Will's K3 Class Easter Egg Hunt - they're having a good time!
The Maxwell Family Blog -- Keeping you up to date (more or less) on the lives of Brent, Janet, Will, & Sofia
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Easter Party
Today was Will's K3 Easter Party, and I was one of the host moms for the party. Now, my mom was always awesome at class treats and parties - like mother, like daughter because every time I'm the snack mom, the teachers say I do a great job. (I totally don't get it - there's nothing hard or special about snack day. I just bring juice boxes, fruit and pretzels or something similar. Makes me wonder what some of the other moms bring if my snacks are so good . . .)In any case, I got all excited (of course) and decided to make these super cool Easter basket cupcakes. Aren't they the cutest things you've ever seen? :) I made them last night and prayed that the handles didn't fall (too much). They made it through the night and through the journey to school today (mostly in tact - I had to repair 3 of them) and were a big hit with the kids (who really only eat the top part of cupcakes anyway) and the teachers. Yeah me! :)
In addition to the cupcakes, I was in charge of the Easter egg hunt. The teachers had reserved the courtyard next to the class room for the party and I basically walked around and threw the eggs on the ground. I did "hide" a few near bushes. Unfortunately, poor Fi had to sit on a bench while I hid the eggs; she kept saying "my basket, I get them" and crying. Poor little girl - it's hard to be patient! We soon joined Will's class and got everyone outside for the hunt. It was a riot - you'll see in the video that's in the following post. While Will was running around getting eggs, his classmate, Emerson, was being super nice and helping Sofia. It was so sweet! I asked her if she was a big sister and she said, "No, I just have Jayden." So, I'm not sure if she is or not, but she was a doll to Sofia. The kids found all the eggs, so I guess next time I really do need to hide some instead of just leaving them on the ground . . .
After all the kids got their eggs (doesn't Will look proud of himself?), we got them away from the little picnic tables (they wanted to start in on their candy right away) and back inside to eat the yummy cupcakes. Everyone dug right in, except Sofia. She kept taking the candy off the top and saying, "yucky, dirty, clean it, CLEAN IT." She HATES to get her fingers dirty with anything - I couldn't believe that she wouldn't even eat the jelly beans because they had icing on them. So, I had to take one for the team and eat it. :)After the kids were done eating their cupcakes, Mrs. Leaphart had them come to their circle rug for the Bunny-Polkie. Will was playing trains with Truman (his best friend - it's so cute when he says that; it just melts my heart that he has a best friend) and Fi was having too much fun with the kitchen/baby doll area to participate, but the other kids were a riot. You'll see that in the video post as well.
Because the kids were dressed and hopped up on sugar, I decided to push my luck and take them to see the Easter bunny. They saw the display last time we were at the mall and actually seemed interested. But, at the time, the bunny wasn't there. 
So, we went and it was awesome! So different from Santa (maybe because the bunny looks more like a cartoon instead of a stranger AND the bunny doesn't talk.) Fi ran through the line and started hugging him. She willingly sat on his lap AND so did Will (remember, Will ran away from Santa). It was really cool. I did end up buying a photo from the mall because I had to get proof.
All in all, it was a great Easter Party day. :)
Will's Rap Songs
In January, Brent took Will to his first movie-theater movie - "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel." We thought he would like it since he absolutely cracked up during the first one on cable, and we didn't think it would have anything too scary for him. I worried a little about the noise (he still gets extremely upset by loud noises) since even I think movie theaters can be loud. Turns out, I didn't have anything at all to be worried about - he LOVED it!
Brent said he played with the chairs to start, but once Brent told him he couldn't play, he sat still. Instead of popcorn, we armed him with a snack pack of M&M's (still a favorite candy). He watched the whole thing and only got upset when it was all done. He even cried when they came in the door and asked if he could go back tomorrow. We tried to explain that movies are special and that we can't go all the time; but we told him we'll go again sometime. Now, anytime we drive past that theater, he tells you that's where he saw the Chipmunk movie and asks if we can go again.
