Knights and potties…

"We need knew knights, but without swords."
―Dejan Stojanovic

This has been a rough week for most of the family thanks to the flu (or whatever it was that gave all but one of us 102+ degree fevers), but it was a great week for Isla.  For starters, she decided she didn’t need diapers during the day anymore.  Once she realized she could do it, she was able to give up the diapers within a day or two.  In fact, it’s been over four days since the last daytime accident.  Way to go Isla!

She also is getting more dexterity.  She had a proud moment this weekend when she realized she could fold her own socks.  Once this discovery was made, all her socks were folded, unfolded, folded again, and then mostly unfolded again before she decided she should go potty again.   Once she learned that she gets a small piece of chocolate if she use uses the potty, she suddenly developed an extremely small bladder.

We knew at some point we had to take the kids to Medieval Times.   Saturday was freer than normal with swimming ending so we decided to pack up the van and head the land of knights and overpriced plastic light-up swords.  They told me this was true to the time period, apparently plastic light-up swords didn’t get sturdier until the Renaissance.  Who knew!  The kids bravely kept the price of the swords from bothering them as they cheered their knight on.  We had a great time, and I’m sure we’ll go back again someday.

Swimming, sewing, and Legos…

"One has to look out for engineers - they begin with sewing machines and end up with the atomic bomb."
-Marcel Pagnol

James and Ashlyn can both swim now and the danger of them falling into a pool is past.  Ashlyn has even become a pretty good little swimmer.  James may go back to swimming classes in the future, but for now the older kids graduated from their final semester.  In its place, ice hockey.  Yes, ice hockey.  This should be fun.

We did some work this weekend around the house that required working in areas not well lit.  James was eager to help, and that meant Isla had to help as well.  They were both great assistants, James even rigged up various ways to provide lights without being in the room so that he could go in another room and destroy things.  Isla helped by picking up tools and walking away with them.

The sewing continues with Ashlyn learning to make pillows this week.  She made one for herself, pink of course, and then one for James out of Star Wars cloth.  She loves making things for other people and hasn’t managed to sew herself into the machine yet, so this is an activity that appears to be going well so far.

Legos really are one of the best toys ever invented for kids.  They teach creativity, engineering principles, patience, and possibility.  Luckily we got to spend some time this weekend playing with Legos.  The older two kids helped me build a Tie-Fighter, and Isla made whatever a 2 year old makes.  It’s hard to say, but she was awfully excited about it.

Birthdays and baby dolls…

“Be not sick too late, nor well too soon”
― Benjamin Franklin

This week our house was taken over by colds.  James was home for 3 days with a fever and as I type this Ashlyn is laying on the couch with a fever of her own.  That means we don’t have as many pictures or stories as we’d normally like.  As filler, here is Isla playing with baby dolls, which is her favorite activity at the moment.

Daddy celebrated a birthday this week and to quote Aunt Lisa, “39!!!!!!!  Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!” 

The monthly Kiwi Crate came in and this time it was worthy of the kids putting on a talent show.  We got to see a balancing act, a catapult, and other various items that threw tiny objects all over our kitchen where we will be finding them for weeks to follow.  Thanks Kiwi Crate!

I can’t end this blog without wishing Sydney a happy birthday.  James wasn’t able to go to the party due to his fever but Ashlyn and Isla were able to attend.  Here’s Ashlyn saying what all the Flinns say to our favorite Early niece.  Happy birthday Sydney!!

Chuck E., a seamstress, and a taste of snow…

"Even the fall of a dancer is a somersault."
-Singhalese Proverb

Our kids love Chuck E. Cheese.  At least once a week they ask to go to the place, and every now and then we cave in and take them.  Isla is able to enjoy the place more as she gets older, and her favorite thing to do is join Ashlyn and James in whatever game they happen to be playing.  Fortunately for Isla, her older siblings don’t seem to mind her company.

One of Ashlyn’s Christmas gifts from Grandma and Grandpa was a sewing machine.  Unfortunately, despite being advertised as being perfect for kids, it was not a real sewing machine and didn’t work very well.  Grandma got a replacement, a real Singer sewing machine, and brought it over to show Ashlyn how to use it.  Together they made a carrying bag for her tablet, and Ashlyn was proud of the end result.  Now all we need to do is teach Ashlyn how to repair all the clothes that James rips and we’ll be in business!

All James wanted for Christmas was snow.  He didn’t get it, but we got a little this past week when a cold front came through.  There wasn’t enough to build a snowman, but it was still fun for the kids to run around outside in it while the parents bravely watched and took pictures from inside the warm house.  We can get more snow as February comes around, so hopefully we’ll get enough next time to do more with it.

Say hello to 2017…

"What the New Year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the New Year."
–Vern McLellan

When the weather warmed up a bit over the holiday break we decided to use our Six Flags passes to take the kids to Holiday in the Park.  It was fairly crowded, as you’d expect, but the lines weren’t bad for the kid rides and they had an awesome time running around the park.  We drove cars, went on the cave ride, sledded down a snow hill, flew on the swings, and of course spun in circles on the teacups (Ashlyn’s favorite).  The kids are already looking forward to Spring so we can go back.

No break would be complete without a trip to the park, so we loaded up the van and went out to Bedford Boys Ranch to terrorize some ducks and run around the playground.  Other than James having a run-in with a playground bully, much fun was had.  And no ducks were terrorized.  One duck even tried to follow us home, but gave up once he realized we weren’t going to feed him.

2017 came to the Flinn house surrounded by screaming children.  Cousins Ben and Sydney came by to celebrate, and they brought Nina and Papa with them.  The kids weren’t going to stay up until midnight of course, so we did the next best thing and live streamed the New Year’s countdown and fireworks from London.  As the clock ticked down, the kids eagerly sat with hats on and blowers ready.  When the fireworks shot into the sky, the living room was filled with whistles, “Happy New Year’s!”, and toasts of champagne and sparkling cider.  The house was calm when midnight struck in Texas, and we quietly toasted the New Year’s so we didn’t wake up the three reasons we are most looking forward to 2017.

Happy New Years!