What is an amoeba?

This past Thursday was the Science Fair at Potter's school. Fourth and fifth graders are required to participate, but anyone else in the school can as well, including some very cute projects by the kindergarten kids. Potter decided to learn all about amoebas! We even went down to the Susquehanna and got a jar full of river water and muck, put it on a slide under our microscope, but unfortunately, we determined that it was a) too cold and b) the water was to fast moving for us to get amoebas. (Later this summer, we're going to find a pond and go there on a really warm day to ensure picking up some of these suckers!!) I went to school as a judge and interviewed a bunch of 4th, 5th and 2nd graders on their projects; you can just see the pride that they all have in their work! Was so proud of Potter for coming up with his idea, then spending a lot of time researching, typing, printing and putting the board together. He even made a clay amoeba down in the art room at school.

Jesscherry visit

Jesscherry is no longer a 1L! She finished her finals and then came to town on Tuesday night to hang out with us. As it turned out, Greg and Lila came over as well for some dinner and guitar playing. I managed a picture of Jess with Lila, but not with Jess, Crash, or any of our kids. Isn't that odd??

Mother's Day Brunch

My husband and children closed all the pocket doors leading to the kitchen and family room while they prepared my Mother's Day Brunch. Caleb set the silverware on the table, Molly and Potter worked on the tablecloth and cloth napkins, then all the kids got to help with various stages of food preparation. Such a beautiful table, with a nice candle and the marigold that Molly made at school. They always make me feel so special. I love them all!!!

Gymnastics demo

Molly participated in a gymnastics demonstration on Saturday that included each girl doing a beam routine, a floor routine, a vault, and a bar routine. While Blogger has been very nice about uploading video today, now it has decided that it won't let me upload any of these. Here are a few shots of them coming in with flags to the national anthem and then getting their awards at the end. The videos are WAY better, so I'll keep trying.

Still of Molly doing her Level 1 vault

Molly and Annie posing (sort of) for a picture

The proud biker

Molly sporting her 'new' bike :)

Molly rides on only two wheels

Molly decided that this was the weekend that she wanted to ditch those training wheels, and as you'll see, she did an amazing job!! That's my girl!

More doggy bath

It starts out fun for Dave and Crash, both enjoying their roll as squirter and squirtee...

Then slightly less fun for Crash when the shampoo comes out, now he must sit still. Dave looks a little less than thrilled.

More fun, getting rinsed off.....

His biggest dislike part, getting his face washed. I imagine that during the whole bath, Crash ingested over 50 gallons of water!!!!

Crash's first bath outside

Dave gave Crash his first bath outside yesterday. This was the pre-bath frivolity.

Mother's Day Tea at Molly's UPK

Molly's class held their annual Mother's Day Tea this morning. It was such a lovely time, many thanks to the teachers and kids who put in a lot of effort and love! Each mother was introduced and let into the room separately, whereupon their child would come and greet them, have a couple's photo taken, then be seated at the appropriate table. Each child had made a placemat for their mom, decorated a flower pot and planted a marigold, made a card, and helped with the preparation of all the food and drinks. Enough to make a momma tear up!!! The children all sang a song, in Spanish, about loving Mom, we ate a feast, listened to what our children think about each of us Moms, then read a story. Loved it all!!!

Waiting in the hall to be announced, I read why Molly loves me......

A bigger picture of why her friends love their moms.........

The table where we sat with some of Molly's friends. We had Dante, Joseph, DeAna, and Stephen at our table with their moms.

The food!!! Spinach and strawberry salad with raspberry vinagrette (must try this soon at home), chicken salad sandwiches, cream cheese and jelly sandwiches, and lots of cookies!! Also, not just water, but iced tea, pink lemonade and water.

Molly and Dante. He has already asked her to marry him a couple months ago.

Mommy and Molly!!!

Stephen, Joseph, Molly and Dante

Molly, Natalie and Sophia. These are probably Molly's best girl friends at school.
Mrs. Talley read 'My Mom is so Great'.

Spring 2010 - TBall season!!!

Molly loves t-ball, at least, that is what I thought! After asking over the past two weeks when her first t-ball game would be played, we arrive, find our field, meet our coaches, and get set to play, then she turns into, what we call, serious Molly. She would not talk to another girl on her team that was her age, she would not talk with the coach, she didn't want to practice throwing the ball and warming up with another boy who was desperate to play catch - ARGH!!! I had worries that she would now be in t-ball for 7 more weeks and be miserable. Thankfully, about halfway through the first game, serious Molly left and fun, bubbly Molly arrived in the outfield!! Yay!! The rest of the game she was extremely animated and was diving, literally, for the balls in the outfield, elbowing out a lot of boys. She's looking forward to next week already, we just have to keep the rain away as they don't reschedule the games.

The Black Bears get a quick run around the bases, from first all the way to home, as a reminder which direction to run after they hit the ball. Molly is in her pink fleece.

