Jocelyn Flipping

This is a movie of my niece flipping. Normally she would walk up my legs and then flip. This time she jumped and flipped. I was totally surprised and shocked.

After doing so, and receiving a lot of attention, she became very proficient at it.

Piano

Recently Wayne spoke to the kids and said that they were to practice the piano daily*.

Yesterday the kids were fighting over who got to practice first.

This morning S. is practicing right now - and it isn't even 8:30!

They are doing well.


*As a note of interest, in order to enforce this, they have to practice before getting screen time (computers or electronic games - with the exception of the Wii Fit). In addition they don't get to use phone time with friends if they haven't practiced.

J.'s vocubulary

While playing a game with Wayne, J. said, "I'm being mischievous."

When I was amazed that he knew that word, he then proceeded to define it! Wow.

Christmas at Wendy and Dan's

On January 3rd, we celebrated Christmas with my parents at Wendy and Dan's house. We had lots of fun, as we always do when we get together.

Mom and Dad
Here they are opening their gift. It is the same kind of ice cream maker as I have. I love it.

Homemade ice cream tastes DELICIOUS! I highly recommend homemade ice cream and this ice cream maker!

Wayne playing with Jocelyn, J. and S. The kids LOVED it!

K. showing Jocelyn the present that she (K.) helped make for her (Jocelyn). It was actually K.'s idea. It is a flip book of a bunch of the animals that we saw this summer at the zoo.

Homemade gifts are awesome!

Wendy and Megan with a new pal. It is so soft!

S. and Wayne


Wendy and Mom
We all enjoy working together. The kids had pizza and the adults had calzones. They were yummy!

Dad resting his eyes.
He and Wendy installed electrical outlets in Wendy and Dan's basement the previous day. There was a lot of dust involved and since his surgery he doesn't need glasses for those kinds of things. However, neither does he have the protection of the glasses. So, his eyes were bothering him and he was resting them. I so understand that!

Wayne reading.

Dad playing the piano.
My dad loves music and has taught us all a lot about it. When I was little, he gave me piano lessons. Mom and Dad always made music a priority. We learned about different instruments and from a young age, I would conduct music that was on (normally classical). Dad still plays and gives lessons. In addition, he has spent a considerable amount of time arranging primary music.

Quilt

Ok, everyone...I am asking for opinions.

I have been working on a quilt for J. for a while. I wanted to make it wider and can find more of all of the fabrics, except one. (I am missing the blue/green polka dot one. I got it at Jo-Ann's over a year ago.) I have searched local stores and the internet trying to find it, but with no success. So now, I might just finish it without making it wider.

I have been playing with border ideas and want opinions. Do you like the 1 border with wraparound...(the outside is the same as the back and will wraparound) or the 2 border with wraparound?

Or is there another idea that you have that isn't listed?

Also, the borders aren't exactly the correct size. I was just playing with the fabrics!

What do you think and thank you for your help. :)

Choice 1:
Choice 2:

Mom, I put these 2 in so you could see the entire quilt. I don't know why the 2nd picture won't keep it's orientation, but I left it in anyway.

Extra pictures:

Christmas-time

Two days before Christmas, J. was reading to me and K. took this pic. I LOVE reading with my kids and do it quite often.

The night before Christmas after all the kidlings were sleeping, Wayne and I were up wrapping presents. After Wayne fell asleep, I prepped the table for the next day. It is tradition to have Mrs. T.'s coffee cake for breakfast.

On Christmas morning, we opened the stockings first.


This totally makes me crack up, so I included it...just for that reason alone.




Here is S. doing her Ho, Ho, Ho.

J. loved his drums.

My honey got the Wii Fit for me. I LOVE it and have used it almost daily since getting it. It is awesome fun and the kids love it too!

Wayne and J.

After the presents, we ate our yummy breakfast. Later, we went to Wayne's parent's home for gift exchanging and dinner. It was yummy of course!

Here Wayne and K. are exercising with the Wii Fit. The kids and I love it. Wayne uses it most of the time when we rope him into it! He's a good sport!

S. and K. doing the 2 player run.

Many Blog Postings

Notice to all of my blog readers:

I went many days without writing and today posted 9 new posts. So, feel free to look at all of them, even though they don't all fit on this front page.

Thanks.