baseball

baseball has now taken over our life! charlie started t-ball this year and his team is just so cute! the first two games were rained out and practices were chaotic but when it came time for his first game-it was great! the kids ran the bases and all chased after the ball when they were in the outfield. so much fun to watch!

henry started coach pitch at 3 & 2 - he is big time now! he loves it and takes it very seriously. when we are not at a game or other activity you can find him in our backyard playing-throwing the ball on the roof and catching it if mom has had enough ball for the day-just waiting for dad to get home to pitch some more.

after kindergarten was done i took henry and his friend kyle to an afternoon royals game. this week we took all of the kids to a wednesday night game. the royals have a great weeknight deal: 4 tickets for 44.00, which includes lower level seats, unlimited games at the little k and 5.00 each for concessions. they were great-we lasted until the 8th inning!

we have been busy with soccer games and practices this spring with both of the boys playing. next up t-ball and coach pitch!

we started a little spring/lent family project to remind us of all we have to be grateful for. this idea inspired me. i trace the shapes (bird, butterfly or flower) onto colorful paper, the kids cut out and write what they are grateful for on them. then we hang them on this great branch that i found in our yard and placed above the kitchen window.

food kitchen

monday i took the boys to st. mary's food kitchen where our church volunteers once a month. they did a great job passing out silverware and trays and greeting people. we saw a lot of people come thru and a lot of kids. we talk about people in need and ways we can help at home but i think actually seeing how many people need food and participating in that service makes it real. and when we say our prayers at night and they say they are grateful for their lives, i think they get it a little more.

bingo!

the boys and i went with some friends to play bingo last night and we had a winner! henry won $16.50! fun stuff- and the plans that were made with the money-legos, baseball stuff, save some, rice bowl...it was a late night and you can see here that charlie got a little bored and decided to stamp himself.

happy st. patrick's day!

from the brookside parade. lots of candy was gathered!

home depot crafts

the first saturday of each month home depot and lowes offer kids craft workshops where they can build a project for free. each kit comes with instructions and hammers are provided along with an apron to keep and pins for each project completed. this month was a race car ramp complete with two little wooden cars. the boys were thrilled and proud of their work.

winter escape

we were lucky this year to be able to escape from kansas city for the warm beaches of playa del carmen in mexico. we were celebrating our 10 year anniversay with friends, unfortunately one couple did not get to go because they were lacking a passport. don't know how we missed that fact since we planned this trip about 8 months ago! despite feeling horrible about that and missing them we had a great time: yummy food, cold beverages, lots of laughs, sunny days and relaxing on the beaches listening to the ocean.

we haven't had much snow this winter but we came home to plenty! and excited kids, both for the snow and to have their mommy and daddy back home.

read to a dog

our local library hosts several fun activities for the kids each season. this weekend we went to read to a dog. they loved snuggling up with max, zoe and maddie to read to them. click on this link if you are from the kc area for listings of activities at a library close to you: www.jocolibrary.org

we lost our dog over a year and a half ago and have been thinking about a new one. the family vote is 4 to 1 to get a puppy but dad is holding out. we have done some dog-sitting for a sweet beagle, india. lucy is head over heels for her!

happy birthday mom!

70 years of oz

a trip downtown to crown center to visit the 70 years of oz exhibit. these free exhibits change every few months and the kids enjoy it every time we we go. this one lasts through april 26. the kids follow the yellow brick road past dorothy, glenda, the scarecrow, lion and tin man, through the witches castle and a ride on a hot air balloon.

of course we had to eat at fritz's where a train delivers the meal and look at that huge brownie sundae!

then outside to watch the fountains and enjoy a semi warm day in february.

valentine's

here are our valentine's this year. we wrapped a chenille stem around a pencil and added our message and a sticker at the top.

friday family fun nights

march's theme for tastebud magazine is family favorites, so i documented one of our friday family fun nights at home. it was fun to include the kids on this one!

Friday Family Fun Night
In our house Fridays are reserved for family fun night. This can include anything from going to the Nelson-Atkins art gallery to trying a new family friendly restaurant or the kid’s favorite, game night at home. Since this night is all about fun and family time together start with setting an interactive and brightly colored table. Roll out a large sheet of white butcher block paper and provide lots of markers, crayons and colored pencils for creating bold drawings. To hold our supplies we made ‘junk drawer’ robots out of recycled cans, old hardware, paper clips and any odds and ends we discovered in the garage. Have the kids design the robots out of these old parts and an adult can attach the junk with a hot glue gun. My kids were so excited to add their works of art to create our centerpiece. Next, bring on the games! For our last game night we played bingo. The cage served as the centerpiece, we placed the bingo cards at each place setting and spread the colorful markers all over the table. Another alternative would be to place a board game and pieces in the middle and get ready to play!
The menu is simple: make your own pizza and chocolate milk. Stop by Whole foods to buy their pre-made pizza dough in the deli area and get plenty of toppings (pepperoni, black olives, broccoli, mushrooms, red peppers, etc.), sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. Everyone is happy because they choose their own pizza toppings and they have fun making it. While the pizza is in the oven enjoy coloring and talking about the week. When the pizza is gone it’s on to dessert. What could be more fun than chocolate fondue? Kids love dipping marshmallows, pretzels, bananas and strawberries into the yummy melted chocolate.
Spend the rest of the evening playing games and laughing, dancing and enjoying this time together. We end our night with everyone piling into our king sized bed for a family slumber party.

Family Fun Night Tunes

House Party Time: Dan Zanes
Pizza and Chocolate Milk: The Terrible Twos
Victor Vito: Laurie Berkner
I Chalk: Justin Roberts
Heist: Ben Folds
William Tell Overture: Rossini
Catch the Moon: Lisa Loeb and Elizabeth Mitchell