March Madness!

Colin is in Early Learner's Kindergarten and nearly every week he comes home with another GI-NORMOUS hat he has created.  I love that all the kids come out of class wearing them.  This particular pic is of the hat they made on Dr. Suess' birthday.  Today he came home with a leprechaun's hat, complete with long , red beard.  They're great.

I have tried to think of a thousand ways to say, "Mike's proud of his biscuits!" without making it sound suggestive.  Alas, I sorely failed, but his biscuits were sure darn good... oh heavens, I did it again.

Dinosaur ROAR!  This is currently Zach's favorite book.  We read it at least eleven times a day.  The whole family has it memorized, including Zach, who mimics all the intonations I use in the voices I do.  I'm sure he knows the words by heart, but the little guy refuses to speak.  Last night I dreamt that I asked him, "Zach, why'd you do that?" and he went on for five minutes in a speech that began with, "Because, well Mom, I've been thinking of the many reasons why..."  It was an interesting dream.  I think he has set a goal for himself to reach his second year with a record breaking 5 frequently-used words and some randomly (but to-die-for cute) animal noises.  I call him "quirky" all the time, but that is what I love about him.  He does his own thing/makes his own fun, is stubborn as all get out, could scale a mountain if he wanted to, and simply refuses to communicate in English.  It's a blessing that we all speak cave-man!

The girls are currently taking a hip-hop dance class at the Mesa Arts Center.  I absolutely love the programs that they offer.  This is them waiting to begin their "show-off" performance for their families.  They did awesome!  Of course, in our house they do have plenty of moments for practice.  We often turn up the i-pod and "jump jump around" to many a classic, well, that is if Gwen Stefani's "If I Were A Rich Girl" counts as a classic.  Which reminds me... (insert anecdote here) we have recently been trying to get the kids to sing church songs on Sunday instead of all the popular ones that get stuck in their head.  This last Sunday Emma came out of her room singing her original lyrics to a song she called, "If I Were a Holy Girl".  Heaven bless her creative heart.

I love this picture and plan on blowing it up and getting it framed for his sixteenth birthday.  Colin has got some mad shaving skills!

Another one of his many "can-I-squeeze-you-cause-you're-too-cute" quirks... Zach likes to experiment with different ways to pose for pictures.  This is his "CHEESE" face for the week.  He has got a pretty talented brow if I say so myself.

This is Chesley's favorite spot to be after school.  If I had a dime for every time she asked to play on the computer after homework, well, I would have a lot of dimes.  The computer seems to be a group activity in our home as well, as evidenced by the growing audience behind the designated mouse-clicker.

EMMA HAS AN I-POD!  I shout it out because, hello, it is an i-pod!  Our beautiful seven-year old has inherited her mom's great set of teeth, and so, consequently she recently went to visit the orthodontist.  Her orthodontist happens to be greater than Santa, because this is what she got on her first visit.  She couldn't BE any more thrilled!  I'm thrilled too, but not for the same reasons.  I lived so many years being hesitant to smile, I'm just glad we can do this for her.  And her orthodontist really is great.  He served in the same mission with Mike and is just truly fantastic with Emma.  Wish her luck, on Monday she gets her expander put in.  I call it the metal spider, but all she knows is what her friend told her, "It's gonna hurt."  At least she'll have her i-pod to comfort her.

This is my all-time favorite art project that has ever come home from school, ever!  It's Emma's self portrait.  She created the beautiful hair-do by blowing paint through a straw.  I thought the effect was spectacular.  All art should be this much fun!  Kudos to her brilliant teacher, Mrs. Moss. :)