Happy Easter

The kids woke up to Easter baskets filled with goodies and eggs stashed all over the house this morning. A few of the eggs were only found after some guidance to their general direction, but overall I think the kids had a good time this morning. Baskets gave way to brunch and brunch gave way to an Easter egg hunt at our local coffee shop. The pictures really tell it like it was - an absloute blast! We loved having a business so close by that was willing to put up with all the neighborhood kids
((((Thank you Java Train! *see their menu*))))

Java Train Easter Egg Hunt

This past week was spring break for the kids. I still had class (and my first final in medical terminology) and Panod still had to work, so we played tag a lot this week. We did manage to go to the Conservatory where the kids got to go on a flower hunt with the pictures of the flowers in hand. And there was a lot of swimming at the YWCA. Taylor is such a fish at swimming, it really doesn't matter to her whether she's in the deep end or the shallow end - just as long as she's under water. And Ian got brave enough to swim around the shallow end of the pool with me as long as he had his life jacket on.

Spring Flower Show

Conferences went very well for both Taylor and Ian. Taylor has done a significant amount of growth on the social side of things, and Ian is really coming along with his writing and reading skills. I'll try to get some of their work up in the next week or so.

The week before spring break, I was able to join Ian at his school for Peace Day. It is considered to be a field trip day that is done at the school. Each classroom has a presentation related to peace, and the children all get into groups that then go to as many classroom presentations as they can. I think our group got to do some T'ai Chi in one classroom, we learned about rainbows in another classroom, and then we listened to a story in the library and all of the kids drew on a large piece of paper after the story. I think the children that I was with walked away with some understanding of what peace is - probably more than than they had understood before that morning.

Peace Day

Spring time update

We have been so busy since the last post, I hope that I can get it all down!

The snow storms we had since the last post left us with several feet of snow! School was canceled in St. Paul and Minneapolis when the second storm hit, just a few days after the first one. Each storm dropped nearly a foot of snow, and the winds were near blizzard strength. We got out and did the driveway after the worst of it had passed - we went sledding, made forts and there were many, many cups of hot cocoa consumed. The best part about March, though, is that the snow that falls never lasts for long. Almost all of the snow that fell has now melted and we've experienced our first 70-degree day last weekend. Be sure to check out the couple of pictures we were able to get of the snow...

Snow Storm II

Big news in Ian's world - HE'S READING!!!! The big guy has started reading a book called, Hot Dog by Molly Coxe and wants to start on Frog & Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel tonight! That was one of Taylor's first books when she started reading at this exact same age and it brings back so many fun memories. Speaking of Taylor reading - she has just plowed through a book called Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke, and she's now started another book by Cornelia Funke called Inkheart.

I've gotten through my midterms and an now enjoying spring break. It will not be that relaxing though since I've got my medical terminology class finals coming up in two weeks. I will also be starting to register for summer semester at St. Kate's and getting classes from St. Paul College transferred. I've even been able to map out a route so that I can bike to school at St. Kate's this summer & am very excited about being able to exercise while still getting my studying done.

Taylor also had an exciting day this past Friday when she went and visited with her old friends and teachers at French Immersion. Everyone there was so nice and the kids were all very excited to see her again. She has stayed in touch with a couple of the her friends there, but I think she really found all of the familiar faces to be exactly what she had been looking forward to. All of her former teachers were also warm and welcoming to her & she wants to know when we get to go back. :)

Lastly, I have to share something that is right up there in Loriland with the State Fair -- the 2007 Minneapolis Auto Show! I know it's weird, but I _LOVE_ cars. I have very strong opinions that need to be formed about cars, much of which happens when I see them on the road or read about them, but a large part of my opinions are also formed at the auto show. I drag poor Panod and usually the kids there every year, but this year was different. I went alone, armed only with the Nikon and a full thermos of tea. Ahhh heaven.... on wheels! Please feel free to view my pics.

2007 Minneapolis Auto Show

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.

Pet Expo '07

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.

Como in Feb

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.

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...

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!

Ian's 5th Birthday - Party

Birthday boy & winter carnival

Happy Birthday, Ian!

