Things With My Girl

Lest you think I spend all my time with C, worry not. I am the champion of going with M to piano lessons. 

I promise she plays the piano too but they were learning about the staff: which she has officially moved on to. Don't get me wrong. She's like 8 lessons in so she's not good or anything. But she does more than stand and lean on the bench during lessons I promise. 

We've also had plenty of work on spelling this week. The is a 30% chance she spells crucify right today. For whatever reason that one is difficult. She's not the best speller. 

She also wore a school sweatshirt today because it says Apostle on it. It's like an insurance policy. I can't even be mad because that's just resourceful. 

Like every girl in Iowa it seems, M wanted a Caitlin Clark shirt SO bad. And honestly, her reasoning was pretty solid. "If they make it to the finals, we will have an out-of-uniform day and I won't have anything to wear!" 

So I ordered her one. Because I am a pushover. And much like Stanley water bottles and all the things, truly so many girls have this exact shirt. 

The reviews said it ran small so I sized up to be safe. M was unimpressed. "It's a dress!" So she was introduced to the hair tie side knot and she'll grow. 

In fairness to M as well, 22 is also her birthday and lucky number so I do think she'll wear the shirt. And next year for the Iowa/Iowa State game she's all set as well. 

I still hate basketball though. Worst sport ever. 

With that, we will see you on the other side of Easter my friends! Have a beautiful Triduum! 

Time With My Guy

This past weekend I got to spend some time with my guy. And we had a really nice time. 

We went to see a show together. We really liked it!

Then we went out for breakfast together!

He got the cinnamon roll pancakes that are on the logo and on the sign but not on the menu. (But why not? It's bothered me for actual years. Good thing they're delicious.) 

We had such a nice time together and chatted about all sorts of things. Yesterday, the 4th and 5th grades voted on who would be the Mayor and Treasurer of BizTown and he was excited about that. 

He was very thoughtful in his process. He made a chart where he looked at each candidate's poster and ranked them. Then ranked all of their speeches in order to determine who he wanted to vote for. If only everyone who was eligible to vote put such care and consideration into their choice. 

His chosen candidate for Mayor didn't win but his Treasurer did. And that's a solid life lesson right there as well. Not everyone is going to agree with you and sometimes the best candidate doesn't win because it's not always about qualifications. 

Anyway, I am so glad to have had some time with my guy! 

It's Spring!

As of 10:06 PM last night, it is officially Spring. And I am not sad about it. 

Now, Winter is still putting up a good fight. It definitely isn't warm today. Nor really in the foreseeable future. 

But the daffodils are blooming and so you know that the threat of cold weather isn't going to linger forever. 

This weekend we tested out M's new bike that we picked out for her while she was gone. 

C went and got a new bike too. Both of them had outgrown theirs and it was nice to get them moving again. Thank goodness for the elementary school just houses away to help with the space to really get them riding. 

M made a leprechaun trap at her camp on Friday. Apparently, all the other kids came out with like a little box and she came out with a massive contraption. 

So even though I was sure our leprechaun had visited for the last time... he came again. Leaving Lucky Charms everywhere. And some Thin Mints. 

He threw himself a game night too. 

And even made the ice cubes green! 

My parents sent little treats to celebrate the day which was appreciated. 

Monday was back to school. And we are still finding our groove again there, to be honest. Both kids coming home right after school hasn't happened since before Christmas! So it seems weird still. And they have to redevelop the skills to sit at the kitchen table together to do their homework! 

Isn't it funny that 19 other kids in class aren't distracting but a sibling "ruins concentration" just by being there? 

Happy Spring to you! 

Pie and Quiet

Yesterday was Pi day. 

So we obviously had chicken pot pie for dinner. Only, true story... the kids and I don't actually like chicken in our chicken pot pie. 

So it's really veggie pot pie in chicken broth goop... but it was delicious and after we invented this it turns out we all eat our dinner without complaint! 

We followed it up with a home-baked Pi Pie. 

It is a refrigerated pie crust and two cans of filling: one strawberry, and one blueberry. We went to the store to buy peach pie filling but they didn't have any so we compromised. I did egg wash the crust and it overall turned out pretty good. And fun to celebrate Pi Day! 

Today M is at a day-long spring break science camp. C came to work with me this morning. 

He read a book in my office while I got some things taken care of and then we went to Adoration for about an hour. 

I took him out for a pancake brunch afterward and now he gets some quality introverting time at home. We ultimately signed M up for the camp because C has had a busy few weeks without a lot of time to recharge his little introverted self. So we figured the best thing for both of them was a day apart doing things that would make them happy. 

