Valentines

I've been disappointed that Therin's 4K class has not worked on writing at all. So, in order to get some practice, I've tricked him into it. =) I had him start making Valentine's for his entire class this last week. There are 19 kids in his class, a big class, so I knew it would take him a while. Therin is always excited at first and starts off strong, only to lose interest in the project over half way through; so I needed to allow plenty of time so as not to force Therin to finish. Currently we're 2/3 of the way done but I have a long list of relatives I'd like the kids to make Valentines for too! We'll see how it goes!

I don't know what's up with the smiley faces, Therin's own little touch, but it cracks me up!

Pet sitting (again)

This is Mattey, a yellow lab that we have for the weekend. I like to refer to her as "Bulldozer" when she's on a leash. You don't walk her, she walks you!! I'm starting to think that we've inadvertantly taken on a side business for the general surgeons at Gundersen!

Visiting Steve and Christina

Steve and Christina bought a new house in Minneapolis a few months ago so we were anxious to visit them and see their new place-quite the upgrade! On Saturday we took the kids to this bookstore called Wild Rumpus where there is a chicken and two cats that roam the store. There are also tarantulas, chinchilas, birds and a rat in cages. There is an area that looks like a tree house and the ceiling looks like it's cracking. It's super cool! If you're in the Cities I highly recommend it! We also took the kids to Choo Choo Bob's where they got to watch six electric train sets and play at tons of train tables. Check out this website for more fun ideas when visiting the Cities: http://www.cookiemag.com/travel/cityguide/2008/03/minneapolis?currentPage=1 After a nap, we relived our childhood playing with Steve's Nintendo and Christina's Barbie dolls (Remember Peaches and Cream?). Saturday night the adults watched the inauguration off of DVR and forced Steve to google any question that arose in our political discussion. This weekend I learned that Christina is a wealth of random knowledge (One of the highlights was chimeras. Feel free to check out this website if you want to educate yourself: http://genetics.suite101.com/article.cfm/chimeras). Overall, we had a very nice, relaxing weekend. Thanks guys!

Happy Birthday Uncle Josh!

Josh, we'll get your gift in the mail Just as soon as we can. I'm sure you'll love it! Julie will probably want to steal it but don't let her-Just Joking!!!! =)

The Kelty Stroller Backpack

Travis and I asked for an older model of this backpack when we were pregnant with Therin. Both of the plastic hooks broke and the stroller handle was not very secure anymore. We lived with it for a while but never got it fixed. My sister-in-law, Becky, asked if a friend of hers could try it for a trip they were going on. I warned her of the broken part but sent the backpack with her. The Saylor family who tried the backpack, actually called the company, mailed back the backpack (which Kelty paid for) and received a brand new replacement. So today Becky returned this backpack! I can't tell you how excited I was and how thoughtful it was of this family I don't even know!! This present made my day! I think I should have another kid so I can get some use out of this..........

Through this experience, Kelty is a brand, I highly recommend-GREAT customer service and I will lend ANYTHING to the Saylor family-THANK YOU!!!!! The Saylors will soon find out, they will be awarded a free night of babysitting for this random act of kindness! I hope I make use of such an opportunity to pass along the favor.

Guinea pig and gerbil sitting

These are the gerbil homes-Hershey and Minnow.

The kids are building a castle for Lightning the guinea pig.

The kids are enamored with these pets since they arrived. They've provided some great motivation and lots of entertainment (like when Travis put the gerbil in the dollhouse)!!

New Year's Resolutions

1. Buy more organic food-especially the top 10 recommended (which are: strawberries, rice, oats, milk, bell peppers, bananas, peaches, green beans, apples and baby food (probably not an issue)).
2. Reduce my Coke intake to 1/week.
3. Get rid of as much plastic in our house as possible, especially Tupperware containers and plastic cups or water bottles.
4. Get rid of clutter-especially all the "choking hazards" that accumulate on top of my TV stand and my pile of mail and other crap by the stove.
5. Spend at least 15 minutes before bed picking up to get my morning off to a good start (otherwise I feel like I'm finishing yesterday's tasks when tomorrow begins).
6. Read at least 5 religious books that are about philosophies other than Christianity.
7. Listen to at least one Speaking of Faith episode per month.
8. Complete the half marathon in May.
9. Limit gifts to mostly experiences rather than things (besides the Pyrex and cast iron or stainless steel pans I will need to get rid of my carcinogenic plastic and old Teflon pans.).
10. Go on more dates with my husband.
11. Get a decent close up picture of Travis to post on the widget so everyone doesn't comment on how pissed he looks (He's about as cooperative with pictures as Therin, especially if he's the only one in the photo. Feel free to email me any if you have a nice one!)

Gift Bags for Therin's Birthday

Therin decided to make gift bags for his birthday party on Wednesday. He collected some of his smaller toys from around the house, some scratch paper, a stapler, tape and string and went to town. He made five gift bags with the first initial of the five boys that are going to be invited to his party. When is his birthday you might ask? Only 9 months and 10 days away..............