Bike Ride

Marci's big news over the Christmas break was that she learned to ride her bike all by herself. Once she got the hang of it, she was determined to perfect her technique so that she could ride independently. This lead to some chilly bike rides in the freezing rain and wind, but I couldn't hamper her enthusiasm! We practiced on our street for a couple of days, and then we rode the 2.5-mile Delegal loop together. 

And then, yesterday, she and I rode our bikes nearly 3.5 miles to the gas station for a special treat. She took a couple of stops along the way for a water break and to throw her favorite rock into the lagoon. She even learned to coast and would proudly announce "Let's rest our legs!" at every downhill we came upon. She pedaled  her little heart out, and it warmed my heart to see the determination on her face when I would look back at her. Eventually, we arrived at the gas station only to discover that I had left our money at home! We couldn't get a hold of Daddy so we talked the nice lady into spotting us $1.06 for a Milky Way. We sat right on these steps while Marci enjoyed every gooey bite and got caramel on her cheeks and chin. Daddy and Osten ended up meeting us and paying back the nice lady. Marci rode her bike along the sidewalk while we waited, but then decided to ride home with Daddy. Lucky Mommy that I am, I got to ride my bike home with Osten. It was the perfect afternoon and especially memorable since it's the last day of Christmas break. My goodness, these kids are growing up fast. Daddy and I are so proud of them!

Holy Zucchini!

We stopped by Marci's garden after school on Monday, and we were shocked to see the size of her zucchini!  Just one week ago, they were the size of pickles.  Wow!!

Field Trip

Marci had her last field trip two weeks ago.  We went to Home Depot, and the kids all got to pick out a plant for Mother's Day.  She was happy to have me come along, and I had a great time with her!

Of course, we had to a silly shot!

Here's Marci with Lorien, Heath and Gavin back at school showing off their plants.

School Egg Hunt

Marci's teacher sent a couple of really cute pictures from their school egg hunt.  Tom and I both noticed that you can see Osten in the background of this shot!

How/When did she get to be so big??!!

Marci has joined a garden club, and she just might have a green thumb!  We are both enjoying it and learning a lot.

Food Groups Field Trip

Here's the bread/cereal group with some of their selections.

All paid and ready to go!

Early Morning Thoughts

This morning as Marci was snuggling in bed with me, I told her that she was cute.  Her response?  "I'm not cute.  I'm prettier than cute."  Well, alrighty then!

Backseat Banter

We were on our way to swim team tonight, and Osten was complaining that his eyes hurt when he blinked them.  Marci's response?  "That's life.  You just blink a lot!"  And that was pretty much the end of the discussion!

First Science Project

A few weeks ago, Marci had her first science project due at school.  She had a great time designing her "S" box and was very excited to take her creation to school to show to the class.  Her teacher took this picutre of her.  I just love the smile on  her sweet face!

Getting Big

Here's a picture of Marci at her new school.  She's getting so big!  It's hard to remember sometimes that she's only in pre-K.  It's been a hectic four weeks for Marci, but I think the toughest part of her adjustement is behind us.  She's doing very well, and we're so proud of everything that she is learning.  She really is quite a little sponge.  Way to go, Marci!

Another Birthday Milestone

As promised, Marci got to take the back off her booster on her fifth birthday.  She has been long-awaiting this big milestone!  The eve of the big day finally arrived, and the removal of the booster back proved to be rather ceremonial. 

She was giddy with excitement and dragged her seat into the middle of the driveway for a test run.

Meanwhile, it was life as usual for Osten and Cash.  Another day, anohter battle!  Speaking of battles, Marci looks to me like she's giving some serious thought to a thumb battle with herself.

Well, heck.  If you can't beat 'em, you may as well join them or at least try to boss 'em around a little!

Say It Ain't So . . .

I heard words from the backseat this afternoon that I could have gone through my children's entire childhood without hearing.  In any event, it's too late now so I figured that I may as well preserve the memory in case it might come in handy later--for bribery, a good laugh or both!

As is the case these days, Marci was taking great pleasure in annoying her brother in the back seat of the car this afternoon.  As is the case these days, I was doing my best to tune out the two of them while imagining myself alone on a beach somewhere with a low-calorie-but-still-delicious frozen drink in my hand in a sweat-proof glass.  When all of sudden, I'm jolted from my daydream by the following:

"Marci, stop rubbing your boogers on my booster seat!"

Saving Summer!

