Book Project

Zach has a book "project" due tomorrow.  He read a book about a family that owns an orchard.  The mom discovers she has cancer and they end up having to sell part of the orchard.  The girls heart turns cold and hard.  So, Zach had the idea of making this project.  The heart is red and pink on one side to represent how she was before her mom discovered she had cancer.  The other side is black to represent how she felt after finding out about the cancer and the selling of the orchard.  I thought he did a pretty good job!  

Aside from a small problem with the drill (don't ask - I think I must have been blonde in my previous life), it was pretty easy!

Jump Rope For Heart

The boys both had Jump Rope for Heart at their schools today.  So, I took a personal day so I could go hang out and watch.  It was fun to watch.  There are definite differences between first and fifth graders and their coordination in jumping rope!

Zach collected $570 for his school.  He won an award for being top on-line collector and won a ride in a limo for pizza and an afternoon of fun.

Lizzie liked watching and hanging out with Zach.

Jumping, jumping, jumping in honor of his Grandma Wellman, his surgeon and his cardiologist

Tired, tired, tired.

Now for the old fashioned ropes and some jumping.

Lizzie hung out with Jacob at his school too!

She loved jumping on the trampolines.

Yummy snacks for Jacob.

This is easier for Jacob than jumping rope!  He jumped in honor of Grandma Wellman and his brother, Zach!

Hula hoopin'!  Wii fit has helped prepare him for this!

Ok, so Jacob collected $520 and is the top collector in his school.  So, he gets to ride in the limo too!  Jacob is excited.  Zach is not excited to have to share that day with his little brother! I am sure it will all be ok.

Watching the kids participate in Jump Rope for Heart always puts a lump in my throat.  It reminds me of Zach and his surgery.  But, I do not dwell there like I used to.  How could I?  Look at the health and excitement on my kid's faces!  What a fun day.

Box Tops Hell!

The last 'Thats a Bowl" full of Box tops before I send them in!

Shew - I haven't posted all week.  Why?  Because I am stuck in Box Tops Hell!  Seriously, I am in charge of the Box Tops for Zach's school and they are due this week.  So, I have spent every free minute in the evening, cutting, counting and bagging up box tops.  I have to say that I strongly dislike box tops at this point.  Trimming thousands of these little things will drive anyone to that statement! 

 

And for the record, I have farmed some of them out to other parents to cut.  And when they returned their bags full of nicely trimmed and counted tops, they said the same thing - Ughhhhh!!!!

What about Lizzie?

Some of you have asked how Lizzie handles spending most of her Saturdays as of late in the gym.  She is pretty easing going when it comes to this and she pretty much goes with the flow.  Her favorite things to do during games include coloring, reading books, playing Barbies, and visiting with her little friends.  Today, she was pretty focused on coloring during Jacob's game.  By the way, she dressed herself and did her own hair this morning.  Didn't do too bad of a job, huh?  

Valentine's Day 2009

Happy Valentine's Day!  We spent our day  much like all the other Saturdays of late - at the gym watching basketball.  

Jacob really worked hard at playing defense today.  It was neat to see him be so into the game.

Zach's team won by one point!  Here he is cutting to the ball on an inbounds pass.

Then, this evening, we watched Madagascar 2 and had snacks.  The kids all enjoyed themselves.

Jacob is intent on watching the movie.

How much popcorn can she shove into that little mouth?

Goofing around on the floor!

Brian and I were supposed to leave for Chicago tomorrow after church.  However, he is not feeling well, so we are not going to be able to go.  He is running a fever and absolutely miserable!  So, we will reschedule our trip.  

So, we are celebrating our Valentine's weekend as a family and trying to just enjoy our time together.  Brian and I were reminiscing that this is the 20th Valentine's Day we have spent together.  The first, in 1989, was spent in the IU main library "studying" together.  I think we spent most of the time throwing red hots at each other and flirting.   Twenty years later, he is still my best friend and I still enjoy flirting with him!

Hoopin' for a Cure

Tonight, we went to the high school basketball game.  It was Coaches vs. Cancer Hoopin' for a Cure night.  We all wore our pink shirts and had a good time watching the games.  At half time of the boy's varsity game, teachers from the schools in the district played each other.  Jacob had a good time cheering on his teacher.  Zach just had a good time hanging with friends and watching the game.  And Lizzie?  She was absolutely mesmerized by the dance team and the cheerleaders!

Ready to head out to the game in our pink.  Brian said he felt like someone had spilled pepto-bismol all over him!  It was pretty bright.

