Moving from Jan. to Feb.

My new mug kind of puts our household life into perspective.

If it's not one of the kids mumbling to us "Whatever", we are at the very least mumbling that to ourselves.

I Have No Fear!

Yup, what you are looking at is the inside back of our 42" TV.

Called a TV shop and they said at least $200 to fix it.

I told Jill that I could try and fix it and either save us a lot of money or it might cost us a whole new TV.  (No Fear because a 50" TV would be awesome!)

Yes, here I am!  Notice the circuit board, solder gun and a tool to suck solder.

(Ignore the double cheaters.  No, really...no need to make a comment here, and what's up with my hair? Oh...moving on now.)

Removed & Replaced four capacitors and the TV works GREAT! 
Dang it! I mean GREAT!

Jo - Sewing!

Jo finished her first sewing project. "Beary"

She slept with this little bear for days.

Jo enjoyed sewing so much she is now in a sewing class at school this quarter and has started the next larger matching bear to Beary.

School Gym

I went to the kids' assembly and didn't get a single good photo of them.

However I did snap a couple pictures of the PE achievements.

Cole is on the list of kids who have climbed to the top of the Ropes.

Both kids are on the list who have stayed on the rock wall from end to end.

The goal on the rock wall is to not climb above the red line and not fall off from one side to the other.

SUPERBOWL

What is a Super Bowl Party without cotton candy?

Not much of a party really, couple folks here and good chili for dinner!

And home made shirts!

Awesome new shirts!

Affair of the Heart

Jo and I ate lots of chocolate,
ice-cream and any other free
sample they had available.

We came across the photo booth
towards the end of our time and
had to do this as well!

Jo also spotted a booth doing free
make up and asked me if she
could have hers done.

I said sure but she had to ask herself and by golly she asked!

Jo was glowing before this woman put the tip of the brush to Jo's eye lids.

Just enough too highlight her natural beauty.

(and enough make up that Jo could actually see it on herself)

Beaver Basketball

Yes, it's just about killing Cole knowing his team name is "Beavers".

But he is out there learning and enjoying the game.

And we are having fun cheering him on.

Go Beavers!

Semi Quiet January

Dinner at our house can look different at times.  I mean really, who wants to sit at the table for every meal and eat with a plate, fork and knife?

Vegetables, cheese, chips-n-salsa and other finger type foods laid out on our counter and our dinner ready as we just stand around the counter and eat.  Easy clean up too!

Cole and his Bass

He is still playing, however he has decided that the bass is a little large and is tired of taking on and off the school bus.  He's been encouraged to finish out the year and is doing so with half the smile he had when he started. But this experience and a completed commitment is important.

THIS people is one of the moments
I LOVE about being a Mom!
(about a 1.5 min video)

A PROUD young man playing his Bass for me!

The sweet sound of a bass playing in our home makes me just smi...well.
I love the fact that he enjoyed playing his song and that he understands what he is supposed to be doing. I smile over and over watching this video.

Mystery Game!

Guess what was in Cole's backpack!

Yes, I cleaned out his bag and apparently I waited too long to do so, or maybe not as we had a good time trying to figure out "What this object originally was"?

The 21st Century Play Date.

Yes, this is what it looks like.

Shall I break it down for you?

1. Jo at the computer logged into a "Pet" game played on-line.

2. She is talking on the phone (see the phone in her hand) with one of her friends whom is at her own home logged onto the same game.

3. Jo & her friend walk their Pets around this virtual world trying to find one another. (example: I'm in the forest by the big tree. Yes, it has leaves that are green)

4. Their Pets along with Jo and her friend watch a video about lizards inside this online game all the while talking on the phone to each other.

Yes, this is how you can have a play date without ever leaving your very own home.

Ice Skating

Jo is taking a break from Circus Arts and she is hitting the ice for a while.
(I should not say Jo is hitting the ice- hold that thought)

She LOVES to skate and is quickly getting more confident on the ice.
She really wants to spin and twirl like the girls who wear the little outfits and white skates.

Cole was able to take a free class too on the night "Skate with a Buddy".

Shhh, don't tell Jo that Cole was her buddy this night.

Jo skates pretty fast at times.

and smiles from ear to ear!

Hitting the Ice?

That would be Cole and his head!

We'd say this knocked some sense into him but he didn't even tell us he fell and when we said "Dude, that's bad!" Cole said "Oh, I didn't know". 

Maybe we should take him in because that comment made no sense.

~Inside the working mind of Jo~

A page from one of Jo's magazines showed how to create candy monsters.  Jo really liked them and asked Cole and I to participate in choosing our favorite.

This is how the conversation went.

Jo: "We all have to pick a favorite."

Jo: "This is my favorite one."

Jo: "Ok, Cole, you pick your favorite but not the one I chose."

Jo: "Mom, your turn, pick your favorite but not these two."

Jo: "HEY!  We all picked different ones!"

Cole & I: (staring blankly at her)

Cole: "You wouldn't let us pick the same ones?!"

Jo: (with a questioning laugh) "Oh Yeah!"

Oh how we all laughed at that blonde moment.

I know you are waiting to find out the answer is to our Mystery Game!

After cutting open the object from Cole's backpack we decided that it once was a mandarin orange.

Do we have some good times around here or what.

Jo-Doug-Cole

Jo started the New Year with a HUGE purchase for herself!

Both kids have wanted some sort of iPod to listen to their own music, so they started saving their money in 2010.

They had to save half the money for an iPod and we would pay for the other half.

2012 and Jo has saved half!

By golly they don't sell the iPods the kids wanted any longer?

