March Happenings

Here is a big lump of an update from the past few weeks. 

Isaac finished up his winter chess session the start of March. Got a trophy to end it out. He's already started back into the spring session, he's loving chess. 

Isaac reading to Emma before bed :-)

Mama and her boys :-)

Isaac watched some domino stuff at school and came home and wanted to make his own. He spent many days building and experimenting. 

March 10th we got a big snow storm. It was the wet, heavy snow that sits on the trees beautifully. I had to work this morning so it was so great to see it early in the day

So blessed to get to drive around this lake almost everyday with amazing views of downtown Minneapolis.  

This is a disco light ball thing that Isaac got from Christmas a few years ago. Thomas is enthralled with it. It's on it's last leg but works enough to bring some more entertainment. 

Last Wednesday, March 13th, as a result from all the snow and then the warmth and rain and then cold again we had crazy ice ruts in our alley. I had gotten stuck here and there but always able to get out. Well this day was different. I couldn't get into the garage, pulled out and then tried to swing it big to get up and out of the ruts and into the driveway. Well in the process of that I really got myself stuck. Kyle came home from work to help and we had a neighbor helping as well. It was raining, so at least it was somewhat warm. We did call AAA but luckily I was able to rock out after Kyle chiseled some space and we got the van free.

Emma tucking Harpo in <3 p="">

Friday March 15 Mary and I went to pick up a new popcorn maker for movie night. We'd been eyeing a fun one to make it more of an experience. Our air-popper has seen better days and I think is probably 30 years old. It could go up in flames at any moment. Thomas actually missed the first batch because he was in bed by the time me and Mary made it home Friday night. But we made another batch on Saturday and he was super excited!

Trip to the grocery store. Emma in her shades. 

Pizza night Saturday at black sheep pizza. The sun being out later is so enjoyable! Makes for great lighting at dinner time. 

Sunday, March 17th, our church had a private event at the Roller Garden. I was excited to take the girls skating after Isaac's experience. Isaac did better and was confident to go around himself with his push helper (which he is almost too big for so needs to get the hang of it without it). Mary loved it, she was trying to dance in her skates at first which wasn't proving very helpful with trying to stay upright. Emma took the longest to warm up and tends to be more skiddish of doing things on her own. But she made it around at least five times with just a little fight.

Girls were super excited for Thomas to get to ride in the car at the grocery store. Followed by lunch at Costco, haha.

Thomas loves being a helper. And Mary has got him wearing this cape which he enjoys. Now he will bring it up to us for us to put on him if Mary hasn't already done so, lol. Here he is helping me unload the dishwasher. So proud.

The kids have really enjoyed the family section of my new nutrition plan. I am now a certified Master Coach for the Ultimate Portion Fix. I love that I have built a business out of these programs by helping others reach their goals. I am thankful for the family and friends that have jumped on with me and I just love helping them reach their own goals as well! But this new program has a kids portion and the kids have been all in. They have seen us eating this way for years and are excited to have incentive to eat better as well. I even made a visual food list for them cuz the first day they were questioning what everything was counted as.

Emma definitely needs some motivation to eat more. She's our bird eater, eats hardly nothing at meals but asks for snacks 20 minutes later. She's working on it and the chart is for sure helping!

Last Thursday night we went to a local Mexican restaurant for Isaac's school dining for dollars fundraiser. Great dinner sunshine again!

Sculpture Garden - Outside in March

The weather has made a turn for the better! This weekend has been the first days of 50 degrees since the start of November. Our piles and mounds of snow are slowly melting. 

It was fun to get the kids outdoors and see Thomas roam! He probably doesn't even remember what it's like to walk outside, haha. He did great keeping up with everyone. Walked the whole time and wiped out once we got home after dinner. 

This was a cool little shelter thing built into the hill, the top opening was open to the sky, but there was a tunnel to get in.

First attempt, sun too bright.

Third attempt much better lighting... but getting tired of sitting for pictures at this point, haha.

And a family photo! Everyone's looking! "And a chicken is on daddy's head" :-D

New Piano

Last Monday we stopped in at a neighbor's estate sale. It is the house that has the Lucy out front that we always see on our way to Costco. I saw they were having an Estate sale and wondered if maybe they were selling Lucy.

Well they weren't, she is getting donated to charity (or a synagogue). But we did actually see a piano! I debated it and was texting with Kyle but we needed to get home to meet Isaac after school and Thomas was really due for a nap. The sale was going until 4:00 so I had about an hour to decide.

Thomas would NOT nap, and I heard back from Kyle so just decided to load everyone up and head back over there. Got there about 4:05, but he was willing to sell it to me. Made some calls and planned for a piano mover to come on Friday.

Friday morning came and I met the Estate sale guy and the piano movers over at the house. I probably didn't need to go but just in case they needed me I wanted to make sure I was available. We went back home to meet the movers. They were pretty quick.

The kids had fun watching them move it in. Glad I didn't have to deal with getting it up the two flights of stairs out front.

Now we have a piano! Now we just need to figure out what to do with that coffee table... neither Kyle or I really want it, but he hand built it in shop class so feel like we should keep it. It's just super heavy, super big, and we don't really want it in the way :-/ It's currently our piano bench, haha.

I used to play but it's been a long time. I'm going to work on learning again. Isaac has learned at school and he has enjoyed practicing and I'm teaching the girls scales they can work on before the kids all get official lessons. Thomas really wants to play and I've let him a little, he seems pretty proud to press the keys with one finger.

We drove by the house today and they UNCOVERED Lucy. We're sure going to miss seeing her on our drive out of the neighborhood. The kids always love driving by her.