Eva plays Dinosaur Music Night

Eva is really doing well in her piano lessons! She's a good practicer and loves her lessons. Her fingers are getting stronger and stronger. Before she didn't have the strength she does now, so sometimes when she pressed a key, there wouldn't be any sound. Not anymore.

This week is a big week for her. She is graduating from the black keys and moving on to white keys!

Here she is, playing one of her pieces for this week called Dinosaur Music Night.

Liam is starting to walk!

Liam is gradually figuring out how to balance and walk. Each day, he adds a few more steps. For some reason, he always makes his biggest leaps in progress right before bed. It has become part of our nightly routine now to sit on the floor and cheer him on as he practices.

Here is some video from last night and this morning.

A new, bigger bike

I spent the weekend scouring Craigslist for a bike for Eva. We wanted something small enough, like a 12" bike with training wheels.

When I saw the ad for the almost brand new Strawberry Shortcake bike, complete with a cable lock and pretty pink streamers, I quickly replied.

Dave and the girls drove down to the Cape to buy it, because for $25, it was a deal we just couldn't pass up!


As it turned out, it was bigger than 12". In fact, it was even bigger than Amanda's current bike.

We decided to let Amanda take the Strawberry Shortcake bike, and put the training wheels back on Amanda's purple bike. Hopefully Eva's legs will be long enough. If not, I'll keep looking for something her size.

Even though the bike seemed a bit big for Amanda, she quickly adjusted to the size.

Surprisingly, Eva is perfectly content to stick with her scooter for the time being. She just loves that thing and really gets around well!

Kindergarten Performance: This Land is Your Land

The whole family got to walk to school with Amanda and attend the weekly Assembly in the gymnasium.

The day started with the whole school reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a moment of silence.

Amanda's class, minus one person whom I accidentally cut out of the picture!

Then the two Kindergarten classes, dressed in red, white and blue, sang "This Land is Your Land."

I also pulled out the piano music for it and Amanda asked if she could learn it as part of her weekly piano lesson assignment. She might even perform it at the June Piano Recital.

Amanda entered a Writing Contest

The other day before the girls' favorite television program ("Wild Kratts") came on, we heard an announcement about a Story Contest.

When Amanda heard that it was for grades K-6, she immediately got all excited and said she wanted to write a story.

I went to the website to read all about the rules. The book had to be at least 50 words long and have at least five illustrations. The story could be fiction or non-fiction and inventive spelling was acceptable.

I realized that the deadline for the contest, put on by New Hampshire Public Television, was only two days away, so we didn't have much time to get this thing postmarked!

I stapled some pieces of paper together to make a blank book and she got started, forgetting all about the fact that her show was starting.

The contest results will be announced in mid-April.

I am so proud of Amanda for deciding to do this on her own. I tried not to correct anything, although I did help her with the word 'dinosaur', because I didn't want to dissuade her.

Here is her finished story.


This afternoon, Amanda got an email from one of the contest judges.

Dear Amanda,
I just wanted to let you know that we have received your story All About Numbers. I loved reading your story! Dinosaurs are my favorite animals, you do an excellent job drawing dinosaurs and your drawings helped show what your story was about very well!

You should know that no matter what happens with the judging, that you wrote and illustrated a great story and I hope you continue to express yourself with writing and illustrating.

How exciting!

My Very Good, Not So Terrible Day

Today was one of those days where everything went right.

These types of days are far and few between in my world. There always seem to be fires to put out and problems to solve. Just when I think things are going right, a wheel falls off the cart.

But not today!

It all started when I checked my email in the morning. I was delighted to learn that my name had been drawn for the $25 gift card to this Saturday's gigantic Children's Spring Consignment Sale.