Now, he runs around the house singing the Chipmunk Xmas song (you know the one - it always reminds me of Xmas in PA because Grandma Sophie and Grandpap used to play that on their record player) - I'll get it on video soon and post it. He's also heard the Ludacris song from the Squeakquel on the radio and attempts to sing along with it. The actual lyrics are "How low can you go, how low can you go;" Will's interpretation is this," Hello, pinkie toe! HELLO! Pinkie Toe!" And, he does a cute little dance, pointing to his toes. It's a riot!
In addition to Luda, Will has discovered some other rap/dance gems thanks to my Wii "Just Dance" game. He never joins me in the dance part (I've tried) but he makes me dance while he sings "Who Let the Dogs Out" and "(I Like to) Move It, Move It." The past week or so, he's been breaking out into these songs without the Wii game on.
Brent wanted him to get into drums and punk rock, but maybe he'll be a rap/dance star instead. :)
Brent said he played with the chairs to start, but once Brent told him he couldn't play, he sat still. Instead of popcorn, we armed him with a snack pack of M&M's (still a favorite candy). He watched the whole thing and only got upset when it was all done. He even cried when they came in the door and asked if he could go back tomorrow. We tried to explain that movies are special and that we can't go all the time; but we told him we'll go again sometime. Now, anytime we drive past that theater, he tells you that's where he saw the Chipmunk movie and asks if we can go again.
Now, he runs around the house singing the Chipmunk Xmas song (you know the one - it always reminds me of Xmas in PA because Grandma Sophie and Grandpap used to play that on their record player) - I'll get it on video soon and post it. He's also heard the Ludacris song from the Squeakquel on the radio and attempts to sing along with it. The actual lyrics are "How low can you go, how low can you go;" Will's interpretation is this," Hello, pinkie toe! HELLO! Pinkie Toe!" And, he does a cute little dance, pointing to his toes. It's a riot!
In addition to Luda, Will has discovered some other rap/dance gems thanks to my Wii "Just Dance" game. He never joins me in the dance part (I've tried) but he makes me dance while he sings "Who Let the Dogs Out" and "(I Like to) Move It, Move It." The past week or so, he's been breaking out into these songs without the Wii game on.
Brent wanted him to get into drums and punk rock, but maybe he'll be a rap/dance star instead. :)
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday Sports Report - Soccer
Last Tuesday, we started soccer up again to continue our sports tradition (we skipped the last round of basketball). Our favorite coaches were back and the weather has been great, so that's nice.And, Will remembered the routine. When Coach Jim blew the whistle, he immediately ran for the group (didn't even look to see where I was) and got ready to stretch. This session of soccer was crazy busy - there were 64 kids signed up! Yup - 64 3 and 4 yr olds (plus their parents and siblings) - just insane! So, instead of stretching all together, they separated the 3s and 4s - we told Will he was 4. And, what a difference a year made!
Last year, we couldn't get Will into the group to stretch, let alone pay attention. Now, he stands in the group and actually stretches - it's awesome! My favorite is still jumping jacks (most of them are not quite coordinated enough to get it right) - video to come.After stretching, Will was placed with our favorite coach, Coach Steven. He's very patient, organized, and laid-back with all the kids. He's telling them the 3 rules of soccer here:
1) No hands
2) No pushing
3) The whistle means stop
After the rules, he had them run, practice stopping the ball, practice dribbling (aka little kicks) into the net, and then the tried a kick-off - more on that below (it was even better yesterday than last week.) Will had a great time.
This week we lucked out and were paired with Coach Steven again. He tried to do more running this time, but was thwarted by the kids from the play ground distracting his crew. So, after he gave that up, the kids practiced little kicks and stopping the ball again. All good fun, but not that exciting.Then, they moved onto a new game - Red Light/Green Light (remember that one?) Luckily, the kids and I had been playing that outside lately, so I thought Will might be into it (or at least understand what was going on). Well, this picture shows Will's starting position . . . and his middle position. I think he actually left the fence and started moving on the 3rd green light. And, he actually didn't finish last - his friend, Reid, thought Coach Steve meant little kicks for this game and it took him FOREVER to get to the end point. So funny - all of us parents were cracking up. I tried to take video, but forgot to charge the camera. Next time!
