My Rock Stars

For months we have had our Rock Band Wii game in our living room corner and both of the kids have been wanting to play with it. So on the day that we set up the game for them to play they were so excited. They each picked an instrument, David the guitar and Jaclyn on drums. Once they started playing they became comfortable with the game, really getting into the music and the "proper" Rock and Roll stance. 

We set it up so that no matter how good or bad you played the game would play through the song.

The music that they both loved to play the most was 70's rock, which made me smile after all that's one of my favorite genres of music.

Pictures taken April 9, 2012

Both claim to be rock stars, and now they can get an early start on their music careers, even if it is the Wii version of it.

My Rock Stars

Yoga Time

The other day Jaclyn showed me some yoga exercises that David had showed her. I guess David had done some yoga as part of gym class this last year in school and has taught his sister what he knows.
Here she is demonstrating them for me. (Sorry the pictures are blurry I didn't have my camera so these were taken on my iPad.)

Yoga Time

Art Wall

Today the kids and I decided that we needed a mellow Saturday hanging out in our pajamas. One of our activities was coloring. Both David and Jaclyn love to color and do crafts so this ends up being a regular activity around our house.

As the pile of finished projects and coloring pages has continued to get higher I decided that it was time that we have a craft wall.

Both the kids loved helping me design our craft wall and picking out their favorite pictures to display. Our craft wall ended up spreading to cover our freezer as well. The kids are looking forward to rotating the pictures as new ones are finished and are ready for display.

Art Wall

Review: Stuck

Stuck By JennieAllen

A review by Katherine Heimsoth

We are often so stuckin invisible struggles in our hearts and minds, we barely have space for God.These deep struggles, these stuck places, are familiar to every one of us:brokenness, anger, discontentment, fear, and sadness. "Stuck" takes onthese struggles within us so that we can encounter God. Because until werecognize that we are stuck and in need of God, we will miss what He has forus.

I was very excited to have the chance to review the DVD/Bookstudy “Stuck”. There seems to be a lack of women’s bible studies for groupsthat are actually engaging the struggles of Christian women. Jennie Allen goesright into the practical, past the “right answer” remarks, to address the sortof things that hold us back in our lives of faith.

This kind of study can be intimidating for small groupleaders to lead, but the leaders guide really does a great job of equipping youwith not only the topics, but how different people can best be lead to a placewhere they can engage with hard topics. This is the kind of teaching that canhelp not only lead this study, but every other study, and all the more as youlearn more about the people in your group.

The session dealing with “discontent” was a great highlight.Addressing how we naturally get into patterns of discontent in our lives,wanting...something (sometimes not even knowing what it is we think we want). Itfocuses on the biblical truth of how God is calling us to something muchgreater. When we get free of this desire for more, no matter if it is for more “stuff”,a different body image, or whatever else, we start becoming ready for God’slarger purposes that he desires for us.

No matter who you are, there is something that seems toengage with where you are in this study, with issues of fear, anger,overloaded, dealing with sadness and more. It does not condemn you, but pointsyou towards something far greater, God and his promises. And it does it in away that isn’t just pretending one easy answer will fix everything. This studywill not fix everyone’s problems, but it will certainly help you get on theright path for getting unstuck with God’s help.

I received this Set free from the publisher through theBookSneeze®.com book reviewbloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions Ihave expressed here are my own.

Review: Stuck

sick kids + fevers = lots of sleep

Yesturday afternoon both of my kids came down with fevers. At 5:20pm they started to ask about going to bed and they were both in bed by 5:30pm last night. Then this morning they didn't get out of bed until 11:30am. Thats 18 hours of sleep.
Now they both did wake several times thoughout the night and morning for a drink of water or to use the bathroom but for the most part they were sleeping. You know your kids are sick and need their rest when they sleep like that.
This afternoon was spent laying on the couch watching movies or reading books. Poor kids.
I felt bad when two of the neighbor families came by and asked if we would join them at the park. Both of my kids were sad they we couldn't but then said "mom, I like the park but were to sick to leave the couch, maybe next time". This statement made me smile, they are so sensible even when their sick.

sick kids + fevers = lots of sleep

So Sweet

They hug each other often and this is just one of the times I was able to catch it on film.

So Sweet

Jaclyn's Birthday

Between moving into a smaller place that is more suitable for our family and Jaclyn's birthday, last week was busy around our house.  Because of that craziness, this is the first time I have had a chance to post anything about Jaclyn's 4th birthday.

I plan on posting more pictures from her birthday later this week, but for know I wanted to share some pictures of Jaclyn and her Daddy on her actual birthday. Chris came home at lunch to surprise her with her first bunch of flowers. He gave her one chocolate rose and six red roses. 

As you can see she was very excited!

 

 Happy 4th Birthday Little Lady!

Jaclyn's Birthday

My Captain

I was looking through some pictures from last year when I came across this one from Christmas.

My Captain

Thoughtful

Thoughtful

Playtime

End of the day playtime with my two favorite little people.

Playtime

Weekend Plans

Tomorrow is a inservice day at Davids school, which of course means no school.

This evening as the kids and I started to plan what we would do tomorrow one of the suggestions that David had was "cleaning". Yup you read that right cleaning!

David loves to clean, he always has. I have had both my kids a part of my daily cleaning their whole lives. David has always loved it and get energized by cleaning and organizing. Which I understand because I am the same way. Where as Jaclyn is more like her daddy in were they will clean when it's needed but they won't go looking for something to organize just for fun.
It made me giggle that out of all the things that David talks about missing when he is at school such as playing with his sister, staying in pjs for the day or even watching a movie the one thing he wants to make sure we do on his extra day off is clean.

