Happy Valentine's Day

So you know in my last post how I mentioned the twins were having trouble going to sleep?  Well Monday night I laid them down a around 9:15, hoping going to bed a little later may help.  They screamed at first and then just kind of yelled out every now and then.  Around 11 it sounded like they may be kind of settled down, so I went in to put their blankets, bears, and pacis back in their beds in case they woke up during the night wanting them.  Well they were both still awake, with everything out of their beds including their pjs.  Thankfully they still had their diapers on.  It does seem like things are already a little better with the sleeping issue though after a few naptimes and night times of me not going in while they were screaming and waiting until they were asleep.  That afternoon Ellie had dance and then we ran over to my parents for a quick dinner.  They wanted to see the kids before they left for Florida again (they are going to Disney World with some of their best friends, the Solaris :-)) and they had some little Valentine treat bags for them.  Jackson and Ellie were only able to be there for less than an hour as they had to get to their last basketball practice of the season.  This actually one of the few times they have been sad that their season is ending.  We are hoping to keep Jackson practicing with some of his team mates so they can have a team for the K-Life 3-on-3 which is in April.  Ellie wants to have a team too but I'm really not sure who to ask to be on her team.  The younger three and I stayed at my parents a little longer and they were excited to take baths there. 

Then we headed home and Ellie and I looked through some ideas for Valentine boxes and she decided on an Ipod.  I set out a few choices of wrapping paper she could use to cover the box that I thought we be fun and she went with something totally different but it definitely worked-a silver paper.  So Tuesday, I ended up wrapping up the box while she was at school.  We used a cereal box and I knew it would be kind of hard to wrap, so I just did it.  I also made the playlist screen and menu wheel on my Silhouette and had it ready for her to finish decorating when she got home from school. They were supposed to have Elevate after school but the power kept going off at the church, so they ended up canceling it last minute.  Leah was nice enough to pick up Jackson and Ellie and bring them home.  So Ellie got to work on her box-she really had to hold herself back from putting stuff all over it :-).  She was very proud of it.  Then it was off to gymnastics.

Wednesday was business as usual.  As I was cleaning the house and getting stuff ready for small group, I would just smile when I could hear Miles or Bennett trying to get one of the dining room chairs out and they couldn't.  So far the ratchet strap is working and when I did a quick grocery trip over lunch I picked up a few more door knob covers so that I don't have to keep locking doors.  I know some kids have figured them out but we are good so far.  Jackson was nominated for Student of the Month again-he has to get it at some point :-). 

Thursday was a good day for Miles and Bennett, well except for the very beginning.  When I went in to get them up, Miles had his pjs off and part of his diaper and had wet the bed.  So after a quick bath, we were good to go.  After breakfast, they spent a good amount of time playing with the trains in the playroom.  And there wasn't too much fighting.  I worked on some Valentine treats and cookies while they were playing and it was a calm morning.  I also sold our bar stools on swap shop-only took a couple minutes.  Lincoln had his party at school but I didn't go.  I hope to go to more of his parties next year-hopefully the twins are a little more manageable then.  He was very excited to take his ninja suckers.  He came running in after school saying, "I have lots of candy, Mom."  And he was excited to put on his "tic-tacs" i.e. tattoos.  I think I prefer tic-tacs though.  I have no idea where that came from though.  He and the twins played around after lunch and we read a new favorite book that my parents gave the twins for Valentine's Day, Hug Time.  Like I have mentioned before, I am not the best at reading to my kids (and they are not the best on sitting still while I read :-)) but I am working on it.  That afternoon Leah and Alex came over to play and then Lissy got into town and joined us for dinner before Jackson went to swim practice.  Lissy brought them some little things for Valentine's Day including the bouncy balloons that they all had fun with. 



Bennett had his feelings hurt about something.

It was sleeting and then snowing when I woke up the next morning.  Andrew was already at the office and called to see if I was going to swim.  I decided it may not be that busy so to go for it.  I got the kids up and got their lunches ready quickly before I went.  I also gave them their gifts-a few pieces of candy and gift certificates they can give us for certain things like a Family Movie Night, a trip to the park, no chores for the day, etc.  My mom found them on Groupon and they were a great idea.  The kids were pretty excited about them :-).  They also got to enjoy some Valentine donuts.  When I got home from my swim, the twins were still asleep and Lincoln was watching some cartoons, so I went ahead and got on the bike and decided to just go ahead and finish it with a run.  I didn't feel too wiped out after all of it, so that will be good for the actual race.  Then it was time to get the twins up and ready to go.  I gave them their little gifts-little Spider Mans on motorcycles (Lincoln offered to help them play with them :-)) and tried to get pictures of them in their shirts I made them-several times.  They always wanted their blankets and they would cover up the shirt.  So I gave up on my morning attempt and we headed to Andrew's office where Lissy took passport photos for us.  Andrew and I are hoping to make a trip to Italy at some point so we decided to go ahead and get our passports ready to go.  Then a while after lunch our friend, Sarah, came over to watch the kids while I went to Jackson's Valentine party.  There wasn't much to the party, just eating snacks and opening Valentines but it was nice to just sit and visit with Jackson in his classroom environment and watch him interact with his teacher and the kids in his class.  His teacher did pull me aside to show me a story he had recently written.  It was supposed to be a short story about dragons and he started it with "Once upon a time.." and even decorated the "o".  He did a great job with the story line and his transitions.  I was very impressed and his teacher was too.  She read it to the rest of the class earlier in the day. 

