Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Well, most of the excitement is behind us and after two weeks of fun filled chaos, we return to work and school on Monday.  One final day tomorrow. 

Here's the kids in their Christmas finery:

Next year I must remember to have Chance try on his Christmas outfit sometime before the half-hour before we leave.  Hahaha.  Maybe I should have thought to get him some shoes too.  Poor little rag-a-muffin.  I did hem the pants a bit before we left but they were still way to big.  It was a 2T.  It did look a bit big on the hanger but it just didn't seem possible that the 18 month would fit him better.  As for Shaeleigh's dress - it did not come with the white fluffy thing.  That is actually part of a cat costume.  Can't blame a girl for accessorizing I suppose.

So I did ask Chance to try his outfit on several times.  He kept saying, "No," and I kept thinking, "Ah, I'll do it later."  It wasn't until Christmas Eve that it occurred to me to tell him that the button down shirt and suit jacket was just like something his cousin Kyle would wear.  After that he was very excited to put it on and started referring to it as his jacket as his, "Kyle shirt."  He didn't want to take it off.  He is enamored of his cousin Kyle.

And kudos to the cousins (and Aunt Sheila and Uncle Tommy) for the fireman outfit.  As you can see, he wore that to bed Christmas Day.  Chance is in love with this show called, "Fireman Sam."  It's a Welsh show - a bit wacky but he loves it.  Chance now pretends to be "Fireman Sam Boy" and goes around the house saying, "Someone's in trouble, I have to go save him" and then he runs off like lightning, often swinging his stuffed snake, to do nothing in particular in the next room.

So I think the best thing about the last two weeks has been watching Shaeleigh and Chance play together.  With the snow and the holidays, we've had much more time in the house to just do nothing and they have played much more and much nicer than usual.  I think without school and work the need to compete for attention has also relaxed and they are enjoying each other more. 

The big games have been cowboy (or Yee Haw as it is known) and mermaids (aka:  Pinderella).  Shaeleigh bought Chance his own Pinderella for Christmas since he loves to play with hers in the bathtub.  The mermaids for some reason have lost their home and spend much of their time looking for a new house.

This is one of my favorite gifts.  Well, it's the box it came in.  Kenn and I took the kids to Target with the idea that Shaeleigh would buy a present for Chance and Chance would buy a present for Shaeleigh.  I had Shaels with me and we were looking in the dollar aisle when I saw her eye a pair of snowflake earings.  Shortly after she stops and says with a heartfelt sigh, "I wish I could buy you a present."  I told her that if she saw something, I would look the other way and she could put it in the cart under the coats. 

Our trip to Target was quite a riot.  Shaeleigh and I later bumped into Chance and Kenn in the toy aisle.  Shaels and I picked up a pair of scissors and Pinderella for Chancie and then Kenn went off on his own and the kids and I went to get coffee for Kenn (Shaeleigh's idea) and something for the dogs.  Chance picks up some dog treats but when I say something like, "Paint will like those," he insists that they are for him and takes off running.  I snag him and he starts shouting, "THESE ARE NOT FOR THE DOGGIES.  THESE ARE FOR ME.  THESE ARE NOT FOR THE DOGGIES."  I must have had half of Target looking at me as I said, "Okay, these are for you.  You can eat them when we get home."  Shaeleigh was amused.

Actually, Shaeleigh had a epiphany last week.  She finally realized that sometimes there is no point in trying to reason with Chance.  I was in the other room when I heard Chance make some ridiculous claim to which Shaeleigh will typically argue and soon a huge row will break out.  Instead she said, "Okay Chance."  I had to go running in to give her a big hug.  She has since repeated this tactic.  She's growing up.

But back to Target.  We had planned to eat there and go home (big treat in the Smitheroni house - dinner at Target) but they were out of pizza.  And so we headed out.  An HOUR and a HALF later, we managed to get out of the parking lot.  Good gravy.  What a nightmare.  Luckily, both kids were awesome in the backseat as we waited to go nowhere for 90 minutes.  At one point we witnessed some big SUV back into a parked car.  Kenn goes, "OH!" and Chance said, "What happened?"  Kenn tells him and Chance says, "He's gonna be on the naughty list."  Too many Christmas specials.