Ian's Bday & Winter Carnival

We had a small party with just the four of us on Monday to celebrate Ian's 5th birthday. He opened a few presents and we all enjoyed some cupcakes in honor of his big day. He'll be having a larger party with some of his little friends from school this weekend. We'll be sure to post those pictures in the coming days.

Today was beautiful and warm (nearly 40 degrees!), and the kids & I had the day off of school. We decided to go for a walk around Como Lake before lunch, and then we hit the Winter Carnival this afternoon on Harriet Island. The walk was a blast - even Toby came! We found a tree that someone had decorated with Christmas ornaments, a squirrel that was waaaaay up in a tree, and the kids searched for the second medallion since there were so many other people out there today digging for it, too. After heading home and warming up with some soup for lunch, we hit the road again to Harriet Island for the Winter Carnival. There were snow & ice sculptures to see, and a frozen playground to play on. The snow slide was fun, but kids under eight had to ride with an adult. There was also a large warming tent that served up some Minnesota hot dish, hot cocoa and samples of an excellent soup from Bruggers Bagels.

If you plan on going to the winter carnival:

* Use the park and ride! There is NO WHERE to park anywhere within a one mile radius of the island and there are no sidewalks to walk on.
* Buy the buttons. They come with coupon books that allowed us to ride the slide and the go through the ice maze for free.
* Bring a sled to pull behind you for the kids, not a stroller. For most people, the deep snow on the island made strollers next to impossible to navigate through most of the snow and ice sculptures.
* Cover up! The wind was fierce down on the river!

Quick updates:

* Still no news on Taylor's science project, or the grade she got.
* Taylor read the 497-page book, Eragon, in less than three weeks!
* My first two weeks at school have gone smoothly and I've already had to take a test in Medical Terminology. I got 28/30!
* Panod now knows most of the Med. Term. words since he helped me study all week.
* Ian insists that he's still 4.

Back into the swing of things

With the first week of school almost behind us after a long winter break, we are finally getting back into the swing of things. Staying up late and sleeping-in was a very easy habit for all of us to form over the two-week time we had off. Since the last post we've celebrated Panod's birthday, decided where to have Ian's 5th birthday, and finished Taylor's science project. We are also looking forward to my starting school next week. While it is only two classes, it will be a good way for me to start seeing what is ahead of me for the next two years.

Panod's birthday was celebrated at Stella's Fish Cafe in uptown on Saturday night, while our neighbor watched Taylor and Ian. (Thank you, Deb & sorry about the popcorn/living room incident!) Stella's was wonderful! We would highly recommend getting there during happy hour and chowing on the $1 oysters at the oyster bar. We arrived with only 30 minutes left before happy hour was over, but we still manged to down 11 or so oysters! After that, we were seated and we decided to share a heaping basket of super soft, and super spicy calamari. This stuff was amazing, and we probably could have (or should have) stopped eating at that point and been fine. But no, we continued on our seafood frenzy - Panod ordered a wonderful, but slightly too salty seafood soup that came with a large helping of sweet cornbread, a large king crab leg (you can add them on to any entree for only $5.95), and the shrimp hashbrowns, which were amazing. I ordered the daily three, which ended up being salmon, scallops and swordfish - all smothered in rich, creamy sauces. The food was really good and we would like to go back, but we decided that if we do, we'll just hit up the happy hour and down an appetizer.

Over the course of the winter break, we have been helping Taylor with her science project. This year was different because we got to do it in English! Woo hoo! She decided to try and grow crystals on strings that were placed in jars with boiling water and several different materials. Several of the materials tested were regular sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, iodized salt, regular salt & epsom salt. Only the regular salt and iodized salt actually grew crystals and she had to figure why & state it in her report. It really was educational in teaching her the basics of the scientific method and she seemed to do well to do well today when it was her turn to present her work to the judges. Right now we're not sure how well she did, but I have a feeling that at the very least she got a good grade.

I also have some pictures from the kids playing in our latest snow. There just hasn't been much of it this year, so it seems like every chance we get we're out playing in it - I even travel with the kids' snow tubes in the back of the van just in case we feel a spontaneous sledding fit come on while we're out running errands! There are also pictures from Panod's birthday and Taylor's science fair today....

Winter Break 06