I consign kids' items twice per year at this sale and it's the best place to find bargains on children's clothing, toys, and equipment. And not only did I win the gift card, I also received a "pass" to the Volunteer Pre-Sale. This means I will get to shop the night before the sale opens to the public - and a full two hours before the Consignor Pre-Sale. That is huge, because typically all of the good stuff gets scooped by the volunteers, then the consignors, and finally the public. This time around, I will get first crack at everything. It's a good thing, because I have a long list of things that the kids need. They are all going through growth spurts!

My day continued with an invigorating run at the gym. Dave's stellar performance last Saturday inspired me to start working toward the goal of completing my first 5K run. A few days ago, I managed to do the whole 3.1 miles in 34 minutes, a full 7 minutes slower than Dave's time. (My goal is to do it in 30 minutes.)

When I was leaving the gym, I found out that Dave's picture was in this week's newspaper.

Dave poses with my friends, Debbie and Jamie

My friend, Debbie, had submitted the photo to the paper, and they chose to print it!

I had a few morning appointments so Dave took over "kid duty", which really was just "Liam Duty" since the girls were at school. It was a nice change of pace for me. I even had time between appointments to do some leisurely shopping at Trader Joe's and grab a sandwich at Panera.

Realizing I had 30 minutes to kill before my next appointment, I stopped by the Salvation Army to browse.

And what do you know, I found my very favorite brand of jeans... in my size... with a green tag! On Wednesdays, anything with a green tag is 50% off so I managed to get the jeans for a whopping $3.50! And as a bonus, I found a pair of like-new beautiful brown leather boots for $5. I practically skipped out of the store.

I arrived home and found that the lunch dishes had already been done and things were relatively clean. Amazing! I talked to the girls about their day at school, and scanned my blog reader. It was a good day for deals today on my money-saving blogs: a free bag of Uncle Ben's rice and a free bottle of Suave hair styling product. Not too shabby. Every little bit counts.

I had an afternoon of super lessons, with my students getting ready for the end of the year recital which occurs in two months. Even my dinner tonight (bbq spareribs on crusty rolls) was a hit with everyone. Amanda even suggested that I "put this meal on our favorite dinner list."

Other than the fact that Amanda and Liam suddenly came down with runny noses right before bed... and Liam once again throwing an absolute fit about having to go to bed, it was a good day.

A great day, in fact! I suppose it's too much to ask that tomorrow goes the same way. I have a dentist appointment first thing in the morning...

* Edit: Actually, today has been another great day: no cavities for me! And, Dave brought home some delicious lobster bisque from Haddad's for lunch. Woo hoo!

Treasures

The girls absolutely love to write and draw. I am constantly finding random things laying around the house... letters, pictures and stories.

Each time, it's like finding a little treasure.

Here are a few that I found yesterday when cleaning off the drawing table. (Click on the picture to enlarge.)

By Amanda, a Saint Patrick's Day song...

Happy St. Patrick's Day

One of my favorites is the letter that Amanda wrote to me when I was sick a few weekends ago. I hung this one on the refrigerator for a few days.


That's Amanda, always compassionate and concerned about the well-being of others.

And I found Amanda's unicorn story particularly funny.

"Once very long ago me and Eva found out why unicorns aren't alive anymore. Most of them sunk!"

Eva loves her giant dinosaur coloring book. I worked with her a few times, teaching her how to write our last name. On the side, you can see where she tried to remember how the letters went.

Not too bad for a 3 year old.

Father & Son do their first 5K race!

St. Patrick's Day 5K Run to benefit the
Marshfield Education Fund
(Photo taken by Atlantic Photography)

Today Dave participated in his first ever 5K race, with Liam... in the jogging stroller.

A family shot taken right before the race started.

The turnout for this race, the first 5K race Marshfield has ever had, was much bigger than expected.

Nearly 2000 people: runners, walkers, and crawlers with strollers!

Evidently 5K is the equivalent of 3.2 miles and Dave had been training for 
quite a few weeks now.  He said the actual race was somewhat of an obstacle 
course, trying to maneuver around all of the walkers. Amanda commented that it 
looked "more like a parade than a race."  She was right.