But....  back to the box.  The next day, Shaeleigh wants to wrap the gifts she is giving.  Chance was napping so I took out the wrapping paper and tape and she set down to wrap.  Chance woke up so I let him watch tv so that she could wrap in peace.  45 minutes after she started I go back to check on her and find that she has only wrapped one gift.  I was running out of my ability to keep Chance out of her hair but luckily did NOT say, "What the heck have you been doing?!"  Christmas morning I opened my gift (the one that took 45 minutes to wrap) and she melted my heart.  She had taken the time to take the earings off of the cardboard backing and put them into a little box with cotton.  She then put the tag on the box and a little bow and THEN she wrapped the whole thing again with yet another name tag and bow.  She wrapped that gift with all her heart she did.

Some artwork from the Shaelster:

This one she drew for Chance.  It says, "Ho ho ho Chance.  Love Shaeleigh."

I believe these are the three kings and an angel riding a camel.  One thing to notice is that the kings and the angel all have brown skin.  Lately a lot of the people she is drawing have brown skin.  About two weeks before Christmas we were playing playdough and seemingly out of nowhere Shaeleigh says, "I wish I had white skin."   That's a tough one.  We had a good conversation - she did comment that she thought, "white skin was prettier" but it's obviously been something on her mind for awhile.  I'm glad she said something because we did have a good conversation and I hope she feels okay to bring it up again.

I had been considering taking her to see The Princess and the Frog but wasn't sure if it would be a good idea or not (she is tentative about scary scenes and loud noises) but I decided, given the above that we would go ahead.  She doesn't play with dolls (only stuffed animals) but she does have a set princess figurines from her 4th birthday cake that she sometimes plays will.  When we play, she is always Belle (Beauty), Cinderella, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) and Ariel.  I am always Pocahontas, Mulan, Jasmine, and Snow White.  The dividing factor - the wardrobe.  She always chooses the ones with the beautiful dresses.  I get all the less that sparkly outfits which sadly, includes all of the ethnic princesses.  I was hoping Tiana (Frog Princess) would wear something beautiful and sparkly.

And so on my birthday (yes, mine, not hers since it was really my pick) Shaeleigh, Chance and I went to the movies.  The first for both kids.  It was scary.  Darn it.  It wasn't horrid but I think the Shadow Man and the scary bits overshadowed (pardon the pun) the beautifully dressed princess with the brown skin.  Shaeleigh huddled against my arm most of the movie but she did watch entranced.  Chance (who was too small to sit in the seat without it popping up on him) sat in my lap and kept saying, "it's too scary."  But...  with Chance, I wasn't too worried.  He likes scary.  He'll tell you that Fireman Sam is "too scary" and then he'll ask to watch the same one over and over and over.  Shaeleigh will tell you that Frosty the Snowman is too scary and will get riled up if you even suggest watching it. 

All in all though, I was glad we went.  I think they enjoyed the experience.

Chance.  Man of many glasses (and even more faces).

Kenn asked Shaeleigh what kind of cake she wanted this year for her birthday.  She drew the above picture.  Hahaha.  It's hard to read but it says, "Horses, Unicorns, Pegasus, Pegasus Unicorns."

Kenn came through with the above.  Shaeleigh's comment, "Hm...  I didn't know you were going to put a sun and flowers."  She noticed the differences.  But she loved it. 

Shaeleigh pretty muched loved her entire day.  Big 6.  She planned it all out.  In the morning she wanted the kitchen decorated with balloons and streamers when she woke up (what we've done in the past and of course, will now do for the foreseeable future).  We then went to Tyson's (mall) and played in the play area, rode the train (Tyson's now has a train like Dulles Town Center), and went to Build A Bear.  She made a Unicorn and Chance picked out a Dog.  She named the unicorn, Sweetie Belle.  Chance named the dog, "Ruff."

Shaeleigh and Sweetie Belle.  After Build A Bear, we had lunch in the food court (pizza).  And then, to finish off the day, we all went to Chuck E Cheese.  I have to say, it was a pretty fun day.  Everyone had a good time at Chuck E Cheese.  We won 340 tickets playing games which was enough for two bags of cotton candy and a plastic bracelet.  Woo Hoo.

