Look closely!

Talent show tonight, and Wesley, along with 4 second grade friends, have been working on their…talent.  Actually, it turned out pretty well, with Wesley taking lead dancer.  Trust me, it took 30 extra years than it took Wesley to do something like this!

If you want to see the video, click here.

We try to make a little hoopla over International Pi Day each year.  Today was a day I subbed all day in a classroom that took full concentration and 6 senses, letting me be at home long enough to help with homework and program the oven to cook dinner while I was gone, then leaving the kids at home while I went to a 2.5 hour district Dyslexia Taskforce meeting.  By the time I stopped at the story to bring home a pie, they only had cherry left, making 2/5ths of the family happy.  So I also bought whipped cream and improvised:

Wesley liked his pi after all….

Little Taryn was born Feb. 23rd, and Gramma went down to Oregon to help the first week.  I was able to cancel or reschedule my family’s calendar so that I was able to join Taryn for her second week in this world!

Auntie Denise spent time teaching Amber to climb…,

and taking her on as many outings as we could fit in, including a few parks, story time at the library, the children’s museum, and the zoo.

I also think I got to witness the day she realized that Baby was staying…permanently.

But this was all preparation for Camp Denise when she gets older and can spend time at the cabin with all her other cousins, doing and eating things that we don’t have to tell Mom&Dad about.  Right, kids?  Cecily and Parker haven’t completely ratted me out yet.  Taryn, you’re up next!

[This was a fun zoo sign that applied to both lions and babies.]

My family did amazing!  I am so proud of the kids.  They got themselves up and out every day with no parent there, and took care of things in the afternoon.  Dwayne had to do homework and dinner duty all week, leaving work early each day.  I think this week apart really made us appreciate each other even more.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how independent and capable ages 8, 10, and 11 are, even if they don’t smell like yummy newborns anymore.

Oh, and here are a few more shots of the newbie, decked out in a special blanket Piper knitted for her, as well as well as the dolly Piper also designed and sewed.

Copying directly from my brother’s blog,

Taryn Mackenzie arrived to our family on Friday, February 23, 2018 at 9:21 PM.  At birth, she was 19″, 7lbs-2oz.

Welcome to the family, Little Love!  You are probably my last niece I’m going to have without a “great-“ prefacing it.

It was just lucky coincidence that our season tickets (Wednesday nights were cheapest) landed Hamilton on Valentine’s Day.  But we made the most of it!

First, we made it a full night by meeting my parents for dinner at Gordon Biersch.

Can you guess which drink is mine and which is Dwayne’s?

It’s quite the birthday for this girl—she’s listened to the soundtrack more than I have and has really been looking forward to seeing it live.

And ta-da! 

Valentine’s Day is extra special/busy around the homestead, as we have a lot of love to celebrate and throw Piper a birthday, too.

There’s always a class party, and the Room Parent got a special crown for the girl.

Unfortunately for Piper, Mama also attends the parties, so when Piper thought these, ahem, frosted cookies were appropriate birthday food, she got to take a picture and then watch Mama scrape off all the extra toppings and return naked cookies to the greedy little princess. 

Kids are excited about Piper’s new pottery wheel.

What do you do when your mom finally wraps up the last details of a Book Fair/Camp Read-A-Lot marathon week?  You let her take you out for ice cream!

Darlene was the family savior this week, She came up while Dick was doing some work in North Carolina, and if meals got made and dishes got washed this week, we can only blame Grandma Darlene! 

(Being a California girl, she opted for a hot drink instead of a cone. I’m not from CA, but I agreed with the Starbucks over Bask-n-Robins in February!)

Dwayne and I had his holiday work party the night before, but we decided to make both that and the youngers’ co-birthday party happen the same weekend.  I love that family is willing to drive this way for a small birthday party.  We had make-your-own panini sandwiches, which Dwayne quickly, rationally, rechristened “porninis”. 

Since they spent the night at Gramma’s the night before (and I spend the week working), I sent them over with pans and brownie mix and Gramma helped them make their own birthday cakes.  When they came to their own birthday party, I gave them frosting and candles and they did their own decorating.  I’m not sure I’ve ever made any of my kids (or hubby) a birthday cake, but even at ages 8 and 10, they do a better job than I would.

It’s a tough call if Wesley likes presents or time with Parker more.  But both, he can handle!

Thanks for celebrating with us, family and friends!

Wesley woke up as an 8 year old today!

Since I’m posting this months later, I don’t remember many details, but he got compliment cards from everyone in his class

before we invited his class to walk home and enjoy cake and ice cream.

Funny, now I have a recollection of vowing not to invite that many boys inside my house again after that afternoon.  Bad luck, kid, having a winter birthday.

The one thing Wesley really wanted was a drumset, so he got both an electronic one (that he could plug in headphones for my own sanity) and a small bongo drum that has so far been indestructible.

[Funny story, when Wesley packed his suitcase for a two-night stay at Great Wolf Lodge with another 8 year old friend, I found those bongos right in the middle of all his clothes and toys.  He sadly listened while I tried to explain why it’s not a good idea to bring drums to hotel rooms.]