Friday, February 23, 2007

Quick update with pictures

Last weekend we went to the Pet Expo in Minneapolis with Grandma. There was no major goal in mind - it was more of a reason to get out of the house and to be together than anything else. Plus, we all love our pets! There were so many dogs to see, and samples to get! I think that the kids' favorite part was watching the dog-diving competition, where the owners would throw an object into a large pond of water for the dogs to jump in and retrieve. Thanks for such a great time, Grandma! Enjoy the pictures.

On Monday, the kids and I didn't have any school so we spent some time at the Como Zoo and Conservatory. There was a four-month-old giraffe that got a new name of Jenga that day. There was also a story-time about a giraffe for the kids to sit and listen to. After story-time, we soaked in the amazing smells from the new flower exhibit in the Conservatory, and we watched the fish swim in the ponds. It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon and it really made us hungry for the warm spring months ahead.

This week Taylor had a field trip to the Minnesota Institute of Arts in Minneapolis & I was lucky enough to be able to have the time to chaperon. It was great for the kids because they had been studying the colonial times, and MIA has some fantastic displays that the kids can see and even walk through that were related to the very things that they had been studying in class.

And poor Ian! We were all excited about Thursday night. That was the night that the school opens up the classrooms for the students to bring their families in and they get to show us all of the work that they do during the day. I had spoken with his teacher Thursday afternoon to make sure that it was O.K. for Taylor to come along, and to let her know that we would be there. Sure enough, when Ian and I got home for lunch he told me that he didn't feel well. I took his temp. and it was just over 100. Ugh! Panod and I decided that he should be seen since he had also been having some issues with bloody noses. I called Ian's teacher to let her know that he was ill and that we would not be able to attend family night. Then it was off to the Dr.'s office where she decided to get a head x-ray to check for a sinus infection. Ian was very brave and he got to look at the x-ray while we were waiting for the Dr. to come back into the room. He could see his head, his eyes, his noes and all of his teeth. More importantly, his Dr. saw that he did indeed have a sinus infection. He's on Zithromax now & is currently chasing Taylor around the living room. :)

The big news for today is the snow storm we are supposed to endure this weekend. NOAA has issued a Winter Storm Warning for nearly the entire state, and we are forecasted to expect 9-12+ inches of snow. The kids are seriously excited!! This storm is shaping up to be snowblower-worthy! I'm sure we'll be posting some pics in next few days.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Happy Valentine's Day

Our recent lack of updates can be blamed on illness & tests, but things are beginning to look up for everyone. Both of the kids have had significant fevers with their recent bouts with the winter crud. Taylor is finally going on day 3 of being back to normal, and Ian has yet to spike another fever today.

Panod has been quite busy with work, but he has somehow also been able to find the time to help Taylor and I with our studies. Aside from those of us who were well hitting our local coffee shop, we really haven't been up to much.

Here's a poem I helped the kids write for Panod today:

Dad, dad

You help me out when homework is bad
And you cheer me up when I'm feeling sad

You are always there
To help me be good
You also help me do things
That I didn't think I could

That's why I'm taking this moment,
This time
To tell you that
You are my favorite Dad Valentine

And here's one more goodie...





Friday, February 02, 2007

Ian's Birthday Party Pics


Ian had a great time last Saturday. We invited some of his new little friends from his school, a friend from Taylor's old school for Taylor to play with, and some family members to help us celebrate at the Eagles Nest. The Eagles Nest is a very large indoor playground in the New Brighton Family Service Center - what better way to let a bunch of kids release some energy on a very cold Saturday afternoon?

The kids really were cute. They would all run in a pack through the playground equipment - and if one of them got separated from the group, they would all run around until that person was found. Panod manned the door in and out of the playground, while I manned the party table & talked with the parents as they dropped off their little ones. Taylor and her friend were also a huge help in keeping track of all of the little ones.

It was great to have some family meet some of Ian's friends & their families. Thanks everyone for making Ian's party really fun. Enjoy the pics!