I have been a bad blogger this week and for that I must apologize. A combination of sick family (yes all 7 of us to some degree or another), Echo surgery anxiety and an end of the month “adventure” building up (to be disclosed by the end of the month, sorry) and blogging has completely slipped my mind. While I cannot guarantee that next week will be like. I hope to post at least SOMETHING before and after Echo’s surgery… 

Anyway… 3 days. Lets start with today just for fun! Well, we lucked out with our contact at a nearby town library. There was a Dr. Seuss party this weekend for the little ones. Perfect for our Trinity and Emanuel so Karyn, the two kids, myself and Victoria met up at the library to enjoy the party. Victoria works there some evenings and Saturdays as a second job. It is a beautiful building and their library program is amazing! I hope we can go back for more special events!

First it was storytime with TWO Dr. Seuss stories to enjoy. I love their little reading area with its fish in a tank and comfy reading chair!!!

The awesome reading corner

And then it was craft time… 3 crafts! There was a Cat in the Hat hat to create with paper, a t-shirt to colour (our 2 didn’t do a Seuss theme but amazing pieces of art all the same) and finally making a fish bowl using toothpaste and ziploc bags. I have some ideas to try this with other colours of paste for other projects! They smell REALLY minty!!

Assembling hat with Aunty Victoria

Decorating shirts

Toothpaste fishbowls

We stuck around for a little play time at the train set and picked out a few books to bring home and enjoy but Aunty Karyn is getting over a cold as is our Trinity so it was time to head back to town with Aunty Victoria along for the rid! We have missed her, it has been some time since we have had a nice visit. 

The plan for the day – a Green Food Snack/Potluck party for St. Patrick’s Day. We had a lovely variety of goodies including our now basically complete pot of gold. We still need to paint the inside and attached the base legs with hot glue. I figured people would rather NOT have black paper all over their chocolate loonies. 

Pot of Gold

I made some special greenish bread the night before in the breadmaker with 5-6 drops of food colouring put in when the beeping occurs to add in nuts etc. I think I needed to double that but I was worried about changing the flavour. Definitely a conversation starter!

There were green grapes, celery, green jello, Irish Potato Soup (directions to follow in another blog sorry! Have too much to type already for this one!), scalloped potatoes and sugar cookies cut like 4 leaf clovers. All in all a good spread.

After the snacking

Kristen, Fydo and Lauralee rounded out our gathering and we had a great time snacking, chatting, reading books with the kids (Lauralee is Trinity’s FAVOURITE storyteller right now). It was a lovely and restful way to spend an overcast afternoon. We wore green, ate green snacks and chatted. Lovely.

Of course we had to take our yearly picture of the kids in green. We did a 4 and 1 thing as Echo was not overly interested in photography. She actually had a DIFFERENT outfit to wear but… OUTGREW IT!!! MILESTONE!!! Our Echo is starting to out grow 6-9 month clothing! SCORE!

Little goofs!

A slightly cranky baby

Now for YESTERDAY… well, another rough day for yours truly feeling rather overdone with the knowledge that Echo is to have surgery so soon… BUT we managed to continue on. The twins and I wrote up information and interesting things we learned about Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day on a special page. I did the writing they did the dictating. They actually retained an awful lot! And then there were the adorable Leprechauns the little ones finished with me! I thought they were so cute, out of a file a friend sent me (thank you again!!). If you want to check out my Education.com collection for St. Patrick’s Day for next year be sure to click HERE.

Leprechaun

And Emanuel's

BUT late morning She Chris came by between clients at work to take me out to get lunchtime groceries (I think Trinity would have lynched me if I had made noodles for one more meal this week!). We managed to get quite a bit at Walmart for under 15.00. We also stopped by her work for a bit so I got to meet some of her co-workers and superiors. All very nice people and quite entertaining. 

Then in the late afternoon Kathy came for a visit. She forced me out the door sans kids and treated me to some most delicious Umi Sushi Express, a little wander around Walmart and an evening of positive thinking and chitty chat. Just what this worn out and worried momma needed. I truly am blessed in the friends I have met through out my life. 

Another special friend moment! Kristen over after work for a visit!

