Puppets, more Valentines, and a dog park…

"My fashion philosophy is, if you're not covered in dog hair, your life is empty."
-Elayne Boosler

Isla has recently discovered puppets, and quickly created her own puppet theater in her room.  She practiced for awhile before inviting the family to attend the grand opening of the theater.  Everyone was required to attend, even Sadie.  The show was a moving tale of animals looking for other animals before inevitably being tossed out the window.  We laughed, we cried, and we gave the show a standing ovation at the end.

Nina and Papa came over to deliver some belated Valentine’s bags for the kids.  The bags were filled with candy and slime making kits, which are two of the favorite things in our house.  Needless to say the kitchen table was quickly covered in plates, cups, spoons, and slimes of every color.

We also decided to take Sadie to the dog park to socialize with other dogs.  We only have a few small dogs near the house and Sadie tends to tackle them when she sees them.  Sadie doesn’t qualify as a small dog at the dog park so it was a good opportunity to meet other larger dogs.  She was squeamish at first, but started to warm up a bit until a big dog named Hank invaded her personal space a little too much.  The kids had fun running around and playing with the other dogs.

Valentines, walls, and a pig…

"If you have only one smile in you give it to the people you love."
-Maya Angelou

This is our first Valentines with two kids in school which meant a lot of red paper and heart stickers.  They took full advantage of the opportunity to make a mess but the end result was a nice selection of cards for teachers and friends.

Ashlyn was invited to a friend’s party at a local rock climbing place and it seems she may have a future career in rock climbing.  She was able to overcome some of the difficult obstacles and get to the top of several walls.  And she had a great time doing it.

A Peppa Pig center opened up in Grapevine a few weeks ago.  Isla love Peppa so Mommy took her to see what it was all about.  Isla had a fun time running around in Peppa’s world but I don’t know if there is enough there to warrant a second visit.

Skating and karate…

"When I was 3, my parents strapped on a pair of Playskool plastic roller skates to my feet,
and that's where the story begins."
-J. R. Celski

The kids got the chance to go the local skating rink to skate with their friends.  They took full advantage of the time, even Isla who still needed to use the trainer.

James tested for his green belt this weekend.  He had to do a 21 step form, show three sparring combinations, and free spar for one minute.  He did well, and all signs point to him getting his next belt.  Afterwards we celebrated with some ice cream, because what’s better on a drizzly winter day than Marble Slab?

James’ class celebrated 100 years of school by encouraging the kids to dress up as 100 year old kids.  We had a plan that included a bow tie and silver hair coloring, but the bow tie didn’t fit and the coloring didn’t work.  Oh well, he still looked pretty awesome in his pants and suspenders.

Trees, crafts, and a fun run…

"Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing."
-Abraham Lincoln

The annual Apex Fun Run was this week, which is an exciting event for everyone involved.  This included Mommy this year, who helped decorate doors, take pictures, and organize the kids for the event.  Ashlyn and James had fun raising money for the school, and even Isla spent a few minutes after the event to make a lap.

The kids found a furniture cushion we were going to throw away and decided to turn it into an art project.  They made squishes of various shapes and sizes, including sandwiches, mushrooms, and ice cream cones.

The kids wanted to go walk and ride around the ponds when the weather warmed up and we were happy to take them.  Their favorite spot is still the tree at the back end of the pond area that’s perfect for climbing.