Mitchell is Two!

 Well, the dirt cake went over so well 2 weeks prior, Mitchell just couldn't get enough - so he also got to have it for his birthday.  He also got to help me make it...what a sweet sweet boy!

 The concentration...with the promise of a fingerful...

 He chose pancakes for his birthday dinner (though he might have been somewhat influenced by his older sisters) - complete with fun syrup, berries, and homemade whipping cream!  The Frys and the Wests came to celebrate with us - promise everyone had fun...just somber faces.  (side note - notice how long Annie's hair is...a foreshadow of things to come!)

 Mitchell is quite enthralled with fire, so we did a little fire (and I think roasted marshmallows...can't remember!) and enjoyed the cool evening.  He loved watching Ben and 'helping' to set up the sticks.

 This is one of my all-time favorite pictures...due to the little left hand of my youngest child - totally his personality.  He loves to be in the middle of the action, but he is going to want to touch, hug, or just stand next to you...maybe because he was never set down as a baby???  Who knows - we just all savor our Mitchell-hugs!

 Hmmm - we fed the kids first, so they could go and play while the adults enjoyed their food AND conversation.  Mitchell decided his tummy wasn't completely full yet and went to the one person who was willing to share...

 Hanging out by the fire with his little friend, Aspen.  They both set 'their' puppies next to the fire also.

 Time for the cake!  Yes, it was hidden in the fridge so this little monkey couldn't find it!  I have always wanted to do this cake and was so excited to finally get too - the dump truck was his present!

 Oh, the intensity of this little guy - he is going to BLOW those candles OUT!  Hehehe...

 We did a few presents after - the finale...a train set.  He has kind of liked trains, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money on one if he wasn't going to LOVE it...thus, thank you, Aldi!

This little guy is such a trooper - I love him in so many different ways!  However, his birthday was on probably the busiest Saturday of the year!!!  Ben had 3 games, the girls both had play practices, afternoon meeting for Andy, and that night was Stake Conference - where I was singing with the choir and needed to be early.  {Had I not been assigned the closing prayer - I definitely would have skipped out - I was just so stretched!} There was not even a one-hour chunk that we could do a birthday activity or even a meal!  ((Thankful for Sundays!))  I knew that Mitchell wouldn't know we were celebrating on a different day, but I had some massive Mommy-guilt that I just wasn't giving him the time and attention he deserved on his birthday.  Run, run, run all day - grab the sitter and off to the church.  *Sigh*  It was a fantastic meeting and very uplifting and just what I needed.

Fast forward to 945pm when we arrive home.  Who runs out???  My little 2 year old - happy as can be!  Our cute sitter said he had just woken up and she was trying to put him back to bed.  (This kiddo is typically so tired at the end of the night - he's a zombie until abt 6:30.)  Andy drove the sitter to her friend's house (this is important because it was a 30 minute drive), and I kicked off my shoes, went to the rocking chair, and opened my arms to hold and love on my little guy.  He relaxed contentedly on my lap while we just rocked and rocked...this NEVER happens - if he is awake, he is on the MOVE!  I looked at my clock and realized - it was the exact time of his birth - 9:59pm.  THIS is called a Tender Mercy - a little gift from Heavenly Father - a sign to me that He knows how to ease my burdens and that He is aware of and cares about me.  Tears rolled down my cheeks as I loved on my little friend, knowing that we are both special...as Mitchell slowly drifted off into dreamland.

Halloween Night

 Wow - don't know that I have ever experienced a colder Halloween!  BRRRR!!!!  It was freezing rain with a nasty wind, but we braved the elements to collect treats!

 Annie - ice skater (couldn't find her bat costume!), Ben - Davy Crockett, Emily - Cleopatra, Mitchell - Tigger.....Mom - runner!

 Freezing cold children who were d.o.n.e.  Andy met us partway through our whole 30 minutes and drove alongside.  Ben and I continued another 5 minutes and then he gave up too.  Another Halloween when Mom is ready to keep going and the kids poop out....

 Then we headed over to the church for Trunk-or-Treat (that was indoors because of the horrific weather - mass chaos)!  The girls always love face painting...

 Sadie, Mitchell and Aspen - they are all within 3 months of each other and very different.  Mitchell loves to give them both hugs, and they have finally come to terms with enduring his hugs, knowing it will be over faster if they just stand there as stiff as can be...

 Checking out the loot!!!  (We always put away a good-sized bag of treats to use for our graham cracker houses at Christmas time...or in January!)  It was gone through pretty fast this year - just glad I didn't sneak too much!