So we did the next GREATEST thing and found a coupon and then another coupon

and she was ready to buy some thing even better!

Say Goodbye to your $80 Jo!

She is all smile as she knows what she is getting!

Her very own iTouch!

Music, Movies, Apps, Camera and More.

VERY Proud Parents and Child!

Cole walked up to her right after this photo and his jaw dropped as he said, "She bought that?! I thought she was getting that little shuffle, not an iTouch."

With a slight smile and much jealousy he followed that with, "Good job, Jo."

And good job Cole for giving her kudos for her hard work.

(Cole has said he will start over in 2012 with saving for his.  He has enjoyed Hot Wheels, Cap Guns, and much ammunition for said cap gun, among other purchases with his saved money)

Life of Doug

Yes, Doug allows Jo to dress him and HER clothes fit him nicely.

Here Doug is dressed in a down filled white winter vest which stops around his hips, allowing him full range of motion when on his walks.  Doug likes the light weight vest and feels the color helps cars see him during his evening walks.

(He really does not like this dress up time but he puts up with it like Lil put up with it as it's all good attention from Jo)

Doug is now a Geocaching Trackable.

Log My Dog!

The GREAT COLE and the One Handed Knot.

I downloaded the photos from my camera and found that Cole had made a video of himself.  I thought it was precious and so the above photo is a picture from the movie. (video below)

He has been practicing magic tricks on us at home.  Have had to say "No" to the tricks where he has wanted to use fire or knives.  We told him to practice others until he has mastered them and then we can talk about the fire tricks.

 Jo + Music

Oma sitting with Jo teaching her how to purchase music for her iTouch.

Jo is a quick study with spending money on music.

Think we should be scared at this?

Cole has been playing Zelda

(Zelda is a video game where you play the character Link)

Cole is still the same young boy who loves to go all out!  He now wants a full blown Link outfit!  This is what he has come up with so far.
I love his imagination and how he creates the characters he wants to be.

Christmas Days of 2011

Stayed with Gma Marie and Gpa Norman this year for Christmas due to Jo asking to be around more family for the holidays.

The Christmas Dog Bone Cookie

We have enjoyed doing a cookie decorating contest the past few years and continued this year with a dog bone cookie.

The participants this year besides the BS Family, Gma Marie, Gpa Norman, Cousin Derian, Rachelle & Connie.

The final cookies!

And the Christmas Cookie Winner!

Derian and her Hawaii theme.

With more cookies left the next day the kids decorated again and came up with the creative idea to use smaller cookie cutters for some outline shapes.

Though I think Cole ate more frosting than actually made it onto his cookie.

Christmas Eve

Cole and Jo opening the gifts to each other.

Jo: Littlest PetShops, Cole: Star Wars book and action figure.

Christmas Morning

Can hardly believe I had to wake the kids. And even after I woke them they didn't move until I said "Merry Christmas". Then their eyes popped open, I hear them say "OH YEAH," their faces cracked  a large tired smile and they ran into the front room to see what Santa brought them.

From Santa? Cole: Skateboard, Jo: Rock tumbler.

Could I have one picture of the three of you please?

After this picture I said: "Wait, did I get the shot?"

Kids: "You only asked for one." (and they walked away)  LOL

Oma opened her Cotton Candy maker.

Or is this for Jo?  No, it's Oma's, however Jo will be by her side every time she opens this box!

Turducken:

It's what's for dinner!

Todd bought one of these birds (or rather three birds in one) for our dinner this year.  It was quite tasty and could feed a family twice the size that was gathered this year!

 

Gpa Norman, Cole, Jo, Gma Marie and Doug.

Busy three days, we were all very happy and tired!

Merry 2011 Christmas BS Groupies!

Oma's Birthday - Holiday Spirit

Oma wanted to snowboard for her 44th Birthday or a day of Geocaching if we had no snow.  And below you can see we were hitting the hills for caches!

Our first find for the day was up the side of the hill full of grass burrs, mud and loose rock. (If you look closely at Gma Marie's pants she is speckled with the burrs)  No one cared as "We were Geocaching" and anything goes!

If he could talk to the animals, walk with the animals ...

Our very own Dr. Dolittle in Gpa Norman.

We were stopped at a road side cache and Gma Marie, Jo and I watched (from inside the car) as these cows in the field were almost running toward Oma, Cole and Gpa.  Gma and I looked at each other and said "Gpa is talking to them".  And sure enough, you could hear Gpa Mooing and those cows were running toward him! They even followed him back to the car, probably would have gotten in with him too.

Cheese!

Again, we always come prepared for birthdays as another match was held by Gma Marie for Oma's birthday wish.

Cheesecake for desert after our Mac n Cheese, Lasagna with salad dinner.

Happy 44 Years, My Dear!

Feed the Birds, Toppins a bag...

Yes, Gpa Norman is still talking to the animals as he took Jo outside with him to call and feed the Jay's peanuts.

He tosses them into the air and the birds will catch them while they fly by.

Jo didn't quite get hers tossed high enough so to the left of this picture you can see two birds landing to grab the nuts.

Cole and Gpa Norman building a robot that Cole received as an early Christmas gift.

Gpa taught Cole quite a bit about the reasons of how & why when building.

Cole finished this up the following day at home.

Our Christmas Tree

Doug has become a little bored  at the house once in a while and has started chewing things up.  We are down to only the nine days of Christmas ornaments on the tree and one string of lights have become two separate strings.  (Thank goodness they were not plugged in).

Santa!

Might be our last picture of the kids sitting with the Jolly Old Man as we had to pay Cole to sit with him this year. (Only one dollar) We gave Jo the same.

Merry Holiday to you and yours!