March Celebration of Learning

Connor's school had another "Celebration of Learning" at the end of March.  The kids got to show off some of the things they had been working on in class, including their Passion Projects, artwork, and a really cute "Reader's Theater" presentation of the Flat Stanley book.  Connor got to play Arthur (Stanley's brother), and "Thief 2".  He was a pretty good little actor.
    

Hmmm. Looks like somebody's not learning.

Yay Thief 2!

Ms. Patti (the art teacher), helping the kids find their favorite artwork to share.

Everybody got distracted for a minute or two.

Sharing his "Aboriginal Dot Painting"

Flat Stanley Kite

Connor's great "Gold Rush" poster.  Yeah, I made it - but he did contribute to each part.

We also did a bunch of other stuff during that time frame, which, of course, I took pictures of.  Here are some of the highlights:
    

Geoboard math / Elise coloring hexagons

Evan loves this pinwheel. He very carefully spins it by smacking it with his hand for long periods of time.

Connor demonstrating his basketball skills (with a volleyball).

Sick, and trying to eat a building block.

Chiropractic adjustments (also known as "Look at the camera, Evan!")

Monster Masks

Elise is going through a "Everything Connor Does is Cool" phase.  She's so cute.

So, so sick.

    Ryan didn't think I should post that last one, but I want to remember how sick she was.  A week or two before we moved, Elise came down with some sort of flu bug.  She had a 104 degree fever for four days.  I kept wondering if I should take her in, but they say it's more about the child's behavior than the numbers, and she seemed "with it" enough.  Plus, the fever would reduce significantly each time I gave her ibuprofein.  On the fifth day, she woke up super sweaty, but her fever had finally broken.  Evan and I got the same thing a little later, but it wasn't as bad as it was with her.

New House

Well, one night way back in February, Ryan was looking on Redfin for fun.  He came across a house for sale in our old neighborhood that was (gasp) in our price range.  He read me the description which included such terms as "secluded", "three-bedroom", and "great for kids or pets".  We decided it was too good to be true, so we went by the next day and were totally blown away.  We're suckers for woodsy, and this was about as woodsy as they come.  So . . we called a realtor, did a walk-through, and made an offer all within the space of a few days.  Here are some pictures Ryan took the evening after we closed (which was in Mid-March.)
     

Front Door and Side Yard.  Note the kids and I up on the hill.

Yep.  There we are.

Slimy Drainage Ditch/Path to the Hill

Back side of house.  There are about 14 fruit trees on the property!

Kids playing on the Deadly Cliff.

Me by the fence.  It's supposed to keep the kids off the Deadly Cliff.

Equally Deadly Swimming Pool.

Yeah, I was getting tired of holding Evan.  We installed a pool fence ASAP.

Back Yard (Ryan considers it the Front Yard - whatever.)

This house has TONS of windows/light.  That's a big deal for me.

View of the Hill.

Like I said, I was getting tired of holding Evan (and so was he.)

An owl lives in this crazy-tall tree.  How cool is that?

View from the front gate.  That open door leads into the garage.

In case you're concerned, the cliff by the fruit trees isn't really that bad.  At any rate, we're going to fence the whole back part of the property so the dogs can run back there, which should also keep kids out of trouble.
      
Anyway, everything happened super fast.  We weren't planning on looking to buy until this summer.  I had serious cold feet for awhile, since buying a house in Los Angeles is a bit more of an investment than buying one in Salt Lake.  We're SO happy with it now, though.  Sure, it's falling apart in places, and the ivy outside is infested with rats, but that's the price you pay for owls, I guess.

Spontaneous Delight, Cousins, and Turning 6

Well, I am so far behind in blogging, I guess I need to speed things up a bit.  Sorry if this post is a bit threadbare!
    
During the first week of March, we got to do Joy School at our house, and this time it was the beloved "Spontaneous Delight" unit!  Basically, that just means "How to Be Silly" and/or "Making a Mess."  I think their title is a bit more dignified, though.  Two of the things we got to do were blowing bubbles in soap water, and playing with shaving cream.  One of the little boys was in a full-body cast from breaking his upper leg a few weeks before, so he couldn't sit on a chair, but he was totally still able to be silly along with everyone else! (FYI - I did get permission to put the kids' pictures on the blog - something I haven't always been careful about!)
   

   
That same week, my sweet firstborn turned six years old.  I don't know why, but six seems so much older than five.  We were planning to do a party, but Ryan had to go to the Bay Area over Connor's birthday to attend the cremation of his dad.  I'm so, so glad he had the chance to do that.  I think it was very cathartic and healing for him.  And anyway, Connor didn't really mind.  We did a family party a few days later.  Connor, once again, preferred ice cream to cake, but we got a small cake anyway.  (Candles on ice cream just don't look right!)
   

   
We were also able to make a quick trip up to visit family in Utah.  We were only there a few days, but we got a chance to see the kids' cousin Felix, with whom Elise is totally in love.  Aunt Kelli and Uncle Kyle gave Connor this awesome crocheted Yoshi, and a DVD of old-school Mario cartoons.  They watched that DVD at least three times in the van on the way home, and it's been their choice for at least half of their TV time since then.  
   

   
We also took a day to go skiing at Brighton with Connor - I think that makes his third lesson now - and he totally scared me with his enthusiasm.  I seriously couldn't keep up with him.  He has yet to experience a good wipe-out, so he doesn't understand what can happen if he isn't careful.  I'm really hoping that realization hits him (ha, ha) before he graduates from the bunny hill!
  
Lastly, you know that thing you do with little kids where you put your feet on their bellies, hold their hands, and lift them up to fly like Superman?  Well, somebody snuck in and got a picture of me doing it to Evan.  He obviously likes it.
   

Panning for Gold

For his "Passion Project" this trimester, Connor decided to learn about gold. I figured the Gold Rush would be a nice history tie-in, so one Saturday in February we went to the Autry Museum to do their gold panning exhibit.
   

This docent was great to help Connor for a LONG time in his prospecting.

Elise still loves her thumb, and scratches her nose raw when sucking (hence the band-aid)

Eureka!  Iron Pyrite! (The museum can't afford real gold.)

We take this picture every time we go to the Autry.

And every time, the kids want to take another one.

    
  That museum has a section devoted to cowboys, including 20th-century cowboy gear and clothing.  It makes me think of my grandpa - the western shirts and stetsons, the quilted winter coats, and the smell of saddle leather.  It's a fun place to visit if you're ever in L.A.
     
After his 1st birthday, Evan finally started to eat table food.  Here he is showing off his chewing skills.  (Never mind that he still only has four teeth!)  The first food that really motivated him, sadly, was In-N-Out french fries.  Yes, I know.  Negligent mother.  He did eventually learn to love healthier options.