Workin' Man

Dig is such a little man.  He loves being able to help out and when he helps...he REALLY helps! He offers...yes, offers to sweep the kitchen floor, water plants, put dishes in the dishwasher, even scoop the driveway for Daddy. 

During the day, Lane and I are home together and when it snows, he'll go look out the front windows and say something like, "well, looks like I better get out there to scoop the driveway before Dad gets home," or "I should go scoop a little so when Dad gets home it won't be so much."  Seriously, what a thoughtful little man!  So, he bundles up and scoops the driveway...for real. 

Lately Lane's been calling me "Kris" alot.  "Krissss, can I have more cereal? Krissss, where's my DS? Krissss, is it time to go to school?"  I've explained to the kids before that if someone calls me Kris, I know I've known them a long time. My parents, well, I guess mostly my Dad, calls me Kris.  All of my grandparents call/ called me Kris.  My brothers both call me Kris...in fact, I don't think I've ever heard Steve or Shawn call me Kristy, likewise, their girlfriends, Lisa & KK, call me Kris.  I remember getting on a Cambus my freshman year at the University of Iowa.  From the back of the bus someone hollered, "Kris Balvanz?"  Before looking to see who it was, I knew it had to be someone I went to school with in Eldora.  It was.  I don't know exactly when I became "Kristy?" hmmm.  I remember getting my first job after college and thinking it would be a good time to start going by my given name, Kristine.  But I never did.  But I do love it.

Anyhoo...I asked Dig the other day, "why are you calling me Kris lately?"  His reply..."Cuz' I've known you a LONG time!"   Silly me.

Yesterday, I re-filled his juice cup and he said,
"Thanks Kris!"

"You're welcome, Dig."

"No. If I call you Kris, you call me Lane."

Evidently, we're on more formal terms around here these days!

PaRtiEs!

DD's birthday was already 20 days ago...about time I posted some pictures! 

She got the best present a first-grader could ask for...SNOW DAY! Actually, TWO snow days!  The only bummer was that meant we had to postpone her friend party.  It worked out that all of her friends were able to come that following Friday evening, which really was better anyway.

On her ACTUAL BIRTHDAY she was able to eat lunch at Nanny & Pa's, which hasn't happened for a long time. 

Nanny knows her girl! She made her an apple pie.

Still gets embarrassed when people sing to her!

Nanny & Pa made a "Happy Birthday Drue" banner!

FRIEND PARTY:

Drue had a "Junie B. Jones" themed party this year.  We played a few funny games that Junie plays in her books.  This was a dress- up game kind of like musical chairs.  I read a Junie B. book and when I would stop the girls had to grab a silly dress-up item out of a bag and put it on...coconut bikini, grass skirt and all! Just like Junie B! Shown are her 'bestest' friends! Kali, Campbell, Delia, Riely & Cadence.

We had Junie B's favorite supper..."hoagie sandwiches" from Subway, then cupcakes & an ice-cream sundae bar complete with crushed Oreos, cookie dough, sprinkles, strawberries, fudge and whipped cream...however, we would have only needed the Oreos and cookie dough!  =)

Drue's gift bags for her friends were First-Grade Journals just like Junie B. uses, chapstick, mechanical pencil, gum & candy bracelets.

FAMILY PARTY

Our blue-eyed girl with her Wizard of Oz cake.

Drue's Mimi and RahRah, Nanny & Pa, Uncle Shawn & KK, Aunt Traci & Uncle Nick, cousins Cali & Clay and Great-Grandma Mary were able to help us celebrate. 

It was a week full of celebrating our cutie- patootie!

Side Note:  The Iowa shirt she's wearing is an old one of her DADDY's when he was little!! She HAD to wear it to her party!

If It's Not Gone...

...it has a bite out of it!

She may or may have not learned this from her Momma.  I, however, was a little more discreet when I was younger... I poked my pinky into the bottoms so no one could tell that I had already picked through the assortment.  =)



Our Valentine's Day

I've never been too big on the whole Valentine's thing.  Don't get me wrong, I like getting flowers or chocolates or little notes...but I like getting all those things any day of the year.  There seems to be so much pressure associated with the big V-day.  As an adult, I don't get too excited about it, but I love making it a big deal for the kids!

We made cutout cookies... 



I made these "Sweetie Pies" as a special treat for my own Sweetie Pies!  They were so easy & looked so cute!  I used Grandma Mary's recipe for a double crust and it made 18 cutie-patootie little cherry pies.  I warmed up some of the leftover icing from the cookies and drizzled it over the pies when they came out of the oven...I think it made them taste a little more like a turnover...which technically, I consider a 'breakfast food'... at least I kept telling myself that this morning! 

 Both kids had their school Valentine's Day parties today.  I got to help with Lane's.  Those preschoolers know how to spread the love!  Dig got more hugs than I could count from those little girls... was about enough to make this Momma jealous!

Drue is a pie-lover...and these passed the test!

Ryan requested "breakfast-as-supper" that morning, which was completely shocking! He is usually totally against that idea.  He likes breakfast for breakfast and that's it! I have, however, started making breakfast foods, (omelets, pancakes, sausage, hashbrowns, egg sandwiches, egg bakes, French toast, etc...) after church on Sundays and he's been ok with it...maybe it's because I call it 'brunch?'  Mind games, mind games, whatever works, I say. 

I was all excited to make heart-shaped pancakes for everyone.  Go figure, my 'non-stick' pan is becoming less and less 'non-stick' so the hearts didn't really resemble hearts...which ended up not really mattering because Ry is the only one who eats pancakes other than me.

Actually, I think Ry suggested pancakes and eggs for supper thinking he was doing me a favor.  It sounds simple enough, but no matter what I do, big breakfasts seem hard for me to orchestrate.

I have a hard time getting things cooked at the right time.  The sausage is done, then make the pancakes, without having cold sausage.  Eggs have to be HOT for me so they are last minute, but by then the pancakes are cool or stuck to the pan and it seems like we each eat at different times...

I know he meant well...but my groaning must not have been hint enough to order out... and now I have the messy kitchen to occupy the rest of my day. 

Happy Valentine's Day to me.  =)

Pokey-pine

The weather was gorgeous this weekend and the kids took advantage of it! Winters in Iowa aren't really 'play-outside' kind of days.  It seems like once it snows and looks like fun outdoors, it gets too cold...too fast.

It was a balming 35 or 40 degrees out and the snow was melting.  Perfect for making a snowman...or in our case...a snowFAMILY!

{Drue did wear appropriate winter clothing while playing outside...I made her run back out for a picture!}

This poor snow-family didn't last long.  Within about 3 hours they were hunched over and melting away. OR Cash, the dog jumped on them trying to eat their apple mouths & carrot noses, we don't know for sure!?

Daddy also helped Dig make a little tunnel.  He played in it for the longest time!

Lane told me he was a "pokey-pine" and he was needing to eat lots of food (snow) because...

pretty soon he needed to be "de-hydrating" (read: hibernating) for the winter!! 



"Re-rase it"

"MOM! Re-rase that picture of DD on your blog and put one of me on it!"

Yes, sir.

Wordless Wednesday