We have accomplished a lot with our little family and I just KNOW there is more to come. I am going to spend the rest of my year and my life creating more adventures for us to have, not more ordinary trips to places I think it is time to make EVERYTHING an adventure! I am going to do something special just for Echo’s surgery. We have our facilitator meeting in April and I am hoping to find the time to go through what we HAVE done (the big stuff) and find pictures of some of the things we could not save to show him to put with the stuff they completed. Definitely something I want to do as we do it for next school term! A sort of added scrapbook page for everything, especially with adding Emanuel into the mix officially!

I would love it if any of my readers, friends and family would weigh in on anything we have done since about October that is noteworthy that I should look for pictures of! Give me another perspective! You can leave a comment here, email me at rosereinsch@gmail.com… catch me on Facebook as Lisa Reinsch-Johnson (be sure to tell me who you are and why you are friending me if you are not friended yet), msn or Twitter! Whew that is quite the list! OH or call me, txt me or.. GASP.. tell me in person! 

That brings me back further to Thursday and a rather miserable day… sadly none of us were in the mood BUT we managed workbooks, some more St. Patrick’s day related stuff AND some together time. Lots of hugs, cloths for runny noses and moments of cute Echo time. I have been sneaking in even MORE cuddles lately, though one morning Ken found me crying and Echo crying in the middle of the kitchen floor. She had bonked and I had fallen to pieces. Thank goodness Ken was there to gather us up and remind us that this is all going to be OK! 

Workbooks

We have managed to have a memorable half of the weekend… and I have plans for next week, well sort of… (She) Chris is going to watch the other 4 while we are in the city, we are taking (He) Chris’ car to ensure we get there in one piece and on time (do we ever love these two!) and we are staying the night on the Tuesday at the den Otter’s… not to mention all the local friends who will be on call! What a wonderful network we are blessed with! On top of that we are moving out tv upstairs (that is another thing, the owners finally came and checked out the leak – caused by their improper installing of the dishwasher so there is a hole in my basement ceiling right now) and the Wii for the kids and hope that things go smoothly. 

Echo

Echo

And more Echo

Weekends are never sedate and restful around here lately. With Sean here already Saturday afternoon we added the den Otter family. As a birthday present Xinny wanted to come over and teach the kids more about Chinese New Year. We had a great time visiting, playing and of course learning. 

All but Echo

There were red envelopes filled with stickers (always a favourite), that they were told in turn to put them under their pillows for good luck. I think the younger two are still confused as to WHY they are putting them under their pillows but they all did. And then there was some snacks… special fried pastry sort of things that are supposed to represent cleaning out the house with the frying (they were made by Xinny’s dad). And some candies… she left us with some special dried fruits and crackers. All very special. 

Snacks

Xinny then helped each of the kids draw their name in Chinese characters. She actually came with sheets with all our names, our last name and some interesting words. I love the look of the characters and I think for Christmas I will do a banner for each of the kids. These were done on red paper as that is the colour of paper you use during the Chinese New Year. 

Time to write names

Echo and Izaac are already fast friends… well until he leans on her to give hugs or a kiss and almost knocks her over. Izaac was 11 months on Saturday and weighs around 27 lbs. Echo will be 1 1/2 on the 13th of this month and is 17 lbs. They are such extremes and absolutely ADORABLE together. I am looking forward to when they will be able to chat together and hang out. As it is they were doing rather well sharing toys and playing, though Echo laid claim to Xinny for a cuddle and Izaac was less than enthused. 

Our cuties

From the back

We have already begun planning to go visit the den Otters at their home in March. I am hoping we can get back to our old pattern of every other month going to visit. That part is on its way here and once we have this 4th repair on the coolant system we are hoping to have a lot more freedom of travel. 4th time has GOT TO be the charm! Right??

They play so well together

Xinny left me the supplies to make more characters… the brush pen and the ink. I am actually hoping to create some more myself… I love the finished look and it really does seem to be something I could create myself. I may just go back to her with a list of words in the end. But first I have my family to do up! 

My first attempts

A second go

Xinny brought some clothes for the girls as well. I could not resist putting Echo in one Sunday!

Love the dress!

Sunday means Sunday School. This weekend it was the twins’ turn to be sung Happy Birthday to. They each got a bracelet to bring home. Something they were SUPER excited about.

They were quick to change out of church clothes!

It was craft Sunday and they all made bookmarks! Very sweet!