Thanks to a waterproof cast cover that a friend lent to us, we made two visits to the pool this week.  Last night, Marci passed the swim test and received a coveted green bracelet to signify that she can swim in the deep end and go down the slide all by herself.  She was quite proud of herself and immediately asked if she could eat off the special plate like her brother did when he passed his swim test.  Boy, that girl doesn't miss a thing!  The weather wasn't the greatest last night, which meant that we ended up having the pool all to ourselves.  This was especially nice because it gave us a chance to try out the slide and the deep end without distraction.  Of course, that was really more for my sake than Marci's, who has taken to swimming with a cast without so much as missing a beat.  While I waited at the bottom of the slide with my stomach in my throat, she was all grins and giggles coming down the slide.  I'll have to get a picture of her in action next time!  And Osten was a big help, especially with showing her the ropes of the slide.  ("Ropes?  What rope, Mommy?" he said.)  That's Osten in the background of the picture.  They both had been showing off their handstands to the lifeguards on duty.  

In Other News . . .

Thankfully, we've been able to find a new and more fun use for the kitchen chalkboard.  It's gone from a disciplinary tool to a tracking device for one of Osten's favorite past times.  A month or two ago, Osten started trying to punt a light ball over the house.  Most days after school, he heads outside and will kick and kick and kick the ball some more to see if he can clear the roof.  We finally told him that if he kept at it, he might be able to get the ball over the roof by the end of summer.  Lo and behold, last week he came running in the house to announce that one of his kicks had sent the ball into the backyard.  (Of course, he's also found the low spot on our roof!)  Well, all it took was that one little success, and he's been punting his heart out with a renewed determination.  Just last week, he was so thrilled with the results of his efforts that I thought his accomplishment warranted a little recognition.  So we now have a fun use for the kitchen chalkboard.  And, as Osten aptly noted, we can always write down Marci's name on a piece of paper . . .   

Tough Cookie: An Official Diagnosis

Almost exactly three years after Osten broke his arm, Marci has wound up in a cast with a broken radius.  Damn monkey bars!! (Osten broke both his radius and ulna of his right arm.)  As usual, she has taken this recent turn of events in stride and has shown herself to be a real trooper.  After briefly considering a yellow or green cast, she opted for pink and has appeared to be quite pleased with her decision.  Luckily, her cast seems to be more of a fashion accessory than a nuisance, at least for now.

We no sooner arrived home after having her cast set, and she wanted to go for a spin on her big wheel.  

Thank God for the resiliency of children!  And this one in particular seems to have a deep well of inner strength.  (Gosh I wish I could take a long drink from the well on occasion.)  As her arm was being cast, the man applied pressure to her arm in an effort to realign the broken bone.  (Ouch!!)  Suddenly, we noticed a big grin on his face as he shook his head from side to side.  He commented, "This is strong girl you've got here."  And he explained that most of his adult patients show visible signs of discomfort, whereas Marci talked and laughed her way through the whole process.  Yep, she's a tough cookie alright!  

Tiny Dancer (Take Two)

Grammi and FaFa were able to come for the big show!

We had to get to the theater about an hour early to get good seats.  Osten kept Grammi and FaFa entertained by writing his number from 1 to 100 in his Captain America composition book.  He was such a good sport and even played some tic-tac-toe with Daddy before the show finally got started.

It must have been a special day because we even remembered to snap a family photo!

At her request, we celebrated afterwards with frozen yogurt at Menchies, of course! 

Tiny Dancer

Marci had her ballet recital this Sunday.  Although she was thrilled to wear her costume along with some makeup, she was not too happy to pose for pictures before we left the house.  She must have just been anxious to get the show on the road . . .

Oh, and what a show it was!  While I manned the videocamera, Daddy snapped this picture of her big entrance onto the stage.  She really strutted her stuff and shook her little hips like you wouldn't believe. 
I guess walking on your tip-toes can put a little shake in a girl's step!

She was really into it!  The rest of her classmates were also adorable, and they all did a great job!  From left to right are Elana, Izzy, Marci, Kate and Marin.

Her only complaint was that they didn't have a "grand finale" at the end so she could get back on the stage one more time! 

Mommy's Crown

Marci heard me talking the other day about getting some dental work done.  As often is the case, I didn't even realize that she had been listening until she blurted out, "Mommy, how come I never get a crown when I go to the dentist??!!"

Masquerade

Marci is still a fan of dress-up, and I just love to see the combinations she comes up with these days.  Recently, she asked me to help her put on some of her princess attire, and then she added a Mardi Gras mask to complete the ensemble.  Doesn't she look fabulous??!!

Some Special Plate Occasions

Marci has been moving right along with her swimming, and we have celebrated with dinner on the coveted special plate.  About a month ago, she swam a full length of the pool wearing a pair of fins.  It was a big milestone as well as a real boost to her confidence.

About two weeks ago, she made it across the pool all by herself.  She was very proud of herself and really excited about her accomplishment.  We, of course, are thrilled, too.  Tom was able to come to the pool last week, and he got to see her swim a length of the pool and do a knee dive. 

So, how is Osten handling all of the fuss over his sister's recent successes in the pool?  Well, he's mostly shared in her excitement, but he's also ready for a turn with the special plate, too.  I've promised him as much after his first swim meet this summer.