I love me some Chuck E Cheese.

Believe it or not, he was happy and excited in this photo.  The boy can make some faces.

And now I must go.  As Chance likes to say, "I have work to do."

I do love the snow but I have to say, of all the days!  First, I had taken tomorrow off with the singular purpose of having a day to myself.  The kids had school Monday and Tuesday this week.  Well, until it was cancelled.  And so my plans of present wrapping, house cleaning and aimlessly meandering through the mall is cancelled as well.  And then, to rub salt in my wounds, the Federal Government closes!  Now, I am not only NOT having a day off alone, but I have squandered a perfectly good day of leave as I could have had a free day off.  Oh poppycock.  But nevermind, I shall adjust.

The good news is...  I found the stamps and the Christmas cards are done.  The bad news is, the mailman is going to be a no show tomorrow.  Oh well, you fine folks out there will get your cards eventually.

I was getting the kids ready to go out in the snow and told Chance to go to his room and get a pair of socks.  He runs off.  Shaeleigh decides to follow him.  She returns a few seconds later and tells me that Chance is going to the beach.  I don't think too much of it until I see Chance rounding the corner in his bathing suit.  Chance being Chance refused to take it off.  I finally convinced him to put it on, on top of his other clothes.  And so we went out in the snow with the usual hat, mittens, coat, boots, and a bathing suit.

Our neighbor next door is a nurse so we weren't surprised to see her making it out of the neighborhood yesterday but a lesser know first responder....  Pastry Chefs the week before Christmas.  Here's poor Kenn digging out to get to work this morning. 

Shaeleigh trying to make a dent in it all.  Those ginormous shovels we bought at the beach this summer came in mightly handy!

Chance, doing his part.

Are we having fun yet?  Hahaha.  Actually, Chance has come around.  We had a early snow a week or so ago and he refused to come out of the garage.  He gave the following opinion:

Today though, he was the first to want to go out and didn't want to come in.  Had to lure him in with the promise of marshmellows and hot chocolate. 

So the first snow caught us off guard and neither kid had boots that fit (I squashed their little toes right in the ones from last year though so we could go out and build a snowman).  We went out that night and Chance came home proud owner of Lightning McQueen snowboots.  He loves Lightning McQueen.  He refused to take them off (perhaps you are sensing a pattern here?).  We pick our battles around here and so he slept in his boots that night.

Proper Snowman.

A smiling Shaeleigh waiting in line to see Santa. This was the same night we got boots.  Shaeleigh sat on his lap - Chance didn't want any part in that!

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Pea-Eye....

We took our annual trip to Snickers Gap the day after the first snowfall.  It was gorgeous with all the snow.  You couldn't tell one tree from the other though so we had to take our best guess.  We had fun.  I think by next year Shaeleigh and Chance will be fighting over who gets to use the saw.

We're already having battles over the ladder.  Chance is a Daddy's boy.  Kenn was napping when we decorated and Chance kept telling me that I couldn't use, "Daddy's ladder."  In fact, he was still giving me grief about it today.  Out of the blue, "You can't share Daddy's ladder.  That's Daddy's ladder."   Apparently it's okay for HIM to share it eh?

So what else have we been doing as we are waiting for the weather to clear and Santa to come?  Crafts!!!

Gingerbread house....

Glitter....

Glue....  Chance is not particularly big on crafts.  Well, he likes the ingrediants, just tends to make up his own rules.

Shaeleigh and I decorate the little foam trees.  Chance "trims" them.

Shaeleigh and I decorate the little stockings.  Chance "trims" them. 

And now... my battery is low.  It's time to go....  Have a Merry Christmas if I don't post before then.

Official number from Dulles airport is 16" but we measured 17" in our backyard.  I'll update the blog later tonight - this is the best time of year! 

