And the winner is . . . .

US!!!

Ever put your name in a raffle and win?  We did.  Simon's school had a Trivia Night fundraiser with a raffle.  (Remember our spectacular date night?) In support of the event and the school, I convinced Eric to buy 25 raffle tickets.  He let me do all the choosing.  I entered things like Bulls tickets, Blackhawks Tickets, Cubs tickets, Sox tickets, spa package, 1st grade special events for Simon to enjoy, dance classes for Norah,  four chances at winning our town's pool passes, among other things.  I cannot recall them all.

And we won!!!  As I was making my decisions, and there were plenty, I really wanted the pool passes.  We do live 1 block and 10 steps from our local pool.  We live there all summer long.  But we didn't win that.

Are you ready?

Do you want to know what we won?

Really?

Should I make you wait?

Should I make you guess?

What could it be?

Hmmm, is it a _______?

Who will enjoy or benefit from it?

Are you annoyed?

Well here it is.

We won "Landscape and Beyond 2012" - lawn cutting for a resident within our school district!  Now how exciting is that?!?

I know my Eric loves to cut the grass.  But if it is cut for him over and over and over, we will have plenty of Saturday mornings or weekday evenings or Sunday afternoons for other projects or play!   I hope he enjoys it.  Especially since he puts in so many hours at work!

The other option is to offer it to someone who needs it more than us.

Go Rays!

Last year Simon was a River Bandit.

This year he is a Ray. A Tampa Bay Ray.  (We are ecstatic that he is not a Sox.)

He is in the "farm" level of our town's baseball system. Yep, baseball.  The T, as in T-ball, is gone.  Players pitch for the first 2 innings, then the coaches pitch the rest of the game.

Last Saturday was Opening Day and his first game.  I forgot the camera.  That was a day where Eric enjoyed an all day men's retreat from church.  I took the kids for a Cub Scout's "Clean the Prairie Path " event-outside for 2 hours picking up litter and walking about a mile.  Norah says that she "cleaned up the world". I took them out for $1.00 burgers.  Home to rest.  Showered and readied myself to look nice for a date, with my honey, after the baseball game.  We had a sitter, and were going to enjoy some time together.  I was BEYOND EXCITED for that.  So, I forgot the camera.  Eric came home in time to pick up Simon and head to the game early, as he is helping out with the team. Don't worry, there will be LOTS of baseball with long games. Plenty of opportunities to snap a picture of my lil' guy.  Have I ever said that little boys in baseball uniforms are about the cutest thing ever?

It was quite chilly, and thankfully not drizzly.  Norah spent the game eating a ring pop, eating snacks, and riding her  new-to-her Skuut bike.  (We snatched the Skuut bike up at the used kids store along the Prairie Path on our walk back to the car after cleaning up the world!)

Wouldn't you know it Norah and I made the website?  Our picture is there.  I, in my pink winter-ish coat and Norah in her purple down coat and heart fleece hat.  Do you see her?  We were chilly.  After our summery March, Opening Day of baseball felt like winter.

At least I look good, thanks to my shower and readying myself!

Ta - Duh! and You Have to Clap

Norah has been putting on "shows" for a long time now.
She loves to sing.
She loves to belt out a made-up song, standing on a stool, trying to twirl, and sometimes falling to the floor.
Some of you have been lucky enough to hear her, uh-hem, singing.
She wants to be on the stage someday.
Except, when she has a chance to sing with her preschool in front of the church, she experiences stage fright mixed with the need to escape.
We guess she doesn't want to share the stage.

Actually, she is quite dramatic, expressive, and hysterical.
I mean, we bust a gut laughing.
She is funny.
Her facial expressions, body movements, and how she uses her voice is entertaining.
Her audience must clap at the end.
The end is known by a deep bow with an arm extended across her body, accompanied by a slight curtsy.

The show is usually delayed by the necessity to find the stool to stand on, her "song-book" (a.k.a. some plastic play-dough toy with a removable piece that has a hinge and opens), the dress-up item of choice, and the microphone (Duplos made into a stick or a toy telescope).
So tonight, we had stool issues, and decided to use the large wooden step down into the family.
Why didn't we think of this sooner?
She could actually dance on it without the fear of a possible twisted ankle.
It is large enough to share.
The audience has chairs to face her.
We are considering crafting up a rod with a velvet curtain to create the full stage effect.

Tonight's program consisted of  the songs: "Easter Sunday Morning" and "Cockle Doodle Doo" while wearing her kangaroo costume and new garden gloves with the telescope in hand.

Long time favorite songs include "Shiver Shauber What Do You Know?" and "Pass the Budgeon" (a.k. budget).

Simon gets stage jealousy.  He is not chatty or imaginative in his conversation.  He sings a made-up song with just one word, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, or he copies his sister.

Norah declared at one point this evening:  "The show is cancelled; Daddy is not here.  The audience is only one."
He was putting dinner dishes away at that moment.
I said, "Well, you could rehearse or practice until he comes back".
To which she responded, "I don't know the re-curse song."

This little girl is incredibly fun and I love her so much!  I truly hope that someday, I get to see her on the stage.

A bit quiet 'round here

A lil' bit quiet here.  I am in nearing the end of IEP's; only 3 more evaluations to write up and then the IEP's.  One more evaluation to start and then write up.  I think I am done with general annual review meetings.  Trying to serve all of my students while going to these meetings.  It is IEP season for sure!

Eric continues to be crazy, crazy busy at work.  Like, it is only Wednesday morning at 6:00 a.m. and he has already put in 37 hours this week.   And probably not near done.

That means I am trying to be more helpful at home.  (Remember, it is IEP season around here.)

