The lovely Easter Egg

It's Easter weekend. We are going to ignore the fact that is snowed earlier in the week and focus on the fact that it is Spring and the Easter season. We had a wonderful beginning to this fun holiday.

This afternoon some friends met at the park. We had an Easter egg hunt. Even though it was cold, the kiddos had a great time!!Can you find Emily, Andrew and Ry? They are the happy ones. Oh wait, they all look pretty happy. The kids had a great time finding eggs in trees, around the playground, near rocks, up on walls and even in the Frisbee golf stations. Afterwords, they got a chance to open the eggs and see what was inside. They found stickers, candies and even Play-doh. Good times. I hope we do that again next year (only hopefully it will be warmer)!

Right after the Easter egg hunt, we went over to my parents' house for our traditional Easter egg decorating party. Erik has taught us all the joys of decorating many Easter Eggs. We take Easter egg decorating very seriously in our family. We decorated six DOZEN eggs. The colors were beautiful! The stickers were fun and the shrink wraps were cool. This year, Em decided to put her name on each and everyone of her eggs. Does that mean she has to eat all of them too? Even my aunt Gail got into the decorating! The Easter bunny is going to be busy hiding all these bad boys tonight!

What's that noise?

I opened a kitchen window, and I heard a sound today that I have not heard in months. It was the happy sound of brothers playing outside. I had to investigate. When I got to the path, I found this..
Boys on scooters planning to take a trip to their clubhouse, both happy to be back on wheels. After a few minutes, they made their way to the trampoline. Which incidentally is one of Totoro's favorite places to play. All three of them were having fun jumping, running and throwing sticks and a tennis ball. I actually heard Andrew say, "this is better than video games." WOW...it must be good out there. It is amazing what sun and a little warmth can do!

Ashley

We had to put Ashley to sleep this morning. It was a decision that we did not want to make, but unfortunately could not avoid any longer. Her tumor was large, sore and causing her pain. We are missing her, but trying to focus on all of our wonderful memories with her. Ashley joined our family shortly after we moved into this house-really only two months after Andrew was born and is a key figure in the kiddos memories.

She followed me around this house for 7.5 years. She played fetch with tennis balls, loved the cabin, roamed the neighborhood, and always enthusiastically greeted us when we came home (even if we were only gone minutes). She loved going on walks with the family and would freak out at the mere site of her leash.
She was a patient wonderful dog who loved us unconditionally. We were lucky to have her in our home for such a long time.
We will always remember our Ashley!

Who's idea was this?

I have been gone. Really gone. The last 10 weeks have been crazy. School has kicked my butt. Now, I can happily say that my first student teaching experience is over. I start my Early childhood special education placement a week from Monday.

For now, here is a puppy update. He started out like this...small, cute and sleepy.And now he is like this...larger by the day, active and creatively naughty. Unfortunately, he is NOT doing the dishes! From what I am told, when he is done growing he won't need to use the step stool to engage in his naughty puppy acts....puppy class, here we come! (More dog news..:( to come tomorrow).

My week.. Won't you join me?

I have decided that I feel like life is going fast. Although part of me just wants to get through the next six weeks, another part of me might want to remember all this running around and craziness. So, I am going to post the everyday going-ons around here-just so you can get a taste of my life. If you choose to follow me this week, you will see that I am very lucky to have so much help...I could NOT make it without it.

Today is the perfect day to start this experience. Tuesday..my day "off."

This morning I hear Emily's 6am alarm clock go off. Seconds later she hits the snooze button and returns to dreamland. I think, "phew..a few more minutes to sleep." Then I hear Totoro begin crying in his crate. He has heard the alarm clock too, and does not understand the beauty of a snooze button.

I get out of bed and let the dogs out. As I am walking down the hall, I notice that it is not 6am it is 5am. Crud! I try to put Totoro back in his crate, he starts crying loudly because he is up for the morning. Not wanting him to wake everyone too early, I get up with him.

