Kid Info

I thought I'd give a little current info on the kids' favorites.

Miranda
Fav Food: Potato soup, salmon, strawberries, all fruit
Fav TV show: doesn't really have one, rarely watches TV
Fav People: GRANDMA! Friends, and sometimes us- definatly dad more than mom
Fav Color: Pink
Fav Things to do: Create something, anything. She was just digging in the recycling bin to find some cardboard to paint. She likes to swing and jump rope. She doesn't really like anything girly.
Funny Things about her lately: (1)She complained that her skin was itching her the other day, so I said that she could get the lotion whenever she wanted to put it on. She quickly made a note for herself and set in on her spot on the table for breakfast. It read: Ask mom to get the losion! (2)She's really progressed in her swimming, but she swims kind of like she's sitting in a chair- her bum sticks out of the water and nothing else. It's hilarious!

Derek
Fav Food: Spaghetti and Cheese Pizza
Fav TV show: Just about anything- he is GLUED until it's turned off
Fav People: Mom, and anyone that will let him talk, and talk, and talk...
Fav Color: Orange and Red. A big change from black.
Fav Things to do: Read, play the piano, play "Super Spies" with Spencer, go out with Larry, and of course, play Star Wars Legos
Funny Things: (1) For a couple months he has been crazy about making paper airplanes. They made one and school, and ever since then he is obsessed! He likes to make the "EWWW planes". It's basically a paper airplane, and when you open it up, it says, EWWWW!!! (2) One day, while I was picking up Spencer from a friend's house, he got out of his carseat and hid under the steering wheel. Then, he jumped up when I opened the door. He actually surprised me, so now he does it all the time (3) Derek draws and colors now- it's a miracle.

Spencer
Fave Food: FRUIT of any kind, sweets, sandwiches, and just about anything
Fave TV show: Caillou
Fave People: Family, grandparents, just about everyone
Fave Color: Black and White
Fav Things to do: Ride his bike, play with tinkertoys and his train tracks
Funny Things:(1) Spencer is obsessed with kissing things. And when I say things, I mean Lindsey's blanket and my belly! He will kiss non stop for about a minute. (2) Today, I yawned, and Spencer said, "Hey, there's a tunnel in your mouth!" (3) He has come up with all sorts of odd names for the baby- Linzbeans, Binzee, etc.

Lindsey
Fav Food: Any rice or noodle combination
Fave TV show: she sees Teletubbies about once a week, and that's all. She really likes TV, though whenever she glimpses a set on.
Fav People: Derek, Mom and Dad, GRANDPA
Fav Color: ?? Who knows??
Fav Things to do: Play with Play-Doh, color with markers, go for a ride in the bike trailer, play in the sandbox, look at books. She always wants to be in the center of the action.
Funny Things: (1) She's been trying to jump forever, and loves to try it to music, on the trampoline, or just randomly. (2) She will willingly stand still while I do her hair as long as I talk about the "pretties" that we will put in. (3) Give her a popcicle or candy and five minutes later you can see the sugar working it's magic. She will run for 10 minutes straight around the house, laughing and talking gibberish! (4) She is so into waving lately. She can be having a tantrum when I tell her it's time for bed, then the second I say, "Let's say good-bye to everyone", she snaps out of it and smiles and waves at everyone, ready for bed. (5) Everyday that I pick up Derek from preschool, she runs into the room, screams in delight, and hugs Derek. It's so cute! (6) Since she is now sitting at the table in a booster seat for meals, she has discovered napkins. Once she has ate a little bit of food, she will obsessively clean herself, the table, the booster seat, and the chair instead of eating.

Daddy dates

Derek at Mcdonlds with Happy meal

Miranda proud of all the plates of food she ate.
Derek at the Spaghetti Factory (One of his top requested locations)
Spencer daddy date at the track

I have still continued to take one of my kids out each week for a Daddy date. I don't know where that idea started but has been awesome 1-1 time with the kids. I remember it was because I wanted an excuses to go to all you can eat pizza after my weight-loss contest last Augest. I almost always do this at lunch, often eat at school with them, or go out to eat or spend their earned money at a store or swimming or ride the MAX somewhere.


Probably the coolest one was when Spencer requested to go running on track vs. the normal ride the train to McDonalds. So we go to the track and run around 3-4 times and I tell Spencer we should stop and rest. Spencer tells me "Daddy you rest while I run around again". He runs around again, so I stand and cheer for him. So when he finishes he tells me "daddy your turn", so as I running around I hear this cheering, and look up in the stand and Spencer waving his hands cheering for me, it was so funny. So I finish and he takes off and says, "Daddy you rest, my turn." I think I have a runner if I let him develop. 3 kids are in training wheels and Spencer is the closest to removing them, he has a super motor in his legs.

