Other football news

Yesterday, Jacob was pointing out teams on his football pj's. He really wanted to find the Washington Redskins. In honor of the fact that it was Martin Luther King's birthday, I asked Jacob to please call them "the Washington team." We'd had a discussion earlier about MLK and what he did (after the kids came home with two key pieces of info stuck in their heads - (1) MLK was shot and (2) MLK had his house bombed - thus proving that the link between violence and newsworthiness begins early). So I tried to explain - in simple terms - that it doesn't matter what color skin is, we have to be respectful, and that Redskins is not a nice term.

I think often I neglect to discuss things like that with the kids because.... well, we live in Wisconsin, land of cheese and Caucasians. But even so, it's not lost on them that there are kids in their class with different skin color, who speak other languages, or friends with two mommies. Perhaps it's good to specifically tell them that these things are OK - rather than assuming that they just "figure it out" from a MLK dot-to-dot.

As another example, in the fall, both kids proudly came home with their "I will not do drugs" pledge and red drug free ribbon. So I asked, what are drugs? And they shrugged. But I got this cool ribbon Mom..... So we talked about only taking medicine that your parents give you that comes from a doctor in a bottle with your name on it.

That's hopefully more than enough info for them now, just like saying "it doesn't matter what color skin you have" is hopefully enough info for them now. And I have a new plan for some topics with the kids - which is not to assume they can pick up the proper message just by listening to the fable.

Tough Week

Leading up to the NFC playoff - it's a tough week to be a Bears Fan in NEWI. Parents outside the school noted the absence (entirely accidentally) of my Bears hat at school pickup yesterday. They can joke around - because I know they're good sports - but not everyone is.

Someone was telling me about their kid's school that had "Favorite Team Day - Packers Only Please."

Packers are on the front page of the newspaper and more than half the TV news is dedicated to Packers coverage. Today's story was about the crappy state of Soldier Field's playing surface.

We'll be watching the game on Sunday with some friends - Packers Fans. I'm really hoping the Bears win....

Newest game

Our kids have a new game - "Try It Stand." It's modeled after the sample stations that you can find at a grocery store. They fill up 5 bowls with various food "samples" and then take turns being the shopper and the stand employee. They are currently inducting Jacob's friend into the Try It Stand.

Overall I find the game kindof cute - but I fear the next person who asks the kids what they want to be when they grow up and they say "I want to work at a try it stand."

Christmas Day

Christmas Day was pretty good too. The kids were not up at the crack of dawn and were actually even asleep when Brian and I got up.



Stockings and Santa were first. The kids all made out pretty well. Stockings are always a lot of fun to open.



Then there were presents opened upstairs by all. And we mean lots of people (though most of the gifts were for the kids). In addition to us, and Grandma and Grandpa - there was Uncle Derek, Aunt Nancy, cousins Kellen and Chloe, Great-Grandma, Great Aunt Denise and Great Uncle John, and "First Cousins Once Removed" (yeah - I looked it up - and you can just call yourselves cousins) Megan and Jamie.



There is Jamie helping Jacob open his gifts. There was good loot on this day too - Brian got a beautiful quilt from Sue, and the kids got lots of fun toys. Some fan favorites are the Operation game, craft kits, star wars and lego stuff, Bears t-shirts, magnetic dolls, Barbies, and Scooby Mansion.

Here are the girls with their super-cute puppy purses....


Cousins Mike and Matt came later in the day and so did my Mom. Allison ate at least 9 cookies when we weren't looking (and probably also when we were looking). She was bouncing off the walls. The boys spent a good chunk of the day on Nintendo DS.

We were also greeted with the news of a new cousin - as Cody John Douglas was born on Christmas Day in Connecticut. Yay!

Finally, we were treated to an awesome end to the evening when Cousin Jamie performed a magic show for us. All the kids were super cute when they went up to take their turn at helper (the magic was really good too). Allison was inspired to perform her own magic show at the end - which consisted of having the audience drop something into a cup. But - she's been practicing and now has an act complete with cowboy hat, witches cape, and magic pencil wand. Jamie - watch out next year.....

Record for posterity

Sometimes I have to record things because they're so funny- and typical. This was the conversation on the way to the library tonight:

Jacob: Was I right Mom? How do I know these things???
Allison: Because you're so smart, Jacob. (this was said with full sincerity)
Jacob: Allison - Don't day that!
Allison: But you are smart, Jacob.
Jacob: Allison - STOP SAYING THAT!
Me: Jacob, she's giving you a compliment.
Jacob: But I already KNOW that.... she doesn't need to say it.

The lesson on humility apparently should be next....

Merry Christmas - Part 1

We had a nice Christmas down in Illinois. On Christmas Eve we met Grandma and Grandpa in Taylorville for lunch. Grandpa carefully scoured the internet for the perfect restaurant that was closed.... (LOL).



We had a nice lunch, Allison's doll Julie got a very cool new homemade bed and clothes and Jacob got some battling zhu zhu pets.



We returned to Springfield and headed to church. (Yeah - they let us in!) Two of the three kids were incredibly well behaved and one of those was ours! It had started to snow and the roads were getting slick - s owe headed back to Bruce and Sue's house for dinner and a gift exchange with extended family. The kids scored again with some fashion coloring supplies for Allison and a wild remote control car for Jacob.

The kids set out cookies for Santa, threw carrots in the yard for the reindeer, and went to bed listening for hoofbeats on the roof.

Next post - Christmas Day.

Allison's Birthday Party

Allison's birthday party was actually a week after her birthday at the YMCA gymnastics center. After Jacob's birthday in June, Brian and I were sold on the whole "having a party out somewhere" idea. It took Allison a while to settle on gymnastics - but overall they had a really good time.

The girls:


There were notably boys there too - they didn't make the photo as I believe they were all on the trampoline at the time.

Here's Brian masterpiece Barbie Cake:



and an action shot of Allison jumping into the pit. Lots of fun!