We kept laughing when Coach Steve turned them around in the middle of the field (to go back to the fence) and told them to pretend there was a fence there and turn. These 9 kids were pointing every different direction - he finally had to turn them around one by one and place them in a line-up. Luckily, Will got the concept this time around and did great.
After Red Light/Green Light, he moved back to the "numbers kick-off." While he was trying to separate them into 2 groups and explain the game, he told Will's group to "tell each other your names and where you go to school; you know, just talk." Seriously, these were his instructions to a group of 4 yr olds! :) Reid's parents and I were dying! After this, Coach Steven assigned each kid a number; however, they each kept telling him, "No, I'm 4!" The parents continue to laugh . . .Coach Steven finally gets them ready to kick-off and calls out "Number 1!" One kid scrambles up from one side, and Will's side just sits there . . . They finally get someone moving and they both try to see who can kick the ball in the net first. There was a lot of parental prompting for this game. We thought it might be better the second time around, and it was . . . mostly. Coach Steven got distracted after #2, and when he came back, he yelled out "Number 3!" All of us parents yelled out, "NO! Number 3!" (especially me, since Will was a 3). Coach Steven just gave us a look (like he meant to call #4 and we should just shut-up) and we were all laughing again. It was just a fun, fun thing.
We'll actually be in PA next week, so the next update will be in 2 weeks. I hope Will doesn't forget it all. :)
Kiddie Stories
Over the past 3 months, we've had some great kiddies stories. Unfortunately, I've forgotten some of them because it's been too long. In any case, I thought I'd tell you about the ones I do remember.First off, Will has decided that he likes to hide in Brent's shirt - we're not sure why. In any case, when Brent comes home from work and changes, Will immediately asks him to put this shirt on (it's the only one we're willing to stretch out so far) so he can hide in there. I actually have a picture of Will all the way under the shirt, but you can't tell he's in there - it just makes Brent look about 18 months pregnant (and, he's lost over 20 pounds since Jan, so that's just not fair at all). :)
Next, like a true little boy, Will (on his own here, so we can't blame Brent or Chris) discovered that it's fun to put his underwear on his head and run around the house naked. He does this either after using the potty or before changing into jammies for the night. He just laughs and laughs, and asks for us to chase him.
Sofia hasn't been left out either. Last week, we had a playdate with a woman, Kristy, and her 2 kids, Jacob (who is 2 1/2) and Hannah (who is 8 months). Kristy needed to help Jacob with something so I offered to hold Hannah for a minute. Fi got so upset! She came up to me, held onto my legs and yelled, "Hold me, hold me! My mommy! My mommy!" She had quite the little jealous rant (and made me feel so special!) So, even if we were thinking about it (we're not, so don't worry there) Fi would not be excited about mommy with a baby.If I can think of any more good ones, I'll write them down as fast as I can. Until then, I hope these make you laugh.
Family Jam Session
Over Christmas, we had a great time playing drums in Holly and Chris's basement - I thought we'd share the good times with you. It's a crack up!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Twilight - the Obsession
As most of you know, I'm a bit obsessed with the Twilight saga - it just find it utterly appealing. It's the odd complicated/kinda forbidden love thing tied into the ackward high school love/dating thing. Good times. And, even though I'm obsessed with the books, I'm really not that into the movies. I finally saw Twilight the movie on cable - it was OK; no need to see it again. It makes me a feel a little better that I'm not totally lumped in with the screaming teenage fans who can't get enough of Robert Pattinson (give me Pierce Brosnan or George Clooney anyday).
I decided this year to actually track how often I've read them. I'm working on time 2 already for the 2010 calendar year . . . Brent's noticed my obsession (there's even a t-shirt we found for the kids that says "shhh . . . Don't tell Daddy. Mommy's reading Twilight again.) and he's made a bet that I'll read the series at least twice in the next 3 months. So, I'll be honest and let you all know how I'm doing. In my defense, it really only takes me about a week to get through all 4 books . . .