The Zoo

Today we went to Zoo and we loved it, especially Lindsey and Spencer. We rode the Max train up and went early avoided crowds and came back tired but all in good mood. Just a great day. I love the sea lions they are so awesome. I loved the Bird show with all the large Hawks and birds flying over our heads. Dereks favorite part is vulture because it had star wars back ground music for it.

The other day I went running and I was attack by a bird, it swooped down at my head 4 times or so. I can't image having a eagle do that, unless you think of John Candy in the movie when he was climing that tree.

Sometimes I feel like this is where they belong! Or maybe I should be in there! I love the policeman's smile in the reflection off the car window. The kids got to sit in a police car and motorcycle on Saturday and got coupons for free meals at Red Robin's. I was so glad they went in the heat because I didn't have to make dinner that night- and Lindsey and I were napping while it all happened. Thanks, Larry for taking the monkeys.

School is Winding Down...

Miranda had her student conferences last Thursday. She was counting down the days for over a week; she was so excited for us to see all that she had done. She had her stuffed body double, a giant tree frog, story with illustrations, and a power point presentation about frogs. She really is enjoying school so much. I think she will definatly be bored when school gets out.

One wonderful thing that has happened this year is that Miranda and Derek both read books to Spencer and Lindsey (and to each other). It has been a neat, new dynamic in their relationships with each other. Lindsey will often sit by our library book bins and look through books commenting about them. She sits very still and really loves it when someone reads to her. (I'm so glad that I have extra help because I have not been good about reading to Spencer and Lindsey! There just always seems to be something else that needs to get done.)
Miranda has REALLY improved over this school year with reading and her illegible handwriting has gotten a million times better. Even though writing is probably her biggest weakness at school, Miranda is constantly writing notes, copying calendars, copying books, or making lists. I'm so glad she loves to write even though it is difficult for her.

Another big milestone this week was that Spencer "graduated" from his first year of preschool. We had a little end-of-the-year celebration on Saturday. We had a picnic with the other families that were involved and then gave out certificates and squirt guns to the kids. Spencer enjoyed school, but doesn't seems to really notice that it's over. Next year he will be going to a preschool that's across the street from Intel. I think it will work out nicely with the new baby, and Spencer will enjoy it. He seems to like just about everything.
A few days ago I wrote out a list of all the things that I wanted to do with the kids during the summer and things I wanted to teach them. I think it will be a full summer with park and rec classes, friends, vacations, and play time at home. I am getting excited for a change of routine. Miranda and Derek finish school on June 11th and 12th.

Mother's Day

I had a great Mother's Day this year. The kids had oodles of stuff to give me that they made at school and church. They all made pencil holders for me at Home Depot. Miranda made some scented bath salts at school with a cute poem and card that said, "You are nice", "You are sweet", and "I love you". Derek made a foam flower in a glass vase at school with a funny info sheet about me. It was interesting to see what he thought my favorite foods, things to do, and things I didn't like were. He also thought I weighed 40 lbs. Hilarious. Spencer made a cute card in preschool with some paper flowers. They all decorated a bag at church for me and included a card. Lindsey got a noodle necklace from nursery for me. Larry gave me a nice card. This went along with the shopping trip the week before to the mall for some new maternity shirts that I desperatly needed. So, all in all, it was a great day. After church, we went over to Larry's parents' house for a Mother's Day meal and to give her the book from all of the Dickinson side- it turned out really awesome! (Thanks, Sherry)

As you can see from the two photos, I am really starting to show and I think everyone knows that I am pregnant now that maybe didn't dare say before. I'm 21 weeks pregnant now and I've almost outgrown some of my small sized maternity shirts and pants. (I range from small to extra large during pregnancy). It will be nice to break out my shorts and capris that are bigger as soon as the weather gets a little warmer. I'm measuring about 22 cm now and feeling our baby girl kick more. I've also had a new pregnancy symptom this time around- carpel tunnel in both wrists! It comes and goes, but usually at night both wrists just feel achy. It's kind of weird, but it usually goes away after pregnancy, so let's hope that's the case with me. Thankfully, it's not painful, just a little annoying. Other than that, I'm feeling really good and not too heavy yet, so that helps a lot with the aches and pains.

It's a Girl!

Yesterday afternoon we saw for ourselves that it's a girl! We were kind of expecting it to be a girl from what we saw on the first ultrasound, so it wasn't too surprising. I'm excited to have another little girl in the house. Lindsey will have a good friend to be girly with. Derek and Miranda wanted it to be a girl, so they are really happy. But, as Larry puts it, it doesn't really matter if it's a boy or girl till they're about a year old anyway. I agree- except girl's have the cute clothes!
She was very wiggly during the ultrasound, so it took the full hour to look at everything. It was so fun to see her and to think that the next time we see her will be at her birth! Will she be another Miranda clone?? It will also be nice to have a few months to figure out a name because we have a hard time with girl names in general. We also have to get some bunk beds for the girls before then too, so it's good that we have the summer to prepare!