Bookmarks

As it was the twins’ birthday they got to play Minecraft for most of the day. Ken has some printed out source sheets for them and everything. There were remarkably few fights and apparently a lot was accomplished. 

Crowded around the pc

Of course there was the slurpee trip. It was Ken’s turn and he bought them larger sizes than I tend to buy them so they were doubly happy!!! And of course we bought a third one so that the other two and myself had a treat as well.

Slurpees for the birthday boys

There was our traditional cupcake and song, though Ken bought the wrong cake mix and the Angel Food just didn’t turn out. BUT the kids were thoroughly entertained by the odd snack and loved the icing! 

Happy 8th Birthday Boys

(she) Chris stopped by with some fruits and vegetables as she was in the city this weekend. AND some special soap for Trinity!

Hello Kitty

It has been a weekend of birthday and visiting and joy. A very much needed beginning to our February. Next weekend is the party at my mom’s, the following our cookie party and then the last weekend is (he) Chris’ birthday. February (weekends) was all booked up before we even ended January. 

Hanging out

Christmas party had come and gone and was a lovely success… we filled our home with friends and some family, children and food… oh and PRESENTS!! Hmm guest list, I am sure you are all wondering! Lots of familiar names… first was Cousin Veronika and her Adam (nice and early – COUSIN TIME!), though of course the night before was Ted and Sean. Then Karyn, Kristen and Fydo… Alan and Xinny and their 3 (Izaac is so TALL!), Lauralee and of course ESTHER. Kathy called to send her regrets (she was getting over a cold) and He Chris was late (car trouble) while She Chris had to work. Definitely a FULL house! 

Babies on the floor

Gavin and Alex playing on Uncle Ted's iPad

Pre present photo

Some of the girls

We did up a potluck and had a large variety of food – everything from candy sushi (made by the amazing Karyn) to “ducklings” by Xinny (Chinese dumplings) and  two slow cooker items, a Japanese salad… oh and the chocolates and not to be forgotten deviled eggs AND homemade orange chocolate croissants!! We were well treated. I have to say the table was over full. Not a person went unfed, and I think most were OVER fed. 

Candy Sushi!

Chocolate candy cane cake

Presents were the usual chaos of wrappings, squeals and confused parents. BUT it seems like everyone was well pleased. Veronika and Adam had Santa’s number and found out what the Christmas wishes were and got each kid the thing off of their list!!! There were hand made scarves and more chocolates… boardgames, oh the list goes on and on! 

The inside joke present

Echo with jelly fish

Opening presents!

Lego! We were told Star Wars is the BEST Lego!

We had some stay later than others and left a lovely mess to face in the morning but it was all worth it! With less than a week until Christmas this was my largest and most exciting commitment. Every year we try to host a party and this year it was a full house. And now we work towards the next adventure – our first trip to Grandma’s in a long time! Months actually! It will be an interesting pack as we are going for multiple days and the current van (no repaired) is not a large one. I do miss my stow and go. 

Hanging with Santa... Sheep??

Pre drive nap

This is one of Zander's favourite pictures

I got some interesting mail today… beyond the no loner lives here letters I also got a Christmas card from my cousin, his wife and their adorable baby boy! AND a package – another one from the UK!! This one was beautifully decorated by the daughter of the house. Another package to hide from the kiddos of course. But I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends. 

Such a lovely illustration

I love their family picture!

Now to deal with the rest of the month, the non Christmas related stresses, the Christmas ones… they all bundle together and have managed to wear me down. BUT some time with a wonderful friend (Karyn of course), a trip to mail an envelope, visiting the library and other random fun has helped the smile back on my face. The nap in the afternoon during the Uno tournament helped the stress relief along. Although choosing to nap on the couch in front of said tournament was not the brightest choice! 

Pre Karyn Uno warm up

Post tournament dance party

It is odd not to have a million commitments to my time though a few rare things are outstanding. We have not done much by the way of homeschooling lately, just our Advent colouring BUT tomorrow we will probably catch up on our Bible verses. They were so over done from the day before’s party that really settling them to learning was not possible. 

Of course I got lazy and chose bath and library book over resizing pictures… so this is being posted the next day (oops) and will be followed by ANOTHER blog post! Sorry all… Christmas is almost here and I am determined to squeeze some relaxation here and there anyway! Merry Almost Christmas! Enjoy the Christmas video! Sorry just one for two days!