On another Twilight note, I recently bought and read the Twilight spoof novel - Nightlight by the Harvard Lampoon. The back cover totally drew me in as it paralleled the book so well. Unfortunately, the back cover was the best part. I really think someone could have done a great job making fun of Twilight (and I would appreciate it) but parts of this spoof were just stupid (to be honest). This book is out on loan right now, but if anyone wants to borrow it, just let me know.
I decided this year to actually track how often I've read them. I'm working on time 2 already for the 2010 calendar year . . . Brent's noticed my obsession (there's even a t-shirt we found for the kids that says "shhh . . . Don't tell Daddy. Mommy's reading Twilight again.) and he's made a bet that I'll read the series at least twice in the next 3 months. So, I'll be honest and let you all know how I'm doing. In my defense, it really only takes me about a week to get through all 4 books . . .
On another Twilight note, I recently bought and read the Twilight spoof novel - Nightlight by the Harvard Lampoon. The back cover totally drew me in as it paralleled the book so well. Unfortunately, the back cover was the best part. I really think someone could have done a great job making fun of Twilight (and I would appreciate it) but parts of this spoof were just stupid (to be honest). This book is out on loan right now, but if anyone wants to borrow it, just let me know.
Book Reviews
Because I haven't been blogging, I've been reading A TON. Here are my reviews:
The Circle Series (Black/Red/White/Green) by Ted Dekker -- 4 out of 5
I was intregued by this four book series as it really can be read in a circle - you can either start with Black and finish with Green OR you can start with Green and finish with Black. Either way, the stories do come full circle. The story line is about a man in present time who dreams of a different reality. What he learns in his dreams affects present time and vice versa. It's very sci-fi but with a ton of religious overtones/metaphors. I really got into it and found it a very engaging read.
The Meaning of Night: A Confession by Michael Cox -- 2 out of 5
This sounded better than it ended up being. This is a supposedly true story about a man who is plotting to kill the man who stole his inheritance and lover. However, because it was written in 1854, the language, lengthy "intellectual" descriptions and rambling made it very hard to get through. The actual plot, conversations, and actions of the author are very engaging. So, I think with a little editing (Ok - taking out about 300 of the 700 pages), this could be a very good book. If anyone would like to take a chance on it, just let me know and I'll ship it to you.
The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson -- 4 out of 5
This was very good historical fiction weaved into a modern day story. The historical story is about a young Englishwoman who was captured by North African pirates and the related events; the modern story is about a woman who is trying to escape a messy affair. Her leaving lover gives her a book of embriodery patterns that contains the captured Englishwoman's story. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading it again.
How to Be Good by Nick Hornby -- 3 out of 5
I usually really like Nick Hornby books. But, this one was just OK. It's about a modern family who are just in funk and are trying to hold it together. In order to help, the sarcastic, angry father goes to a guru and decides to "be good" by only doing good deeds and caring for others. The story follows his deep drop off the hippy edge and the impact on his family and friends. The ending was quite anti-climatic and a bit apathic, honestly. It wasn't a bad read; just not as good as his others.
Sex in the City by Candace Bushnell -- 1 out of 5
Most of you have seen the series and the movie -- they are way better than the book. I realize it was a newspaper column, but it's a very disjointed read and the characters are more sarcastic, shallow and greedy than they ever appear in the series. Don't waste your time on the read - enjoy the TV instead!
This Charming Man by Marian Keyes -- 5 out of 5
Ann introduced me to Marian Keyes in college and I've yet to be disappointed by anything she's written. This was a wonderful story (set in Ireland like most Keyes novels) linking 4 different women to a rising politician whose public image is much nicer and cleaner than his private dealings. A little more serious than other Keyes novels as it deals with domestic violence but it could still be considered chick-lit. I highly recommend this book.
Murder on the Eiffel Tower by Claude Izner -- 3 out of 5
I picked this mystery up because I love anything about Paris. The story takes place at the World Expo at 1889 when the Eiffel Tower first debutted. A series of seemingly unrelated murders occurs and a book seller tries to solve the mystery. It's actually a good mystery (I couldn't figure out who did it until they told me) but there were a few plot jumps that I just couldn't follow. Maybe I should read it again and see if it goes up in review at all - it was good enough for a second read.