We are all wearing down, and really looking forward to the break come summer.  (I think for me May 30th and June 5th for Simon!)  I seriously think Simon will get off the bus, hop in the car, and off to Grandma's we go.  What a way to kick off summer.

I still have St. Patrick's Day pics and Easter pics to first just take off of my camera.  Not ready to deal with our "slower than my work laptop" computer in the disheveled basement.  But, we are slowly cleaning the basement which has been neglected and declared the stashing spot.  Oh, and I am getting ready for a rummage sale. I will breathe some free space when the collected items leave my house!

I am up (sluggishly) at 5:30sih and I go strong until 8:30/9:00 at night.  That's when I yarn, sit, read, cht with Eric, pick up around the house, consider other tasks, or fall asleep on the couch.

I generally get some yarn time in, a little sneak here and there and a bit at night.  Last night I so wanted to work on another cabled scarf that will go in my Christmas gift stash, just couldn't do it.  I love my simple and chunky cabled pattern; the scarves work up so quick and are very soft and warm.

See you later, when I can.

A Car Conversation

On Thursday, I rang bells for Maundy Thursday service. Evening services prove tricky as the timing quickly approaches/overlaps bedtime. So I drove myself early to practice, then Eric followed with Simon and Norah. During this time of Lent, I usually feel a bit Good-Friday-ish every Tuesday. You see, Tuesday is bell choir rehearsal, and practicing songs for the time of Jesus' crucifixion is a bit somber. Rightly so. Much happier and blessed feelings come when practicing for the Easter resurrection music.

Since our household currently holds strong opinions on girls and boys, you will often find the girls together and the boys together. Norah drove home with me. Without fail, she was chatty. I love this about her. She is talkative, inquisitive, making connections, and will say anything on her mind. I did not, and do not have this with Simon.

Norah: Are we taking the moon home?

Me: No, we cannot take the moon home.

Norah: But when I look at it, it is moving.

Norah: How does Jesus get through?

Me: What?

Norah: How does Jesus get through?

Me: Get through what, honey?

Norah: How does Jesus get through and into our hearts?

Now I was driving, and trying to give the best answer possible. I said Jesus loves us and is always with us. His spirit is inside of us. I will follow up with we need to have faith and believe in Him.

I have a feeling this little girl will stun me more than once with important questions of life, at unexpected moments. I love her so much.

This Lent season has been so special with the kids. Moments I don't want to forget:

• Making our Hallelujah banner.
• Simon following along and reading the responses with gusto.
• Norah singing in church, only humming along as she cannot read and doesn't know all the songs.
• Norah's conversations in church. Simple questions with simple honesty. Truly, the faith of a little child. No wonder Jesus truly and deeply loves the little children.
• Simon singing "Lamb of God" at home.
• Norah's drawing on the fridge; a cross, with Jesus on it. She put dots on the hands and feet, and knew they were for nails. She drew this in church.
• Their excitement of receiving their Easter postcards in the mail, and singing the songs I wrote (Christ the Lord is Risen Today and He Lives). We did whisper-sing the Alleluia part.
• Having them both notice the stripping of the altar, the darkness of Good Friday, and understanding this was a sad/hard time. But Jesus' death was the most incredible sacrifice and gift of life ever.
• Knowing that Hallelujah/Alleluia is to be said on Easter with great rejoicing.

Many blessings to you on Easter. May you celebrate God's greatest gift of love insuring that we have an undeserved and eternal home in heaven.

Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed.

Alleluia

Oh, to stand!

I just saw my child do one of the funniest things I may have ever seen in this journey of motherhood. I caught a glimpse of Norah in the bathroom. I did a double take when I investigated closer. I saw her peeing at the toilet standing, facing forward, and leaning just a bit. She declared "I want to pee like Simon". I almost busted a gut laughing, but the seriousness in her voice and expression told me she really wanted to pee standing up. I told her that girls must always sit on the toilet. Oh, the tears at learning that she cannot stand to pee. I told her she does not have a pee-pee and she is not a boy. Girls always sit to go to the bathroom. She was not behaving badly; she was not mischievous. She was thinking and her wheels were spinning. After some hugging and comforting, the bubble bath distracted her from her disappointment.

Then, into the tub she goes. Spray and clean the accident. Throw the clothes in the laundry. This was not on the straightening, cleaning, prepping, and cooking list!

I am hosting Easter Brunch with a small side of Norah's birthday with Eric's family. I love Easter. I love ringing bells during this time. I love Easter brunch. Eric's family pitches in. Here is the menu:

Breakfast:

At church after service

He is Risen Rolls (at home)

Appetizers:

(not a fan, I'd rather people eat most of the food I've prepared)

bacon wrapped sausage

hard boiled eggs (perhaps deviled eggs)

Main Event:

ham

cheesy potatoes

french toast bake

egg basil strata

spinach lasagna

homemade applesauce (my pork lovin' family adores applesauce on the side)

On the sweet side:

fruit plate

homemade cinnamon rolls

frosted almond cake (for b-day purpose)

jelly beans

For the glasses:

mimosas

juice

ginger ale

(I even purchased leeks for potato leek soup. And the beans for bean and ham soup. I sure hope there are leftovers!)

Last weekend Simon said "and our postcards will come in the mail". He was full of anticipation and excitement. I have in the past sent them Easter fabric postcards each year; and they are displayed on the mantel as our Easter decorations. So, I spent this morning with Norah in preschool making them so no pairs of eyes would see what I was doing. I pulled off the total mail surprise with mail from my house to my house. Whew!! They also know to expect an outside egg hunt. Have all items, just need to fill and mark eggs. I don't do candy; Simon won't eat any and Norah will eat all.