Happy Birthday, Zach

Today was Zach's birthday party.  Jeff had cake and ice cream at the house and after we took them all to SkyZone.

She can't wait for cake!

Apparently, jumping on the tramps at Skyzone wasn't enough, they had to jump on the trampoline when they got back too!

Wednesday Tradition

For a long time we have been going to Puerto Vallarta Mexican restaurant after practice with the Pierce's and Bilbrey's.  This time I brought along a couple more.  Jeff, Emily, and Zach since Emily is now playing soccer too.  She and Cooper are both playing rec while Jayke, Gabi, and Aidan are in their travel uniforms because tonight was picture night.

Still Champ!

Once again, I reign as champion egg hunter.  I called the victory for myself before we began, as usual, and made sure I didn't make myself a liar.  I even had to give The Boy some of my eggs because he feels it is unfair that I always win.  Life is not fair, Boy, get used to it!  I'm waiting for the day when he can beat his old mom!

We got an over abundance of treats in our Easter baskets as usual.  Once he saw his Easter basket he wasn't as upset about his defeat in the egg hunting contest.  

Final Season as U10 Begins

In a few weeks Jayke will have to try out for the soccer team, something he hasn't had to do yet.  Cuts will either be made or an A and B team will be formed.  Either way, it will be the first time there is any pressure for him to do well in a try out.  I remind him regularly that they are always watching and accessing him so he should always do his best.  I may just a tad nervous about this try out.  

Anyway, here are a few pictures of our first game this season.  

New Floor

Finally getting rid of the yucky carpet and replacing it with Pergo.  I can't believe what a difference it makes already!  Jeff and I spent a couple of days removing all the tile and carpet to get it ready for the installers.  I had to live with the sub floor for a while so I was more than ready to get this done!  

Nemo is checking out the new floor...I can't tell if he approves or not.

4th Grade Delta Eagle Travel Team

And when he isn't playing in the gym... he's in the drive way!!

A Sad Goodbye

More snow and this time we got around to making a snowman...well, Jeff made the snowman with the boys.  I got to use the snowman kit the Aunt Dona gave us several years ago.  We haven't gotten to use it much so we were glad we got to dig it out from the shelf in the garage.

This snowman got to stick around for a while.  One day when I came home I noticed footprints in the fresh snow going up to the snowman and when I looked closer i noticed that someone (I'm guessing the two neighborhood girls) gave the snowman antennae.  Jayke thought this was funny and I didn't care as long as they didn't knock my...I mean Jayke's snowman over.

About a week later it started to warm up some and we got some rain.  I was really worried about Frosty so I went out and tried to protect him...  I didn't quite get there in time.  

A few days after the rain and the continued warming Frosty looked like this...

 Jayke got a pretty good gift back in the fall... or maybe it was my gift, can't decide.  Anyway the picture on the left is from a year ago and the one below........






....is from this year.  What he learned though is depending on the snow, using the snow blower is sometimes just as hard as shoveling!

Let it Snow!!

Happy Valentine's Day

From Jeff..this is by far the best Valentine's Day gift I've ever gotten.  I can't even remember anything else I've gotten in the past but I will definitely remember this!

Another Team

Besides the AAU team that Jayke plays on he is also playing for a YMCA team coached by Jeff.
We play every Saturday morning and afterwards go have breakfast with Jeff's mom.  This gives Jayke and Zach a chance to be teammates.

Things Nightmares Are Made Of

The fourth grade science fair.  I've been dreading it since he started school.  I've known it was coming but wan't fully prepared for the ordeal that it is.  Every single part of it from picking the subject to the final word written and graphic glued, it was an ordeal.

Jayke did his on the aquatic respiration in fish.  I had to get special permission to use a living thing which I would find out later was a bad idea.  Really, projects like this are just a bunch of work for the parents.  I strongly feel that if they are going to assign this sort of thing they need to allow time for the kids to work on it in the classroom where the TEACHER is available to help them since TEACHING is their job.  I'm pretty sure I'm employed by Mid-West Metal and NOT Delaware County School Corp.  I'm positive that after I've worked all day I don't want to have to come home and spend my evening for several days working on this ridiculous project.  No fourth grader knows how to go about organizing such a thing so parental involvement is necessary.  More than necessary!  It took me, mom, and Jim to get this thing finished!

I did manage to get Jayke to do part of the work.  He was frustrated, I was frustrated, the fish was scared and tortured.  There was yelling and crying, it was awful!  I didn't do the testing with Jayke, my mom did.  They had to put ice in the water to lower the temperature and measure his breathing.  As the water cooled the fish started to swim on it's side like it was dying which caused Jayke to start crying as he worried about the fish.  He was okay once they warmed the water back up but I think The Boy was traumatized.  I know the fish was, he died two days after we finished the testing.  

I helped Jayke write his final analysis and prepare everything for his board.  I had everything typed out and part of it on the board when Jim read it and discovered I had part of it wrong.  This caused a whole new level of panic since it had to be turned in in the morning.  Things had to be ripped off the board which sent him into near tears again.  Thank God we were near the end!  The consensus on Facebook was that NO ONE enjoys the science fair!

Except maybe Nemo...

New Look

A night at my house on the weekend looks like this now.

Jeff's son Zach, Emily, and her two friends.

Double Digits!!!

I can't believe it's been 10 years since I was in the hospital waiting for 27 hours for Jayke to arrive!!  The Boy is still poky so I guess that should have told me something.  Apparently by age 10 you start to forget your child's birthday. On the day of his actual birthday, the 23rd,  I didn't say it on my way out the door  so when I called to tell him, he gave me a disgusted, "About time!"  In my defense, the party is today and he got his gift early so I was either in the mind set that it had already happened or was happening Saturday.  Regardless, I STILL told him, just a little later than he expected.

This year we had the party at the bowling alley and invited his AAU team, plus Zach and Mason.  It was his best turn out yet and I even let him bring 4 boys home to spend the night, something I've never done before.  I had Jeff there to help me though.  He is used to a house full so I thought it was the perfect time to do it, while I had someone experienced with chaos there!

Zach, Mason Neal, Walker, Justin, Landon, Jayke, Mason, Zack Jeffers, and Adam.  Meemaw and Ppa in the background talking to Landon's dad.  Matthew was also there for a while but I didn't get a pic of him.  Jayke thought he was pretty cool being there with his basketball team and having someone from the Delta freshman basketball team there for him.  Alec would have been there too if he wasn't busy.  I love that these older boys will still show up for Jayke's and Mason's birthday parties.

Mason got Jayke Madden 25 for his xbox...we couldn't believe it.  I am going to have to do something extra special for Mason next year on his birthday!  

Can't Call It A Christmas Party???

I don't know why we have our Christmas party in January and call it a "Holiday Party" but...we do.  This year we went to Fuji.  Here is Neil trying to get us all drunk on Sake.  

The Ball State Family

Some people built this snow family in front of the Ball State University sign at the football stadium.  They got a lot of attention for them because the next day they all went out and posed in front of them in their bathing suits when it was negative 10 degrees out!  I ended up knowing one of them, imagine that. Ha!