It's 11:00 PM.  Looks like we have about an inch.  Sue Palka tells me I should wake up to about 5-7 inches (hm...  does Sue know how long I plan to sleep?).  It's supposed to snow all day tomorrow!  Maybe 14-20 inches!  Shaeleigh and I are pretty excited.  Chance was not particularly pleased with the 3-4 inches we got a week or so ago (refused to leave the garage).  Kenn is hoping to have the day off tomorrow - wonder if he thought to wear his underwear inside out, turn around 3 times and spit before going to bed (or whatever one is supposed to do to make sure the schools are closed).

I did stop at the grocery store on the way home today - the madness of Christmas plus the madness of snow.  I had Chance with me too.  It was madness.

We're all stocked up on cookie making supplies, crafting supplies and candy canes.  Now I shall get some rest - here's to a white week before Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving!  (I guess it's time to get around to posting the Halloween pictures!)

Here the are before they went out.  Both kids really really enjoyed Trick or Treating this year.  It was drizzling a bit and we were afraid our fun would be short lived but in the end, the weather held out for us.  We went around our cul-de-sac and managed to get all of three neighbors to open their doors.  Well, actually four but the one neighbor (new to the neighborhood) opened just to tell us that they don't celebrate Halloween.  As we walked away Shaeleigh says, "Well THAT was a bummer!"  Hehehe...  welcome to the neighborhood.

And so...  we got into our car and drove to the next community over.  We'd been admiring their Halloween decorations for weeks and figured they'd be a bit more festive.  And they were.  It was the kind of neighborhood where the adults have beer and wine stands set up on the corners as you walk by.  Everyone was out and pumpkins were carved and set up on every doorstep.  It was awesome.  Chance LOVED it.  Shaeleigh LOVED it.  It was just like I remembered Halloween to be (except for the beer and wine stands - that was a bit more like college but whatever....)

I did run into one of my co-workers which was a bit awkward as she said, "I didn't know you were my neighbor" and I'm trying to decide whether to smile and nod or cop to having driven to her neighborhood to go trick-or-treating. 

Well worth it. 

Chance has since slept in his Spiderman suit on several occasions.

Oh when the Saints.....  Here's Shaeleigh in her Lady of LaVang outfit.  Shaeleigh put baby Jesus in a dress and declared, "My Jesus is a girl."  I think that would make a nice bumper sticker. 

Then the fire engines came swarming in - all sorts - and they started putting up ladders and opening the hydrants.  It was pretty exciting.  I was actually stuck for about 45 minutes as my car was blocked with activity (of all days to get a "good" parking spot").  I will have to check the paper tomorrow to see if Target is still standing.  Meanwhile, I ended up re-creating my shopping online this evening.  I generally like to see what I'm purchasing so it was still a trip well spent since I changed my mind about a few items after seeing them.  Santa will not be bringing Chance the "Handy Manny Talking (way too loud) Toolbox" - he will be bringing the "Handy Manny Doesn't Talk At All Toolbox with the working (quietly) flashlight." 

 

This is Chance's favorite new shirt (the wings are just the accessory of the moment.)  He picked it out himself.  When he wears it he walks around saying, "Look at my cool shirt guys.  Hey guys, hey guys, look at my cool shirt."

Both kids made paper versions of themselves the same week.

Happy Birthday Babcia!  101!!!!! 

Perhaps you needed to be here for this photo but as I mentioned, it's been a rough week or so.  This was a rare moment of peace and quiet.

And finally I leave you with this bit of wisdom:

We're sitting about watching TV (Dora the Explorer) and Dora asks us to repeat something, "Say 'dog house, mountains, playground'" and so I say, "dog house, mountains, playground" and Shaeleigh looks at me and says, "You don't really have to say anything.  It's just a tv" and then she just turns back to watch.   

It's all fun and games until somebody sprains an ankle.  Hehehe.  So two weeks ago we go to Pumpkinville.  A bit of run down ol' pumpkin patch but we had plans to go to Cox Farm the following weekend so we were going for variety.  On the first slide (the one above), Chance wanted to go by himself.  So Kenn goes down first to catch him and I send Chancie on down.  Boy, that was a bad idea.  He's so tiny he managed to stay in a sitting position for about 2 seconds and then he was on his back just spinning and flopping.  Shaeleigh and I were at the top of the slide - Shaeleigh looks at poor Chance flying down all out of control and says, "Mom, I'm going to sit in your lap." 

