Our Little Rockstar

Yesterday afternoon Justin, Ashlin and I were making chocolate chip cookies when Justin decided to play his little guitar. He knows how to turn it on and what buttons to press for songs to play. He climbed up on the bench (he thinks this bench is his stage) that goes around our fireplace and started playing. He was bobbing his head to the music and smiling really cheesy. At one point, he looked at me and said, "Mom, I'm a rockstar". I just started laughing and then took his picture to remember this moment.

Take care,
Michelle

Burning Question

My burning question this week is "What is the one comfort food that you turn to when you are down and just need to be comforted?".

I have given this question lots of thought. Like I have said before, when I am exercising my brain thinks of lots of weird stuff. My answer to this burning question is homemade mac-and-cheese. Growing up we very rarely had the boxed kind, my mom always made the homemade kind. If I tell my kids that we are having mac-and-cheese, the first question they ask is if it is the boxed or homemade kind. They prefer the homemade kind. I love how cheesy it is and it just gives me comfort.

I don't let myself eat it very often though because it is a huge diet breaker. I would hate to guess how long it would take to burn off the calories from even a few tablespoons of the stuff. But, every once in awhile I just need to have some.

Take care,
Michelle

Kindergarten Round-Up

On Friday afternoon Ashlin, Keith and I headed off to Kindergarten Round-Up. Justin had to stay home with Grandma Korth for the afternoon. The Kindergarten class to be was divided into three groups: monkeys, elephants and lions. The theme was a safari. Each child was given a safari hat to wear. Ashlin was in the monkey group with Mrs. Bowder. Erica had Mrs. Bowder for a Kindergarten teacher. The students each made a puppet out of a brown lunch sack, learned a song and an Eric Carle story while the parents met with Mr. Berryman, the principal, and Mrs. Hughes, the school nurse. Then at the end of the afternoon the students came in and sang the song they had learned about animals and performed actions while Mrs. Hammond read the Eric Carle book.

Ashlin in Mrs. Bowder's room with her safari hat and monkey puppet.

The students all lined up and ready to sing an animal song.

Ashlin doing some actions.

Take care,

Michelle

The Stuff Kids Say

Erica is a funny girl. She can come up with some of the funniest things. The other morning Erica got up on the wrong side of the bed. She struggled to get dressed for school, she struggled to put her shoes on and brush her hair. She cried and whined through the whole process of getting ready for school. At one point she looked at me through her tears and said, "I don't understand why you signed me up for school. You should have asked me first before you just signed me up for school. I don't like school and I don't want to go anymore." Erica goes to school for social purposes, not educational purposes unless it is the subject of math.

I know that she got this comment from her Dad because Keith made the comment the other day that maybe the girls were signed up for too many activities this spring. Plus, the girls know that once they start an activity they are not allowed to quit. They must see it through until the end.

I did tell Erica in between outbursts that morning that she had to go to school because it is the law and that if she stayed home the police would come and pick her up for school.

Take care,
Michelle

Shoot Me! 15 of 52

It's Thursday again and time to post a photo for Carin's Shoot Me challenge over at Forever in Blue Jeans. The requirement for the challenge is to post a photo with you in the photo. It is hard to believe that we are already on week 15 of this year long challenge.

Ashlin took this photo of Justin and me this morning. We are both sporting new haircuts that we got yesterday.

Take care,

Michelle

Spring Has Sprung

Spring has sprung here in Northeastern Nebraska. We have been having above normal temperatures for over a week now, but the wind blows as always here. Along with the change in weather here, the kids have started spring time activities. Cara is playing spring volleyball at school. She practices twice a week. Erica started spring soccer at the YMCA last night. Ashlin was going to participate in youth track, but at the last minute changed her mind (which I am thankful for). We have been spending a lot of time outside playing. There has been quite a bit of grumbling at night when the kids are told that it is time to come inside for the night.

Ashlin swinging today after lunch.

Justin loves to swing. The sun was too bright so he wouldn't look up at the camera.

Ashlin, Justin and I have been watching these tulips for days. A few days ago they were still buds and I asked Ashlin what color she thought they would be when they bloomed. Yesterday, a few of them had opened and today all of the buds were open. Justin had to be reminded NOT to pick the pretty flowers. We'll see how long he remembers not to pick the flowers.

These flowers (pansies I think) out front of our house are volunteer flowers. I had pansies in a pot out front last summer and the seeds must have been transplanted to the rocks. Keith almost pulled them because we thought they were weeds, but then a few started to bloom. Each day we have more blossoms. I am so glad that he didn't pull them up.

Take care,

Michelle

A Question

It is totally amazing what all goes through my mind when I am working out at the YMCA. Usually, the first thing that I think about is "What are we going to have for dinner tonight?". After that my mind goes from one topic to another.

This morning as I was walking the track at the YMCA this was the burning question that my brain had, "Who lies about their weight on their driver's license?". This question was prompted I'm sure by a comment Cara made about my driver's license. The other day she was looking at my driver's license and she remarked on how awful my picture was and that I didn't look like that anymore. My current driver's license has a picture of me when my hair was quite a bit longer and I was 8 months pregnant with Justin. I even remember joking with the guy at the courthouse about if I should list my current weight or what I would weigh after the baby was born. He didn't think it was funny.

But seriously, who really tells the truth about their weight on that laminated card! After losing weight, currently I weigh less than what it says on my driver's license, but I know that I usually lie about my weight on it by at least five pounds. Maybe this is just a woman thing, not accurately proclaiming what our weight is. Do guys lie about their weight as well?

What do you all think? Another burning question related is "How come all driver's license photos look so awful?".

Take care,
Michelle