Ellie's theory about my kids hair...
Had this conversation with Ellie a week or so ago and had to write it down. Ellie has come up with her reason why Emma and Erik have thick brown hair - they were both born 12 days past their due date. Ellie's hair is fine and light brown, because she was just 10 days past her due date. Everson has fine, blonde hair, because he was just 5 days overdue. So in the mind of Ellie, length of time in the womb directly affect's ones hair color and texture. Only from the mind of Ellie LOL.

A typical Wednesday in West Texas:
Breakfast, clean up
3 1/2 hours of school
Lunch, clean up
Chores and outside to play
work on AWANA sections
3:30 Emma ballet
4:00 Ellie ballet
4:10 race home to make pizza for dinner
5:00 pick up girls from ballet
5:10 home, change for AWANA, eat
5:45 out the door to AWANA and choir
8:00 home, snacks, ready for coop in am
9:00 bedtime for kids
9:15 kick up my feet for CSI
bed

Thursday
up, breakfast, clean up
chores, shower, ready for coop
9:00am out the door for coop
12:15 head home for lunch
lunch, clean up
D-E-E-P B-R-E-A-T-H
4:30 off to running practice
5:30 drop Erik off at basketball
race home to make dinner
6:45 eat dinner
R-E-L-A-X

tired yet?! Just a glimpse into our 2 busiest days...

EMMA'S BIRTHDAY PROJECT

So you know that Emma is turning 10 in just a couple of short weeks. (I'll let that sink in for a few minutes...)

She's having a Spa Birthday Party this year. I've recruited some friends to come help manage the 20-or-so girls we've invited to an afternoon of pedicures, manicures, facials and fun foods. When she turned 8, her friend party benefitted the new homeless shelter for women and children in Albany...a tea party for 17 girls...church made Easter baskets for all the children in the shelter...cases of laundry soap donated for the mothers...and a large financial donation was made as a result of hearing Emma's story.

This year, Emma wanted to collect $$ and send it to Will (this idea came around the time of the fundraiser in Albany). So we did some thinking, and some talking to Aunt Angie and Uncle Sam, and came up with the idea to support Will's Oncology Clinic. I had her write an article that I planned to include with her invitation and have shared with our adult sunday school class at church. Now, our coop is taking it on as a mission project...and the Air Force Base here in S.A. will be doing this as a community service project! Now I'll have to have a fundraiser to ship everything to NC!!! LOL. Thought you might like to read Emma's letter. I promise we'll post pictures of the party! Of course, you're more than welcome to come down for the party and see for yourself...did I mention that we don't have any snow here?! Here's her article:

My name is Emma Armstrong. I am turning 10 on March 2nd. I am in the fourth grade. My cousin’s name is Will Armstrong. He is 2 years old and has leukemia.
For my birthday, I am not getting stuff for myself. I want my friends to bring stuff for Will's cancer clinic like cool kid band aids, stickers, hats for the clinic Hat Wall and Happy Meal-type toys still in the wrapper (to avoid germs).

The clinic Hat Wall is covered with hats, so if a kid sees a hat he/she likes, they can wear it home that day.

You can meet my cousin Will at his website www.caringbridge.org/visit/williamarmstrong
Please pray for Will and all of the other children with leukemia and other kinds of cancer.

Everson news...
This past week I focused on getting Everson to realize that he COULD in fact be a big boy and use the potty. He had been trying off and on for a month or so to use the big toilet. But this week, he seemed ready to give the whole thing a try. In 6 days, there was only 2 accidents and success of BOTH kinds on his little potty. In fact, one day he came to me holding his underwear and shorts and asked me to help him put them back on. He said, "I went potty. And I didn't need you." He was having a difficult time parting with the solid stuff and one day informed the kids and I that he would go 'bm' on the potty when the baby comes. After a hearty laugh, I told him that he would have to go sooner than that. A stick of gum as a reward was all he needed to get the job done. ;-)

So yesterday I went to Target to spend some leftover bday $ and bought him 3 packs big boy underwear. Scooby Doo. Cars. And Fopsballs (that's basketball to the rest of us). I think he surprised himself. Then again, he keeps telling me that he's a big boy now, because he's the baby's big brother...

BRRRRR! So this is what I get after boasting about yesterdays weather, which, I'm told was actually 81* Today it barely was above 45*!!! I'm really getting tired of being 'cold'. That's right, I've acclimated to the point that 45* in February is completely unacceptable ;-)

We had coop today, then brought home Erik's best friend Joel for the afternoon. Then off to running practice and basketball for Erik.

We've really enjoyed our new basketball league. www.upward.com if you're interested. Its a new league here in SA and a great experience for Erik. There are only 4 teams in his age division. Each team has 4-5 players and they play 3-on-3. Since Erik's team has only 4 players, he gets to play 3 quarters of the game. He's having a blast and we're enjoying watching him. The opening of each game is like an NBA game...complete with blaring music, loud announcing and even FOG MACHINES! Erik eats it up. On sunday (Super Bowl Sunday), Erik cme home from church and went out to play basketball. Then he came in the house and watched an ENTIRE NBA game. Went back outside to play more basketball...and tried to work on his 3-pointers... HE doesn't even realize that baseball starts in less than 2 months...

Not much to report. Oh one thing...today it was 71* Watching national weather forecasts reminds me of another reason we moved to TX...70* in February. We've been getting outside right after lunch to play for a few hours each day. I've pulled weeds, and cleaned in the yard. Everson is getting reaquainted with his sandbox. And the others are playing basketball, riding bikes and scooters. All this with some trampoline jumping thrown in ;-) I remember in NY we had to take all but the trampoline frame down for the winter...not so in TX.

Let us know how you're doing...some days I wonder if anyone reads this blog besides Angie...since she's the only one who makes a comment regularly :-) And SHE has a kid with cancer! That's a hint to you, anonymous reader,to make a comment or send an email to let us know what's going on in your neck of the woods...

I neglected to give an introduction to the slideshow...
If you stop by our house on any given evening (and we wish you would), you might come across a play, talent show, puppet show, magic performance, dance recital, and, lately, concerts. The kids have 4 or 5 favorite songs from our WOW 2007 CD that they like to perform. One is the lead singer, the others play 'instruments' or have choreographed moves. After witnessing one such performance, Tom, my stepfather, made the kids their very own guitars and microphones. Enjoy the show.