The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent - 3 out of 5
Ann loaned me this very solid book (awhile ago - I'm sure she thinks I mean to keep it but it will be returned to her shortly) and I enjoyed reading it. It's the story of one family during the Salem witch trials and what happens to them. It was a little slow at points (you just kept waiting for the poor woman to get arrested) but the details and what happened after she was arrested were really interesting. It was a very good book - thanks, Ann.
I'm waiting for something else to catch my eye but I'll keep you posted.
The Circle Series (Black/Red/White/Green) by Ted Dekker -- 4 out of 5
I was intregued by this four book series as it really can be read in a circle - you can either start with Black and finish with Green OR you can start with Green and finish with Black. Either way, the stories do come full circle. The story line is about a man in present time who dreams of a different reality. What he learns in his dreams affects present time and vice versa. It's very sci-fi but with a ton of religious overtones/metaphors. I really got into it and found it a very engaging read.
The Meaning of Night: A Confession by Michael Cox -- 2 out of 5
This sounded better than it ended up being. This is a supposedly true story about a man who is plotting to kill the man who stole his inheritance and lover. However, because it was written in 1854, the language, lengthy "intellectual" descriptions and rambling made it very hard to get through. The actual plot, conversations, and actions of the author are very engaging. So, I think with a little editing (Ok - taking out about 300 of the 700 pages), this could be a very good book. If anyone would like to take a chance on it, just let me know and I'll ship it to you.
The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson -- 4 out of 5
This was very good historical fiction weaved into a modern day story. The historical story is about a young Englishwoman who was captured by North African pirates and the related events; the modern story is about a woman who is trying to escape a messy affair. Her leaving lover gives her a book of embriodery patterns that contains the captured Englishwoman's story. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading it again.
How to Be Good by Nick Hornby -- 3 out of 5
I usually really like Nick Hornby books. But, this one was just OK. It's about a modern family who are just in funk and are trying to hold it together. In order to help, the sarcastic, angry father goes to a guru and decides to "be good" by only doing good deeds and caring for others. The story follows his deep drop off the hippy edge and the impact on his family and friends. The ending was quite anti-climatic and a bit apathic, honestly. It wasn't a bad read; just not as good as his others.
Sex in the City by Candace Bushnell -- 1 out of 5
Most of you have seen the series and the movie -- they are way better than the book. I realize it was a newspaper column, but it's a very disjointed read and the characters are more sarcastic, shallow and greedy than they ever appear in the series. Don't waste your time on the read - enjoy the TV instead!
This Charming Man by Marian Keyes -- 5 out of 5
Ann introduced me to Marian Keyes in college and I've yet to be disappointed by anything she's written. This was a wonderful story (set in Ireland like most Keyes novels) linking 4 different women to a rising politician whose public image is much nicer and cleaner than his private dealings. A little more serious than other Keyes novels as it deals with domestic violence but it could still be considered chick-lit. I highly recommend this book.
Murder on the Eiffel Tower by Claude Izner -- 3 out of 5
I picked this mystery up because I love anything about Paris. The story takes place at the World Expo at 1889 when the Eiffel Tower first debutted. A series of seemingly unrelated murders occurs and a book seller tries to solve the mystery. It's actually a good mystery (I couldn't figure out who did it until they told me) but there were a few plot jumps that I just couldn't follow. Maybe I should read it again and see if it goes up in review at all - it was good enough for a second read.
The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent - 3 out of 5
Ann loaned me this very solid book (awhile ago - I'm sure she thinks I mean to keep it but it will be returned to her shortly) and I enjoyed reading it. It's the story of one family during the Salem witch trials and what happens to them. It was a little slow at points (you just kept waiting for the poor woman to get arrested) but the details and what happened after she was arrested were really interesting. It was a very good book - thanks, Ann.
I'm waiting for something else to catch my eye but I'll keep you posted.
I'm Ba-ack!
