Just a Walk in the Park

Took the kids (plus friend Lucy) to the park today and had a blast. In just a couple hours they managed to:
Play on the playset
Jump the creek countless times
Climb in and on a drainage pipe
Drink a gallon of water
Eat a large bag of animal crackers
Get cut
Get muddy
Get sand in their eyes
Play sumo wrestling
Draw pictures in the sand
Splash in the creek
Have a game of freeze tag
Have the time of their lives

66 degrees. Time for a snowball fight.

It's a beautiful spring day. Might reach 70 tomorrow. Most of the snow has melted, but where the kids had piled up snow to make forts there was still some left. Kids got dressed in shorts and flip-flops and headed outside to have a snowball fight. After all, isn't that the first thing you think to do on a spring day?

Tooth Fairy -- Friend or Foe?

Julie lost a baby tooth yesterday. Well, more accurately, she ripped it from her bleeding gums. We explained to her the concept of putting her tooth under her pillow when she went to bed, so the Tooth Fairy could come in the night and make the exchange. Her eyes widened as we talked and she finally blurted out, "Fairy, my room? Me sleeping? Noooooo!" Eventually we convinced her it would be OK and she was able to put the tooth in our little tooth box, put it under her pillow and drift off to sleep. When she woke, she found the tooth box still under her pillow and thought she'd been ripped off. But then she shook it and didn't hear any sound. Again with the eyes widening. She opened up the box to find a dollar in there in place of her tooth and that was all she wrote. Now she and the Tooth Fairy are best of friends. Perhaps I should pack away all the wrenches and pliers.

Adoptive Mother of the Year Award

As you may have heard, our area got hit with a pretty big snow storm Sun night. The kids of course had the day off of school, and we had steps to shovel, so I figured out whose turn it was and sent them packin'. Fred came down a bit later and asked if he should call the social worker. I was clueless for a moment or two till it dawned on me. All three of my adopted kids were out shoveling snow while my bio kids were inside toasty and warm by the fire. It honestly just worked out that way based on chores and turns, but I have to admit, it didn't look too good.
Still, I don't think Fred will be reporting me. Then he'd have to take care of this crew all by himself ....

And the winner of the science fair is ....

I have no idea. But Patrick and his project partner Garrett went to the county science fair with their project. Good job, boys!

Girls Day Out. Plus Daniel.

So the girls were going to die if we did not see the Jonas Brothers Movie on opening day. We had a lot of appointments that day, but the day off school, so the only way we could fit it in was to take them to an 11am show. Wouldn't have time to see that and get home again before our first appt, so Daniel had to come with us. So picture me, with my three girls, plus our friend McKenzie, and poor little Daniel, who is about as Pure Boy as they come. He sat in his seat looking miserable as screaming girls chased through the streets after Nick, Joe and Kevin on the big screen. He covered his ears, then sat on the floor till I finally got the hint and offered to sit with him on the bench out in the lobby. He was much happier there, trying to jimmy all the gumball and candy machines for coins or candy, running around in snowboots (on a 65 degree spring-like day) that were 7 sizes too big for him.

But he was a trooper and he lived to tell the tale. We then went on to lunch, then our first appt in downtown Wilmington. A little time on the playground at AI duPont, then Bella's appt with her eye doctor (can you say surgery one more time?). Finally home, a quick pizza dinner, and then I went out to my book club. Haven't done that in a dog's age, so it was good to get together with the girls and talk about grown-up things. Though of course the subject of most of our conversations was kids. School, chores, homework, music lessons, the things they do that make us scratch our heads.
And of course, the Jonas Brothers.

Another New First

Went through a tunnel today driving the kids down to Baltimore for Port Discovery. Both the kids found it a most incredible experience. Julie's eyes about popped out of her head as she exclaimed, "What the hecka!" And James had fun pointing out the "Titanics" we saw docked as we drove along. I think Port Discovery paled in comparison....