Those lousy helmets!

A note from Mom:

Today, I saw a blog post that illustrated how important it is that our children wear safety helmets. We didn't have them when I was a kid, but then I didn't ride a skateboard, either.

This coulda been his skull.

Easter

Kitty and Jewel awoke this morning to find that there had been a visitor to our home. They each found a basket with some toys in it and engaged in an Easter Egg hunt in the living room.

We began the opening of the plastic eggs with the Resurrection Eggs the Easter Bunny supplied. They taught the girls a little bit more about why we celebrate Easter and that it is not just a holiday for candy, bunnies and food.


Jesus Lives!

Sing. Sing a Song ...

Sing a Song of Spring!

Yeah! It is finally here! And while not as warm as we would like it to be, it is a bright, sunny day! Too bad the ground is too soggy to play outside.

And there is another song to sing. Jewel is signed up to begin signing lessons at the beginning of April. She will have one 45-minute class each week. Grandma B said that we should get her into lessons when she heard Jewel sing last September. We've finally found a teacher who can work in our schedule. She is very excited. Kitty is not signed up yet, as we don't know if she really wants to do it or not. Let's hope there is some natural talent. And, we're sure that Grandma B wouldn't mind if it came from her!

Now, we just need to find a dance teacher for Kitty. That girls loves to jump and spin!

Leprechauns!

We were visited by leprechauns last night. They turned some furniture upside down, spilled some beads, left footprints everywhere and generally played some harmless tricks around the house. They even put one of Mommy's oven mitts in the refrigerator! Fortunately, the girls got a present from them as well. They were left with a pretty pencil. Kitty and Jewel really enjoyed hunting for things the leprechauns changed and where they left footprints. There was even a message on a white board that said "We were here. L." Maybe because we're part Irish, they didn't play any mean tricks on us. Or, maybe that's why they visited.

Whatever the reason, it was fun to wake up to the little surprises.

Well, Hail!

Wouldn't you know it?!? On a day for the "wearin' 'o the green", we'd be visited by small balls of ice falling from the sky. At the very least, it could have been green ice!

Well, hail!

Lá Fhéile Pádraig

That's "Happy St. Patrick's Day" in Gaelic. Don't ask us to pronounce it, but if you want to hear it, you can go this site.

We're wearing green today and the girls have received some activities from Professor Binns for the holiday. They have two activity books and get to build their own leprechaun. We'll post pictures when they are finished.

Dinos, dinos, everywhere!

They've returned! Those giants of the past. Although this time, they're not so giant. They're not even alive!

We've been studying dinosaurs. First, we read the Magic Treehouse book "Dinosaurs Before Dark." Then, the girls were sent assignments from Professor Binns and Hagrid. They were to complete a combination notebook/lapbook for their work. They had match, writing and spelling worksheets. Then, there were mini books to complete about dinosaurs. Jewel helped Kitty by reading the instructions to her. Both girls did a fine job of decorating their notebooks. Here are some pictures of their work.

Not Nice Ice

Brrrrr!

We're having an ice storm! The car in encased in ice, the grass is like a skating rink and everything else is coated in clear crystal. It's good that Mom was called to not go to work tonight. We have a Winter Storm Warning until midnight. They project we could get up to 1/4 inch of ICE!

Let's hope Daddy gets home safely.

Edited at 5:22PM to add Daddy did get home safe!

Sunday School

This morning we attended a Special Olympics basketball game to cheer on some friends. It was about an hour away from home, but a good time for all. Our friends got third place in the State, but both teams got medals. Everyone who plays in a Special Olympics sponsored sport is a winner!

For lunch, we went to an Irish Pub. It seemed like a tourist pub you'd find in Dublin, rather than one you'd find frequented by locals. The girls wimped out, in that they had Mac & Cheese. Daddy had a Corned Beef & Slaw Sandwich. Mommy had the Irish Monte Cristo. While we were there, we talked about Ireland, Gaelic, and leprechauns. Darn, school on a Sunday.