The kids get up one-by-one. Em has early morning band, so we leave the house at 7am and pick up Lauren and Nicole. On the way out the door, Em mentions that she is supposed to bring a special snack because at school they are going to watch, City of Ember. So, I drop the girls at band (that is a picture them going into school..dark because it is early..sorry) and hit the closest Holiday. Since I am there, I decide to get myself a hot chocolate and I applaud myself for not getting the free KitKat with a purchase of a drink. Then, as I am checking out I notice the Cadbury Creme Eggs are out. I decide to buy one for later...after all I didn't get the KitKat, right?
I drop off Em's snacks at school...walking through the school looking like I just fell out of bed. Of course, the teacher is already in the room. I get to talk to her...again looking like I just fell out of bed.
I get home in time to pick up Ry to bring him to school. *I will add here that Erik offered to drive Ry and Trenton this morning, but I said no... because, I wanted my write up to be authentic*We drive to Trenton's house, pick him up and then I drop the boys off at their school. (Totoro comes for the ride).I get home from dropping the boys, read a quick book with Andrew (we were supposed to read it last night, we forgot) and walk him to the bus.Next, it is time straighten the house a little and start homework, beginning with typing up the notes from large group and sending them to my lead teacher. Today I also I want to do my documentation from yesterday, plan my small group on story-telling for Wednesday and maybe Thursday, finish my write-up on my literacy lesson plan and type up a small writers workshop exercise, watch and evaluate a video of me interacting with the class, run to Staples to buy some rings for the children's journals, and organize my notes from my observations of the physical domain of a specific child in my class. Sound fun?

So everyone needs a break right? When my friend Lori texted and asked if I could play someday soon...I said "Today. Lunch would be great." We hit Panera (one of our favorite lunch spots).
It was a fabulous time. I needed the break. Thanks Lori.
Tonight it is pick up Andrew from a play-date, pick up Em from dance, help Ry with math homework, find something for dinner. Surprise! I notice Ry's shoes are literally falling apart. I tell Ry we are going to Famous Footwear to buy him new shoes...engage in a 30 minute discussion about how shoe shopping is NOT just for girls and he IS coming with me..we go, we get the shoes. Finish my homework-or at least what I need to get through tomorrow-and I am off to bed (It is now 10:54 and I am off to bed).

Andrew's Questions

I have two quotes from Andrew-just to help you see how his mind works:
#1. A few days ago we were watching something on the internet and a commercial comes on for the 5 hour energy drink. A lady comes on the screen who is struggling to wake up in the morning, doesn't want to exercise etc. Then she drinks 5 Hour energy drink and she is amazingly awake and going for the day.
"Mom, can we get that? I could use it, I am SOO tired in the morning. That would help me be ready for the day."

#2. Yesterday we were out to lunch with all the Minnesota Hamers.
Andrew: "Mom, who would you rather be married? Grandpa [Bill] or Dad?"
Me: "Um, let me think about that..(very short pause) Dad."
Andrew: "why?"
I feel like here is where I tried to explain that you don't marry your parents, but he didn't accept that answer....
Me: "Well, he is my age."
Andrew: "Who would you rather be married, Grandpa Bill if he was your age, or Dad?"
Me: "Dad."
Andrew: "Why?"
Me: "He is smart"
Andrew: "and?"
Me: "He is clever."
Andrew: "and?"
Me: "He is funny."
Andrew: "and?"
Me: "He is handsome."
Andrew: "You are not saying what I am thinking."
Me: "What are thinking?"
Andrew: "He is PERFECT."
Then he puts his arms around both of us with a big smile.My next question should have been: "How much did Dad pay you for that?"

Distraction

Life has begun again. Gone are the schedule-less days of the holidays. We are all back to school. The kids have places to be and homework to do. I have places to be and homework to do. Even though we are running around all the time, there still seems to be dishes in the sink, and the pile of laundry in the basement is scary. This semester, I began my student teaching experiences. In my EC/ECSE program at the U, I have a total of four student teaching experiences to complete (early childhood, early childhood special ed, birth to 3 and a primary grade). I am now student teaching at the lab school on campus in a 3/4/5 year old class. So far it has been all about getting to know the children and the room etc. Lesson plans and lead teaching are just around the corner. Needless to say the next ten weeks are going to be super busy.

To help us/me forget all the millions of things that we/I are supposed to be doing, I am posting a Totoro (toe-toe-row) video. Sit back and watch a cute playful puppy and some happy kids.