Fist bumps.

I was able to take Jackson home after the party, so we got some gas and then picked up Ellie and headed home.  That night we celebrated finished our Valentine's celebration by ordering out La Fuente.  The kids were very excited.  And I finished out the night getting everything ready for our Saturday which included a couple basketball games and then heading to Ankeny for Owen's birthday party.  I had a bag with food and toys to entertain the twins at the games, the diaper bag, a bag of snacks, movies, etc. for the car ride, plus an overnight bag since Ellie and Lincoln were going to stay overnight and come home with Lissy the next day.  Andrew cut ice in the morning before the games.  Jackson and Ellie both finished strong with their last games.  Even with the distractions from the twins, it was a fun season to watch them.  This time I brought some painter's tape and made "tracks" for the twins and their trains to try to keep them off the court.  It kind of worked.  Thankfully we were able to stay at the same court for both games so we didn't have to move our tracks. 

I guess he decided to run over his Nilla Wafers with the trains.

Jackson going for a shot

We were on our way to grab some lunch after the game when I realized I didn't have my phone with me, so we ran back home and as we were heading across town, Kaitlin called to let us know they were having some snow up there and that we didn't have to come if we didn't want to.  We thought it would be okay and kept going.  But the roads got bad a little before Bloomfield.  It took us over an hour to just get there and then we were stuck in a line of cars, on a snow-covered road, going 35mph and we realized we probably wouldn't get to Des Moines until close to five.  The party would be over by then and we would only be able to stay a couple hours before heading home.  So we decided to turn around and head back home.  I was so disappointed.  I felt bad ditching the party and I was looking forward to seeing everyone.  I was so looking forward to just getting out for a bit.  Lincoln was pretty upset and Ellie didn't find out until she woke up later.  When we got home Lincoln said, "That was the worst trip ever."  It was just kind of a blah day after that.  Ellie did work on making a necklace/headband on her loom.  Lincoln even liked it.  She had made a lot of bracelets lately too and I got one.  Oh and Ellie loves my old Kanakuk sweatshirt.

The reason we weren't going to be able to stay overnight at Kaitlin and Zane's was because Andrew had to put out hay for his cows Sunday morning.  So we ended up not going to church, but I was able to listen to the sermon online and it was a really good one.  I always appreciate the ability to listen to it when we aren't able to go.  Sunday was a day full of laundry and cooking as I washed all the sheets-that definitely adds to the number of loads for the day.  Then I also tried out a new recipe for some banana bread bars with browned butter icing.  I finished them up just in time to head to the movies with Jackson, Ellie, and Lincoln.  I was kind of grumpy the day before and thought I would do something fun for them.  We even went to the 3D movie.  And then I let them pick out their snack and a drink-that was a an expensive movie.  But they loved it and it was a pretty cute movie.  I still have that song in my head-maybe because the kids keep singing it too.  After the movie, they helped me do some quick grocery shopping.  The each used one of their Valentine certificates for the movie and another one to get a snack at the grocery store.  Jackson and Lincoln both ended up with Pringles.  Ellie wanted some certain Sweethearts but they were already sold out.  I did have half a bag at home leftover from making treat bags for Jackson's class.  So after she saw how many were left, she decided to cash in her certificate too for the candy. 

Lissy came over for dinner that night and helped me finish up the meal.  She hung out with us a bit and then she took Ellie and Lincoln back to my parents with her for a sleepover since they didn't have school on Monday.  So my parents got a surprise that night we they got home from their little trip to Disney World.  Early Monday morning the freezing rain started.  Andrew was able to get to the office, but he said it was really slick.  Looking on Facebook made it evident that driving wasn't the best idea that morning.  It was odd weather though.  I got on the bike that morning and while I was riding it went from freezing rain to a snow mixture and then there was even thunder.  Andrew was able to pick up Ellie and Lincoln though around noon and bring them home.  Everything had stopped by then and it was starting to warm up.  I had to take Ellie to the Tigerina dance clinic at 2 and the roads were fine by then-just slushy as everything was melting.  The dance clinic had been rescheduled to Monday and they were supposed to perform that evening at the basketball game but then they ended up changing it to this Friday's game.  They did a preview of their performance when I went to pick her up so I brought my camera thinking I may have a better chance of getting some pictures then.  But it wasn't until I got there that I realized I left my SD card in my computer.  We got home and it was while we were eating dinner that I remembered that I told Lincoln I would make banana muffins for his snack day, which was Tuesday.  So I got those done after cleaning up dinner and we tried to watch a little bit of the Olympics.  And before I go to bed, I usually go check on the twins to make sure they still have their pjs on and put their blankets, etc. back in their cribs if they have thrown them out.  I still cherish watching our little ones sleeping :-).

This morning, the sun is shining and the temperatures are supposed to be warmer.  It will be nice to see more of this snow start melting away.  And I think the kids are excited to be able to go outside during recess.  And I know it probably won't happen, but I am ready for some warmer temperatures to stick around!