The weather at Arnold Park was bi-polar. It would be alternately sunny and nice with a slight breeze, to overcast, cloudy and really cold with the wind. At this point, Molly had shed her fleece and was squinting into the sun in the outfield. They should have oriented the bases and kids at a 90 degree turn. Mental note to remember her baseball hat next week.

The Black Bears wait patiently for their first time at bat. Cold again, fleece back on. Notice all the parents at the bottom texting instead of watching their kids at the game. Hilarious!!!

Molly's first at bat she hits the ball with the gusto of Big Papi!!

A huge tangle of kids going for the ball after the opposing team has a hit. I am pretty sure Molly came up with the ball way more than half the time ;)

Molly getting a bit more instruction from Coach Laurie. Storm clouds gathering.....

Shadows getting longer, wind getting chillier. Last year, the teams each got 2 innings at bat, this year it was 3. Too long when you are on the top of a high hill/mountain, the sun going down behind the trees and wearing capris and sandals!!!

Princess picture

With only a small bit of help from Wendy, Molly created this very elaborate and colorful princess picture. I think all Wendy provided was the fountain. I love how artsy Molly has become!

Random pics - getting caught up

As of today, when Caleb started sporting a fever, we've now had each kid with some crazy viral infection that causes high fevers. Blech!! The blog has not been a top priority, so there is a hodge-podge of stuff here, some from a couple (or more) weeks ago.

At Molly's spring conference with her teacher, she showed me the drawing that Molly did in September, then the picture that Molly did in April. Huge, huge difference. This girl is quite a speller now!!

At Caleb's conference, I saw his fall and spring pictures. Although the difference isn't as dramatic as Molly's, he used more colors and provided the teacher with a caption on the one he completed in the spring.

We made some new red (pink) playdoh one day after school and Caleb made a scary guy. He then also pretended to be a scary guy himself!

The day before the chili cook off this year, Molly went into the art room and, all on her own, made her own sign for Dave to use. You'll notice that she did the chili peppers at the corners, just like on my sign. If you can't read what she read (and really, she did an excellent job and I am not just saying that because she is my kid, well, ok maybe I am) it is under the picture.
'Chili cook off at my home'

And here is the latest addition to our house, Jumpy the fire-bellied toad. Not only do we have to make sure that Jumpy has enough purified water (yes, I have to add drops to his drinking and spraying water) and crickets to eat (yes, I have crickets in my house now too), we have to make sure the crickets have enough to eat so that they don't die prematurely.

NYS Chili cook off - Cellar Dwellers were awesome!!!

Saturday May 1st was the annual NYS Chili cook off, held at BU. Dave and a few friends decided to make this year number two that they'd participate. Competition chili is the Texas Red, which can only contain meat and sauce (I know, right, what kind of chili is THAT???), but Dave makes it so well, definitely spicy!! You can choose to make another chili that is more freestyle (you can put in beans, onions, you know, things that NORMAL people eat in chili), so Greg made his Cincinnati style chili for that. I love Greg's chili, must be the blend of seasonings that really do it for me, but whatever the mix, I just know I still have a tupperware of that in my fridge for later this week ;)

I was a judge this year (thanks Pat) for the salsa competition. Sadly, there were only 5 salsa entries this year, none of which were fruit based. One was almost totally inedible, but the one I liked best came in 2nd place and was the woman with the tent next to the Cellar Dwellers. She made homemade chips as well. Yummmmm!!!!

I decided to take over the PR for the Cellar Dwellers this year. If you don't know, the Political Science department is housed in the basement of their building, hence the name. They also decide to grow goatees for the event (Katja was smart to not join in on that aspect) which I expect as of now, 24 hours later, most have shaved off, except Dave. I came up with a stencil for the shirts, which I then used for the signage as well. Dave wanted a sort of gothic/underground sort of font, so I winged it and came up with something that totally fit what he had imagined. Whew!! I must say I was really excited with how well they turned out and of course, everyone spilled on theirs shirts, making them look more authentic.

Cellar Dwellers came in 6th this year for Texas Red and have a plaque to prove it!! Darn, I forgot to take a picture of that to post. Perhaps at a later date....

Dave and Greg putting the final touches of seasoning and heat in their respective pots

The whole gang!

Greg is ready to ladle the samples

Happy customers, who hopefully put their paperclips in our bucket!

Cellar Dwellers tent

Cellar Dwellers sign

Katja and Ben trying out the competition's chili

Potter's 4th grade poetry reading

I am very behind on the blog once again!! Potter gave his recitation of 'Boa Constrictor' by Shel Silverstein this year at the poetry reading on April 22nd!! He was chosen as one of the few from his grade to recite at the evening performance. Always very proud of how well he can speak in front of a large group of people without being/seeming nervous.

The video of Potter reading his poem was supposed to go right here, but Blogger isn't cooperating as usual. Grrrrrrrrrrr.................