And that makes me happy. So does the fact it is Friday!! With picking the kids up on Wednesday, it sure felt like yesterday was a Monday. But also felt like a Saturday. It was neither. So... Friday is looking really great! 

A Spring Break from Us

On Saturday, my parents went back home after visiting to see Beauty and the Beast. 

Since it was Spring Break, the kids went with. We went to pick them up yesterday and here's a little bit of what they did on their spring break away from us. 

Throwback hairdos were put in. True story, I had the same awesome side pony in my third-grade school picture. And M is currently in third grade. 

They picked up sticks to be helpful. Please note the difference in my kids: one is in pants and a coat. The other, shorts and tee shirt. Very on brand. You will also note M wore this shirt pretty much the entire trip. I am told my parents washed it every single day because "it's my favorite Grandma." Grandparents are clearly nicer than Mom and Dad. 

C worked on his moon journal. For the record, I hate moon journals. We had to complete one in first grade. Now fifth grade. And I am told 7th grade does it again. Given we live in a time with the internet that exactly tells us what the moon looks like or will look like it seems a little bit like a waste of time but... whatever. 

A new Jamba Juice Auntie Anne's pretzel drive through opened up and they made a visit. Jamba Juice is actually MY favorite. So I am truly jealous of this. 

The visited the chocolate shop and got to sample some treats! 

They played on my mom's iPad and made friends with the cat. 

They went mini golfing which is something M has been dying to do for a long time. She got a hole in one so maybe we have been sleeping on getting her into golf. 

They went to a park and my brother joined them. In MN it was not spring break, so they kind of had the world to themselves. 

They baked and decorated cupcakes. 

They also played a lot of board games and colored and rode their scooters around my parent's cul-de-sac. So super low key, but still an adventure that was more fun than being at home the whole time! 

I Had No Idea

A few months ago, a little building popped up downtown. I mean, the building itself had always been there but it got new signage. 

A spoon gallery. 

We googled it immediately. As one would. Apparently, it boasts the world's largest collection of antique and souvenir spoons. They also use it as an event space. 

Then I didn't think much of it, to be honest. 

But my parents came to town. And we went out to breakfast. And had some time to kill. So I suggested of all things, the spoon gallery. Because it seemed just weird enough to be a hoot. 

I had no idea. None. It didn't look like much from the outside. 

And we got inside and... God love them, the couple that owns and runs the gallery really really just love and appreciate spoons. 

Have you seen Gilmore Girls? These were characters right out of that. So lovely and nice, but a little eccentric because they love spoons. And made a gallery. 

I guess I figured we'd look around, marvel at the spoons and get going. 

This is not what happened. We were personally toured through the gallery and every major case. And we heard the history of the spoons. And... there were a lot of spoons. 

Like an overwhelmingly how could you possibly see them all amount of spoons. 

I was incredulous. Like church giggles when I thought about it. 

We were there about an hour and didn't even remotely get through what we could have. 

The gallery was well-lit, so if you were taking event pictures it could be a fun and unique venue to do so in. I also think hosting an event would be fun if you had the right group. 

Spoons. I had no idea. It was a memory we will always have! 

Beauty and the Beast: Creating Chip

How did we get from this: 

To this: 

A lot of elbow grease, paint, and glue. 

We used this tutorial as a jumping-off point.  But we liked the Whiskey Barrel shape better than a regular flower pot. We thought it looked more cup-like. 

I spent President's Day sawing through the flower pot base and whiskey barrel. That was fun. 

I attached the two pieces and added a layer of white spray paint and then... everything was crazy so we didn't work on it for like an entire week. 

Husband had to stay home with M on her second day of being sick so he worked on it some of getting some more white and detail painting done. 

Then we worked together to attach the handle and the gold-painted pool noodle accent. 

We also determined the best way to create loops for the straps was to drill holes and put a zip tie through it. We also added some gold accent ribbon to the painted pink and blue spots to coordinate with Mrs. Pott's costume better. 

We got the straps attached and painted on a chip. Husband thought a painted chip would be more obvious from stage. He was right but let's not let that go to his head okay? 

And my guy was ADORABLE. 

The show turned out so much better than I expected. (And thank goodness because no one wants to be embarrassed in front of the whole school.) 

It was exciting because this was C's first chance to show our entire community what he can do. I know I am the most biased. But C shines on stage in a way you just frankly would not expect if you haven't seen it for yourself. It is so wildly different than the kid most people know him as. I loved loved loved watching him! (Go back to yesterday's post to see a short clip... so cute!) 

He is so small for his age, truly the shortest kid in whole show (because it's only open to 5th grade through 8th grade.) Here's a picture of the curtain call so you can tell how little he is. 

So that's how we made a Chip costume and how the show went.