Dave estimated that he finished the race in approximately 30 minutes, but couldn't
really be sure until he checked the electronic results.

"Go, Daddy!" He's #894 in black.
(Photo taken by Atlantic Photography)

Tonight, I looked up his actual result here:
http://www.coolrunning.com/results/11/ma/Mar19_Marshf_set1.shtml


DAVID LINDSAY  BIB #894  MARSHFIELD    37   M      98 30-39  27:51.5    30:09.2  8:56/MILE

He did it in under 28 minutes, and actually beat all of our friends who competed in the race!
He was the only one of our friends who did the race pushing a stroller!

I felt a bit disappointed that I wasn't able to participate in the race with Dave.  Instead,
I had "kid duty", taking Amanda to and from dance class.  We had time to drop Dave and Liam off
at the race, cheer him on as he took off running, and then we had to leave.

After the race was over, we picked the boys up and went out for pizza to celebrate.

"Give us a High Five!"

I am already planning ahead to next year, when I will do the race along with Dave.  I'd better start
training now if I have any hope of keeping up with him.

Goodbye to the Training Wheels

On Friday night, Dave took the training wheels off Amanda's bike.

She wasn't too sure about the idea when we first mentioned it, but after a few days of thinking about it, I guess she changed her mind.

I stayed with her for a while, trying to teach her how to balance. We tried in the parking lot, which is not paved. It's just sandstone and it's hard to get traction. She could only stay up on her own for about a second.

After dinner, Dave took the girls over to the paved parking lot at the school. And when they came home, Dave said she was doing great!

On Saturday morning right after breakfast, Amanda and Eva got all bundled up and headed back outside, eager to get going. Eva rode around on the scooter; Amanda on her bike.

Next thing I know, I look out the window and Amanda is riding! Really riding and staying up, all on her own! I am so impressed by how quickly she figured it out.

Fast forward to today... Sunday morning. Immediately after breakfast, the girls were back outside. And Amanda is like a pro now, racing around all over the place! Dave and I are both completely amazed at how quickly she learned to ride a bike.

I'd like to get Eva a bike of her own, with training wheels, this summer. For now, she's content with the scooter... and keeps asking Amanda if she wants to do "bike races" with her.

Proof that Liam can stand

Liam's confidence is growing by the day. He can now stand long enough for me to grab the camera and get some proof!

Still not ready to walk on his own, but he'll get there. I think he's working on talking first. I can actually communicate a bit with him now, with some real understanding going on.

For example, if I ask,"Where's your shoe?", he will find it and bring it to me.

The other day, I asked,"Do you want a snack?", and he retrieved his bib and brought it to me.

If I ask,"What does a lion say?", he will roar. We're working on "What does a kitty say?", and it's the cutest thing when he very softly says,"Meow."

And whenever he blurts out "Mah!", as he does at the end of this video, that's his way of saying,"More!" This has become his game. Have Mama or Daddy stand me up, I'll show them how long I can stand, repeat.

Update! Update!

Tonight, between bathtime and bedtime, Liam decided it was time for a breakthrough... and took his first steps!

When I came upstairs with the girls, Dave told me that Liam had just taken about two steps.

By the time I grabbed the camera and sat down on the floor, he had added a few more steps! It won't be long now before his little brain puts all of the pieces together.

Video to follow soon...

The best (and easiest) Alfredo Sauce Recipe

I always hit up the reduced bins at our local supermarket... starting with "Reduced Produce", making my way to the "Reduced Deli", then "Reduced Bakery" and finally "Reduced Dairy."

This weekend I made out really well and among other bargains, I found Philadelphia Cream Cheese on sale for $.75. (This usually costs around $1.79 per brick so quite a deal.)

I bought a bunch and froze them, thinking that I could always use them for baking.

