David Lost a Tooth!

David had been wiggling his lower left tooth for months it seemed- and finally last Saturday afternoon it came out! He was very non-chalant about the whole ordeal, "It just came out, Mommy." After a lost tooth mishap (it stuck to his pillowcase while he was deciding where to leave it for the tooth fairy), he safely placed his tooth under his pillow in a container from the dentist. The tooth fairy brought him a "Golden Quarter" (really a Sacajawea dollar).

What a milestone!

Back in Action

Today was a first...

Miraculously, both of our children were out with friends at the same time, and the weather was as gorgeous as it gets in March in Alaska- blue sky, mid 30's and sunny.

Steve and I decided to go for a run together- spontaneously- and it felt like it did 10 years ago! WOW! We just took off, neither of us planned a thing- no kid activities, no snacks to pack, no strollers to push... incredible! We had so much fun reminiscing about our early married years when moments like this did not feel like a luxury... this definitely needs to be re-incorporated into our life!

My Little Helpers

Steve has been working Saturday mornings in February (it takes some more seniority to get the weekends off!) so to keep ourselves busy and get the house clean, I've been offering the kids the opportunity to earn some money. It goes like this: after breakfast and a healthy dose of cartoons, we meet at the table and discuss what jobs the kids think need to get done around the house, then I write each job on a post-it note with a money value attached (25-50 cents), and the kids choose one to start with and get busy. When they finish a job, they stick the post-it note to their bedroom door so I can pay them accordingly. I've had help sweeping the snow off of the porch, putting outdoor toys away, vaccuuming rugs, sweeping the kitchen, sorting the recycling, and unloading the dishwasher- all for about $4.00 a week! David is saving up for LEGO Star Wars for our new computer, and Abby is saving for a Cabbage Patch doll.

This is such a fun part of our Saturday now. I have to keep a teaching mindset as we work because some of the chores are new or very challenging for them. Abby isn't quite ready to handle the vaccuum cleaner around the corners of the coffee table, but she chooses that chore each time- so we just do that part together. David is so capable- he amazed me the first time he swept the snow off of the porch- not only did he use the garage door opener in the van to get the garage open and put the broom away after he finished, but he took his boots off in the garage so he wouldn't ruin the clean kitchen floor with wet boots! WOW! This is great practice for me not to expect perfection and criticize, but just praise them for jobs well done and let their own sense of responsibility and hard work kick in!

Ice Skating

David has completed his first set of ice skating lessons, and now is in round two! These photos were taken on the first night, and the last night of lessons. He is a natural- although "wiggly" as he describes himself!

LOVE 2008

The LOVE letters idea is certainly not mine, but this beautiful family is! We did our own LOVE letters in 2005, and the kids have asked over and over for a repeat. It's fun seeing how much we've all changed in 3 years! Happy Valentine's Day!
I'm really having trouble with the pictures- I have asked for some tech help- so check back tomorrow to see if they are up! Sorry! Anyone know how to get the word LOVE spelled correctly? I uploaded them that way...

Here's the first entry!

I'm at school- taking a break from parent-teacher conferences and my on-line class. My thoughtful husband is on his way with a grande non-fat vanilla latte- how did I get so lucky?!