Miss us? Sorry to the long absence, but I just couldn't get going after the long holiday break. And, the longer I left it, the harder it was getting because there was just so much catch-up I wanted to do. So, I've let the catch-up stuff go and instead, will give you a quick summary of the past 3 months and start fresh.
So, January was a blur- getting back into the routine after such a long nice long break felt good. We had our first parent/teacher conference and everything was good - Will's right on track with his classmates and got good reviews, which makes us just feel so darn good.
February was super busy. Jerry and Carlene came down for 2 weeks, 1 of which Brent and I left them and the kids for a 5 day Carribean cruise. It was a fabulous, much needed break - we didn't even get off the ship. :) The kids had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa as well. We had a week to ourselves, and then my parents came down for a week. That was awesome, especially since the last time Dad was here, he was moving us in and didn't get to see how great Greenville is.
The end of Feb/beginning of March is Booth Family Birthday madness - in a 2 1/2 week period is Reshma, my dad, my mom, Chris (who's really the Maxwell family), me, my cousin Andrew, and my grandpap. It's nuts but it's easy too - everyone just has one giant dinner, we trade cards, and call it good. :)
I had a great birthday this year - the weather was beautiful (unlike the many previous b-days in MI). The kids and I went to the putt-putt park (it's an outdoor, public course - bring your own equipment and have a blast). Will did a great job and even made a hole in one on the last hole. Sofia was not interested but had fun with the club (she called it a bat). After that, we went to our local "fishy" park (the bridge on the play equipment is shaped like a fish) and played. Then, Brent came home early from work and I went out shopping. After that, we had take-out sushi for dinner (the kids had yaki-soba which Sofia really, really loves). Good times!
After almost a year on the market, it finally looks like we have a renter for our house - yeah! So, we've started the process of looking for a house down here. We're still not sure if we want to buy or rent (we're not sure how long we'll be down here), but it's exciting either way.
I've also been creating movies from the videos I've taken - we got a video camera for Xmas and I love it. I'll be posting them soon (probably not the full movies since I don't want to bore you all - while my kids are super exciting and cute to me, they probably get a little boring to the rest of you after a minute or two). Look for the "Video" label.
So, I'm back and I'll try to keep up the posting. Thanks for reading!
So, January was a blur- getting back into the routine after such a long nice long break felt good. We had our first parent/teacher conference and everything was good - Will's right on track with his classmates and got good reviews, which makes us just feel so darn good.
February was super busy. Jerry and Carlene came down for 2 weeks, 1 of which Brent and I left them and the kids for a 5 day Carribean cruise. It was a fabulous, much needed break - we didn't even get off the ship. :) The kids had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa as well. We had a week to ourselves, and then my parents came down for a week. That was awesome, especially since the last time Dad was here, he was moving us in and didn't get to see how great Greenville is.
The end of Feb/beginning of March is Booth Family Birthday madness - in a 2 1/2 week period is Reshma, my dad, my mom, Chris (who's really the Maxwell family), me, my cousin Andrew, and my grandpap. It's nuts but it's easy too - everyone just has one giant dinner, we trade cards, and call it good. :)
I had a great birthday this year - the weather was beautiful (unlike the many previous b-days in MI). The kids and I went to the putt-putt park (it's an outdoor, public course - bring your own equipment and have a blast). Will did a great job and even made a hole in one on the last hole. Sofia was not interested but had fun with the club (she called it a bat). After that, we went to our local "fishy" park (the bridge on the play equipment is shaped like a fish) and played. Then, Brent came home early from work and I went out shopping. After that, we had take-out sushi for dinner (the kids had yaki-soba which Sofia really, really loves). Good times!
After almost a year on the market, it finally looks like we have a renter for our house - yeah! So, we've started the process of looking for a house down here. We're still not sure if we want to buy or rent (we're not sure how long we'll be down here), but it's exciting either way.
I've also been creating movies from the videos I've taken - we got a video camera for Xmas and I love it. I'll be posting them soon (probably not the full movies since I don't want to bore you all - while my kids are super exciting and cute to me, they probably get a little boring to the rest of you after a minute or two). Look for the "Video" label.
So, I'm back and I'll try to keep up the posting. Thanks for reading!
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