After that we were more sensible and everyone sat in laps.  Everyone was having a grand time too and so we decided to try a new slide.  Again, Kenn and Chance go first.  I should have had the video camera.  If I had, had the video camera I could have had some excellent footage for America's Funniest Home Videos.  $10,000 winner.  I don't know what went on but Chance was in Kenn's lap and this time it was Kenn who stayed in a sitting position for about 2 seconds then both of them flew out of control.  Kenn reports that some of the hay bales were sticking out and he was being bashed about.  At one point Chance took a hay bale in the side of the face and at another point Kenn took one in the foot causing his foot to bend up.  Shaeleigh looks down at the boys flying all out of control and says, "Mom, I'm not going down this one."  Everyone both at the top of the slide and the bottom were scrunching up their faces and going, "Ooooh, yikes....."

Sometimes I think there's a little bit of Griswald in this family.  But, Kenn did what he could.  He hobbled about the rest of the day and two days later had a big fat puffy ankle as a reminder of the event.  Luckily, nothing was broken and now, two weeks later, he's fine. 

Pumpkinville also has animals.  Safer to hang out with the sheep.

The wooden bus is pretty safe too.

Real men wear sequins.   

Speaking of accidents (or the lack thereof) Chance is doing most excellent with the potty training.  I didn't realize how much I'd been dreading it until I realized how big a sense of relief it was that he had it mostly figured out in less than 3 weeks.   We still have accidents and he still sleeps in a pull-up but we even went to Pumkinville in the big boy underwear and didn't have any accidents (he's porta-potty certified)

Oh please, it was nothing.

Real men wear sequins and pumpkin suits.

Last week we went to Gran Mart and finally found some Jumjums.  We bought a big bunch and Shaeleigh had them eaten in 2 days.  Today we were out and about and stopped at Great Wall (a big Asian grocery store) but no jumjums..  We did find Logan berries and thought we'd try them out.  Imagine our surprise when they looked just the jumjums on the inside!  The nut in the middle is different but Shaeleigh eats them like candy.  I think they pretty much smell and taste like feet.

Shaeleigh is doing great in Kindergarten but then again, I think she is custom made for Catholic school.  She is all about the rules.  I said something to her about going poop at school if she needed to and she looks at me with all seriousness and says, "You can't poop at school.  You have to go to the bathroom, wash your hands, dry your hands and line up under the clock.  There's no time to poop."  Another time I told her it was cold out and that she should wear her coat and she says, "You can't wear a coat because you might leave it there." 

Sadly, her parents are struggling with the rules.  One day when Kenn picked her up he was on his cell phone.  Shaeleigh goes straight into the car and says, "You can't be on the phone during carpool."  (sure enough, there must have been an incident because a note came home to everyone that day about not talking on the phone during carpool pickup).  Luckily, I think only Shaeleigh busted him.  The Smiths already have several marks.  We managed to miss one of the half-days early on.  We got a phone call, "Mr and Mr Smith?  Perhaps you forgot it was a half day?  Shaeleigh is waiting for you in the extended day class."  Boy, that's embarrassing.  I sent her to school with her gym shirt untucked. She comes home, "Mom, I'm supposed to tuck the shirt IN."  I sent her to school with overly fancy hair bobbles.  She comes home, "Mom, Mrs. X says we can't wear these in school."  I let her bring Mr. Dave in the bottom of her backpack.  She comes home, "Mom, Mrs. X says Mr. Dave has to stay home."  I forgot her lunch one day but I did go straight home and drop it off at the office.  Phew, Kindergarten is hard.  Not sure how we made it through college.

This was an extremely bad purchase.  We were in a thrift shop looking for costume pieces (All Saints Day, not Halloween) and Chance fell in love.  It didn't have batteries in it so I didn't realize how bad a purchase it was until we got home.  Why do things like this always work.  It's LOUD.   He loves it.  He has already proven to us that buying a real guitar with strings would be an even worse purchase (wouldn't last more than an hour - tops).

