Off to the Grand Canyon!

We leave tommorrow for Flagstaff, AZ to enjoy a week of vacation using our timeshare. (A great, cheap way to travel by the way - if you buy one used not full price!) Pictures to follow next week!

Piggy Banks

I love Lucas and Marisa's piggy banks. Today we got them down because they each owed our neighbor $3 for some books they were buying. I love what these piggy banks teach them (and me). They are divided into 3 sections: church, store and bank. Everytime we put $ in the banks we put some in the church so they can give to missions projects or to help poor people. They put some money in the store so they can purchase things they want (like books from the neighbor) and the majority of all money goes into the bank that they save for big things when they get older. It's really a great concept. I bought them online. They are called Larry Burkett's My Giving Bank. I think they were about $15 each. I highly reccommend them!
Here's an upclose picture.

Boys will be boys

On Monday I was at the park with our playgroup chatting with the moms while we pretended to watch our kids. Cole, Lucas' 6yr old friend, came running over with a smirk and said to his mom and I "Quick, Lucas' scooter is in the tree!". I looked at my friend and said "Should I ask?" She just shook her head no, best not to ask. And as I walked over to where they were - sure enough, Lucas' scooter was hanging in the tree! Gotta love boys.

Life Father, Like Son

Siblings may be night and day different, but our children usually take after us - the good, the bad and the ugly. Lucas and his daddy both are avid readers and like to read 10 books at the same time. This was Lucas' nightstand a while ago. I thought it was humorous because I am usually a 'one book at a time person'. (You can also tell the influence of his daddy in what this 6yr old is reading!)
Now we go to his daddy's nightstand. Remind yourself before you look - I have control over the way Lucas' nightstand looks. As you know, we have little control over our husbands ...


Is this Lucas' future when he has no mommy to control him? There are 48 books, 18 magazines and 3 days of newspapers piled up. And I touch none of it for fear of losing my life.

Sibling Differences

Doesn't it amaze you how different your kids are from each other? Marisa was very proud of herself today because she did two 24 piece puzzles all by herself. Lucas did these very same puzzles before he turned 2. Marisa is 5.

And Lucas today was working on this 500 piece puzzle of Yosemite National Park. I think Marisa will be 15 when she tackles this one.

Fundraising

Lucas attends a private Christian school so they are forever raising funds for one thing or another. I've never really tried to get people to buy anything because its too much work and well, just embarrassing. But this time I thought I'd try it. The item we were selling was a frozen pastry dough that I remembered from last year was delicious! Lucas practiced his spiel and we went around to the neighbors that we know well. Not sure why I haven't done this before. It was hilarious! All 4 of us went so it was rather intimidating to the poor people opening the door. And who can say no to a little 6 year old so sweetly asking for money for the music program at his school? Especially when he sticks the pen in their face and says "This is where you sign your name. They cost $12. We need to collect the money now."

Mommy, what is sex?

The question we all dread. It came this morning as Lucas was reading his Bible. :-) (Should I ban him from reading the Bible?!) He was reading in Numbers 5. (When he got his first real Bible last year, he wanted to start at the beginning and read through the whole Bible. So he's in Numbers. Yes, he's read all the way through Leviticus. :-) I tried a few times to persuade him to start in the New Testament, but he couldn't quite understand why he shouldn't start at the beginning and read straight through like he reads any other book. Smart boy.) So, he asked - "Mommy what's sex?" I was silent. "Mommy, S-e-x". Yes, Lucas, I've heard of the word. More silence. Finally I said I would explain it to him when he was older. He would have none of that. "Please mommy tell me what it means!" So, I finally blundered that it was something that married people did and I'd explain more later. That seemed to be all he needed. I smiled to myself thankful that I have a few more years to polish up a better answer.

New Jeans

Most woman hate trying on bathing suits and jeans. (If you have a perfect body and every pair of jeans you put on fits you, then go away.) Well, I unfortunately had to go jean shopping because my 2 pairs of jeans that I wear every day all day long, both had holes in the knees. I guess I play too hard ...
Marisa and I went out jean shopping Saturday afternoon. I had promised Marisa icecream so we started off with a milkshake from Ruby's Diner at the outlet mall. In hindsight, not a good idea. I was already a few pounds heavier than the week before because all week I was ravenously hungry with a cold. (Feed a cold, starve a fever or starve a cold, feed a fever? Just to be safe, I ate.) It's not good to have a loud 5 yr old with you in a small change room. "Those pants don't fit you either mommy? Are those jeans too small mommy? Mommy are you jumping to try to get them on? Aren't you going to buy any mommy?"
Oh, to be in a change room by yourself ...
I did end up with 2 pairs of jeans, not a perfect fit, but if I jump enough I can get them on ...

Medications Update

Our household is almost healthy now. But there were a few more trips to the doctor for more ear infections and more meds since the last post. I also was sick (sickest I've been in YEARS!) for about a week. I asked our doctor again about the rash Lucas has had for months and its called Molluscum contagiosum and he said it should go away in 6 months to 2 years. !!!!
Isn't that bizarre! We're still waiting for the headaches to go away completely ...