Spring Happenings: Spring Break, Easter, Children's Museum, Soccer & the Bookmark Contest!

Tess' ready for Crazy Outfit Day at school.

The first grade also put on a performance of the Little Red Hen.

Drew doing his usual green thing.

Kids in their Easter finery.

Drew gave his first talk in Primary.

  

I let the kids pick out their own Easter craft.  Drew was not happy with the selection of bunnies and eggs, so he decided to make a Easter Alligator.

A favorite tradition: Easter cookies at Nana's house!

Easter decorations for Nana's dollhouse.

Spring break brought lots of playdates with friends.  Tess went to a movie with Danielle James, had her school friend Abby Robinson, and a stay late with Lindsay Watson.  Then spring break brought strep.   That was less fun.

Chalk drawings with a social conscience:  "Don't judge people's races.  'I have a dream.'  Martin Luther King Jr."

 Drew employing his easter basket so he can be a turtle.

 Super fun money cards from our Dipsy!

We used gel colors for the eggs this year and got some vibrant ones!

Easter morning, and the Easter Bunny went all out this year!  This Easter Bunny decided to hide the baskets this year, so we had to "hunt" for them.  Drew was leaping with joy everywhere he went.  Very fun and magical.

And the Easter Bunny brought cool scooters for both kids!  Major win!  Drew has been riding his scooter so much that he woke up with a major limp from over-scooter-leg usage.

Hunt at our house, and then a hunt at Nana's house too.

 The hunt at Nana's used mustaches.  In Drew's words:  "What these have to do with Easter?" 

The last day of Spring Break, we ventured down to the Richmond's children museum and had a total blast.  On the way down, our car signaled that we had a flat, so we had to detour to "Shorty's Garage," which let's just say is off the beaten path.  But we made it to Richmond even though it was a little late.  Good thing was that the museum was practically empty and we had the run of the place.  We stayed until it closed and didn't make it home until 9 pm.  But boy, was it fun!

Since it was a beautiful day I let the kids stay and ride scooters in front of the Science Museum.

Saturday both kids started soccer.  Drew was on cloud 9 and Tess liked it too, at least once it started.  Fitting, since she was awarded this at school:

Big news came on Sunday, when we headed to the library for the children's bookmark contest awards.  The library called to tell us that Tess was going to be honored for her entry, but we didn't know what she won.  There was a great presentation by Mary Quattlebaum, author of the children's book, Pirate vs. Pirate, which was the contest theme.  She lives in DC and talked about her writing process and even brought a copy of the notes she made when starting the book and a draft of the cover illustration.  Tess was enthralled.  

Then came time for the awards.  There were 10 semifinalists in each grade k-5, and each grade level had a winner.  So they start reading the names, but when it comes to first grade they go over all the names and SKIP Tessie!  She thought they forgot her and she was devastated!  I told her we'd figure it out, but we were all confused.  Then it dawned on us that maybe they skipped her because she was the Grand Prize winner. I told her to pull it together because she might have to go up as the winner.  And we were right!  400 entries K-5, and they picked hers as the Grand Prize winner!  Phew!  Too much drama for us! But Tessie did great.  She got a copy of the book with a sweet autograph by the author and we told her how Tess loves drawing and writing about mermaids.  We decided Pirate vs. Mermaid would make a great sequel!  

March 2015 Tidbits

Drew and I were discussing how some of his favorite toys came from Nana, and how it is that she knows what 4-year-old boys like. Drew's conclusion: "Nana is my favorite person."

Somehow Tess and I (Ryan) got on the subject of twins. Ryan: "Tess, did you know that there are some twins whose bodies are joined together? If one person wants to go somewhere, then the other person has to go to the same place. So they have to go to the bathroom together. And if one person wants to go to sleep, then the other person has to go to bed too." Tess: "Yeah, they're kinda like missionaries."

Drew: "I have a longer name. It's Ninja Turtles Higginbotham Green Lantern Higginbotham Batman Higginbotham. I like a longer name."

Drew, looking at a map of the world: "Dad, I want to visit France, San Diego, and Gingy [Virginia] Beach. Those are my favorite places on the earth."

Drew was having trouble with the zipper on his new coat. Miriam asked if she could help. She said, "This coat is having some problems, isn't it, Drew?" Drew replied, "Mom, I think this coat hates us!"

Drew's questions for the St. Patrick's Day leprechaun: "Why are you just running? Why you not waiting to see me like Santa Claus?"

We asked Drew to give the opening prayer in his Primary class. His response: "I no know what an 'opening prayer' is. But I think it's when you say a prayer with your eyes open. So I can do that."

Tess lamenting the snowy winter we've had: "Mom, I miss the grass!"

Tess told me (Miriam) that one of her classmates was upset and crying in class because she had learned that Abraham Lincoln died. Tess rolled her eyes and said, "Sure, it's sad, but I mean she's a little late to be crying about it!"

Drew was trying to pull himself up on the bathroom counter when I (Miriam) asked what he was doing. He replied, "I trying to see all my whole self in the mirror. Wow! Handsome!"

Tess: "When is this snow ever going to melt? We need 30--or 100--suns!"

Tess' new catch phrase: "This is going chaos!"

Drew, insisting that he wanted to whistle his own way: "It's my body. I can do whatever I want with it!"

Science Fair & St. Patrick's Day 2015

February 2015 Tidbits

Some of Drew's favorite expressions: (1) "That's amazing!"; (2) "Phew!"; (3) "Oh, that's so cute!"

Drew: "I'm just sneaking you!"

Drew: "Dad, your hair is cool. It looks slippery. It's as big as your head!"

Drew often talks about getting bigger. He walked up to me to measure himself against my back. He exclaimed, "I'm as big as Daddy's legs! Daddy's legs are four [years old]."

Drew: "Green Lantern Superhero Drew. Can you call me that all the time? At school it's okay if they just call me Drew."

I was lamenting to Drew, as I often do, that he is growing too fast and that he needs to stay little so he can always give me hugs. He said it would be okay and he would prove it, then set out to find Dad. Drew then instructed us: "Dad, you stand here. Mom, you stand here. Now hug." We gave him a confused look and hugged each other. "See, when I grow up I be big as Dad and I can still hug you. See? It still works!"

Drew: "I allergic to peanut butter, pickles, and jam. But not bread."

Drew, singing in the bathtub: "Scrub, scrub, scrub your hair, gently down the stream."

Drew told me his preschool question of the day was, "Do you have a friend?" and I asked him how he responded: "I said yes, I have a friend. Dad is my friend!"

Drew was excited to get ready for gymnastics (he wears a t-shirt and shorts). He got ready and proudly proclaimed, "I'm already in my t-shirt and t-pants!"

I watched as Drew picked out his clothes this morning. He pulled out a pair of pants, then put them back and grabbed his Nike warm-up pants that look like Ryan's. He told me, "I'm going to wear these today. They are cool! They are sport clothes!"

Drew: "Dad, look at my tooth back here. It kinda look like a merry-go-round. Cuz it's a circle tooth."

Tess: "Sometimes I use a word all the time and I don't even know what it means. I ask Mom, 'What does this word mean?' and she tells me, and I say, 'Oh come on, I thought it meant something different!'"

Drew asked once again where raisins come from, and I told him they are dried grapes. He was quiet for a minute and then said, " I think I know why my hands get wrinkly like a raisin in the bathtub--I think it's from all the water!"

Drew, on drinking from a straw: "It kinda look like an elevator with drink persons."