What else.  Oh, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I took the kids to the mall last weekend.  It was pouring rain.  Shaeleigh left the car door open and I managed not to notice.  Three hours later we return to the car and there's the door, wide open.  Nice.  Of course it rained for another three days which meant the car stays wet and just got stinkier and stinkier.  Oh well.  Better than forgetting it was a half day at Kindergarten until someone calls you. 

Oh, Kenn is going to bed.  The lights are being turned off.  I guess I shall go to bed as well.  Although I should add....  Shaeleigh needs to dress like a Saint for All Saints Day so she's going as Lady La Vang.  Lady La Vang is often dressed in an ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress) but Shaels has to wear her costume over her uniform.  And so...  after our visit to the thrift store, I am fashioning the costume out of a variety of silky women's nightgowns and bathrobes.  Kenn looked at them and started calling them "old lady underwear" and so now I wonder...   will this be another poor choice?  I can hear it now, "Mom, Mrs. X says it's not appropriate to make a Saint's Day costume out of something you'd see in a Victoria's Secret catalogue."  hehehe

Next Friday we celebrate Chance's Adoption Day!  Two years already. 

Yesterday Chance happened upon the shirt Shaeleigh wore for Halloween in Vietnam and claimed it as his own.  Shaeleigh has a similar one (quite a bit bigger) and happened to be wearing the same skirt (I guess she's not THAT much bigger).

I'll be back later.  Gotta get some chores down while the little pumpkin is sleeping.

The first accident report said, "Chance just lost his balance and fell from the small bench.  He bit his lower lip.  We cleaned up the area, put on some ice and gave TLC.  His lower lip is swollen."

Poor kid.  It was picture day.  The accident happened right before his class took their photos.  Looks like we're getting a photo of a kid with a fat lip.

The second accident report said, "Today we went on a nature walk to collect some colored leaves when suddenly we were attacked by bees....."

I kind of like the drama of the second one.

But the poor kid.  Same day!  From what we've heard, the kids were stomping on the leaves making them crunch when someone unknowingly stomped on a yellow jacket's nest under the leaves.  The teachers tried to get the kids to run (9 kids, 2 teachers) but of course the bees chased them and to make things worse, Chance wouldn't run, just stood flapping his arms and stomping in place.  He was stung 9 times.  He was wearing  a long sleeved shirt and long pants but they stung right through the shirt.  They changed his shirt at school because the one he was wearing was covered in little round blood stains.  He was a pretty sad little guy last night.  Kept saying, "The bugs bit me" and couldn't get himself comfortable.  He ended up sleeping in our bed because he was just crying every 10 minutes and seemed to be a bit freaked out.

Luckily, this morning he seemed to have been able to shake it off.  Only one sting on his hand seems to be swollen and to hurt him.  When I picked him up from school he was running around the playground and his teachers said he'd been fine all day.  They seemed a bit shaken up as at least 5 of the kids had been stung and all the kids were upset.  Chance was still talking about it tonight but now he says, "I got stinged.  Bruno got stinged.  The bugs stinged us.  I don't like snakes."

But he is sleeping now.  In his own bed.

In good news:  He is doing most excellent at potty training!  He is pooping and peeing in the potty.  No accidents two days in a row!  He is so proud of himself.

And....  Happy Mid-Autumn Moon Festival!

We made two batches of mooncakes this year.  The one above is nice eh?  Sadly, it did not come out of the oven looking the same way it did going in:

What the heck!  I think it's time to give up on the Pillsbury pie dough and make my own. 

Then again....  here's my first attempt at making Blintzes.  I figured I'd better keep the Polish culture alive.  They did taste pretty good.  Shaeleigh even asked me to make them again.  They looked a little better the second time around but not much.

Chance helping with the dishes.  Check out the "big boy underwear."

Ah, October is here.  I'm sure we'll have more pumpkin patch photos to come but we went to Meadow's Farm over the weekend to kick things off.

Chance is good for Shaels.  She would not have gotten near this tube if he didn't dive in head first.  They loved it.

And last weekend was Culpeper Farm open house weekend.  We took an adventure to our friend Gail's Alpaca Farm:  http://www.platinumalpacas.com/

Chance kept calling them, "cows."

This is Penny the baby.  She was only a week old.  So cute.

