me or a babysitter) had used them and they were never replaced. There was nothing I could do. I washed M's pants in the restroom sink, took his shirt off and put his coat on him. I asked the staff if I could please get the pizzas boxed to go and took everyone back to my house. Other than 2 slices of pizza sliding out of the box and onto the floor, it went well.

I got the kids fed and M changed into clean clothes. I found one of Jacob's old coats that M could wear and everyone loaded into the van again. We had a wonderful time at the gym where Jacob was able to complete the obstacle course that was designed for older children. There really isn't much that slows Jacob down including a 10 foot slide.

At the end of the night, I was able to laugh at my own bad luck. I realized how beautiful the falling snow was and how lucky I was to spend the night with three wonderful children. Dirty diapers, closed rides, dropped pizza and mad dashes for restrooms and cars are just distractions to a wonderful evening with my family and P.

Looking For Ideas

I am looking for cheap and fun things to do with a seven year old and a three year old. I would love things to do with the one year old also but will hire babysitters for him occassionally. Things are going fairly well with our new little sister, P. I just want to find more free or very cheap things to do in the cold Wisconsin winters. Let me know if you have any great ideas. We seem to do better with structured activities than just hanging out at my house cooking or doing craft projects.

A New Big Sister

On the same day as we said goodbye to E, Jacob, M and I met a new friend P. P is a seven year old girl. She is my new little sister through Big Brothers/Big Sisters. She is the same age and in the same grade as my first little sister, J. I met J eight years ago.

I took my kids and P to Chuck E Cheese last night as our first official outing. It went well. P seemed to enjoy helping Jacob on the rides and they both had fun playing games. M was a bit more of a challenge and took a lot more of my attention. He was a normal one year old. It was a great time and we are looking forward to getting together again next week.