Makeup Halloween Party

 Note to self - never tell a child something if you don't mean to follow through!  Annie got sick at school and was home for the following several days, therefore missing her class Halloween party.  SO - she asked if we could do a party.  Sure, no problem...  That night, she said our family prayer and was thankful that mom was going to have a party because she missed the school party and thankful for a mom who was so nice.  YIKES!!!  Two hours later, we plan a quick party for 46 hours later!  After church on Sunday, we made some quick invites and took them to neighbors for a Monday evening at the Maas house - costumes appreciated but optional!  {Costumes????  Annie wanted to be a bat, and I had a pattern and shirt for a month but not the other materials.  Ben was Davy Crockett ((or Daniel Boone - can't remember which)) and needed a 'coon-skin hat.  Emily was set with Cleopatra.  No costumes put together yet!!!  Which made Monday a very very very busy and long day.}  BUT - we pulled it off and had a great party!  Above, making spider webs...

 Very thankful to 'West' (which according to Mitchell can be the husband or wife) for help with planning and corralling munchkins and also being on clean-up crew!  They are the BEST pseudo-aunt/uncle we could ever have hoped for!!!

 Yes, pictures of the food - tried to be pretty healthy - at least the healthy options were there!  LOVED the yummy mummy dogs - will definitely do those again - maybe for a baby shower or something!

 Played a game to keep the balloons up - remnants of our sign "He passed!  Way to go, Dad!"

 Ate some food....the Foster Fam!

 Anywhere you could find a seat!  Annie and Emily have two friends - Emma and Annabelle (not to be confused with our other friends, Annabelle and Mia) - they came too!

 Another race game to move the candy corn up the stairs - had to split up the Big Kids and the Little Kids.  Lots of fun, although somehow my kids all learned to throw elbows!!!  Just thinking now, we should have done an adult version too!

 The flour game, with the flour cup I grew up with!  My brother is a Halloween baby, so I remember many (although Mom says it was only once or twice) parties with Halloween games - like this one.  Fill a cup of flour, pack it down, turn it over and put a coin on top.  You go around the circle with each person cutting off a bit of flour.  Whoever cuts the flour to make the coin drop, has to fetch out the coin using only his/her mouth - no hands!!!

 While Big Kids played the flour game, little Kids (which ended up being all the girls), were wrapped up like a mummy!  They had a great time!  Each adult took a child not of their own to mummify.  Super fun - notice Mitchell above (wherever there might be a hope of food) and Everett below, watching the craziness he has come to expect every time he comes over!

Great party!  Kids want to do it again next year - neighborhood kids all agree.  We'll see...if it happens, we need to plan much more in advance!  I was completely exhausted by the end of the night!!!!

Mitchell Moments

 This little guy...it's so much easier to laugh and roll my eyes at his antics instead of getting frustrated and mad like I did with the others.  Maybe I am actually mellowing a bit!!!  Mitchell loves to eat bananas...and knows how to climb on the oven to reach them...and has learned to open them...all in the matter of about 8 seconds!  One day he had FOUR!  And then I started to freeze them to use in my shakes instead of having out on the counter for snacks...

Below, Annie was throw up sick for a few days in October - like, threw up in her classroom sick.  :(  This day she just layed on the kitchen floor while I cooked and did dishes.  She and Mitchell watched the chickens and teased them with food.  Poor chickens!!!

 Sweet Junie B.  Mitchell is simply amazing and can, for the most part, catch any of the chickens.  When he comes up to them, they squat down and stay very still.  I think he is unpredictable enough, they know he will just run over them!  Love watching the joy on his face with his little pets...

 Couldn't find Mitchell anywhere...he escaped...again...to see his friends...  One day recently, in freezing temperatures, I couldn't find my little guy.  Found his socks and shoes just outside the back door.  The clothes were next to the coop - I found a diapered 2 year old happily playing inside the coop, under the warmth of the heat lamp.  Awesome...best part was we needed to leave asap to take Emily to Girl Scouts so he came mostly-naked in the car, not smelly like roses!!!

 On Annie's last day of being sick, some friends came by.  She was thrilled for a chance to hold Baby Julie, who arrived one day before my birthday!

We got news on a late Friday afternoon that Andy passed the Ohio Bar exam!!!  While he was doing some church visits, we decided to get out the china and make a nice dinner.

  Complete with our silverware and names...

 After dinner, we had mint dirt cake (a minty twist on a family favorite - that was devoured!).

With a silly picture - love that Mitchell goes straight for the treat and Andy works to prevent that!

Philadelphia on Sunday

Sunday Morning we got up early and drove to see part of Valley Forge - again, another incredible place!  This was where the American troops wintered right before they outsmarted the Redcoats!  Lots of training troups - thankful for the German commander who came in and taught our men how to prepare and fight!

 

Then we met up with the Carlsons again for church.  Love Anika and Dave!!!!  And welcome to the workings of an inner-city Philadelphia church meeting, where parking is behind chain-link fences.  :) 

 Went back to our hotel to rest and change for Danny and Mindy's wedding!  Pictures with Grandma and Grandpa Maas before we went in.  Never been to a Jewish wedding before, but it was very nice - kind of thought we should all get to step on a glass or break something, but that's Greek - only the groom this time!