We had a good time but I have to say, the kids were a bit crabby most of the day.  I had to pull over twice to yell at them to calmly suggest they behave differently

After seeing the Alpacas we decided to go to the Kelly Ford Equestrian Center.  The perfect place for Chance - endless fields for running.  I was actually going to go down to the Welcome Center to see the model train exhibit but Shaeleigh overheard someone mention they had face painting at Kelly Ford and it was closer to being on the way home so off we went.

They also had horse rides which Shaeleigh loved.  Chance was excited until he got up on the horse.  Then he had a very quick change of heart and so "we" decided that maybe we'd wait until next year.

As an added bonus, there was a wedding taking place that afternoon at the Inn connected to the farm.  We took a hayride down to the barn where they were getting this very strong looking horse ready to pull the carriage.  They were braiding the mane and sticking roses in it (couldn't have planned a better place to take Shaeleigh).  The carriage was all decorated with flowers.  Shaeleigh started to make her wedding plans.  She told me she was going to marry Chance and I bit my tongue as I really wanted to say, "but you spent all day bickering with him and telling him that you didn't like him, why would you want to marry him?" 

For the record, Chance retaliated by singing, "Old MacDonald had a Farm" for close to an hour in the car.  It wouldn't have been so bad except that he is like a broken record, "And on that farm he had a dog, E-I-E-I-OOOOOO... and on that farm he had a dog, E-I-E-I-OOOOOO... and on that farm he had a dog, E-I-E-I-OOOOO... "  Yes, so when the kids weren't bickering I had an hour of Old MacDonald's one dog farm.

Oh, and if you say, "Hey Chance, how about another song?"  He says, "Okay...  uh... how about.... how about... how about...  Old MacDonald?" 

But just the same, we did have fun.

E_I_E_I_OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Poor Kenn - In case you got the sense from his post script to my last post that his injuries were being minimalized and perhaps fear that his care has not been what it should be, then rest assured,  you are correct.  Poor Kenn.  I must admit, with every injury my wifely nursing instincts have become somewhat flattened.  That and the fact that we now have one more kid than we did the last time he broke bones have meant that he has been oft time left to moan and groan on the couch while we buzz around seemingly not to care.  But we do.  Poor fella, we do.

But onward we trod and to where?

Kindergarten of course!!!!

Big smile on the first day.  How cute is she?!  She decided to grow her bangs out the week before school started and so she started her school career in a state that is sure to drive her teachers crazy - hair in her eyes.

She wanted to wear this "side pony tail."  I think this is how Ariel (The Little Mermaid) wears it in some Mickey Mouse video that we have (yes, yes, thanks again Pionke).  I just write this for future reference - Mom did NOT pick this hairstyle Shaels, or the big purple bow, you did.  But I must say, you wear it well

The uniform actually has a lot more green in it than shows up in these photos for some reason.  These pics make it almost look like St. Ann's but I think it's actually what I remember to be St. Agnes (for those of us who grew up recognizing one ugly plaid jumper from the other).

And here she is heading into the school on her first day.  I love this picture.  It was worth getting yelled at by the fine folks who run the drop off area.  Nuts to them I say.  

I like this picture because on my way to work I could look down at the camera and see her walking confidently off to her first day in the big school.  She got out with a big smile and didn't look back.  She was for the most part, smiles all week.  

What did we learn about her week?  Well, we did our best to grill her each day (like good parents should) and she did a fantastic job of giving up nothing (just like a typical kid).  We gleaned what we could in bits and pieces:

• "You don't get much time to go to the bathroom.  You have to go quickly and get back or you might miss something." 
• "The bathrooms are the "magical kind" (self flushing) but they don't flush on me."  (Hm....)
• "You don't get much time to eat lunch."
• "You don't get much time to nap."  (One day she came home and reported that they didn't even take out their mats.  They had to lay there heads down "on the hard tables.")
• She made a friend named Will one day and a friend named Rachel another day.  Beyond that, "I don't remember anyone's name."
• "We do a lot of praying." 
• And she also reported that, "We don't do much."  but she came home exhausted everyday and fell asleep within minutes at night so they must be doing something. 

We'll see what this week brings.

