Blake's Funny Hair

Blake did his own hair today, it's so funny I had to take a picture, and he went to school that way! The only way I could get him to look at the camera is if he thought I was taking a picture of Lauren and him together. So there's a pic of the 2 of them, two peas in a pod!

Fun with the bird.

Rainbow with her fire gear. I think you can click to see the pic bigger.

Fire-Bird Rainbow

We have a Senagal Parrot, she's about 25 years old. She's not so friendly that you can touch her, but she loves attention and food. Spaghetti is her favorite.

We let her climb onto her cage daily, she can't fly, she has feather issues. Sometimes she flutter off her cage by accident when stretching her wings (landing on her feet of course). She won't let us pick her up to put her back and she gets scared when we try to put a dowel near her to climb onto. So closest thing we've got to getting her back up to her cage besides putting her cage on the ground is this old fire truck (used to be Brian's toy when he was little), it's got a long ladder and she's used it before to climb back to her cage. Today we got some pics of her. 

So here she is checking it out.

She climbed aboard, all she needs now is a fire man hat!

Here's a couple close ups of her. She was really curious today and jumped off the fire truck and walked from the living room and into the dining room, probably to see what we were eating, she begs like a dog, she'll usually squawk or ring her bell to tell us she wants what we've got.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter From US!

Blake showing off his eggs he colored.

Jalyssa showing off her colored eggs.

With their Easter Baskets.

They never pose together for me. So I felt lucky to get this shot and the next.

Dressed for church!

EYES WIDE OPEN

So we are realizing we have a strange issue. Blake sleep walks and it's creepy!

Twice we've witnessed it while we are in the living room watching tv at night, once being tonight.

First I'll explain tonight... I am downstairs, Brian came down to talk to me then went up stairs and was in the kitchen and yelled down to me that Blake was sleep walking. So I ran up, and there Blake was walking around the dining room table, he went around 3 times, once looking us right in the eyes (which is super creepy, it's such a glassy look and to know that he doesn't really "see" us is weird), then he veered off into the living room but quickly jerked back around to go down the hallway. I went up behind him, suspecting that he had to pee and guided him in the bathroom, he was immediately startled that I was there. He peed and was somewhat awake at that point and I asked him why he was walking around the table and he didn't know what I was talking about. I said "do you remember seeing dad and I in the kitchen," he said "no." Then I tucked him in and he was OUT!

The other time while we were in the living room at night, lights on, tv on...was just a couple weeks ago. He walked out right past us, looked at us and kept going to the corner of the living room where the books are. We thought he was getting a book to read, but thought it was odd since he had been in bed for over an hour and we knew he had fallen asleep. I then realized he was sleep walking and watched him, noticed he was going to "drop trough" apparently he thought he was in the bathroom. So I quick grabbed him and took him into the bathroom. When I grabbed him, it startled him, and he started crying. 

We made it to the bathroom and then he went to bed. And had no memory of it when I asked him in the morning.

Brian and I laughed so hard about the situation our eyes were watering.

Tonight again, laughing, not believing what we were seeing.

For the record he's never peed anywhere but in the toilet. And he's done this other times without having to pee. 

A year ago, we found him crying in his bedroom in the middle of the night because he had a leg in his hamper. He apparently was sleep walking in his room and got his leg into it somehow.

Other times he's just wandering in his bedroom while sleeping and trips over something.

It's definitely odd, and we have GOT to keep the camcorder closer to us at ALL times!

Busy Bees!

It's been a busy few weeks. Brian is super busy with work and church, he's on his 3rd year as a Deacon and he's the Treasurer, he's been so busy with that after work every night. 

He's finding time to get some jogging in in the evenings. Trying to get ready for the River Bank Run in May.

He's the only one who hasn't gotten an official cold yet like the rest of us.

Jalyssa and Blake's school conferences went well. Jalyssa has mostly A's and B's, a C or 2, I don't remember, but for the most part doing well.  

She also tested above average on her MEAPs, we are so proud of her!

Blake is doing great too, loves going to school everyday and can't wait until 1st grade.

I've never seen a kid still like going to school 3/4 of the way through the year, but he loves it.

It's amazing to see him learn to read and write. 

It's amazing seeing both of our kids learn and grow!

Made Mesquite Salmon and garlic mashed red potatoes and salad for dinner. YUM! No special reason, I just love Salmon.

Blake had fish sticks. Ewww! Hopefully someday he'll appreciate REAL fish.

My childhood friend Julie called this morning. She is starting her own Carriage business in South Carolina where she had decided to live for the last few years.

She owns several horses and has always dreamed of owning a business like this, she'll specialize in events such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, etc... not quite like downtown GR where people just go on Carriage Rides throughout the city, although she mentioned maybe doing holiday rides around in the cities around where she lives, but mainly being available for special events.

I'm so excited for her! 

Here we are at my 5th Birthday party! 

Here we are Jan. 1st 2004 when we visited her in South Carolina for a week. 

Winter Blahs!

Last Wednesday we suspected Blake might be coming down with something because he was quick to be emotional, not like him, but he was fine in every other way. Sure enough he ended up with a cold/cough, then over the weekend he complained his ear hurt. Monday I took him into the doctor and his left ear was infected due to the cold. Not a super bad infection but enough that he complained once in while.

He still went to school and continues to act completely normal otherwise, bouncing around like a crazy boy.

Then last night my throat started feeling scratchy. This morning it felt awful, by 3 pm it started to feel better, but only after I took some meds and dozed on the couch while Blake was in school. 

Hopefully it'll be short lived. It was so nice out today walking to get Blake from school. Almost 50 out there!

Spring is coming soon and I can't wait!

Friday night Blake's school had Fun Night. We've gone pretty much every year since Jalyssa also went to school there. But this year Jalyssa didn't go, she felt she was "too old."

Blake was excited because even though he's gone with us in the past years, it wasn't officially HIS school yet. Now it is, and  he was excited to bring us all around and play all the games in every classroom.

Towards the end of the night he got his face painted like a Tiger. It smudged a little before we got home but he's still a cute little Tiger!

Change of Scenery

A friend of mine had the same color template as me, so I thought since adding a new picture header, would be also a good time to change the colors!

Jalyssa making cookies

Jalyssa wanted extra credit in her Geography class and so she had to make South African Cookies, they consisted of LOTS of flour, some powdered sugar and some melted butter.

Shaped into round balls of dough, then flattened, then baked, sprinkled with more powdered sugar when cooled. 

They were gross. J and her classmates thought they were great. I guess since they're growing teens they'll eat anything! 

Another birthday!

Our niece Lauren turned 3!

She got lots of Strawberry Shortcake and Dora gifts!

Here she is with her new backpack. She is always carrying around her brother Caleb's back pack and when she's here carries Blake's backpack, so now she has her own!

Snowman

Blake and I made a snowman, his first snowman ever. Though I did most of the heavy work, he still had fun!

Now however our snowman is headless and slumped over. Blake saw it this morning out the window when I mentioned it was headless and he said "Mom, that's not funny, we better go fix it."

He took my picture too. I'm wearing one of Jalyssa's "stylin'" winter hats!