Tonight we are having eggplant parmesan raviolis and string beans, and I decided to try making an alfredo sauce out of the cream cheese. I added a sprinkle of nutmeg and a handful of fresh chopped parsley to my sauce, which made it perfect. This is definitely a recipe I will be making again.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1855,140166-232207,00.html

Tonight's meal might be as good as last night's meal, when Dave made deep-fried haddock (using tempura batter) and tempura squash and zucchini. I told him if he had added some beer to the tempura batter, it would have rivaled Wisconsin's Friday night fish fries. He suggested making Fridays "fish night" here, and I sincerely hope he was serious about that!

Miscellaneous

I hit the jackpot today while browsing at The Christmas Tree Shop. Children's travel neck pillows!! These will be perfect for road trips, especially during our annual summer trip to Wisconsin. (We're planning this year's trip around my 20th high school reunion at the end of July.)


Amanda chose a red ladybug; Eva chose the hippo (which she insists is a DOG!); and Liam will get the green lizard. These were a real bargain at $4.99! I'm thinking about going back to buy more for birthday gifts. The girls have already named their pillows "travel pets" and Amanda promptly laid hers on her lap like a Boppy pillow and said,"Now I can nurse Olivia!" (Her stuffed rabbit.)

And now, an update on Liam and his sleep habits...

No more Mr. Crankypants!

You can't see it but his shirt says Night Patrol." That has been pretty fitting... until this weekend. I am pleased to say that we have made great progress!

He is back on Mama's good side now and his easygoing nature has returned. Last night he slept from 7:15 pm until 5:40 am! That just might be his best night of sleep ever.

Of course, Dave and I are so accustomed to managing on little sleep, that we both woke up in the middle of the night, purely out of habit. (Dave got up and worked on the computer from 1-5 am; I listened to podcasts from 2-4 am.)

I think we are both in need of our own form of sleep training!

Liam's First Haircut

We'd been meaning to do this for weeks now. Liam's hair was getting longer and longer, with legitimate curls in the back.

It was to the point where I kept doing the comb-over, and actually had thoughts of putting a barrette in to keep the hair out of his eyes.

I tried taking him to the Old Salt Barbershop on Monday, but alas, it was closed. Today Dave tried again and "Miss Cheryl" was open, so the much needed haircut finally happened.

Wow, what a difference!


Liam is a handsome little devil now, and just like that, he looks so grown up! I can't stop looking at him, wondering where the "baby" went.

It's a good thing he's so cute, because lately his sleeping habits have been HORRIBLE. I cannot even describe how torturous the past week has been. He has been waking up between 4:30 and 5:00 am, and will NOT go back to sleep. Naps? What are those? He has resisted naps for three straight days. And when he wakes up in the night (more than once, may I add), he will scream for hours.

Yes, I said HOURS. Last night he screamed at the top of his lungs from 10:45 pm until 1:00 am. There were short bursts of time that he'd stop... and I'd look at the clock and think,"Oh good. He's been quiet for 5 minutes." And then the hysterical screaming would begin again.

There are no tears. It's just angry, frantic screaming. Granted, he IS cutting five teeth, four of which are molars. But I think this has more to do with January's hospital stay. That's when the sleep started deteriorating. But this past week has been getting progressively worse, to the point where we decided it was time to take him to the doctor in case there was a medical explanation.

Unfortunately, there was not. He is completely healthy. (Part of me had hoped it was a double ear infection, just so we'd have an explanation... and medicine! No such luck.)

The doctor's recommendation: Tough love. Let him learn how to soothe himself. Stop the night feedings. Follow Ferber's book. In short, continue to do what we've been doing.

The thing is, Liam seems to have more fight left in him than we do. I can't deal with the sleep deprivation any longer. I am afraid HE is winning this battle.

I am considering toddler boarding school if things don't improve soon. He did take a 90 minute nap today, so I guess that is progress. And with Daylight Savings tomorrow, we're hoping that could work to our advantage.

Wish us luck!