Wii Bowling

This evening we decided to play a little Wii bowling.  Jacob was sure he was going to be the winner since Zach was not going to play.  However, his Dodo (Brian's mom) surprised us all by bowling a 202!!!!!

We are pretty sure she has been practicing somewhere.  Last time she was here, she wasn't even close to being that good!  As a matter of fact, we called a very slow rolling ball a "Dodo Bowl."  Hmmm. . . . not anymore!

Basketball

Saturday was a beautiful day!  But, before we could enjoy the weather, we had two basketball games to attend.  

Here is Brian's mom reading to Lizzie during Jacob's game.

Jacob takes a shot during warm-ups.

Grandma and Grandpa Ellis game over to watch the games too.

Then, we finally arrived home and the kids got to ride bikes and shoot baskets while enjoying the incredible weather!

Also, Saturday brought my Grandma's surgery.  She tolerated the surgery well and now is working on recovering.  I have a feeling she is not going to like those physical therapist!

Wow - What a Week!

Wow!  I would love to be able to say that this has been a roller coaster of a week.  However, that would insinuate that there were some "up" times along with the low times.  And I can honestly say that the lows way out numbered the highs this week.

It started on Monday when it was announced that my position is a victim to the RIF (Reduction in Force) process.  Essentially, I will be getting a pink slip in April due to uncertainty of the amount of money we will receive through a grant.  While there is hope that grant money will come through and I will be back to work full time in August, there is not a  guarantee at this point.  One high point of the week is that the administration has been nothing but kind throughout the entire thing and I am not worried about it.  This is one of those times when there is no point worrying as it is all out of my control.  Besides compared to the rest of the week, this was easy news!!

Later in the week, one of my co-workers and friend's mother passed away.   Then, one of our favorite substitute teachers lost her husband rather quickly to cancer after an initial diagnosis just weeks earlier.  Another of my friends from school is experiencing the loss of her mother as well.  Her kidneys have shut down and it is simply a matter of time as I understand it.

Arriving home this afternoon, I was ready for the week and all the bad news to be over.  However, I arrived to a message from my sister that my grandma (who is in the hospital with a small fracture in her pelvis) also has a broken hip.  They transfered her to a larger hospital where they will probably attempt surgery.  The fear is that her heart might not be strong enough to withstand the anesthesia and surgery itself. 

So, I got out the iPod, went outside to clean out the van and thought.  And thought and thought and thought.  And I kept coming back to this. . . cherish those things that seem insignificant.  Cherish those times and wrap them in your heart as memories to help you through times like these.  So, I thanked God for those moments He has allowed me to experience.  Those moments that will carry me through weeks like this.  Those moments like. . .

Watching my grandma and grandpa with all their great-grandchildren.

Lazy nights, popcorn and movies.

Being silly with Dodo.

Family game night!

My Diva queen and all the drama she brings to this house.

The excitement that shows up on Jacob's face when he sees the moon while it is still daylight.

Watching the sunset from our front window. 

The look on the kid's faces when they truly enjoy something!

Of course there are many more - but this little start helped me through tonight!

Steelers Win!!!

Today started out like any other Sunday with Sunday school and church followed by lunch out with friends.  

Brian and Zach showed their "colors" at church today.

After lunch, we got ready for the Super Bowl.  I have to say that there was way too much 

pre-game and I was glad when the game finally started.

Zach gets ready to eat some "Steelers yellow and black" mint pie and doesn't have to share with Aunt Molly!

TOUCHDOWN!!!!  Well, it was and then they overturned it!  But, it was a score anyway!!

Brian said "Where is my terrible towel?"  He grabbed Lizzie's bean bag and started waving it.  You can see the towel flying towards him as Zach tossed it.

Interception!!!

These two are completely crazy! 

We are the champions!

Ok, the question remains - where are Lizzie and Jacob in all these pictures?  Well, Jacob couldn't sit still to watch the entire game.  He was in the office playing and would occasionally run through the room and say GO CARDINALS just to see if he could get a reaction.  And Lizzie was just jumping around yelling "Go Steelerers!"  It was pretty funny.  

Ok, so I need to tell you how Brian got his Terrible Towel.  When he worked in Bloomington, he brought Dick Vitale in for a book signing.  A college student asked Dick who he thought was going to win the Super Bowl that year, and Dick replied Dallas.  The kid told him no way and gave Dick the towel.  Then as the signing was wrapping up, Vitale gave the towel to Brian.