The kids and I were home all day yesterday with every nasty sickness there is!!!  I was cleaning up after them and not feeling so good myself.  I knew that today would be another day stuck at home, so I decided to take them to see “Horton Hears a Who!”

Last time I took them to the movies was about 3 years ago — Leo was 2 and Fischer a new baby. I can’t even remember what we went to see, but Leo screamed in PURE TERROR for the first 10 minutes, and Fischer was crying too so we left.  I didn’t even try to get my money back cuz I was so embarrassed and frazzled. 

Today Fischer and Leo did really well, sat thru the whole movie.  Rocky was not so happy about it all but this time I was more prepared.  I let him play on the stairs for a while then tried to get him to fall asleep in the stroller while I pushed it back and forth.  That didn’t work so I wrapped him up in the blanket and tried to walk him to sleep in the aisle where you walk in to the theater.  He finally fell asleep in the stroller about 5 minutes before the movie ended.  It was worth it though cuz we got out of the house and the older kids had fun.  I can’t wait until Rocky is at the age that age I can take them all to the movies and we can ALL sit and watch.  

Leo turned five on March 20th – I remember the day she was born and how ear-piercing her cry was!!!  We had a family party on her actual birthday and a Garden Party with 14 of her friends a couple days later.  The weather and fun were perfect!!!!  We made ladybug outfits, garden party hats, and potted herbs.  I made a flower cake (I think it looks like an evolved tumor), opened presents and then a pinata!!! The kids had a great time running around the backyard and becoming diabetic on all the sugar they ate.  We played Red Rover and ended the party with Duck-Duck-Goose.  Here’s just a “few” pictures from all the festivities: 

I have to do a shout-out to Leo so when she’s a teenager and we’re at each other’s throats, she can read this and know I love her even when I wanna rip my hair out!!!  

I want my children to grow up and be better then me, and I think Leo is already there.  She is such a kind little girl, so good to her brothers and let’s them know she loves them.  She is a HUGE help to me, I couldn’t manage three kids without Leo.  She is a hard worker and very obedient.  Leo also has the most inquisitive questions and often has thoughts and ideas that are over my head.  She is a great friend to everyone and is no respecter of persons.  Leo also has a strong testimony and understanding of the gospel for a person her age. She chooses to watch the Old Testament on her DVD player when we go on road trips. (I don’t get it!)  I really am thankful that I could be her mother, I have a lot to learn from her.  As Leo gets ready to start kindergarten this fall, I know it’s going to be harder on me then her.  But I have no worries about Leo and I know she’ll make good decisions and be kind to those around her.

Happy Birthday Leo!!!  You’re loved and admired by many. 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day.  I didn’t even know it was P-Day until I ventured to Costco and saw some crazy old man dressed head-to-toe in mismatched green.  I just figured he was a crazy old man… until I realized other crazy people wearing lots of green.  My bad.  That’s what happens when you become a mom.  You forget everything.

This is the St. Patty’s pic Leo drew today.  She said, “The Leprechaun isn’t wearing a dress, he just has his belt really low.”   Also, Leo brought home a Blarney Stone she made at preschool — her teacher told her you have to put the stone on a cliff and bend over backward and kiss the stone for good luck.  So Leo did just that — our deck passed as the cliff.

For dinner we had green chicken nuggets, green grapes, and breadsticks w/lots of green spices on top.  The kids ate on green plates and I was over-greened by then so I didn’t.  I also choked down the food cuz I eat w/my eyes first and green makes me ill.  

BTW – the “green” chicken nuggets I made from “Deceptively Delicious” by Jessica Seinfeld.   I made brocolli puree and mixed it with one egg which was the batter I dipped the chicken chunks in.  Then covered them in breadcrumbs and flax meal and fried them up!!! The kids loved it.

See you at the pub.    

Read this article regarding homeschooling laws in California.  ”Based on one specific incident, a panel of appellate court judges in California used an opportunity not just to resolve a situation at hand, but to potentially ban homeschooling across the state of California.”  

Completely unfair and one example of government having too much control.  

I have three great friends here in Richmond who have chosen to homeschool their children.  Each of them have had spiritual confirmations that this is what’s right for their family.  And while my decision is to put my children in public school, my friends have never made me feel badly for my choice.  And neither do I look down on them.  I admire these women and have learned so much from them.  More importantly, my children learn from their kids as well.  

Before moving to VA, I had a narrow view of what homeschooling was like and was against it.  Now I see the benefits of homeschooling and why my friends chose to teach their children in their own homes.  If one day it gets to the point where I know I am suppose to homeschool my kids, I have a support group of good women and their bright children.  Even though I do not homeschool my children,  I am willing to stand up for those who do if it ever came to a point that homeschooling be banned in Virginia.  Especially as an LDS women, I know that down the road things may become so bad that I would have to pull my children out of school.  And I think it is my duty to support homeschoolers because I may just end up being one someday.    

… on Leo.

I let Leo pick out her clothes now, most the time I don’t care what she wears cuz it saves me about 15 minutes, which is gold.  Anything to find more time to get things done.  Here she is practicing soccer in the backyard – and if she wants to wear that in her soccer games, I’m all about it.  Other pics of her workin’ her runway catwalk… she got the swagger from her dad.  WORK IT!!!

Fischer threw up yesterday, so Marissa took the kids to the doctor.  Both Leo and Fischer have strep throat.  Awesome.  They were pretty lethargic yesterday, but they both woke up before 6:30 this morning and were crazy and playful as usual by the time we got up.  So I guess the antibiotics have kicked in.

I felt a little bad because the other day Fischer had told me that he had two sore throats, but now that I think they’ve passed it on to me, I think we’re even.

Leo and Fischer always want us to tell them a story or two once they get into bed, but this week I’ve been making them tell me one first before I tell one.  The other night both of them told different stories about Lightning McQueen, Chick Hicks and the King.  The best part is that no matter what story Fischer tells or wants told, it has to involve a witch – either Lightning McQueen and a bad witch, or a brother and sister and a good witch, or my modified C. S. Lewis: the tiger, the witch and the closet.  Leo’s a little more unpredictable – tonight she asked for a story about a clover and a leprechaun. 

It’s funny to hear what they come up with, but they’re getting better each day.  And they know to start out with, “Once upon a time . . .”  Fischer likes to close it out with a simple, “The End,” while Leo prefers the more traditional, “And they lived happily ever after. . . .”

THE END