Child of an educator

Being a teacher's child stinks! Every activity has a lesson behind it or some type of learning adventure tacked on! My kids have been traumatized all summer. I figured we'd end the summer with a big bash! We went to Fernbank Science Museum! This month, they have an exhibit about Arctic animals. Once again, I drafted my mom to help with Dasha and even the kids to adults ratio. I figure I have a much better chance at maintaining my sanity with the teams evened up!

First, we did some experiments about how Arctic animals survive in the cold temperatures. Then, we went to the library and checked out lots of books about Arctic animals. Believe it or not, the kids don't gripe too much about my methods!

The kids did have a good time learning about the animals when we got there. Dasha was really thrilled with the dress-up area. Grant was a bit insulted that we wanted him to put the penguin costume on for a laugh. He did put the costume on but I had to promise not to post it here! :)

Grant enjoyed the area with blocks more than anything! There were huge blocks and mats that you could move and build with. He had the entire area to himself for about twenty minutes! He was thrilled. There was a section entitled, "A Walk Through Georgia," that highlights animals from different sections of Georgia. He turned the exhibit into a hunting excursion! What's the saying... You can take a boy out of the country but not the country out of a boy!!!

Dasha is the technology freak in the family! If the exhibit had buttons, monitors, or anything electronic, she was into it! She was amused with the bubbles, too! She had never seen bubble wands this big! She is still learning vocabulary so these kinds of opportunities allow her to ask lots of questions about things and put some visuals with vocabulary from books. After four hours of being a sponge, she was exhausted! Hopefully she'll sleep well tonight!

On the road...AGAIN

Well, Eric is out of town this week so I have done my best to keep the kids entertained! Yesterday, we went to a little shop where you paint pottery. I thought Grant might balk at the idea but he really enjoyed it! In fact, he wants to go back next week and do their camps! As summer draws to an end (1 day left of vacation for me), the kids are getting antsy and ready to get back to school.



We also took a trip to Hard Rock Cafe in Atlanta. The kids enjoyed the crazy atmosphere but I'd sure forgotten how ridiculously expensive the food was! Next time, I'll just crank the stereo up, punk my hair, and serve burgers at home. I think we'll get the same effect without breaking the bank!

Oh well. It's off to another day of trying to creatively keep the kids entertained without causing any permanent harm that might require counseling! :) Currently, Grant is entertaining himself by making stop-motion videos of his G.I. Joes in combat mode. I have a feeling that the Joes might be plotting an attack on the Barbie RV! Yikes! Better go check in on the troops!

Go Thrashers!

My kids outgrew story time at the library a few years ago - to my dismay. However, today the Thrasher's macot, Thrash, made a special appearence at story hour. They were more than willing to go and and sit among throngs of toddlers and "endure" three picture books. I, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed myself! I think I'm going to keep these pictures hidden from Eric for a while, though. He'll see these and begin acting like Rain Man spouting off how many more day, hours, minutes, and seconds before hockey season begins for the year! For those of you that know Eric well, you can surely hear him sitting at his desk calculating the times! :) Seeing Thrash at the library was a good enough "fix" for the kids' hockey fever and a whole lot cheaper!

Road Trip (Sort Of)

Having Eric work out of the house has been a definite blessing - most times. Some days, however, it feels like we're nothing more than a bunch of sardines crammed into a can trying to be quiet while Daddy is on a conference call! I decided that we (the kids and myself) needed to get out of the house today so Daddy could get some real work done. I enlisted my Mom's help and headed downtown! We went to the GA Aquarium and the new World of Coke. It was a wonderful day to have a mini-vacation while Daddy had some peace and quiet! Although Eric loves being home with us, he'll sure be glad when we all head back to school in two weeks!

Literally climbing the wall!

Tonight was Date Night for Eric and Dasha. The ultimate goal was to find Eric some new tennis shoes so they ended up at Dick's Sporting Goods (big surprise)! They have a rock climbing wall there. Grant has tried it a couple of times but we've never even thought of letting Dasha try it. I guess she showed interest and Eric agreed to let her try to scale the wall. Let's remember that this child didn't walk until about three years ago - hmmm...

Eric shot this video from his cell phone so it's not great but you can see the results. She ended up getting up the wall about six or seven feet and she wanted to stop because of the height - not because of her ability. She never ceases to amaze us.

Independence Day in Birmingham, AL

This year was a bit different! Our good friends, Jason and Emily, are now living in the medical townhomes at UAB after her double lung transplant. We spent the weekend with them and "did" fireworks like never before! We were able to sit comfortably on the sofa, in the air conditioning, with little Faith napping, our kids in their pjs, and watch the fireworks. The kids were able to play Wii while we waited for the magic hour! What luxury! It was wonderful to celebrate the 4th in style with best friends and air conditioning!

Jason and Emily were an important part of our lives during Ansley's short life. Her middle name, Jaye, was for Jason. July 4th would have been her 6th birthday. We know we would have had a major little spit-fire on our hands! God's grace has covered our loss and we were able to enjoy the day as the birth of our Nation and our special little daughter.

With school looming only three weeks away, things have been crazy here. We've been busy buying school supplies and gearing up for 3rd grade! I don't know where the time has gone! Grant and Dasha are both looking forward to the "big day." I can't remember when that joy began escaping me each year! They are both great students, although, Dasha has to work really hard to keep up while Grant breezes through. They are so different!

Dasha will begin Botox treatments in September to help with her sudden growth spurts and muscle tightness. When her muscles tighten up, she has a really hard time walking despite her braces and PT. The Botox will release her muscles enough for her to walk and run comfortably for a couple of months. Surgery seems inevitable but it's useless until she stops growing! Her growth has been exponential since coming to America. Two short years ago when she arrived in the US, she wore a 4T. Now, she can easily wear an 8/10 and sometimes those are way too short (especially if Daddy is on duty)! She's changed so much! I'm sure this year will bring many new changes, too!