They had beautiful horderves set up while the families took pictures - wish I had thought to take a picture of them!  We had martini glasses and used them for a potato bar!  Pans of mashed and sweet potatoes with all the fixings...so incredibly yummy!  Then we had a formal dinner, which Ben skipped out on most of hit.  He hit it off with a cousin on the other side, Caleb and they went back to our room to watch football and play the DS.  We danced the night away until my feet were so tired, I just couldn't dance anymore!  Up at 3:30 to make it home before Jamie's flight the next afternoon.  So glad we were able to go and celebrate with the McGraths!!!!  It's always fun to see new places and visit with family!

Philadelphia on Saturday

We decided that since we just had a few hours, we would take the open-top Big Red Bus tour that had come highly recommended from so many!  Problem - super cold!!!  Love the Rocky statue!  We wished we had more time so we could get off at stops and get on the next bus that came around, but we didn't have all day - next time! 

 LOVE LOVE LOVE our tour where the Declaration of Independence was signed!  Special feeling and spirit in the room - simply amazing!

 Ben and Andy with George - I've been (very very slowly) reading a book about John Adams and have just finished the part where John describes how George was prepared to be the leader.  Simply Amazing.

 There was a Philly Cheesesteak place we had been told and told about that I absolutely wanted to try (also featured on tv).  It turned out to be quite a ways from the mainstream tourist area (few blocks - no problem - HUGE blocks) with a tremendously long line around the building.  However, line moved fast, people were nice and food was delightful!!!!  (Thankfully, Addy and Ben didn't love theirs so I got more!) 

 We were a bit pressed for time so we could make to the hotel for the meet-the-bride outing, so after walking 2 blocks, we hopped in a cab to take us to my next favorite destination - The Betsy Ross House.  Since we have a chicken named after her, it's really only appropriate!

Then, we visited with the wedding friends!  Andy and Ben went bowling with some of the crowd.  Addy and I picked up dinner from Maggiano's (and gave half to a homeless person wandering around) and went back to eat at the hotel and just recuperate and read.  FUN FUN DAY!!!!

2nd Term Report Cards

I need to take a quick moment to remember this elated feeling...sigh.  Oh, feels so good. 

Ben - every report card of his, I take a quick breather before I open it.  I know the child is quite intelligent.  I know that he CAN work super hard - when he wants to.  I know he is incredibly intense and just has to say some things right then, even if the teacher didn't call on him.  I know he loves Social Studies and Science, couldn't care less for math or language arts.  However, so pleased to find grades pulled up from high Bs to low As - thanks to a bit of studying and constant nagging from the parental units to finish assignments (and the homework hotline to check assignments each day).  Not that we have been perfect (because some days papers are just left in desks!!!!), but it's been much smoother.  He continues to have issues with talking too much and not using class time efficiently, (and we do lots and lots of reminders about that), but sadly, I received the same darn comments almost every single report card.  I know; we are busy people with wiggly bodies!!!

Annie - She was the one I was most worried about starting school - she was horrific when we did a coop preschool - at least when I taught.  Child would have nothing to do with learning and only wanted the art projects.  These are the comments from her teacher this term, "Annie continues to do a wonderful job in second grade.  She is such a wonderful role model as each time I introduce something new, she is so excited!  She continues to be a great help to those needing extra support.  As for her reading - I had to add some more books for my shelves.  She is a great motivator for encouraging others to read, especially when she finds a book she loves!  Then everyone wants to read it.  Thanks for your continued support.  PS - Her hair cut is so cute.  Her story of donating it was wonderful!"  Love that this little one is settled and happy.  She has friends in abundance, and despite the emotional drama we tend to see at home, is showing the balance and maturity at school that we have been practicing for and teaching at home!

Emily - This girl - such a social little butterfly.  She comes home each day with a story about one of her friends.  She can command the masses.  She has such a great attitude about learning and keeps her spirits up, even when she just can't remember that word or what number comes next!  I have incredible respect and love for the patience her teacher shows for her, as we have practiced 'was' and 'of' and 'are' over and over and over and over again without yet mastering this skill!  We spent many hours over Christmas break with the "Bob" books, trying to get the flow of reading down and we are finally seeing a little bit of progress!  Hip Hip Horray!!!  Ems does a fantastic job with math problems, but counting is just so hard!  She likes to problem-solve, not memorize.  However, her little scrunched up nose reminds me to be patient as some things are harder to learn than others. 

All in all, a great Friday afternoon when report cards came home.  We don't do anything special for 'A' or 'M' (mastery) grades, other than a big hug and special bragging words to dad as I had the cards to him with a flourish (knowing the kids are within listening distance), but I sure am proud of them all for working hard and staying positive and working at the kitchen table even when they don't want to be there!  Love these guys!!!!