So it looks like our day tomorrow will include things like, a picnic in the living room, puzzles, reading books together, a movie and cleaning!

Weekend Plans

Valentines Day

Every year since David was a baby I have done something little for my kids on Valentines day. Most years the kids wake up to a little surprise waiting for them. There are always something pink or red, hearts and balloons involved. 

This year with Valentines day being on a Tuesday and David in school now I didn't have it ready for them in the morning, instead it was in the afternoon.

 Chris had this wonderful idea to have a treasure hunt for the kids.

He made two maps for them to follow.  The first map was in the living room and it lead them through the house to the bathroom under the sink and then the second one lead them back through the house to the living room to find a box with more little goodies in them. 

 Both kids had a lot of fun and Chris and I really enjoyed watching them.

After the treasure hunt was over and the kids were off playing with their new treasures I made a Valentines dinner for the kids. 

Heart cookies for dessert.

I enjoy doing these fun little suprises for them, I think it makes for great memories.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentines Day.

Valentines Day

Just Like Auntie

Last week when I was doing Jaclyn's hair I was reminded of Emma my younger sister. When Emma was a little girl my mom and I would do her hair in braids or this fun style that looked like a spiderweb.
I asked Jaclyn if she wanted her hair styled like Auntie Emma use to have it when she was a little girl. The excitement in her voice and the patients that she had was amazing and the end result was beautiful.

Just Like Auntie

Pirates

Arr....it looks like I may have myself a couple of pirates here.

Pirates

Waiting for Summer.

I was just going through some old pictures on our computer and found these that I took with my phone outside of Starbucks one windy day last summer. 

 These pictures make me long for summer to come even if this winter hasn't been too cold.

Almost every time we go into the city both David and Jaclyn ask to make two different stops. One is Starbucks and the other is Toys R Us.

We don't always say yes, but it certainly makes there day when they can go to either of them. And since I have a soft spot for Starbucks, that one has a bit more chance of happening.

I love my little Starbucks junkies!

Waiting for Summer.

Hockey Hair No More

For the last month I have been wanting to cut David's hair. For one reason or another it never seemed to fit into the days, so his hair cut kept getting put off. So Yesterday I decided I just needed to force it into the schedule no matter how many of us were sick and what else we were doing. So David finally had his hair cut. He was happy to have it done and even wanted me to take some pictures of his hair so we could have a set of before and after shots for him.

I always find that when David gets a new hair cut he looks so much older.

Also, much less like a hockey player in the 80's...which is a good thing.

Now to see if I can keep it a little more consistent.

Hockey Hair No More

Stickers

This is what happens when you have stickers a camera and two silly girls playing together.

Stickers

My poor sick kids

Well I am now on day 8 of staying home with two sick kids. David has missed this whole week of school and Jaclyn and I have had to cancelled two different outings.

Last week it started with Jaclyn having the flu and David having a cold. They have now shared with each other and Jaclyn is now fighting a cold as she tries to heal from her flu and David has the flu on top of his cold. It's been a long week here at our house.

I have now lost track of how many boxes of Kleenex we have gone through and how many loads of laundry have been done this week. I also feel like a broken record with every ten minutes I am saying "cover your mouth when you cough" or "go blow your nose" and "remember to wash your hands".

I am hoping and praying that we are at the end of this sickness and that we can all get back to our normal routine soon. If you are the praying type please pray that my kids return to their normal health soon.

Here is a list I am thankful for this week: Netflix, Tylenol, my iPad, cozy blankets, apple juice, tea and most of all my husband. Chris comes home from work and helps me with the laundry, cooking, cleaning and the kids. In fact Chris is so wonderful that he lets me sleep at night and he gets up with them when they wake up from coughing. I am blessed.

Here are some pictures I took of the kids on the couch this week.

My poor sick kids

Family

Here is a glimpse into our last year.

We having been trying to sell our house and after over seven months it is now sold. Praise God! We are now getting ready to move onto a smaller house which will suit our family and needs much better.

I have also been struggling with health issues which has been hard on me as well as my family. God blessed me more than I could ever imagined when he gave me Chris as a husband and David and Jaclyn as my children.

Chris is the most supportive man I have ever met, he works hard at his job and then comes home and helps me with the kids and housework. He also has me rest as often as he can.

David loves school and has been learning a lot and we are very pleased with is teacher, she really loves her class and it shows in her teaching. When he comes home he is excited to play with his sister and to tell me all about his day. David is also learning to read and is getting excited about the idea of reading by himself.

Jaclyn loves to have "girls days" with me while our boys are at work and school. We will play together. Then though out the day she will will want to play by herself while I rest. She's awesome! She has such an amazing imagination and is always pretending to be a character from a book or movie.

I sure do love my family they are a blessing to me everyday. They can always make me smile and I love spending my days with all of them.

Family

Bedroom Campout

This afternoon I set up a kids bed tent for the kids in David's room. So far they have played "camping" and are now watching a movie in their tent. They are even planning on having a Campout tonight together for bedtime.
I loved playing "camping" when I was a kid and it makes me smile seeing them play similar games to what I played with my brothers and friends at their age.
It's all amazing to me how quiet my day has been and how there has been no fighting between them today.
I am currently enjoying some quiet time all by myself. Now for a cup of tea.
Here are some pictures I just took of them.

Bedroom Campout