Here's Chance in his big bed:

This is what he gives me for the milestone shot.  I have about 10 shots of this.  Variations on hiding.  He's settled into his new bed fairly well.  The second night he woke up at some point and came out into the family room (luckily Kenn was sleeping out there - better for his shoulder).  Chance was half asleep and apparently walked in and said, "I need my helmet."  Kenn walked him back to bed.  A few nights later I heard him making some noises and then I heard a faint, "I need help."  I walked into his room and again I hear, "I need help" and there he is with his head face down on the floor and his legs still up on the bed - too sleepy to figure out where he was.

He's full of himself these days.  Kenn took him for a quick trip to the store yesterday and they picked up some Raisenettes.  They were eating them on the ride home:

  Kenn:  When we get home you have to share some with Shaeleigh.

  Chance:  No.  I'm not going to share them.

  Kenn:  Yes, you have to share them.

  Chance.  No, I'm not.

  Kenn:  Chance, you want to share with Shaeleigh don't you?

  Chance:  NO, I'm NOT going to share.  THE END!

Well, there you go.  And yet, he did share them.

Shaeleigh and I played hookie the Thursday before school started. To celebrate the start of Kindergarten we had a Mom and Shaeleigh day.  We went to paint some pottery and then out to lunch. 

Ah - the kids and the fish!  This is Sojourn #1 in her vase home. 

And here's Sojourn #1 and Sojourn #2 swimming together after having upscaled their living quarters.  Both fishies still doing well!

Yes, like father like son.  This isn't even the best of his tricks.  He stands on the thing with one foot kicked back, one arm in the air.  I suspect Kenn won't be the only one the doctors all know at Reston Hospital.

It was pirate week at school last week.  He calls the bandana his, "Pirate Ship."  Then again he calls the cowboy hat his, "Yee Haw" and he calls his construction hat his, "helmet" so maybe he just doesn't bother with silly words like, "hat."

Kenn snapped this one.  We've had big business at our hummingbird feeder the past few weeks.

And now I must get to bed.  TTFN.

Sorry, no photos - tomorrow for sure but I did need to make a few notes on kids growing up and a couple of firsts. 

Shaeleigh starts Kindergarten tomorrow.  We've attended an ice cream social and Kindergarten orientation.  Plus Kenn took Shaels on a private tour one day so she actually seems pretty excited.  She's pretty good at internalizing and faking it though.  Hopefully all will go well.

Shaeleigh learned to tie her shoes this weekend.  She seemed to have learned out of the blue - last time we tried to teach her she fumbled about and lost interest.  She claims Ava taught her (friend at old school).  Thanks Ava.

Chance moved into a "big boy bed."  We took the crib down.  He came out of his room 25-30 times the first night.  We will have to sit him down for the "with freedom comes responsibility" speech later in the week if things don't get better.

We embarked on potty training.  So far no success but he "gets it."  My guess is that Chance is going to be the "I got so busy I forgot" kid vice the "how did that puddle get on the floor?" kid that Shaeleigh was.  He pooped in our bedroom, stepped in it and then took off running, and got it all over his nice clean bedsheets.  Hopefully he won't be a "track it all over the house" kid.

Sara gave us our first goldfish.  It is a little 39 cent feeder fish with quite a story (including spending a weekend in a coffee cup on her desk) and was justifiably named Sojourn.  Being the kids' first fish we of course had to spend another 13 cents to buy her a friend.  And being proud owners of 52 cents worth of fish, we promptly spent another $42 on a bowl, rocks, fake pirate skull, and plants.  Oh - Shaeleigh named the second fish...  Sojourn because, "it went on a trip too."

And finally....   Kenn fell off his bike and broke his collarbone.  Of all the kids, he's the only one not showing signs of growing up.  But we love him just the same.

Kenn: Okay, okay...yes, I broke my collarbone again. SOMEONE should also mention that I suffered severe abrasions to my right leg, broke/bruised some ribs, possible fracture of the scapula and banged my head pretty hard, too! I'm just sayin'...give a guy a break, eh? Actually, doing much better, thank you. Just hard to herd the chillun's with a bum right side. As usual, Joanie is there to pull the weight. Good egg, that one.